What do you do for a living?

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I work from home as a freelance editor for a publisher of primarily academic journals and books. It's quite restful, particularly since I don't have to deal with NTs on a regular basis.

Currently proofreading for a major communications company here...blech. I'm looking to start doing a lot more freelance work.

I am a mechanical engineer/ structural analyst for an aerospace company, evaluating the hardware for performance against loads and operational conditions. It is a field that has a shortage, and many job options.

I am good at figuring out things, often before peers, and am well reviewed. I have a bigger raise than most peers this year, and get thrown into odd situations as I can always figure it out. PEOPLE skills are poor, I can talk with anyone, little fear.. but very superficial and don't know how to have real conversations, and am not "buddies" with folks at work usually.. one here or there but not part of bigger social spectrum.

However, even with this type of job, I do have meetings I have to go to, and my performance in them is often abysmal. I interupt, take over the meeting, and am so intense "I am a force of nature" per my boss. In college I would correct profs, stuff like that. NOT a good thing for work.

So, I am oblivious to appropriate social behavior, and have assembled an army of unique considerate and kind friends that are supportive for the most part.

None of the buds have been informed I have or may have AS, I did take the online tests and won!.., too many characteristics are shared with me for it to be coincidental, and now I dive into this and other website hoping to glean useful coping information and management skills.

I study the hell out of anything from snow tires to shingles to know the optimal solution.

Then make the choice and second guess myself for days.

In my job, the work is interesting, I am ok.. but come having to write report or document or do anything I think of as boring I struggle.

I have adapted so much over the years, hard to tell where I end and the camoflauge begins.

However, overall this has proved to be a lucrative career.. make 105K/yr, lots of jobs, can't live anywhere/everywhere as there has to be a job, but not bad.

I have in the past worked as a project lead, program manager etc. for Research stuff (acoustic non lethal weapons), launch vehicles (rotary rocket) etc. and have lots of invention ideas, book ideas and hardly ever do anything with them.

read a huge amount.

If I had it to do over? Hmm. not sure. Maybe same field but different subspecialty, maybe work for a county job or something.. not as challenging but more controlled and lower expectations, could have kicked back and had a house in the woods in some podunk place?
Or product design, I can always make something better and think a lot of stuff is stupid!

I own and run a small ISP/WISP.
I really don't like my job and really want to get out, I like the technical challenges and I have performed miracles technically as the whole operation is way under-funded so I have had to be really creative! Being able to focus for 20hrs straight on setting up something in the server or whatever really helps! AS rocks!
But all the management, accounting, dealing with staff etc is really really NOT me... and it's not yet big enough to support managers for everything (only for some things).
Anybody want to buy a profitable and growing ISP/WISP?

Software Engineer. I do contract work for a company that makes earthquake recording systems.

software

I surf the internet and answer the occasional computer moron's question and get paid for it.

I'm currently a Special Education Assistant (SEA).

I'm extremely frustrated with my so-called "co-workers" (other SEAs) who often have no clue how to approach or interact with our kids. Some days can be crazy, considering I have a school full of kids (550+) and adults (35+) to interact with on a daily basis. Coming to the realization that I have AS is making it a little easier to deal with everyone but sometimes I wish I could let them know what's going on with me, especially the other SEAs! Sadly, I fear I might lose my job if they knew.

Previous to this (and still on-call a little at this time) I worked as a Community Living Support Worker.
Before that I was a Home Support Attendant working with the elderly and people living with MS.
Before becoming an HSA I managed restaurants.

i am a system administrator for an architectural engineering and design company.


which is a fancy way of saying i build and maintain the workstations they use.

I work in the Correspondence Department for the local natural gas utility company. This is the department that deals with written correspondence sent in by customers via mail, fax, and e-mail. Everything from service inquiries and applications to complaints to requests for billing summaries (usually for tax purposes) to applications for direct withdrawal from their bank account to pay bills... I like it. Although I am supposedly part of a team, most of my day is taking items from the pile of incoming correspondence and doing whatever is needed with them. I've also gotten a rep as being a whiz with MS Excel, since anytime anyone in the departments wants to do something with Excel and can't quite figure out how to do it, they ask me for help.