Adapting to the world or letting the world adapt to you

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I've been diagnosed as borderline autism and with other learning disabilities.

I recently went back to university to study for a job there was a lot of call for because I thought I'd have a good chance at employment. I am wondering if I've made a mistake.

This particular course requires good communication skills. I am not sure if by its definition it rules out individuals with autism. Although I really like most of the academic content and have passed the first semester I am really dreading placement as I am not sure I am up to it (my communication is fairly variable). I have got in contact with someone who is trained to work with autistic individuals and could be a mentor but I am wondering if its worth it. I sometime think it would be better to find a job that would suit my skills that doesn't require me to talk to people much. My mum's reply when I told her that was you cannot make the world fit around you, you have to fit into the world.

Any thoughts. I am interested to hear about people who decided to find jobs with little people contact. People who found jobs in areas that needed communication skills and through mentoring managed to do well.

My first impression is that you indeed made a mistake... The best thing is to find a job that fits your talents and doesn't put stress on your weaknesses... Communication between auti's and neurotypicals is always difficult because auti's use language very differently... So if your job will require a lot of communication that might very well be a problem...

And of course you have to adapt to the world... but you have to adapt in your own way... you have to adapt by finding that niche in the world where you fit in... try to find a job where your autism is a pro rather than a con....

I forgot to tell you about my job...

For more than 10 years now I have been working as an editor at a political party... The job fits my autism very well... I have to check the spelling, grammar and style of official documents... Communication with colleagues is minimal and always focused on the job, so that's easy for me. And the editing of texts just fits my love for language and accuracy... I guess working as an editor is a good choice for an auti... Of course not every editing job is good for an auti... Being an editor at a paper or magazine for example doesn't seem to be suited for auti's (too much time pressure, too many people having a say in what you do)... Editing jobs for official organisations like NGO's, political parties or governmental departments seem to be the most suited.

I think part of the problem is knowing what job is suitable. I did well in my degrees which were medical science based, I got a 2.1 in my undergrad and got a distinction in my masters dissertation. However I am not good at lab work because I can't remember which part of the instructions I've just carried out (I have a feeling that I in fact have MCDD and not borderline autism, due to the presence of autistic symptoms, mood symptoms and symptoms that relate to other developmental disorders). Career wise I feel I am limited by my disabilities despite my good grades: I don't feel I can do research because my maths isn't good enough. I love languages (I didn't think I could do them but over the last few years I've been studying with the OU and doing well) but I don't know any languages fluently so cannot do a job involving languages. I had thought maybe educational content development and/or retraining as a translator. In the meantime I am wondering if I should at least stick with my course as I've done the first semester and a bit. However if I quit now I've not wasted time as I've put the credits from my first semester of my degree towards my open BA.

If you don't feel comfortable in the path you have chosen, then stop and rethink your options -- especially if you wouldn't have wasted any time credits-wise... Of course, choosing the right career path is very difficult, since you never know exactly how things are gonna work out... But if you love languages and have aptitude for grammar, translating and stuff then maybe that's more suited for you... And of course you can always combine the two things: you could become a translater or editor or even writer of medical texts... that seems to me be a fitting job for someone with autistic traits. Anyway, good luck in your career!

It is always a GOOD thing to pick a major based on what WILL get you into a GOOD job after you graduate.

That said, always be sure you know if the job(s) that degree will qualify you for are GOOD for YOU.

I advocate volunteering/interning at prospective places you might be working to see if it "feels right" for you before spending a lot of time/money on schooling you might not need.

You have to do a bit of both.

You have to know your strengths and your weaknesses. That's the first step. Then look for jobs that cater to your strengths.

But you also can't expect the world to change for you, so you have to put in effort to adapt as well.

I have thought about translation. Although I sometimes found it tough I've really enjoyed the translating in my OU course. My grammars not amazing, but I think I have more chance of improving my grammar than doing well socially. I can interact but I am awkward socially and don't always know how to respond. In terms of payment the course is paid for due to a shortage in the area so wasting money is not an issue. Wasting time might not even be an issue because I increase my knowledge, however angst caused by placement probs might be.