Contracting is now a competitive sport!

“I have grown exponentially fond of contracting,” said Matt Wallace, a contract closeout specialist who began work in 2018 in VisionCorps’ Professional Services Division.

That was not where he was when he started the job . Matt said he had no knowledge of contracts or what closing out contracts meant. But he felt welcomed and encouraged to be successful in the field – starting with his job interview.

Matt did have some advantages – a college degree and proficiency in JAWS, computer screen reader software for people who are blind or vision-impaired. He was able to quickly learn about the relevant sites and how to build and submit contracts.

Contracting is not an easy field, said Matt. It requires organization, teamwork, and major attention to detail, all skills he said he lacked at the start of his employment but has since developed.

“I have come a long way in my personal development of these skills, and have grown to respect, admire, and even emulate the work that I see my fellow specialists do every day,” said Matt.

He also appreciates the financial independence that his job offers.

“As a totally blind individual just finding a job can be a major source of anxiety,” he said. “This job gives me so much more confidence and helps me feel like a productive member of society.”

Working with others who are blind or visually impaired  gives the group a certain camaraderie when it comes to everyday challenges, said Matt.

“It creates a stronger bond in the workplace,” said Matt. “We are a team and we care about the success of each person as much as we care about our own success.”

“What I like the most is the friendly competition,” said Matt. “My goal every month is to have more ‘closes’ than anyone else on my team – preferably, the top number of ‘closes.’

Outside of work, Matt enjoys sports – “watching, not playing,” he said, “and you’ll never meet a more passionate Cleveland Browns fan!”

Matt has a strong broadcasting background dating back to 7th grade when he did color commentary for his cousin’s CYO basketball games. He provided commentary for Temple University’s women’s hockey games, and this year and last, was a broadcaster for the World Series of Beep Baseball, helping to educate others about the sport and the Philadelphia Fire Beep Baseball team and its success.

He said he loves to analyze sports and statistics.

“I plan on expanding my broadcasting roots to include goal ball and blind hockey,” said Matt, who noted it’s not always easy to provide analysis since he can’t do play-by-play. “You have to try to keep your viewers interested by giving stats, and talking about the interviews and background research you’ve done before the game.”

Matt has a motto that applies to both his professional and his personal life:

“Let your personality shine and show as best you can what’s going on in the game.”