How Should an Aspie Approach Finding Work?

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Well first of all, I know my limits, which would preclude me from working at cash registers or fast places. Ok check. I suck at networking, even thouh everyone says it is essential, check. Pound the pavement. Eh well, I applie dto places I knew had opening soff the street, but not many places to pound the pavement to. Any flaw sin my thinking? I have applied to all my jobs online, looking every day. Nothing. I am thinking of packing up and moving if this does not change.

Some more obvious stuff you probably heard before.

Networking urrrhh!! !. As hard as it is, as small as the your "circle" may be let everybody you do know that you are looking. :

Cover letter and Resume: Put in anything that made somebody money or saved them time (which is money). NO SPELLLLLING ERRRRORS. No emoticons, abbreviations and other shortcuts. This is not twitter or Facebook.

Internships, volunteering: Yes it is a scandal that it has come to this but these are the career version of the minor leagues doing the job which the companies used to pay you for (they actually had paid training programs back in the day) . But it is experience not only for the skills but showing you are responsible of getting someplace on time and being "professional". If you do not have these on your resume it is a negative.

Researching (yeah an aspie thing) to find the right people: Find the companies in your field, find the hiring manager. Through linkedin, ReferenceUSA etc. Look at media stories about the company. Your university or public library will direct you. It could work both ways but smaller companies are better for an aspie. Sometimes the hiring procedure is fairly informal and you just have to impress the owner.

Follow up emails or calls: “Did you receive my resume” “I enjoyed the interview and and would really like to work for the company.

You can find a job where aspie skills can come to good use. The process of getting one is minefield purposely designed to weed out people who don’t fit in. Wish I had better news but not to much choice but strenuous, tiring acting here. All the job counselors will tell you job hunting is a full time job in itself. Aspies have to take breaks here and there.

I have been applying and cherry picking jobs that would be aspie friendly from indeed .com . I am finding most jobs in my area are not aspie friendly. So I am thinking worse comes to worse, I could go to another city that has more jobs. I have told a few people I am looking for work. but the more I look and apply, the more I think the other city may have better aspie jobs, according to indeed searches I have done.

Assess your skills and talents. What can you do? Those who focus solely on what they can not do usually remain unemployed.

Assess your education. What degrees, licenses and certificates have you earned? A high school diploma is a good place to start. So is a valid driver's license.

Assess your transportation needs. How far are you willing to travel? Are you willing and able to relocate?

Once you have all of this figured out (and written down), you will have a better idea of what kind of job to go for.

As other folk have said - work out what your strengths are (e.g. attention to detail? problem solving? work ethic?), and what jobs these would be an asset in. Then sell them, hard - think of examples to illustrate them, preferably how they relate to the role being applied for. Being damn good at something can get you considered despite poor social skills, if you can bring other qualities to the team. Good luck.