AS AND BUSINESS

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Is a good idea to study a business career if you have AS? has someone study a career related to business?How was your experienced?Is difficult to find a job if you have AS?

Ok, firstly I should say I have not yet been diagnosed (assessment is only tomorrow tho so I'll get back to you if I'm an official Aspie or not lol).

However, I am in management (well Supervisory management) and have studied management successfully in the past and more recently started a part-time degree in business (and dropped out after the first year due to difficulties). The 2 main problems I have found are as follows.

1. Management and business are both very "social", i.e. its about getting things done through other people and getting other people to do things which I have always found challenging due to anxiety problems. Business is also full of manipulative people so are you savvy and assertive enough to survive?
2. In business there are a lot of models to learn about. This requires the ability to apply something on a bit of paper to a situation on a bit of paper - i.e. you need to use your imagination and be able to grasp unfamiliar concepts quickly. I always struggled with This one for example but not with others as I was able to apply them to real situations I had encountered. Usually those senior to you will look for you to be able to back up yor ideas with sound theory or reasoning (unless you are in the "clique" but thats one of those NT things I dont quite understand ). With management the models are easier to apply I have found as you can think of those around you and how they behave, or even how yourself would behave.

Remember also that in business presentation and the way people percieve you count a lot (sometimes more so than ability from what I can see) and so any selection process will look for this. I have been in the supervisory "game" (and thats what its like tbh) for 10 years now, however I am off with my 3rd major depressive episode in that time which looks like it might link back to the difficulties I have found as a result of Aspergers (if I do indeed have ASD). However my experience is not necessarially the norm, etc, etc. What I would say, and what I am aiming for myself is that a knowledge of business is not a bad thing, but use your natural skills as an Aspie first with your business studies as a way to improve your success and make you more employable -e.g. you are a computer genius AND have a knowledge of business, your an expert in nuclear physics AND have a knowledge in business, etc. Many courses now include business as part of their content (certainly in the UK) so obviously it is in demand in all sectors, but having it as your main asset may backfire due to the "triad of impairments".

Thanks for your advice, I would expect your reply .

It will depend on the person but I have heard of aspies in the accounting or taxation related sides of business. Aspies tend to be better at clerical or technical roles than customer service ones. That said everyone has different limitations so there's no hard and fast rule for everybody about what you are and aren't suited to or capable of.

Definintely agree with the above as well

I am now an officially diagonosed aspie btw

I have a bachelor's degree in management, and I would say that was one of the most perfectly terrible majors I could have chosen.

The lower division courses deceived me into believing I could succeed as a business person, but that was only because they're very impersonal. I was usually in a huge class where the professor didn't even know my name.

As I progressed into upper division courses, the classes got smaller and I had to face a constant barrage of terrifying class presentations. In the final two years I would say that I was experiencing at least one awkward or humiliating experience per week. The problem was, I was financially stuck with the major, I wanted to switch by my parents couldn't afford it.

Unfortunately the current trend (and to be fair it probably always has been to an extent) in all of the management subjects seems to be very social as this is what will equip you to be successful. For example, a CFO would be expected to make presentations to the board. Even at junior management level I am expected to take training classes and participate fully in meetings or make presentations to groups. Business is a social area and at the end of the day is purely about fulfilling the objectives of the stakeholders, which is usually to make as much profit as possible. This is achieved through influencing and manipulating both staff and customers (OK, there is a better name for manipulating customers - its called marketing lol). I dont know of anyone in business who has been successful who isnt good at influencing unless they have had a VERY good knowledge of their sector to compensate. Unfortunately the old saying "its not what you know but who you know" is often true.