Calvin’s Story: Amended Interview Process
Through the support of a disability employment service organization, Calvin was hired for a role as an Autoplan Processing Support Services Representative with ICBC, contributing to the success of his team.
A few years later, he is still working with ICBC, now as a Claims Support Assistant.
Calvin graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelors in Communications in 2013. Upon graduating, Calvin had intended to obtain a job in social media marketing. He had a six-month contract job at a non profit, and found that the marketing industry wasn’t the right fit for him.
Undeterred, Calvin worked in a couple of retail-based positions, as well as temporary contract office roles, in the years that followed. In each of his jobs, he noticed that the feedback he was getting from employers was consistent; while he performed his duties really well, his employers tended to give him feedback on his social interactions with his peers and supervisors.
In 2016, he decided to speak to a psychologist because he suspected he had Asperger Syndrome. The psychologist was able to confirm Calvin’s diagnosis, and helped him develop an employment profile—to identify what distinct strengths Asperger’s equipped him with so that he could tailor the search for his next role.
Calvin was then connected to the Pacific Autism Family Network and BC Partners in Workforce Innovation (BC WiN)—organizations who help individuals with disabilities find employment.
Through BC WiN, he was referred to ICBC to be an Autoplan Processing Support Services Representative in their insurance division. BC WiN helped him prepare for an interview with the hiring manger, after which he was offered and accepted the job.
When asked what adjustments ICBC made to make him successful in his interview, Calvin lists two main things:
- ICBC gave him the questions ahead of time. This allowed him to prepare his answers, and reduced anxiety about being put on the spot.
- He was allowed to bring notes into the interview, to ensure he covered all the points he wanted to touch on.
He really enjoyed this position and was looking for a way to continue progressing within ICBC, when an opportunity came up for a permanent Claims Support role.
For this role, in addition to the interview, he had to complete typing, data entry, and reading comprehension testing. He did well on all three tests and secured a permanent placement.
In commenting on his new role, Calvin said:
“I love the pace of the job. My role as a Claims Support Assistant is currently focused on ensuring the mail gets to the right person, be it at my claim centre or elsewhere within ICBC. I ensure that the staff in the claim centre (Adjusters, Estimators, Managers) feels supported and are able to do their job with minimal interruptions, and with the necessary tools.”