Meeting to talk with potential employers. Any advice?

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kug321
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01 Mar 2015, 4:52 pm

I called about a job that is opening up at a hostel. It would only be a day and a half, and occasionally some other days throughout the week. I'm not sure exactly what is involved but I think it will involve some caretaking and cleaning, and also booking people in and showing them around.

Anyway they told me to come in this week to talk to them about it. I'm really nervous. I know it will be awkward and I won't really know what to say or ask them. I won't know what to say when they ask why I've never had a job (I'm 24). I am wondering if anyone has any advice.



BetwixtBetween
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01 Mar 2015, 7:56 pm

Well, why haven't you had a job?

Were you focusing on school?

Were you helping a family member at home?

Were you married and a stay at home wife or husband?

Any of those are perfectly valid reasons. There are others too.

You could ask them to describe a typical day's duties, and you could certainly ask about hours and whether there is a likely opportunity to advance.



SocOfAutism
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02 Mar 2015, 4:26 pm

I would also just say up front that you know you come off as "a little awkward" but that you aren't shy and are "good with people." I'm not sure if you want to disclose in an interview, as you don't know what their perceptions of the autism spectrum may be (I'm assuming you're an aspie- I'm sorry I didn't look up your profile).

It should just be sitting at a desk and checking people in and out, right? They shouldn't be looking for too much. And it's not that unusual for a 24 not to have worked, especially for the reasons BetwixtBetween mentioned. Try not to be too nervous. If you don't get it, you'll get something else.



MissDorkness
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08 Mar 2015, 10:56 pm

SocOfAutism wrote:
And it's not that unusual for a 24 not to have worked, especially for the reasons BetwixtBetween mentioned. Try not to be too nervous. If you don't get it, you'll get something else.

I actually worked with a woman who hadn't held a formal job until she was about 45. She married young and had kids, started working after her divorce.
She was great though. Worried about things she might not know at the beginning, but, quickly proved to herself that she could handle it. I'm glad my boss took a chance and hired her, she was a good coworker and friend to me.