Getting a job

Talk to people you know in the community, like a coach, community leader or family friends. They can help you get work experience or find a job.
Talk to a career guidance or counselling professional about getting a job. You can talk about your skills and interests and match these to different types of jobs. Career guidance can help you see if you need to learn new skills to reach your work goals.
Talk to your local area coordinator (LAC), support coordinator or planner about supports that might help you reach your goals.

Below is a list of options that can help you get a job. You might try some different options before you find one that works for you.

Your supports might combine 2 or more of the options listed below.

Getting ready to get a job

Decide what new skills you might need to help you get a job.
Think about how you will get to a job.
Get experience in different workplaces to see what interests you.
Look for Individualised Placement Supports.
Find a provider that offers customised employment.
Practice your interview skills.

Think about:

Where you want to work.
How you can get to work.
Do you want to work full-time or part-time.
Do you need any supports at work to help you? This can be things like screen reading software, support for personal care or interpreting at work.
If you need supports at work, how can they be included in your work day? If you need help talking with your employer about supports at work, you could talk first with your family, friends, local area coordinator (LAC), or support coordinator if you have one.

How these supports can help:

Building new skills can help you live more independently. These skills can also help you at work.New skills might be catching public transport or getting your driver’s licence. New skills could also be managing money, communicating with colleagues, keeping on time, teamwork and controlling emotions. Participants have told us building new skills helped them get a job, keep that job or move on to a new job. Research suggests the best way to develop new skills is with on-the-job training.
Work experience is a good way to learn more about a job you are interested in. Work experience can build your confidence, skills and contacts for future job searches.
Apprenticeships/traineeships can give you both training and paid employment in a field you are interested in. Apprenticeships and traineeships usually take 2 to 4 years.
Work placements are paid work while you are studying
Vocational programs are usually a combination of 2 or more supports including: career guidance, skills development, work experience and/or work placements.
Individualised Placement Supports (IPS) can help you look for a job and stay in work. IPS may have different names. IPS usually includes mental health support and support to build your skills so you can get a job. IPS is most often used for people with psychosocial disability.
Customised employment includes working with a provider to understand your skills and interests. The provider can help change jobs so it matches your skills and interests. They also provide ongoing support for you and your workplace. This is very helpful for people with an intellectual disability.
Cognitive behavioural therapy can help build relationship skills. It can also help you cope with anxiety in social settings. This therapy can be helpful for people with psychosocial disability when it is combined with traditional vocational programs.
Interview practice is offered by some providers. While you might find interview practice useful, we don’t know if it helps you get a job. Interview practice may build your confidence speaking with people you don’t know. It can also help you explain what you can do and why you are keen to work. Interview practice is sometimes called:
- Virtual reality job interview training
- Vocational empowerment photovoice (an approach that uses photographs and written text to increase confidence of people seeking work)

Who can you talk to?

Talk to your NDIA planner, local area coordinator (LAC) or support coordinator about:

developing and using your plan to reach your work goals
accessing supports in the community.

Ask them questions like:

How do I plan and set goals for the job I want?
What supports and services are available for me to build new skills? Or help me find the job I want?
What have other people like me found useful?

Read more about questions you can ask providers.

Kavanagh A, Brown D, Dickinson H, Mallett S, Marck C, Weld-Blundell I. (2021). Evidence review: Strategies to increase employment and economic participation for people with a cognitive disability. The University of Melbourne.
National Disability Insurance Agency 2021. Achieving a ‘sense of purpose’: pathways to employment for NDIS participants with intellectual disability, on the autism spectrum and with psychosocial disability. Australia. Prepared by L Smith, A Ames, M Bennett, R Morello.
Wilson, E. & Campain, R. (2020). Fostering employment for people with intellectual disability: the evidence to date , Hawthorn, Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology.

This guide can help you understand which supports you could use to help you pursue your work goals. It does not mean a support will be added to your plan. It does not mean a support will be funded by the NDIS. Some of these supports are provided outside the NDIS. All supports in your plan must meet our reasonable and necessary standards. This includes being value for money. If you read this guide, you should also read work and study supports.

Getting a job

On this page

Getting ready to get a job

Who can you talk to?