Im soon 20 and never had a job, is that bad?

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But you were never homeless?

I didn't have a job until I was 28. Before then, I did numerous voluntary roles and internships so I could at least gain some work experience even if I was unpaid. I've had several jobs since then and I've never been out of work for more than a few months. Hopefully, that will continue to be the case. And, before you ask me, no, I have never been homeless and nor am I likely to be in the foreseeable future.

Who supportet you till you were 28?

My parents. I still live with them now but I’m hoping to finally get my own place in the next couple of years if all goes well in my work life.

You know what, I've been trying to stay apolitical online but this is worth saying something.

Capitalism would be fine if it was really a meritocracy. I do believe we ought to all do something productive with our lives, whether that's capitalist work, voluntary work, being a home maker or being an artist. Or something else I can't think of right now which is more productive than consumptive. Only exception to this ought to be the very ill. There are villages I've visited where people with extreme learning difficulties live, and between them, they manage to run a village with a post office, a café and a shop selling handicraft. Everyone pitches in and does something. However, this isn't the norm.

The norm is a system which wants us all either to follow the STEM path (aspies) or be NT and non-disabled. Then spend our lives selling ourselves. OK, not our bodies but a manufactured image of ourselves. Autistic people find this hard. That ought to be a credit to us, not a downfall.

I've gone from being the biggest capitalist going (while I was studying at university and working internships) to living on disability pay and my parents, who know my gratitude and take rent out of my disability pay. I still work hard because I still believe everyone but the very ill ought to work every day. But I'm an artist and there's no money in that unless you're prepared to be very, very active in self-promotion, something I can't do.

If you need a job under this system, go and get one. Be a cleaner or something. There are minimum wage jobs which will take you and exploit you. Autistic people are given this sort of work. I was given a job which I thought fairly respectable. Minimum wage, zero hours contract typist. Of course, the company then collapsed and I was the fall woman for the wreckage left in its wake.

But don't take a job which will make you ill unless you're going to be more ill otherwise (such as avoiding homelessness). And don't base all your worth on whether you have paid work or not. First of all, love yourself anyway just for being yourself and alive and struggling through. Then get something productive to do with your time. Feel guilty for living off your parents? Maybe do the cooking and cleaning for your family. Have a talent in a certain field which simply doesn't pay? Do that. Do charity work. Do art. Make a video game, and maybe you'll get paid for it because STEM pays. And yes, don't rule out paid work or courses. But don't value yourself simply based on how much cash you make or don't make.

I dont think capitalism is necessary wrong, and we do not really have capitalism, more like cronyism, corporatism. And this ks the problem, it is not a meritocracy, because many businesses recieve subsidies. Corporate Welfare is worse than normal Welfare.

I had a job when I was a teenager... didn't mean a thing. I haven't put it on my resume once.

Go to college (It's very popular to take a "gap year" after high school, so don't feel bad if you didn't start immediately). GET INTERNSHIPS (that right there is the number 1 most important thing about college! Make sure it's in your field!) and for the love of god have fun there.


//Went to college and neither got internships or had fun. Without the internships, getting a job was hard afterward. Without having had fun in college, life was hard afterward.