iSocial's Employment for the Neurodistinct (iSEND)

Mission: To radically improve our neurodiverse clients' ability to secure the right job.

Description: A new employment lab that complements the iSocial Professional Communications and Leadership Skills (PCLS) workshop. Clients will develop clarity, confidence, and skills in PCLS while at the same time creating their job-seeking plans, assets, and portfolio.

Why iSend is Unique and Effective:

• Designed for the neurodiverse job seeker: Specifically for the unique needs and abilities of the neurodiverse population.
• Created for job seeking in 2026: Assists with today's hiring practices and tools (e.g. How to succeed in an AI interview and how to use AI effectively in creating job seeking collateral).
• Case Studies and Scenario Analyses: Written or discussed responses developed to current real-world hiring scenarios.
• Breakout Rooms and Short-Form Role Play: Brief components of presentations are role played, mastered and eventually brought together as complete elevator pitches, networking scenarios and interviews.
• The Capstone Role Play: A complete interview Role Play where all of the practiced components of the interview come together.
• Career Compass Portfolio: This personal portfolio stores all the acquired employment assets developed by the client during the lab. This includes personal reflections, planning tools, branding drafts, writing samples (email, resume, cover letter, and video samples e.g. elevator pitch video).

Methodology: Once a week, two-hour Zoom sessions, 16 weeks, supports PCLS with an employment action plan.

iSEND Curriculum Outline

Unit 1: Understanding Career Motivation and Readiness

• Create a personal professional life goals map
• Analyze the importance of professional image
• Understand work barriers, supports & motivations
• Scale from surviving to thriving

Unit 2: Matching Strengths and Interests to Career Paths

• Identify personal strengths, interests, and sensory/social preferences through assessments and reflection
• Recognize job environments and personal preferences (quiet vs. busy, team-based vs. independent) and how they relate to personal work style

Unit 3: Selecting the Right Employer

• Define company culture and recognize inclusive environments
• Identify and evaluate companies with inclusive practices
• Review strategies to make first impressions count
• Choose the company that is a good fit

Unit 4: Building Professional Relationships

• Develop and articulate a personal brand for professional networking contexts
• Create a professional LinkedIn profile showcasing skills, experiences, and career goals
• Engage with professional networks online through posts, comments, and connections

Unit 5: Creating Employment Collateral

• Create an elevator pitch, resume, and cover letter
• Create employment collateral: elevator pitch, resume, cover letter, and job posting matching
• Review updates for the 2026 job market participation

Unit 6: Preparing for the Interview

• Analyze common interview questions
• Evaluate disclosure options
• Develop a compelling elevator pitch
• Utilize the STAR method for answering competency-based interview questions

Unit 7: My Career Portfolio (Capstone Role-Play)

• Practice and record: elevator pitch questions & 2 competency-based questions