Keeping a job - what does this mean?

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I have never had trouble getting a job, and when people talk about "keeping a job" I have always thought I have had no trouble in this area either, because I have never been fired. But when I think about it from a different angle, I do have trouble keeping jobs because I leave them. I was in one job for around three years but apart from that I struggle to last a year before I feel the need to move on. There are various reasons, but one of them is that I don't feel capable (and often feel "lost"), despite being told my work is of high quality, and another is that I haven't found my niche, and I desperately want a job that I really like, if not love.

Is this part of what people mean when they say those with AS may have trouble "keeping a job", or does it only refer to being let go?

Anyone else have this issue?

I think it is when someone keeps getting fired. I have done the same thing you are doing for decades. There are a few jobs that I have stayed with for three years, but most of them are only 6 months or so. Then I get laid off and stay home for a while. As a temp it helped me to be a full time mom for months at a time. Even after my divorce.

I have a history of staying in low skilled jobs for years and years, to the point that I get teased about it from my employers even. The reason for this is I get in a comfortable rut and I don't like change. Whenever I am faced with job hunting I go through massive anxiety and am virtually paralyzed when I have to talk to a potential employer. I am quiet and polite and non confrontational so I don't have issues with getting along with co-workers. After a while they just ignore me.

It may be easier to consider whether you have trouble staying employed.

If you quit a job without having new employment to go into (or some other plan such as studying) then you do have problems keeping employed. If you quit to go to do a new job you don't have too much of a problem.

I think it means where you work somewhere for a while. I consider myself keeping a job because I haven't gotten fired and I have stayed at my jobs until I have quit or gotten laid off. I don't not keep a job for a few months and then quit and my job ending because I got a new job or because school ended doesn't count. I worked in the high school library and then I finished school so my job ended too.

Interesting. I think most of the time I have quit my job before having another one to go to, but have always found one quickly, perhaps even before my notice time is up at my current job.

I think my job quitting is more to do with my "bridge-burning" tendencies, and feeling in a rut and/or lost, rather than being incapable. But I definitely have trouble staying in a job long-term and even if that's not part of "keeping a job", it's an issue in itself.

Not in my case, at least. I'd rather stay unemployed for some time than keep doing a job that I hate and/or is damaging to my health. I just need to be more selective before accepting a job.

I have never held a job where I was an employee for more than 9 months in my life. I have only been fired twice.

Hi tabby, is there a recurring reason why you leave your jobs? Or is it different each time?

there are a few that would fall under shades of the same reason i.e. being harassed/picked on/etc. by co-workers or bosses.
a few that I left for ethical reasons i.e. my last bar tending position (which will be the last one ever) my one mainstream corporate job, but most have their own rationelle that makes a great deal of sense at the time, often involves burning the hell out of some bridges and moving on.

I have a very difficult time staying employed. I am the same as you, as in I'm always praised for my high quality work, but after a while I start to feel...antsy I guess? The longest job I had was in high school, and that's only because I worked for my mom and she wouldn't let me do anything else.

Yes I think it also means an inability to stay in your job. I have had over 20 jobs in my life and have left all of them within a couple of years. I get bored and need a new challenge. So 'keeping a job' must also mean your ability to commit and stay loyal to an employer. However I see my leaving mostly because I get tired of seeing the same faces every day.