Finding and Keeping jobs - Tips and Advice

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Excellent thoughts. Perhaps the most common would, of course, be the lack of social skills. Many, though not all, Aspies work better alone, on their own assigned projects vs. a situation where a lot of human interaction is necessary. This would probably be the first concern, and fellow employees would need to be versed in the art of not interrupting when the AS person is trying to focus, particularly with nonessential conversation.

Other than that, the needs of the AS individuals will vary, and that particular Aspie would be the best one to consult, which should be done by the employer.

dammit, jim! i'm a doctor, not an engineer!

*sigh* good ol' days.

how dare you suggest an OS that's *stable*?!? lol!

I am in a pickle with my life at the moment. It's been 2 years since I left college, and since then I have been on job-seekers, looking for work. I seemed to have convinced myself that I wanted retail work, full time. But then I got myself a volluntry job at a charity shop to go to while I'm out of work, just for something to do each day, but now that I've been going there for a year I've found I like it there so much (because of all the people) that I've decided to tell the job centre that I want to just work part time, so that i could still go to the charity shop on my free days. (I wouldn't cope with working full time anyway, due to my Dyspraxia and AS).

But in the last 3 months I've found I've become a very inpatient, irritable person, and I've discovered that me working in retail isn't all such a good idea. I've got low tolerence of screaming toddlers (which you get a lot of in shops), and also I've found my customer service skills aren't as good as I thought. I'd like to resume working at the charity shop, but I don't think I can cope with having an actual paid job in a shop - where I've got no choice but to be demanded by customers all day long.

So my mum said maybe I should find some part time office work, where it's peaceful and generally where friendly mature people work. I'm not brilliant on computers, but I know all the basics, like using Word and Excel and so on. I said that'd be a great idea for me.....but then there's a down side to it. I get awfully bored and lonely on Sundays, bank holidays and Christmasses, because I don't have many friends to go and see, and I know I need to be occupied as much as possible to keep my mood positive. But office jobs don't involve working on week-ends, bank holidays or Christmasses, which shop jobs do. But now I'm thinking that working most days in a shop is too overwelming for someone like me - it is for most Aspies. Even my adviser at the job centre has got to understand this.

It ain't just my conditions what is stopping my ''friendly'' customer service skills. I've got a lot of other stresses going on in my life, like my Nan has Altzheimer's, I've had lots of big fall-outs with so-called friends, my brother is seriously depressed, we're in the middle of a big recession, I am bothered that I don't have many friends.....and lots more problems. And all these problems play on my mind all the time, causing me to want to cry when I'm alone. So if I'm at work doing a job on my own or on a till, when I customer comes I don't feel like being nice and friendly and happy to them, because I'm having great difficulties with coping with things, and I just cannot help showing my anxious side. It's rather difficult to hide it and put on a happy front. In fact, it's out the question. So I shouldn't be working in a shop really.

Have any of you got any ideas where I can work somewhere what isn't in public, but still involves working on Sundays, bank holidays and Christmas?

At least one of the colleges I attended had a career counselor who was available to current & former students, forever. I never had dealings with any other career counselors so I don't know if this is common, but may be worth looking into at your former school(s).

I read this article this morning and thought it might be of some help to other's looking for a job. Now, I'm going to attempt to make it a link for your convenience.

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MS ... &gt1=23000

Here is the post link -

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt141032.html

How about knocking on doors in an industrial park? Maybe not the nicest part of town but you can find non-retail jobs there.

Getting To The Point - Plus, Other Interviewing Tips
By Ken Sundheim
opednews.com

Too many times, upon interviewing a job applicant, regardless of level, the individual does not get to the point upon being asked a particular question. They tend to oversell themselves and say or do other small things that make them appear to be less of a competitive candidate than the others interviewing for the same position.

"If You Want Me To Elaborate By All Means I'd Be Glad To"
Every answer during an interview does not need to be a story. Get to the point and directly answer the question. Every minute detail you give puts you further and further away from the job. A lot of time, upon interviewing, the interviewer wants to see a sharp thought process; they don't want to know your family history. If you try to oversell yourself, it comes across as desperate and will not bode well during the course of your job search.

Your Resume Should Speak for Itself
Remember, going into the interview, the person with whom you are interviewing with already knows what you have done, accomplished, etc. Therefore, they want to get to know you as a person. Come across as someone who is very open, pleasant to deal with and someone who is confident that they can be an asset to the company.

Don't Talk Money During the First Interview Unless Asked
"So what's the job pay?" The answer is nothing if you ask this question because you're probably not going to get the job. Even though money is a concern to everybody (even Warren Buffett I'm sure counts his - just may take longer), though make the interviewer feel as if you are more interested in the company and not taking a job simply for compensation.

While Interviewing, Get a Feel for the Person on the Other Side of the Table
Regardless of how relaxed and "cool" the interviewer is, never use profanity. You're not there to make friends of find a buddy for happy hour, you're there to get a job offer. Plain and simple. If the person who is interviewing you slips in a bad word, don't shoot back, judge or even think about. Keep the conversation going. However, if the person whom you're interviewing with continuously uses profanity, you're wasting your time. No true businessman or businesswoman does this. It is a sign that the corporate culture is not conducive to being successful.

If You Have the Choice Do Not Pick a Chair That Goes Face to Face
If there is a chair next to the person, simply ask, "Do you mind if I sit here?" Most likely, they will not have any major objections. If you sit on the side of them, the conversation will lend itself to taking a more relaxed tone. Also, if there are chairs of all heights, make sure to pick the tallest chair. If it is a chair that swivels, make sure to sit perfectly still. You will never see anybody in business, during a meeting that is, swivel back and forth in their chair. Seemingly, these are little aspects, but at the same time, they are very big assets if used correctly.


Ken Sundheim owns KAS Placement staffing agencies sales headhunters, executive sales search firms, employment agencies sales and marketing recruiters a sales recruitment agency that specializes in helping (more...)

Wow, that's a great article, and well timed for my current situation. Thanks for posting it!

I agree. The best advice with these soulless corporations with statistical personality tests in the interview process is to run the other way. They are probably not good positions for Aspies to work in. In general, avoid positions that hire masses of people who are easily replaceable, and look for something you are particularly skilled in that is hard to find.

I have never gotten a job where a psychological profile test or personality test has been used in the interview process. For that matter, no employer that uses a systematic interviewing process with large number of interviewees, multiple interviews, or a panel interview of 3 or more interviewers has ever hired me, not even once. And I have been hired over 60 times! Since people with BAP (broader autistic phenotype) make up only 4% of the population, it is natural that we are going to throw off people who are hiring by the "numbers". They will not have a profile or grading key that is understanding of our answers. That is also why we are at risk for misdiagnoses by school counselors and other professionals. We tend to throw off their tests (partially thru literal thinking in our responses). Example: Do you hear voices? Yes, I hear them every day (simple truth).

I do not think that these tests can be cheated, either (depending upon the type, really). You might be able to pass at a higher rate by controlling literal thinking. Just try to think how most people would answer. But if it is a statistically based test then anything you do is likely to go off their charts (the wrong way!).

Now, if it is a skills test, sometimes I can do well enough to get hired. But I will still miss some easy questions and get some of their really hard ones, sometimes.


The jobs I get seem to suit me, and the single interviewer is taken by my strengths. Sometimes I am overqualified, sometimes I am underqualified, but I can squeek through an interview that is low key like that. We all know the studies that they decide in the first 5 seconds, so it is probably my clean-cut dress, and something about my quiet but not unresponsive act. I think that I am mirroring a little. After a few months, the tension has built up and they fire me. But I have survived 5 years in one tech support job, because the work just suited me. Again, the tension built up even there, though.

The job search in a big city is a lot different than in a small town. Being in a big city for about 6 months now, I'm finding out that applying for jobs on sites like Monster and Jobnab can be really counter-productive. I think tweaking your resume to fit the job description helps because a lot of employers are looking for specific key words. If you're having trouble, try using a different format with your resume with more bullet points to list your skills. I changed mine and had better luck getting interviews, however, I usually have a hard time with the interviews because I'm so nervous.

So while my mind's on it...

My mom is complaining about how me and my brother don't work, even though we are old enough to do so. To top off why we should, this usually leads her into lecturing to us (for the umpteenth time...) about how she use to have 2 jobs and go to college at the same time, neglecting that that was a different generation than now...

The reason why we aren't working, or looking for work is mostly due to the fact that we are currently attending college, which is already overwhelming enough as it is. Also, I don't think it's really a good idea to get a minimum wage job (which is all that we can be do at this time...) while we're attending college because it usually leads to conflicting thoughts and atmosphere, as well as divides us from our major curriculum were hoping to find a career in college.

What should we do? Any advice on what should be done would be nice.

advice here is good. Thank you.

I have always been good at my work and then the people thing arrives and they get disappointed then angry cause i'm not mimicing them in whatever way they think good and normal is.............. right now i'm, in a great job for me. That is, I hardly talk to anyone and my good work shows/speaks for me. But, my co-workers eg: don't like it that I tune into Au ABC. Their implication is that i should be watching/listening to the biggest loser and radio shock jocks.

Oh it is so boring. I've had decades of this sort of rubbish. And I've rarely called this type of person a moron!

I've been on Soc/Sec on/off over last three yrs due to moving and starting up fresh in new region of the country plus, being "older" jobs were not forthcoming so readily. New region / newrednecks - what the bloody hell..........people.....i just don't understand why they force others to be like them. No guts to stand alone I'm sure, but bejezz..it's the 21Centuary. !
Well, I know I have the tenacity, and some guts. My "mark" has always been 'do the job as good as you can, respect self and others, and go for it." Try, Try and sometimes I do succeed.

I haven't been on WP for ages cause i couldn't afford Int. service, but this job is a good one so I hope to be around for a long time - with my own tribe. Thanks a million everyone...I've missed talking.
Cheers

Hey Guys,

Im new on here (first post) ... but I am an Aspie and have had some interesting experiences regarding employment due to it. However, God led me to being an Executive Recruiter which I love. It so fits with my Aspergers and other passions and intelligence.

Want to say something about finding a job --- as a recruiter its been my experience that if you try to find a job through the internet, it's pretty much a losing cause. And yes, ALL of the sites right now. I posted a position last Friday before I left for the weekend and on Monday morning I had about 100 resumes in my email box. This was a VP of Sales position - big bucks and there is such a great pool of candidates out there right now. Though I am seeing the economy getting better definitely as a recruiter because there are a lot more jobs out there right now ... more so than in the past 2 to 3 years. That's hopeful ... but applying through sites is not. I have not had one person get hired yet that has come to me through a website posting. Actually, Im going to stop posting any positions b/c folks just apply if they "think" they could be a good fit. My ADVICE: if you are going through Monster or something like that and there is one aspect of the job that is not a fit --- don't waste your time and the employer's time. Too many candidates out there.

Another thing is: I spend about 1- to 15 SECONDS on a resume ... I SKIP ALL INTROS and objectives and descriptions and go right to work history. If the past one or two jobs are not in the industry I am looking for then I move on. THEN, I look to see how long they were at their past two jobs. 2 to 3 years each, I move on.

I have a lot of suggestions about finding a job so if interested, please let me know. I can help with resumes and how to actually get interviews too ... or at least have the best chance to fi you're a good fit for the posted position.

Hope there is a nugget for someone in what I wrote

Thanks,
JimChina

Some people just told to me try to contact the manager after the interview, to make him remember me, but I always thougt that if a manager knows that I want the job and I've already been to the interview, If he wanted to hire me he'd call me! I didn't know that it was part of the process of getting a job!

Actually the best way to get a job right now is to find out who the hiring manager is (not the HR dept or whoever the resumes are flowing into - they are called 'gatekeepers' and they are meant to keep you out, not get you in) and call them directly. Have a conversation and let them know the position you're interested in and why you're the best - be conversational here - call them directly. There ar various web resources you can use to find WHO hiring manager (decision maker - basically who you would be reporting into - they ultimately decide usually) ... call them directly and if they like you they will contact HR themselves and ask them to put your resume through to him or he/she might even ask for your resume directly. Or they might be upset that you circumvented the whole process ... BUT, chances are your resume will get filtered OUT 98% of the time ... anyway, that's the way to do it - and networking, networking, networking! That's your best bet