38. No skills. No education, nor money for education.

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pokeycat
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08 Aug 2015, 12:42 pm

Now what? Im truly not good anything.

"But....youve got to be good at something!" I could only wish this was true.

"Youll find your niche" When? when Im 70?

What fields are best paying/least frustrating for those with our issues?



kraftiekortie
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08 Aug 2015, 4:13 pm

Data entry might not be a bad occupation for you....or medical coding.



ok
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08 Aug 2015, 5:29 pm

Data entry is really fun and easy. Try working with administration. You can be yourself and work in an office.

You say you are not good at anything. Can you be more specific? What is it you don't like doing?



Fnord
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08 Aug 2015, 8:08 pm

What skills DO you have?

None?

Then the field of manual labor is wide open for you.

...

Seriously, everybody has something they're reasonably good at, even if it is a common skill that just about everyone else has.



CupidAardvark
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09 Aug 2015, 1:26 pm

pokeycat wrote:
Now what? Im truly not good anything.

"But....youve got to be good at something!" I could only wish this was true.

"Youll find your niche" When? when Im 70?

What fields are best paying/least frustrating for those with our issues?


What skills do you have? What jobs are available in your area? Is there a career services agency for the disabled that can assist you with identifying your skills/strengths as a first step to blinding a career that capitalizes on them?



glebel
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09 Aug 2015, 3:17 pm

Fnord wrote:
What skills DO you have?

None?

Then the field of manual labor is wide open for you.

...

Seriously, everybody has something they're reasonably good at, even if it is a common skill that just about everyone else has.

I find physical work very rewarding because it is results orientated, with no politics and little human interaction unless I want it.


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FullMetalAspie
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10 Aug 2015, 4:37 pm

I have always felt the same.
I always heard the "one day you will find your niche" a lot too.
I have a math disability and good awful communication skills so when I was in college it felt less like look at all these things I can do and more like look at all these things I cant do. So I left college, I eventfully I found the job I do now, yes it is primarily a physically job but I also use my brain as well and also the people are nice there and they don't scream at me or tell me I'm an idiot when I mess up.



unknownfactor
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10 Aug 2015, 5:49 pm

pokeycat wrote:
Now what? Im truly not good anything.

"But....youve got to be good at something!" I could only wish this was true.

"Youll find your niche" When? when Im 70?

What fields are best paying/least frustrating for those with our issues?


It sucks to get older and feeling you aren't good at anything. It's also no fun to be on the receiving end of somebody else's cliched advice either even if it is meant well.

I'm counting 4 walls you have up in front of you and scaling just one of them can be understandably frustrating. 1.) Education factor. 2.) Ignorance of your own talents. 3.) You want something that pays well 4.) You want something that doesn't frustrate your brand of autism.

Truthfully, I have no advice for you. My own experiences probably wouldn't help because they are strictly my own. I'm an unemployed 40-something who does hobby software projects and shares them on the Internet. You are not me. You're going to have to fight for your keep and find the answers to your problems yourself. For what it's worth, I do believe in your ability to do just that.



pokeycat
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12 Aug 2015, 10:36 am

Damn! This sucks!



SocOfAutism
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12 Aug 2015, 4:44 pm

Sometimes it's easier to look at what you absolutely will not or cannot do and then see what's left. Then you can figure out what you wouldn't mind doing and might not be too bad at.

For example, I'm terrible around authority figures because I can't even try to pretend that I respect them. Any job that puts me in contact with high ups is a no go. I'm also not good at ever siding with a company over a worker, which causes me stress. So a job where I'm involved with worker stress would be bad too. Physically, I'm unable to do most blue collar jobs. I'm left with things I can do and don't mind doing, which is stuff like teaching, research, and non-supervisory white collar jobs.



sleepingpancake
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14 Aug 2015, 6:49 pm

SocOfAutism wrote:
Sometimes it's easier to look at what you absolutely will not or cannot do and then see what's left. Then you can figure out what you wouldn't mind doing and might not be too bad at.

For example, I'm terrible around authority figures because I can't even try to pretend that I respect them. Any job that puts me in contact with high ups is a no go. I'm also not good at ever siding with a company over a worker, which causes me stress. So a job where I'm involved with worker stress would be bad too. Physically, I'm unable to do most blue collar jobs. I'm left with things I can do and don't mind doing, which is stuff like teaching, research, and non-supervisory white collar jobs.


i can relate, i dont do well with authority...you're lucky though to qualify for white collar jobs


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wralyn
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16 Aug 2015, 5:33 am

Do you have any temp agencies around? If you approach them with a general direction (office, manufacturing, etc.) they will usually give you a battery of tests to see what your strengths are. Don't sell yourself short. Let them make that assessment. I'm 42 and was laid off a couple of years ago. I worked for the same company for nearly 15 years and all my skills were based around their product. It was worth a lot to them...not so much to the rest of the world. Now, I'm basically starting over and trying to find my new niche in the world. It's frustrating, for sure. Best of luck.



GodzillaWoman
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20 Aug 2015, 5:22 pm

wralyn wrote:
Do you have any temp agencies around? If you approach them with a general direction (office, manufacturing, etc.) they will usually give you a battery of tests to see what your strengths are. Don't sell yourself short. Let them make that assessment. I'm 42 and was laid off a couple of years ago. I worked for the same company for nearly 15 years and all my skills were based around their product. It was worth a lot to them...not so much to the rest of the world. Now, I'm basically starting over and trying to find my new niche in the world. It's frustrating, for sure. Best of luck.


That's how I built up my skills--through temp agencies. I had gone to school for graphical illustration but wasn't finding much work in my field, or it didn't pay well. I started out doing low-level clerical stuff like data entry, answering phones, and filing. I eventually showed an aptitude for software, and started getting more complex secretarial stuff. Eventually I started learning some graphics software and got hired by a big company after temping for three years. They trained me in web site development, and now I do that regularly. I actually enjoyed temping--I got to see different places and see what sort of place I would like to work at, without being pulled into confusing, annoying office politics.

Also check and see if there is any rehabilitation training for people with disabilities where you live. The state I live in (Maryland) has a Department of Rehabilitation Services, which tests you for aptitudes and interests, and then gets you placed in training (such as an apprenticeship to learn a trade or college to get a degree). My wife was physically disabled in a car wreck, and she went through one of these programs.


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beakybird
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21 Aug 2015, 8:45 pm

sleepingpancake wrote:
SocOfAutism wrote:
Sometimes it's easier to look at what you absolutely will not or cannot do and then see what's left. Then you can figure out what you wouldn't mind doing and might not be too bad at.

For example, I'm terrible around authority figures because I can't even try to pretend that I respect them. Any job that puts me in contact with high ups is a no go. I'm also not good at ever siding with a company over a worker, which causes me stress. So a job where I'm involved with worker stress would be bad too. Physically, I'm unable to do most blue collar jobs. I'm left with things I can do and don't mind doing, which is stuff like teaching, research, and non-supervisory white collar jobs.


i can relate, i dont do well with authority...you're lucky though to qualify for white collar jobs


Completely. I just cant be obedient. I always ask why, and always demand respect. From every single human on Earth. If these are ok, then Im good, but it usually isnt.



ChefDave
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16 May 2018, 4:37 pm

pokeycat wrote:
Now what? Im truly not good anything.

"But....youve got to be good at something!" I could only wish this was true.

"Youll find your niche" When? when Im 70?

What fields are best paying/least frustrating for those with our issues?


I don't think there's a quick and easy answer for this. I teach Culinary Arts and it's fortunate that I was able to turn my interest in all things culinary into a really successful career.

What's worked for me wouldn't necessarily work for other people because my career and skill set is correlated with myself in mind.

This is why others have asked you about your skill set. It's hard to offer advice is we don't know what your skill set, work experience, or education have been.

Why don't you post your resume (redacted to eliminate all personal information) in this thread and we can go from there? If you want constructive advice, you're going to have to provide more information about your skills, interests, work history, and education. I don't see any other way to provide you with specific advice.