Good at school, bad at work - Asperger, or something else?

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I cannot find many people who have had my particular set of problems.

In school, I was always the model student. School was easy (except some math and science subjects), enjoyable, and pleasant. I got many awards. Everyone assumed I'd become a successful adult, because everyone says that if you do well in school, you will do well in jobs.

This hasn't been the case at all.

I keep wanting to go back and just continue on with school forever. I was completely overwhelmed as a receptionist and paralegal, quitting the first job after making numerous mistakes and getting fired from the second. An aspiring teacher now, I nonetheless have to re-do my student teaching this fall because of problems incurred during my first attempt (most teachers get through student teaching without any significant problems).

What is this, if not Aspergers? Why do most others make the adaptation from a successful school background to work quite easily? Why can't I do it? If it's problems with executive functioning, then why do all the resources for executive dysfunction insist these problems begin in childhood? I didn't have problems in school! I have problems with the constant multi-tasking, task-switching, and adaptations required of today's hectic jobs, which I view as NOTHING like the controlled, predictable, steady stream of incoming assignments one encounters in school.

Any help is appreciated.

High school was the most enjoyable 4yrs of my life but work was a different story.
I had difficulty in close to every job I ever had except the slower paced lower stress ones.
I could not multi-task to save my life and my best work pace is the casual/average of others.
The only job I ever had that did not send me in to near melt down was a small hardware store
with only 2 registers and a relaxed work pace. It drives me nuts because I have way more work experience
than most of my peers but my slower work pace gets me in hot water with management.

I graduated from highschool......don't know how I made it through those 12 years of public school hell, but even so I made it though at the cost of my mind. Was it worth it? no and I don't know if I am in the right or wrong about this but I also dislike the society that school was attempting to prepare me for and certainly do not function well within it.

I don't know how someone like me would have become well adjusted, I mean is it really just feeling alienated and disliked at school that caused this........or did I always have some sort of defiance towards 'the system' and such.

Multi-tasking is my downfall as well.

I think part of the problem is that the skills needed for work but not for school tend to be ones that NTs pick up anyway, like social skills, tolerance for unpredictability, and the ability to judge what others need from you. For most people, the academic brainwork is the "hard part", so once they have that, they're in a good place professionally.

Though then again, there are many stories of NTs who have to work far below their level of qualification from academia--but I imagine that they are more prepared for the "real world" and don't feel like it's as big of a surprise. Many even are relieved that less is expected of them brain-wise, like a nurse may be happy that he/she can interact with patients rather than think about details of biology.

Possibly you could try to find an academic job--like professor or lecturer?

I seem to have some of this too. School is rather linear with fairly well spelled-out objectives. Life and career doesn't seem to be so orderly or fair. Things come at you from all directions, even if they are less demanding on you intellectually generally; it is more about your ability to maneuver through them and to build contacts that can lessen the personal load. It doesn't seem all that fair that those who are most capable, often don't get to do what they're best at.

I graduated from high school a while ago and I'm looking for a job. I'm glad I made it through because my years there were hell, it's like the "normal" students were demons and I was their sinful slave. I was easily bullied throughout the years.

I fear that I may not be successful in a career because I'm not comfortable around people and I can't make eye contact. I want a part-time job so I can pay for my career but job interviews are so draining, I don't know if I'm going to handle it. I'm in the same shoes as you and my biggest fear is not being able to keep a career.
All I can say is try hard, do what you can, try not to let your AS get in the way. I know that can be complicated but it's worth it. That's how I made through my 12 years in school, by trying.
I hope you, others, and me can live successful lives.