Interview today, but...

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Hello once again! I have an interview with a zoo today, but.......

My mental health team told me basically no.... Not possible, because it would require relocation. Then I told them I applied also at the library close to me part time. But they also insisted it was a bad idea because I still have meltdowns ..

I mean the doctor says later I'll always have meltdowns at least sometimes because I'm Autistic.

But then when I said I was taking up a new hobby (I have an essential oil collection already, I bought a kit to make homemade perfumes and skin mixtures and I was planning on buying supplies to make simple homemade soaps which would cost around $40 to get started but I was even planning on selling them) but basically she said she was worried if I pick up a new hobby I'd stop paying my bills and my rent to buy stuff for the hobby... I'm kinda offended because my bills are the very first thing I pay, I'm often short toward the end of the month mostly because of how little money I do get... I mean that's one of the points of at least part-time employment right?

It's true I get stressed out easy, but the zoos really interested and I've already discussed my limitations with them a bit. The zoos qualifications I have them all plus one that's "preferred but not necessary" The library I don't know yet... But I used to work at a library so maybe...

But I don't like my mental health team making assumptions on me that if I pick up hobbies I'll stop paying my bills, saying they're worried because of my diagnosises... I mean seriously??? They're stereotyping me...

Both zoos and libraries are usually diverse work spaces, so if working in one section is problematic, then you might work in another. I'm not sure that's a problem.

What does seem to potentially raise a concern is the notion of relocating for the zoo job. You've pointed out that money is tight enough that even spending a little extra on hobbies has them worried. So at a practical level, relocating may have costs. There's the costs of moving yourself, your possessions, will your new location cost more rent...

And if the zoo is far enough away to require relocation, what will that mean for your interaction with the support personnel that you mentioned? Will you continue to get any/all of help that you've been receiving?

If all of those things have been accounted for, then all things being equal, go with the job that you'd prefer.

I canceled the zoo interview because I found out the job starts in two weeks, such a short relocation is impossible.

Now I did see another ad for a permanent job starting in April doing various bird presentations, leading a kids bird club, helping plan a bird festival... That really caught my eye. Birds being of course my main special interest... Plus they actually help with relocation, saying that they provide temporary housing until you find a place, and put an emphasis on "looking for diverse, underepresented, etc... candidates."

But well my treatment team is concerned about meltdowns during work if I start getting stressed.

But I'm so tired of disability, and having a degree I'm not using, I almost can't believe people hate work so much, but at the same time I realize there's bad job out there.