Kat’s Corner: The Job Onboarding Process Completing the onboarding process to join the EMPOWER VI team was the very first official job experience that required me to fill out legal and important paperwork. I was a little nervous since I had never done it before and wondered how accessible everything would be. At the same time, I felt secure because I had an incredible support system that I knew would be there for me, and they absolutely were.
My Experience To start the onboarding process, someone from the hiring team, along with my direct supervisor, guided me through all the steps I needed to complete. Anytime I had questions about what came next, everyone was quick and responsive. Since this was my first time doing something like this, I didn’t really know what to expect. When I read the initial email from the hiring manager that listed everything I had to do, I felt a little overwhelmed. I didn’t realize how many separate steps there would be. One of the first things I had to do was complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 online before my first day of work. The email explained that I would need to meet with an employer representative and show my original identity and other documents. At first, I thought that meant I had to physically go to the University of Illinois (U of I) campus with my documents, which made me a little nervous. Later, I found out that I could submit my verification documents digitally, and someone on my campus could represent me and complete their section of the form. That was a huge relief and made the process much easier.
I also had to log into the U of I New Hire system to complete several employment forms, enter personal information, and create and reset passwords. Each section had to be fully submitted before moving on to the next one. In addition, I was required to complete mandatory trainings, including a state ethics training within my first 30 days. As a first-time employee, I didn’t expect there to be so many different systems and steps. It wasn’t hard, but it did take time and careful attention to make sure everything was filled out correctly.
There were multiple links to different websites, so I wondered how accessible everything would be. For the most part, though, everything was very clear and straightforward. All of my speech-to-text accessibility features worked well across the websites I needed to navigate. Some parts were definitely time-consuming. The trainings and the need to enter a lot of important dates and personal information were a bit tricky, so I’m really grateful I had someone with me to make sure I filled everything out correctly.
My Advice to Others If you’re going through this process for the first time, I highly recommend having someone there to help you. There were a lot of emails coming in daily, each with links to different websites, and it was tricky to keep track of everything. I’m so thankful that someone I work with from my transition program was able to sit down with me, go through each document step by step, and help me whenever I needed it. She read things aloud for me and helped me scribe important information, like resetting and setting many different passwords. That support made a huge difference. So, if you’re new to the hiring process, I strongly suggest having someone by your side to help walk you through it. It can be a lot, but with the right support, it’s absolutely manageable.
Second, don’t be afraid to ask questions if something doesn’t make sense or if you need to advocate for something that isn’t accessible. If the people you are going to be working with are good employees who truly want your help and value your contributions, they will be patient, supportive, and ready to answer any questions you have.
