Here for a friend and need some help

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Pnkgirl25

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I have a friend that has epilepsy. He is stuck in a dead end job as a security officer for a hospital that he absolutely hates. His original goal in life was to be a police officer. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice at the top of his class, applied for the police department, passed all the tests with flying colors then a few months before getting ready to start the academy he had his first seizure and they told him he could not be a police officer with . This was 8 years ago. He had one more seizure after this for a total of two, he was then placed on medication for epilepsy and has been seizure free for over 7 years.

This whole incident has pretty ruined his out look on life and his job search in general. I am trying to help him out by redoing his resume and looking for jobs for him but I'm unsure of what he is limited to because of his disability.

He has no restrictions on his driving record but says he cannot get a job driving because of his epilepsy...I'm not sure if this is the truth or if he has just given up hope of even trying.

Can anyone give me some ideas for types of jobs we can apply for. He's looking to make $18 an hour but his background is all in security and from what I'm seeing he's pretty much tapped out on the pay-scale based on where he is now.

Any ideas? Is the police department totally out of reach for him?
 
Hi Pnkgirl25, welcome!

It's great that you are trying to help out your friend. Different states have varying rules regarding driving, but if your friend has been seizure-free for over 7 years then he should have no restrictions on his driving. And having good seizure control should mean a wide variety of jobs are ope to him. Here's a link to a site with info about what employers can or can't ask prospective employees: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/epilepsy.html

He should contact the police department to see what options he has -- there may be desk jobs or openings in courthouse jobs or educational settings. His old classmates might be able to network for him. Could he work as a private investigator or fraud investigator for the federal government? I know someone who does very well financially doing that. Maybe a bodyguard? Forensic psychologist or technician? Or perhaps he could go into law -- working as a paralegal or some similar capacity for a law firm.

If he seems depressed and unfocused, it may be a side effect of his medication -- some of them can affect mood. He should check with his neurologist to see if that might be a factor, or consider some other kind of counseling (therapeutic; career) to help him move forward with his life.

Best,
Nakamova
 
Is there a Vocational Rehab facility near him? I've taken tests there and passed with high marks. They practically paid for my first degree.
 
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