Finding and Keeping jobs - Tips and Advice

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Another success story, Sparkle! Hope it is going very well for you.

Jus

I'm just being fired from ESO (European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere). Well, I would understand the reasons like: "You didn't show any relevant results of your research during general assessment." or "You was unable to publish a single paper after couple of months of research." OK, maybe I'm not smart enough to work there. However, I was fired for this reason: "We appreciate your skills, but we are convinced that you don't really fit into this environment." In other words, it means that there is no place for aspies in ESO. Well, it's not just a scientific institute. It's an intergovermental organisation.

In general, this also means, that I've just lost funding for my research. This usually happen after somebody important find out that your research is not feasible. That's how it's supposed to be. But in my case it's because I'm an aspie! Pretty silly.

So, everybody studying natural sciences, if you want to do science in your life, it's definitely better for you to stay in the academic environment. That's the real geek's oasis in the middle of NT's desert.

Surely if you are discriminated against for being Aspie it is against the law?

Now the problem is I can't seem to keep it for long....
[edited for content at member's request:MM]
Thanks,
Rob (new to the site - pretty cool. Hi everyone!)

I've found that at least "researching" a job is a great way to start.

I hope you're all wondering why I put "researching" in quotations.

If you're applying for a gift shop job....wander around the store before applying, or the interview, see where things are, see what kinds of products (brand names, etc.) they carry. I know I'm not the only one (with Asp) that is observant.

If you're applying for an office-type job...go online, google, yahoo, msn, and ask.com the company, or even the position within the company. Don't just rely on the company's own website for information.

If you're applying for some other kind of job...it helps to not necessarily ask friends and family about the business, (because they might not approve of the job, or they might "know someone" and try and help...and THAT ususally doesn't turn out too well), but ask the waitress down the street...people from the business probably eat there once in a while...OR the convienence store clerk...ask them about the business and the employees...

Research is a very important part of looking for a job. Of course, don't let on to these people (waitress/clerk, etc.) you're asking, that you're looking to get employment at these places. They might have opinions that they share with your prospective employer that may HINDER your chances.

This way, you may find out more than you wanted, but you'll be much more informed than just walking in at 10 am for your interview with no information at all!

Jen

p.s. I've pretty much had one job per year. I thought it was just me...and I get tired of the same work environment so I have to move on (my choice). MAYBE, it's the Asp part of me. Who knows?

The biggest advice I can give for getting a job is to be positive and focus on your strengths and skills. Avoid small-talk because most of us cannot do it and if we're pushed into a small-talk situation we screw up. I have found that this is not a problem because it can look like you're really interested in the position and doing the work. Try to do all that while not coming across as a know-it-all or an arrogant person and you will get the job. Unfortunately, this world is not a fair place though and many of us will deal with more and have faced tons of discrimination in the past based on our lack of social skills not related to performance. The longer the fellow employees are around you the more they realize something is "off" about you and become uncomfortable or worse. What has worked for me is to just say something like, "Look, I've always been a geek" and try to "laugh off" your differences with coworkers and then they hopefully will feel less threatened by your peculiarities. And you will be upset because it is sad you have to go to ridiculous lengths just to maintain a job that some NT with your same skills would've been promoted on, but what can I say, we have to make the best with what we were given and unfortunately there are many intolerant people out there.

I may be alone here, and don't offer this as advice (I'm gloriously unemployed right now), but I would like to know if I'm the only one who finds computerized prescreening tests almost insurmountable.

I've *never* gotten a job offer from a place that uses prescreening tests -- usually big soulless corporation type places. At this point, I refuse to fill them out. It's either that or *lie* through my teeth on the tests; and I stopped working for people that I had to lie to in order to work for several years ago and am *not* going back.

It takes a *lot* of preparation on my part to walk in and "be charming" with a stranger. Once I've gotten myself ready and actually done it, it's not like I can turn around, run across town, and casually conduct three more interviews the same day. I don't go through all that just to be told by some lowly receptionist "you won't be meeting with *anyone*; so just sit quietly here and take this standardized test which will waste several hours of *your* day before we send you a brush-off form letter two weeks from now".

It would definitely be easier if I could just bring myself to give them the answers they *obviously* want. (They're not exactly "hard": e.g., "I am a team player"/"Agree" or "Disagree"? It's obvious what they *want* to hear.) The problem is that there's no room for subtlety or nuance: there's no option to say "I prefer working alone, anywhere between 70 and 90% of the time, but *do* find satisfaction when the end product of my labours fits seamlssly into a greater whole, the production of which has involved many others as well".

But I've *always* done better in person that with tests -- not terribly well, usually, but *always* better. (Part of me is just sick and tired of being tested all my life.) It's devilishly hard for me to get "ready" for an interview -- after I've gone through the whole "preparation" thing two (or more) times already for what seems to be the three-step process of (a) walking in, (a.1) determining who's in charge, (a.2) getting a feel for the place, and (a.3) asking for an application to begin with; then (b) (b.2) calling back, after (b.1) filling out the application with all the dreadful stuff you've already written out *quite* clearly on your resume, except that no employer on earth can apparently ever be bothered to actually *read* resumes, making me wonder why we as a culture *have* them); and (c) *finally*, if you're *very* lucky, coming in for an interview.

I'm not going to waste time I could better spend on any other part(s) of that process elsewhere on companies that demonstrate such disregard for my own time and effort before I even show up. It's a matter of basic self-respect, if you ask me. And I'm sure it'll be different for other people, so I repeat: this absolutely, positively ain't advice.

I'll quit ranting now. Enjoying the conversation. Thanks, all.

I've encountered those computerized screening tests many times as well, and every time I was turned down for the job. After doing a little research and questioning the validity of those tests, I learned that the answers I gave, honest answers, were what did me in. If you do too well on those tests, especially the ethical "I have/have not ever stolen from my workplace" questions, they automatically assume you're lying and just telling them what they want to hear instead of the truth, so they don't hire you.

I think the idea is that it's a greater risk to hire someone who might lying and rob them blind, than to decline hiring someone who's perfect for the job, so they lump all those "too good" testers together and don't hire any of them. It's shameful, but since the tests themselves don't reveal too much about a person, deciding solely on them whether or not to hire is entirely legal and unpredjudiced.

I was once hired for a job, had a good first day (from my perspective), and when I went back to work the next day, found I had no longer had a job there. They told me it was because my test results weren't what they were looking for in an employee, and that freed them up from the real reason of discriminating against me because I didn't really fit in.

Getting and keeping a job. Please bear with me. By telling a bit about myself there will be info that might give some ideas. This is about variety of options available or that one can create. As I have had as many as ten employees at a time I know some things I look for in a worker. I'm now 51. When I was 14 I washed dishes and then was assistant cook at a nice steakhouse part time for a year and when I was 17 I worked as a construction laborer for a month. Otherwise I've never worked at a conventional job.
I worked in the maritime field, on the sea, for twenty two years. I started commercial fishing. It was dirty, hard work and could pay very well. Many of the people I worked with were low class trash people, drunks or what have you, very undesirable to spend most of my day with so I eventually quit even though the money was good. Then I worked in in ship building which was often very interesting and very hard and dirty. Required is some or a lot of strength, or a skill, or if having neither as I didn't, then the ability to learn, willingness to get dirty and do anything not outright unsafe and to work for low wages. I went onto ships as a basic seaman and ended up a captain and ship owner. Ships start low pay but provide room and board. Much of work is routine which I liked but it also would go through different phases providing change which I liked also. i.e. You load the ship which is one type of thing , then you leave, then you travel to a destination, sometimes with good weather and sometimes not which provides change, then you arrive and then you unload and then you do it again. During each phase there are different tasks and routines. The ability not to get seasick is a great asset.
When I hired crew it helped if they looked interested in the work, had good personal appearance and cleanliness as that reflects work ethic as well as other people having to live with the person. Also a willingness to learn. Also, if someone doesn't care enough to dress proper for an interview then they probably won't bother to do good work. It is whether the person has bathed and shaved if appropriate, their clothes are clean, worn or old is okay as many people don't have excess money to spend, and whether the clothes fit reasonably, I would never hire some Bubba with his pants showing the crack of his ass or underwear at an interview. Dreadlocks or whatever weren't important, whether they were clean or groomed was. Attitude was important. Nervousness wasn't to me. Unskilled work had the least requirement, of course it increased with the skill of the position.
I retired from the sea. I now have a construction company. I don't expect fancy people. BAsic Cleanliness is still important for an interview. Of course a willingness to get dirty on the job. Nervousness is no big deal. A heavy drinker or drug user is a problem, even if only at home as hangovers and withdrawals help cause accidents. Know it alls are a problem. I'm really, really smart and know a whole lot (a little pat on the back, aren't we all impressed ) but I have to keep my mind open to learning at all times. I expect that of my workers too. I prefer someone who admits they don't know everything and have a interest in learning. Gangster pants at their knees is not good either.
Consider looking for a type of work you have an interest in. It sounds like a no brainer but many people work at what they are not interested in. Work is what most adults spend the largest segment of their time at. If you hate office work and love being outdoors, if given a choice look for outside work. If you like something you'll be better at it. Let the interviewer know you are interested in the type of work even if it is not a good job. Don't tell the interviewer you NEED the job. They already know that you wouldn't be there if you didn't have to. Do tell them you WANT the job.
If you don't get hired or get fired, keep looking for a job. Not looking for a job is never an excuse for not having a job. If you don't like your job, start looking for another one before you quit or get fired. WITHOUT going into details let an interviewer know you are there because you are more interested in working with them. Do Not bash you present employer. It is not relevant and doing so will get you denied.
I have always preferred working for myself because I hate looking for a job and don't know how to apply for one.
Good luck and smile.

An interview of Google's head corporate culture person and also an interviewer of job applicants.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/softwar ... 147,00.htm

This is possibly the area of society where I have the most difficulty. I more or less outright refuse to lie, unless I have absolutely no choice whatsoever, and even then I have to actually work out HOW to do so. So employers inevitably do not hear what they want to from me.

"Are you a team player?" NO! And even if I COULD pretend to be, I would FAIL! So instantly, nobody on the face of the planet wants to have me in their company.

There are countless other job issues for me, but meh, who cares.

I may have posted similar comments relating to this subject before but.............

During my career I have worked in three organisations/positions that I have been extraordinarily happy in.

The key in each case was getting on with my immediate superior who interviewed me and to whom I subsequently reported. In each case they were down-to-earth, straight and very honest guys. They ARE out there.

In each of the interviews I went out of my way to practice a key factor that I believe significantly contributed to me getting the job in each occurrence: I was totally honest, said what I truly thought and acted as I actually was...

If you are not and they [the company/interviewer] don't like you, then I think you don't want that role, you're not suited and ......... they lose out!

Hi. I'm a student at West Chester University in Pennsylvania and I am home for the summer and I need to find a job, but I don't know what I should do or how to go about doing that. I'm confused on where I should be working and I've never done this before and I'm afraid of rejection and having no money. Did anyone else go through this before?

From my perspective I can't emphasise how important this point is.

The work difficulties that I have experienced have often been from moving into an environment that was totally unsuitable for me. In the majority of cases it occured before I found out about my AS which made them , with hindsight, unforeseeable, but for someone who knows about their AS a lot of the problems can be mitigated.

Prior research into things like the culture of the firm, its track record (to identify if it is volatile), senior management, can all help identify if it is likely to be an aggressive environment or one that is subject to high levels of change.

Other simple things like finding out if you will be working in an open plan setting or studying exactly what the job tasks are to see if work overload or work that is outside of existing personal capabilities can all also help.

Now I never jump into a job before considering these type of factors carefully no matter how atttractive a role may initially appear.