How did you get (and keep) a job?

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In light of the thread about marriage, because I see there are employed folks here and this is something that escapes me. Getting a job, I suppose I can understand if you can play NT for the length of the interview. But keeping the job for any length of time? Dealing with the politics, avoiding the wrath of your coworkers? How is it even possible?

not possible after a while it becomes suffocating
and you end up resigning

I failed in the relationship department, but I do have a full-time job.

It's not anything fantastic (far below my qualification). I got this job with the help of a disability assistance organization, that actively try to find a position and if necessary accompany the disabled person to the interview etc and give on-going support. In my case I needed the minimal support (just finding a position).

I do have some of the good autistic traits, particularly attention to detail. Although my pace of work is rather slow, my work is very accurate. I'm also very punctual. I'm good at figuring things out.

However, I'm close to quitting. The majority of the people dislike me. Some are quite hostile to me. I'm pretty much an outcast there. I have had conflicts with some about the radio that is on in one of the rooms (I can't handle the noise). So I don't know how much longer I will last there.

I'm wondering if there is any company that explicitly accommodates autistic people. Then I wouldn't have to endure all the pressure/hostility that I'm facing now in my current job.

I've had many, so keeping them I'm not exactly an expert on. I have had a couple that have lasted about 5 years, but, mind you at that point in those jobs it's time to move on and find something better (paying) anyways no matter who you are. I've gotten jobs the same way as anyone else... applying. Or knowing someone, which works best. I'm currently working 2.1 part time jobs. 2 part time and one very informal part time, weather dependant, when I feel like it. This will likely continue for another couple of months before I have a car again and that will open up all sorts of different opportunities & I'll go find a full time job. Getting and keeping jobs is going to be a bit different for everyone. Just gotta find a job, place, and people that are the right fit for you.

I read about an electronics repair company in the UK that was set up exclusively to employ Aspies that were good with that sort of thing, so these places do exist. I've also read that some multinational tech companies have Aspie friendly work environments and specific AS teams of people working on solving geek problems for them. Apparently Google has such a division. I wouldn't be surprised if other major IT companies especially have such groups. Besides those that specifically accommodate ASD, there are many that traditionally do... chances are it would be difficult to find an engineering firm that didn't already employ Aspies and accept and deal with their quirks. Ditto with software companies and other traditionally geeky territory.

From 18 to 25 i had about 7 jobs. The longest i lasted was nearly 2 years and the shortest was 3 days. All of them i either walked out on or just never turned up. After a while i just can't take it any more and i crack.

I was brainwashed into believing at a young age that because I'm Asian, I must be smart and hardworking. So I guess I've adapted those traits along the way. The one that I didn't pick up was the one that made me obedient, which is the trait my adoptive mother wanted but didn't get and thus lamented about. Given my adoptive mother was also racist and abusive, I had a very strong desire to escape from that home and did everything I could to make sure I could live on my own and never depend on them for anything. I did what it took to survive, regardless how those choices may have hurt me in the short or long term. You might want to work at places that are predominantly male Asian immigrants. They don't care about socializing or those types of stupid workplace politics. All they care about is that you do your job and do it well, as stereotypical as it sounds. That is where I got my first job at age 13, at a farm stand run by 3 Korean brothers.

The harder a job is for NTs, the more likely they will overlook Aspie traits.

A technical copy editor, for instance. Most NTs can't look at schematic diagrams and spot all the errors like a true Aspie. Or fact check every single piece of technical trivia quickly and accurately.

I don't know but most of the people who do what I do are kind of strange and you don't have to deal with people too much.

While I've been chronically underemployed, I have had two stable, long term jobs (one for 6 1/2 years and this one for 5 1/2 and counting). It helps that both positions required working alone and that my genuine nature makes me well liked. Remember NT worker bees generally hate the political games too so they appreciate someone they can relax around and trust. People know I'm reliable and honest and while it was a nightmare finding a job due to my poor social skills once I got established I quickly rose to success although that's not to say certain sociopaths have exploited my naive nature and desire to please. On this topic I should mention at my retail job I had a married woman about 10 years older become close friends with me. I know realize her husband is a 100% stereotypical Aspie (complete with being completely socially inept and a genius in chemistry) and that's why we got along so well. I told her years later I thought I had Aspergers and she just replied 'okay'. Wonder if she realizes she married to an Aspie because it's quite obvious.

As much as I hate cultural stereotypes I have to agree. My all time favourite supervisor was a young Chinese lady and the person I trusted the most had Chinese parents and was male. That's exactly what I found: I did a good job. Period. That's all that matter to these two. I've been in predominantly Asian communities and despite the HUGE height difference felt right at home. No BS, no politics just ordinary decent people who I can take at face value.

If an aspie gets a job in an area of interest there is a real risk that they will overwork, and be exploited because they like it so much!

So work at it until you have the capital to be self employed in the same field.. problem solved. That's sort of the short version of my long term career objective, but I'm trying not to be taken advantage of along the way & will go back to some other occupations that have made me plenty more money so that I can expedite the process of getting what I need (money) in order to get what I want (entrepreneurship in a specific field). Although, I'm OK with the process taking as long as it needs to take, perhaps even a few years or more if that's the way it goes, because at the same time as trying to make some financial progress I'll be making a concentrated effort to improve communication & social capabilities, and to manage various symptoms better etc so I'll be in all around better shape to tackle the project I want to vs. winning a lottery tomorrow and not having the rest of my s**t together well enough to make things happen.

I essentially fell into the job after volunteering to teach and origami class, with no interview, I just showed up for a staff orientation day when they told me to. I've never really gotten along with my coworkers well and I'm also the only male, and often get flack for, by them saying that "its a guy thing" or something (personally I don't feel attached to a particular gender). I've been threatened with firing a few times due to complaints I get and had some bad evaluations, and it took me 7 years to get full time despite newer workers getting it before me (which made for some bad periods at work). The only reason I feel that I am there is because of the computer work I do which saves them contract money, and that I know the library systems well and most sections/popular books in the library and what they look like. I am the only full-time worker without a desk or computer, despite being full-time for two years and being the manager of all the computer systems and technology.

It hasn't been all bad though, I do feel some gratitude for the current director because she saw my problems with social issues that lead me to learning about body language and "public relations". I also enjoy using my talents with origami, memory, and technology that I might otherwise not have been able to utilize. It is rather fulfilling when people come in and ask for you by name because they trust in your ability to find exactly what they are looking for, or when the computers go down all of my coworkers ask me where a book would be and what section it would be in. My experience there has been invaluable for personal growth, but I think I've hit a dead end now with having to take a class I have failed twice now, and I've had more complaints as of late due to other problems in my life dealing with death, money, and no free time mostly. I'd like to find something more to do with my interest in computers, with less public interaction.

Yeah I tend to go crazy and melt after about 3 months. After that point I just stick it out as long as possible. It always ends up being far longer than I should.

Keeping the job?

Been with it over ten years.

Advancing in the job?

Well- when the lady district manager comes back from vacation and sees my email about talking to her about that very subject- we will see.

Over the years Ive worked alongside one person I strongly suspect was an aspie, and two other people I know for a fact were aspies.

The young lady whom I strongly suspect was an aspie or an autie advanced to being a low level superviser,was a good role model for other supervisers, and then after years of gradually increasing responsiblity left the company for better things at a rival company.

The two guys whom I know are aspies-both got fired. One had other conditions in addition to aspergers.

I don get what work politics is, I assume it's work policy and their rules. I have no problem with it. I am there to work make money to live.

Co workers, I was strong and put up with it. I mostly had a problem with my office clerk at my other job. I would go to work and feel dumb and feel I have friend my brain with drugs and wonder why can't I remember things, why am I expected to be psychic. I would try and red between the lines and do worse and he still get mad at me and I had to keep hearing "What did I tell you? "How long have you been working here?" "Common sense" and I have hid in one of the closets several times having a meltdown because of a misunderstanding or because he got mad at me for something. I have felt like quitting I don't know how many times and fearing I was going to get fired but I always hoped I wouldn't get fired and stuck with it. Then my boss offered me a day time position and I took it and I did much better because it was more structured. There was a job interview for this one and I passed it. I remembered to look at her and not touch anything or move my body and I was dressed nice and I remembered to say things in it my mother told me to say.

At my other job in Montana, Mom has had to help me with conflicts at work and I always wanted to go in and handle it myself than have my mom call my boss because that would make it look bad and I wanted to be independent. So she would tell me what to say to my boss and all and I would write it down and come in with a piece of paper with words on it. I had an understanding boss too so she always called my mother if there was a problem with me at work and have her talk to me about it because she didn't know how to tell me without getting me all upset. There was barely even an interview. She called it one but when I went in for it, it was just her telling me she is going to give me a trial and I will be on probation for three months and she is going to see how it will work out for me and if I can't handle it, let her know. Whenever I would feel overwhelmed at work, I never told them because I found out they will let me go if I can't handle it. So I didn't want them to think I couldn't handle it so I stayed strong and kept the anxiety hidden inside me and it was a good opportunity to deal with it and learn to ignore it and hide it and turn the feelings off.

The other two jobs I had were from human resources that give people with disabilities jobs so I was in voc rehab at school and they paid me, not my school, and I worked in the high school library once a week and only made $11.25 for two days after taxes. I worked at the thrift store and I was recommended because I helped someone my mother knew clean her rental home she was going to sell and her husband supervised the shop and he needed someone to clean and pick up there so she recommended me. I made no more than $25 there.

At my current job, it's for people with disabilities and they have a contract with different places. I work in a building and I am a janitor and I work alone. There are about six other workers there and I only see them during break. My boss doesn't give me a hard time and he doesn't pull the "common sense" crap and other things. Plus it's less work I am doing.

I work for a NGO my job involves teaching spoken english to underprivilaged kids who have no exposure to english language. I also have to prepare DEL, Log and Online attendance of children. My job is of 6 hours and 4 hours is teaching and 2 hours documentation work
Most of my coworkers are unable to complete their job in 6 hours their logs, del and attendance work remain incomplete.
I am able to complete it so they hate me
They hate me that i teach sincerely in the class i prepare teaching aids daily, i teach using hand made charts, i teach
in innovative manner
They hate me that in office i wasnt gossiping i wasnt talking about boyfriends etc.
I would keep to myself i would just read a book or do some work

They even hated me for completing all other assignments like powerpoint slides
They hate me for preparing sincere travel allowance and not adding false amounts

Hate me....go on