my job has actually helped me with initiating/cont. convo's

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Ok, so what is my job then?

well actually, I am a salesperson at a electronics store. I love (hardware) electronics, its fascinating. so I choose a job at school in that direction, but I also wanted mathematical stuff, dealing with numbers is another favourite of mine. so I ended up in a education which will finish in 3 months and give me the papers to make banks believe they can spend money on me to open my own store.

now, for this education I was required to do 2 training periods of 6 weeks per year. I got lucky, and was send to the best possible for my direction of studieing, a top-recommended store called "Dixons" (remember that its not the same as Dixons in the UK, its completely different here in the Netherlands), and everyone in my class told me I had been extremely lucky.

When I started I was put in the deep water immediately. not much knowledge about what was the current sales stuff other then computers/laptops/games (they sell cameras, phones, and alot of other stuff aswell), and I was put in there to start selling stuff. many times I had to tell I had not the expertise and had to have a co-worker help me out. However, I tried to listen in to conversations as much as I could (however, the store (out of 165 Dixons stores at the time) was in the top 3 of the highest turnover ones, and it was with christmas...go figure how busy it was!). after i finished 6 weeks of hard work and was completely busted, I knew alot more about operating a till, and products. I went back to school. 12 weeks later my second 6 weeks training period of that year started. The manager of dixons had arranged for me to continue at a quieter, more easy to learn stuff at store. I was happy with that, and started enthousiastic. I quickly learned from collegues how to adress customers, and get the info I wanted to have out of the customers so I could sell them the product I wanted to sell to them, and that they needed.

after 4 weeks a person came by, who was very important. i had seen him before. at the other dixons store. back then i wondered who he was, giving orders to my manager, and my manager listening to him no matter what he said. I was even introduced to him back then, and, appearantly, he remembered me too.

without my knowledge, he had pulled out info from my manager, and from the tills to see how my progress was as a trainee. (i found that out much later)

however, he came up to me that day, and said: Cor, how much longer untill you are finished with your training? 2 weeks right?

i answered: yes sir.

he said: you may call me (his first name)
and he said: what would you think about getting a job after you finish your training period?

i was stunned. such an important person, offering me a job? i was thrilled and extremely happy. for a minute or 2 i stood there with a huge smile on my face, before i could answer: yes ofcourse!
(needless to say, as soon as I had lunchbreak i called my parents and told them)

after that it was quickly initiated to make me join the sales force. filling in forms and all that.

i work there almost 2 years now. (if you include training periods its over 2 years). Its made me improve my ability to speak to people i dont know, and still get the info out i need. its also made me deal with people who are frustrated much more easier. (before, if someone was talking to me frustratedly, i would become frustrated or angry myself, and often go berzerk)

its a job that does not only give me some money to spend, its helped me a great deal aswell in social life. i no longer am afraid to initiate a conversation with a person i dont know, and it has also made it easier for me to judge how a person will react to something i say to them (altho it sometimes is still hard, its a lot better then 4 years ago)


I think for some aspies it might actually be a good idea too, altho it might be scary at first.
if you do apply for such a job, make sure that you inform your employer about your special status in this world. in the case they do not know what your status means, make sure you can give them information about it (be it verbally or written)

Good to hear the job has helped you. I have found the same thing myself.