What should I do?

Post Reply New Topic

Hello everyone....I haven't used WrongPlanet in a while, so I'm here to seek advice from someone.

So I've been having trouble finding a job throughout 2017, I graduated High School in 2015 but during my High School years I didn't really think about getting/finding a job (well kinda but ran out of luck) or getting a driver's license. Why? Because I would assume it would've put too much on my mind & stress me out than it would for an average teenager in high school. So anyhow its honestly been difficult looking for employment....I did try Kroger around May of 2017 (even though they weren't looking for employment around that time they did have some little job fair thing with paper applications), but they rejected me....I don't know if its because of disability or high school or something but its obvious any work place will do background checks.

Next I tried a place for janitorial work (it didn't have a legit address for some reason, it just said the city & the state), that place didn't call me, then I tried Dollar Tree but I was told something about looking for employees for seasonal work only (which I'm assuming seasonal work as in come in for work around Halloween or something), & now I've tried Lowe's & PetSmart. Lowe's called & said they're not looking for employment (even though it was advertised on indeed.com) & PetSmart said they'll get back with me.


So for job experience I've had janitorial experience being in special ed class in high school, plus I washed dishes, clean counters, etc. My brother applied for Walmart during my junior year in high school, then he got laid off by Walmart this year but lucky Sears hired him......so clearly my brother made some smarter decisions in life then me (because he's not disabled).....but I didn't do that during high school or after graduation (which is unimpressive).


Basically I guess what I'm trying to say is I need some tips or something on how to get employment even if you had no experience & it would be your very first time. I'll be turning 20 soon & still have no employment (that's unimpressive), I did make accounts for both indeed.com & Snagajob (should've done that during high school & not wait....that's unimpressive) & I tend to get emails about certain jobs, some are decent but some are far away & some probably wouldn't suit me.


So for anyone who's autistic like me or anyone else with/without a disability who understands the struggle of unemployment (probably because of disability). What would you do in problems like this to make your future a little better? I apologize if this was a stupid question I'm just trying to get through tough times as an adult, so thank you to those for reading & have a good day.

it's usually the big, incorporated chain stores that ignore individual applicatons like yours, in my experience. i applied at krogers too, several times when i was 18. no luck. cvs, i tried there on two separate occasions and even after calling to ask about my applications. i hardly got a response. manager is on lunch, he told me. he'll call you back when he gets here, he said. nothing.

but i suppose that's the important thing, right? letting them know you're interested in whatever position you want. it seems there's a very thin fine line between showing interest and being pushy, and i have yet to master staying on the better side of said line.


there's probably a bunch of other people like you wanting that same job. standing out is of upmost importance.

with the (possible, i dunno how big they really are) exception of my warehouse job, all my work experience has been at smaller, local enterprises. not as a cog in a large incorporated behemoth.

could you ask anyone in your family who has work, if they are hiring in their own workplace? i got one of my current jobs when a local tortilla warehouse started hiring, and the manager, who is friends with my uncle, let him know and subsequently relayed it to me. $14/hr.

the other one i found on craigslist.

i know it sounds seedy, but if you don't live in a terrible area it's always worth the shot. good luck.

I have disabilities besides Aspergers & no luck at all finding my 1st job till a family friend found out about an organization that helped disableds become independent. I got my voc rehab counselor to refer me to them & that origination lined up a dishwashing job for me at IHOP. Voc rehab was a waist of time finding me a job before & after that. I started looking for a new job after 8/9 months when I had some experience & IHOP started making me stay later than my shift which was hard on my dad with picking me up. I applied at WalMart among other places & they called & gave me an interview in November. They officially hired me a couple weeks later. They were hiring for Christmas & because they were remodeling the store in January. It was officially temporary but was told they would make me permanent if I was a good worker which I was so they made me permanent after I was there 3 months which was the maximum they could keep a temp.

I know it can be very discouraging looking for a job but try not to compare yourself to others or put pressure on yourself about where you should be in life rite now. Us Aspies tend to mature later than our peers & the job market is really sh!tty rite now. The trick is to get that 1st job so you can gain some experience before you start looking for a new job while hopefully keeping the 1st job while your looking. Apply for most any job you think you might could do even if you don't think you would like it much.

this is probably good to follow, OP. nobody starts off with their dream job. most of out first job were sh***y...mine for example involved cleaning bathrooms. thankfully i was let go before i had to clean up poke...and believe me, there was a lot of beer on tap where i worked.

it's hard to get that first crucial bit of work experience so people know you're worth hiring...but once you have it, it becomes easier...though if you've had a lot of jobs in a short period of time, not lasting long at each one that may raise some eyebrows...and could even be worse.

2 things:

Start by not viewing your autism as a disability. You're not disabled, you're different and being forced to live in a society designed around NTs on account of no other options. I bet you wouldn't feel disabled if society was designed around us, and they were the ones feeling weird about trying to make eye contact and repeatedly failing, or be forced to work remotely and be unable to socialize with colleagues for 2h in an 8h shift You actually have a lot to offer your employer. Most of us have high organizational skills and are meticulous, and since we're disinterested in most social pursuit we end up defaulting to a better work ethic than the average NT. All those things have a lot of value in many professions. Our Cartesian minds make it easy for us to learn certain skills that NTs struggle with, including most IT and engineering related jobs. Know yourself, your flaws and your strength, not only will it make you look smart and wise during interviews but it will also help you better target your efforts.

Speaking of targeting your efforts, here's point 2: Pick 2 fields, one immediately accessible (like janitorial work), and one "target" field, whatever you want to do in life. Apply to companies that have both kinds of jobs, but obviously apply on the low end job first since you lack experience. This does a few things: It keeps you motivated by giving you options to transition into a better job should you acquire the required skillset, gives you something to talk about in interview ("I know this a an architectural office and I always wanted to do that, should you hire me I'm excited at the prospect of having some architectural talent rub off on me while I mop the floors. Plus, when I do make enough money to get my degree, I'll already have a foot in the door.") and generally makes you appear more prepared (you actually have a long term plan and vision for yourself). Also keep in mind that even high paying professional offices have a need for cheap labor (as in: student with no experience) too and are often more "open" to difference on account of they actually get financial benefits from it, sometimes directly via government subsidies, but always indirectly through public relation. "look at us, we're so diverse" is popular in big boxes these days (well, less in the US I suppose ). I'm not saying you should disclose up front, or even at all, but anyhow, my point is, don't discount these big boxes on account of your experience, they're actually great places for us to flourish in.

I guess there's a 3rd thing: Presentation. I'm not talking about your mannerism, I'm talking about your resume and how you get it to employers. Early career resumes are tough because you'll lack experience to put on it, but your potential employers know that too, and some are actually looking specifically for that on account of young minds are easily shaped, and will work for indecent wages Do your best to at least fill a one pager with stuff, maybe some para-scholar activity you participated in that show some professional skill or other, or maybe some charity work. If you got none of that stuff, keep looking for work, but try getting involved in your community at the same time. It will help you fill up that resume and expand your professional network, maybe even net you a job. Try and get a pair of references from teachers or people you've done charity work for or whatnot. References are worth gold, make sure you have a letter + contact information from those people, and make sure you have no relation to them.
Then just print out a bunch, actually go out there and hand them out in person. Ask a receptionist if an HR staffer is available for you to drop off a resume (They never are, but you'll look like a go-getter), and then leave it with the receptionist. You'll be on top of the pile tomorrow morning

Final tips: use linkedin, lots of businesses post exclusively on there nowadays, and some don't even post at all and just go profile hunting on linkedin. Apply everywhere, get tons of interview, and don't worry about landing too many jobs at the same time and having awkward explaining to do or whatnot, that's just how the game is played and employers know it. Be honest with yourself and your potential employers. Know yourself, and research them too, having done your homework and finding reasons you might be happy with them makes you look real good.

Good luck!