Jobs that aren't for Autistic people?

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Webalina
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25 Jan 2013, 10:27 pm

I've had a lot of jobs in my life, and the ones that were best for me were oddly enough exact opposites of each other. I spent 18 years doing information research and records management, in libraries, real property title companies and the Alumni Association of my university. And I've spent 6 years at various times as a cashier in various convenience stores.

The research jobs gave me plenty of time to indulge my pathological nosiness and love of information, and I didn't need to be a "team player" to do the jobs...although the company expected me to be anyway. An aside...why do corporations expect you to socialize, via holiday parties, team-building outings, luncheons, with the same people you just spent 40+ hours a week with? Anyway -- I loved this work. I really dug someone asking me for a piece of information and being able to pull it seemingly out of nowhere. I loved spending hours in databases putting together reports on various topics -- I wrote bios and newsletters and financial reports.

The convenience store jobs have helped me with my social skills. I don't have to actually sell anything. Everyone comes in there with a purpose -- usually snacks, gas or cigarettes -- so I don't have to make conversation. And when they come up to the register, I am behind a counter and thus feel safer than if I was in the middle of the store like in retail clothing establishments. No further conversation has to take place other than that necessary for the transaction. But I've gotten comfortable enough over the years that I find I can carry on a little more with the customers. I still get into trouble when I try to hold customers in the store too long because we seem to have something in common or the conversation is going well. I don't always recognize when they want to leave.

The worst? Direct sales. I can't bring myself to push my product on a customer, My attitude is that if I ask the customer if they want it and they say "no."...end of transaction. But you have to be MUCH pushier and aggressive than that, especially when the job pays on commission only -- you don't sell anything, you don't get paid. You're supposed to convince the customer that they in fact DO want the product, even if they aren't aware of it at the time.



FishStickNick
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25 Jan 2013, 10:42 pm

cyberdad wrote:

Two that come to mind are salesperson and customer service....


I think it depends on the person as far as these sorts of jobs go, the work environment, etc...

I worked retail for about two years when I was in college, and I didn't mind the work. A lot of it involved sticking to a script of sorts--sales policies, product specs, and so on. Also, it didn't hurt that it involved one of my special interests. :D Things got a little more difficult for me, though, when a customer had an issue that required me to go off-script, so to speak. That said, I worked in a fairly small store with a low-pressure environment (I didn't have to meet sales goals, I didn't get paid on commission, etc...).



Kalika
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25 Jan 2013, 10:46 pm

I would say that a library page job isn't necessarily the best fit for someone with autism, but it depends on the person and what duties the said library assigns to that position. I'm saying this because for some years I had a co-worker was quite possibly on the spectrum, and while she was great at some aspects of the job, she could be really hard to work with because she didn't communicate well, it took her a lot longer to get things done (because she added extra steps to tasks), and she didn't adjust well to changes in the way we did things.



Rascal77s
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25 Jan 2013, 10:52 pm

Forum mod would be less than an ideal job for stevenjacksonftw7



Webalina
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25 Jan 2013, 11:16 pm

Kalika wrote:
I would say that a library page job isn't necessarily the best fit for someone with autism, but it depends on the person and what duties the said library assigns to that position. I'm saying this because for some years I had a co-worker was quite possibly on the spectrum, and while she was great at some aspects of the job, she could be really hard to work with because she didn't communicate well, it took her a lot longer to get things done (because she added extra steps to tasks), and she didn't adjust well to changes in the way we did things.


I had a thought a while back about this after being treated rudely by yet another librarian. People who become librarians generally do so because they love books, reading and research. These people are likely very introverted and probably lacking in social skills. Because a big part of the librarian's job is customer service -- answering phones, showing patrons to books in the stacks, doing presentations -- they have a really hard time with it. Thus the rudeness.



kamiyu910
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26 Jan 2013, 12:25 am

Webalina wrote:
Kalika wrote:
I would say that a library page job isn't necessarily the best fit for someone with autism, but it depends on the person and what duties the said library assigns to that position. I'm saying this because for some years I had a co-worker was quite possibly on the spectrum, and while she was great at some aspects of the job, she could be really hard to work with because she didn't communicate well, it took her a lot longer to get things done (because she added extra steps to tasks), and she didn't adjust well to changes in the way we did things.


I had a thought a while back about this after being treated rudely by yet another librarian. People who become librarians generally do so because they love books, reading and research. These people are likely very introverted and probably lacking in social skills. Because a big part of the librarian's job is customer service -- answering phones, showing patrons to books in the stacks, doing presentations -- they have a really hard time with it. Thus the rudeness.


The only real job I had was in a library. I loved the books, the research, and actually helping people with something I knew all about. But dealing with people was a strain, especially the stupid mean ones :( Many times I cried driving home from the stress! I don't know if I was ever considered rude, no one told me. I am soo soooooo glad I quit.

Edit: I was a library assistant, was in charge of the Teen game night, tech support, the digital story time, and reference desk work. I think I would have preferred a library page job.


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noxnocturne
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26 Jan 2013, 12:51 am

cyberdad wrote:
stevenjacksonftw7 wrote:
I personally think that it should depend on the person and not on the disability since some disabled people would be beneficial for any job, especially some folks with Asperger's Syndrome or High Functioning Autism, but that's just me. I have severe Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder which has left me curious about other disabilities and what their typical jobs are. Anyways, here's the list and feel to reflect on it.

1. Any branch in the Armed Forces (whether it's the Navy, Marine Corps, the Coast Guards, the Army or the Air Force). Asperger's Syndrome and Autism are specifically listed as automatic disqualifiers for all of the above.
2. An airline pilot (well Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is an automatic disqualifier for this, so I'm assuming that Autism and Asperger's Syndrome are as well).
3. The police force (it's not listed as an automatic disqualifier, but they wouldn't take somebody with any case of Asperger's Syndrome or Autism).
4. A lawyer (it isn't listed, but the requirements kind of narrow it out of the picture).
5. A professional athlete (it depends on the coordination since there's a professional athlete with Cerebral Palsy out there named Michael McKillop who has won two gold medals in the 2012 olympics which shows that anything is possible). I brought up Cerebral Palsy since there are even worse motor coordination deficits displayed in it.
6. A commercial trader
7. A politician (Al Gore might be Autistic however, and he's a highly successful politician).
8. A psychologist (there are some Autistic psychologists out there however, and they seem to be decent at it).
9. An actor or an actress (Daryl Hannah has Asperger's Syndrome though).
10. Doctor (this is questionable for folks with both ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome).

What are some other bad jobs for them? What are your opinions on them?


Two that come to mind are salesperson and customer service....


Customer service...been there, done that...definitely not a career for an Aspie.



btbnnyr
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26 Jan 2013, 1:07 am

I don't think that other people would want me to be an air traffic controller.



Arran
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26 Jan 2013, 3:54 am

Prison and probation officer. You have to be assertive, streetwise, empathetic, and possess ultra neurotypical traits.



1sahne
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31 Mar 2014, 2:14 pm

btbnnyr wrote:
I know an autistic lawyer. Does family law, divorce, child custody cases.


What will an autist lawyer or judge think about a guy s hyper-controlling and overanxious attitude towards his or her ex-partner? Well, he will not be able to see what s wrong with it, and this is by far not the only wrong judgement he is going to make.

There is only one thing more pathetic than an autist pretending to be normal and getting in a position where he judges about moral, psychological or social issues: a group of fake NTs relying on the seemingly NTs in the group to offset their own deficits. :bigsmurf: :smurfin: :smurf: :brilsmurf:

That is exactly what is happening very often in the judicial system, and in particular in custody battles. Who else than a group of fakes yould have given the sole custody to "little mummy s psychopath" like Usher and Kevin Federline? Have you got an idea what harm is done by this? (The last is a purely rhetorical question: I know you have no idea.)

No way: in law professions a kind of power of judgement is needed, that an autist does not have.
Unless he outs himself and buddies up with two or three lawyers who are definitely NT, but I am afraid there are far too many autists in the field for such a ratio ...


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DeadOperaStar
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31 Mar 2014, 4:30 pm

perhaps a better question would be which jobs' application processes eliminate autistic folks before they're ever given a chance to perform or show credentials?



Prof_Pretorius
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31 Mar 2014, 6:34 pm

I worked on a Help Desk for a large company with Retail stores. I was very good at it, but got fired after 5 years because I didn't get along with my NT supervisor. I enjoyed helping people over the phone, solving the problem, and chatting.

I think a really bad job for an ASpie would be professional magician or juggler. I don't think we could bluff people like a magician does. I once saw a juggler tossing three clubs while balancing on a teeter board on top of a barrel, and thought BLIMEY, I could practice for years and years and not do that.


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31 Mar 2014, 6:49 pm

Remember Tom Cruse in that movie Cocktail?

Not for people on the spectrum.



kazma
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31 Mar 2014, 8:18 pm

sharkattack wrote:
Remember Tom Cruse in that movie Cocktail?

Not for people on the spectrum.

this would be one of us in his place :lol:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKYd21SzRpE[/youtube]



JakeDay
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01 Apr 2014, 9:20 am

I have an extensive vocational experience. All work has its disadvantages, and it is not anything exclusive to the autism community. EVERYONE hates their jobs some times.

5 year full time job in a bank - alcohol fueled culture of conformity. Having to abandon my ethics constantly. Passed over for promotion repeatedly despite looking good on paper. My social deficits made me a bad fit in the banking culture. It was my only full time job.

Kitchenhand (several times)- they'll hire anyone in hospitality. here you get to be a slave in a dangerous environment, usually cash in hand where I live (illegal). I had no training and did not recognise OH&S dangers. Last job ended with microsurgery to my fingers thanks to a meat-slicer without regulation guard. I am so grateful I can still play the guitar. However, I hear of autistic chefs doing okay, so maybe its a matter of special interest. I love cooking. Just not in a professional capacity.

Retail - again, look good on paper, but alienated customers. Not good in a store that sells adult DVDs and marital aids. The armed holdup I faced alone left me with PTSD. I have since been declared unfit for work on the basis of this event - PTSD + ASD.

Call centre - couldn't keep up with the quota. Had to discard some research because my communication impairments tilted the questions in ways that undermined the research being conducted.

Volunteer Radio DJ - that was a good time, ran a special interest show for four years. The tone and attitude of the show had me in trouble with management quite regularly though, and led to my eventual ejection.

I've had work that didn't suck, usually took place in volunteer settings, or bush regeneration work, or small scale farm work. My favourite work is what I'm doing these days, spewing up art and music for my employer (myself).



sharkattack
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01 Apr 2014, 5:03 pm

kazma wrote:
sharkattack wrote:
Remember Tom Cruse in that movie Cocktail?

Not for people on the spectrum.

this would be one of us in his place :lol:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKYd21SzRpE[/youtube]


Lol. :lol: