Getting ready for that job interview.

Larry, Dan, Phil, Gene, and I met for drinks and Cokes at the Mill. The discussion came around to my job interview the next Monday. The conversation got lively. What followed was a brainstorming session about the buzz words employers listen for when they do interviews. The following represents the essence of our discussion (including a suggestion Susan, a highly placed professional, made the following morning). We agreed on a list of traits employers value and came up with these sentences which might be knitted into answers.

Dedication: "I'm a hard worker."

Persistence: "I do what is needed to complete a job."

Work ethic: "I value the work I do."

Enthusiasm: "I'm enthusiastic about this job because..."

Flexibility: "I can easily adapt to new or different ways of doing things."

Frugality: "There is no money to waste. I try to eliminate waste when I can."

Self-Starter: "When something needs doing, I do it. I don't need a lot of supervision."

Quick learner: "I pick things up quickly. Especially with good training."

Teamwork: "I'm a team player. I enjoy working independently, but I know the value of strong teamwork."

Give an example from your personal work history with each of these, if you can.

My brainstorm group agreed that it is preferable to mention your wheelchair, since if you use one you'll be sitting in it. Do it near the end of the interview, not at the beginning. Discussion about disability early on may make you come across as defensive or ashamed, unadjusted to your disability or hiding behind it as a sympathy ploy.

It's best to convey the idea that a wheelchair - or any other mobility aid - is no barrier to the completion of your work. Put it in a positive light. Near the end of the interview, when you are asked, "Do you have any questions?" you might say, "Please don't let this chair fool you. It won't hold me back. If anything, it helps me get my work done quicker and better."

And, if asked to describe yourself in one word try "dynamic". That says it all.

Skip Matus now works for the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services in its disease intervention program. He has lived with MS for 15 years.