Putting Asperger's on my CV

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I have been looking for a job for almost a year now and I have had no luck in getting one. I have had several interviews and even a work trial, but that's all that ever happens. I know for a fact that my lack of social skills are the reason I am still unemployed. Even when I fake being more confident in interviews, I'm not sure if I'm convincing enough, if at all.

I have decided the only way I can increase my chances is to be honest about my condition from the start. I expect there are a lot of people who will tell me not to put it on my CV, but I am not after their opinion as I have already mad my decision.

I would like to know how to put my condition across in a positive light, so how can I do this?

I would say 'no' too. However ... here is one idea ...

1. You could join several online autism organizations, join them by subscribing with an email account, and list them in a section on your CV, for example ...

"Proud member of the Autism Society of America "
"Proud member of the International Society of Autism Research"

This may make bringing up your autism easier in an interview.

2. Further on your CV, add a general personal statement about yourself underneath all these organizations where you *only* mention your positive autism traits ...

For example:

Proud member of the Autism Society of America
Proud member of the International Society of Autism Research
Proud to be focused, organized, hardworking, detailed, and directed!

This implies you have autism without requiring you to actually state it.

I agree with LoveNotHate. It's one of those annoying rules, your CV is about selling yourself so you need to focus on the positives. Remember your CV is just to get you to an interview and most jobs get loads of applicants so you don't use it to tell them everything about you they don't have time to go through many applicants in detail. This also means they are also looking for some simple ways to screen out the bulk of the applicants and although people are more aware of autism these days it's still not generally understood so you don't want to lose interviews just because of someone's poor misconceptions.

I agree.
Your CV is not exactly about selling* yourself, it's all about putting you on the short list of people to be interviewed.

After you garner an interview, and especially after you've been "hired" -temp, trial, or otherwise- your CV is pointless.




*the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
for example: selling yourself (or anything else) can be quite boring to most other people. Getting on the short list to be interviewed could happen by having an ultra easy to read CV, or keywords that company is looking for -meaning sometimes "less is more."

Human Resources personnel, indeed anyone slogging their way through countless tediously boring paperwork are likely to act like anyone else at any workplace -meaning they get lazy, bored, tired, they shortcut things, do a half-a*ssed job of it (or even a tenth a*ssed job) and make incomplete snap judgments.
HR people don't handle Resumes/CVs as a way to build the company's resources (not even by making a "candidate pool," yes, they're lying to you).

CVs are a way for an employee to clear his desk of his work by categorizing them as quickly (and easily) as possible, if it looks "good" then the worker will have to do more work, refer the CV to his boss or to the department AND justify his referral, try to contact the person, try to schedule an appointment between you and the interviewer, and likely fill out/read a bunch of other paperwork. Or he can throw most of them in the trash and save himself a lot of tedious bother, and go home on time.

Never disclose you are on the spectrum to potential employers, it doesn't serve any beneficial purpose, and will likely result in a rejection. People still discriminate against those on the spectrum, and you don't want this to be used against you.

The only time in the U.S. that it is to your advantage to disclose that you have a disability (and then you don't need to specify what it is) is for a job with the federal government or with a federal contractor (as they have quotas of persons with targeted disabilities they are expected to meet. It might also be advantageous if you are in a state vocational rehabilitation program and the potential employer partners with the state.

I obtained a Schedule A letter, identifying that I have a federally targeted disability, from my psychiatrist for applications to federal jobs and federal contractors. The Schedule A certifies that you have a targeted disability but not what it is. Once you are employed with the federal government, you may submit an SF-256 form which categorizes the nature of the disorder but doesn't exactly identify the disorder itself. I've also applied for job placement help with the Alabama Department of Vocational Rehabilitation for which I used my diagnostic letters and Schedule A letter as documentation, but I haven't heard back yet -- it takes up to a month.

do not put aspergers on your CV, the stigma attached to it will make you even less likely to be asked for an intervieuw.
if you want to disclose ASAP, go right ahead, but don't do so untill you are already being intervieuwd.

i myself have disclosed near the end of the intervieuw a few times, and it wasn't a problem then, but one employer did tell me that should he have known earlier, even early in the talk, he'd have waved me away or not even invited in the first place.

If you want special treatment to help you cope, you aren't legally required to say anything until after you are hired.

I thought it was the other way round. I was under the impression that they could sack you on the spot for not letting them know about a medical condition prior to getting the job.

But it's not just that, the other reason I want them to know is because then they might give me more of a chance in the interview. If they know I have Asperger's then they will stop focusing on the fact I'm bad with eye contact (I usually avoid it, but when under pressure I will stare too much to make up for the fact that I awful at it) and that I'm anxious/awkward. It's those things that are stopping me from getting a job. If they could look past those things, then I'd have a far better chance.

What country are you in. In the U.S the ADA forbids such dismissals. In the U.S any company that dismisses you for not informing them prior to being hire is looking at a very costly mistake, because that is major no no here.

Personally I don't agree with this aspect of the ADA, as I think you should be required to disclose what "accomdations" you will need prior to being hired, but as the law is written this is not required.

I have always disclosed. Not on my cv, but on application forms when they ask if you have a disability. I think doing so helps you get an. Interview as they aren't allowed to discriminate on the grounds of it. It also allows them to justify certain behaviour that may be a trait of as on the application form or more likely in interview.

It has also allowed me to get extra time in written tests for assessment centres which has been very useful. I have also got quite far into selection processes for a couple of things so I wouldn't say the as makes it less likely. Just something to be taking into consideration.

Xx

I have always disclosed. Not on my cv, but on application forms when they ask if you have a disability. I think doing so helps you get an. Interview as they aren't allowed to discriminate on the grounds of it. It also allows them to justify certain behaviour that may be a trait of as on the application form or more likely in interview.

It has also allowed me to get extra time in written tests for assessment centres which has been very useful. I have also got quite far into selection processes for a couple of things so I wouldn't say the as makes it less likely. Just something to be taking into consideration.

Xx

Close but not quite. Your CV is also the foundational document in your personnel file. It means that if problems crop up while you're on the job, a manager can say, "Who the hell is this person?" and get the CV pulled, and scrutinise it to see if you're qualified to do the job, or if something else crops up that might be useful or help him/her understand what's going on.

That's the rule.
The problem is that you have no idea when they aren't following the rule. I have seen with my own eyes secretaries put "disability" resumes in the "no" pile simply because of the disability. I think you're probably less likely to see that in large corporations where HR people are by-the-book because they're aware of the legal trouble that can ensue (though, of course, you have no way of knowing which those are).

That's in the US, though; don't know what it's like elsewhere.

It doesn't surprise me discrimination still happens and how are you going to prove it anyway when you never get a call for an interview? How are you going to even know that is the reason for no call? That is why it's so easy to get away with it. I hear the same happens with pregnancy too and with women. Work places tend to want men more than women and don't even tell them you're pregnant when looking for a job. if you're showing and unemployed, no point looking for work until after you have the baby. Also I read don't disclose you have kids because some will also discriminate against that too. I hear they are not even allowed to ask during an interview if you have any but they do find loopholes like "What do you like to do with your life?" "How do you spend your time?" and they do that to see what you say and if you mention having any children and they will also ask if the hours they give you will be inconvenient. It's not illegal what they are doing since they are not asking about your children. So basically I have learned when in an interview, leave your kids out of it.

Yeah they discriminate for other things too than just disability. Anyone who thinks it doesn't happen and think there is no way they can do that is naive. I have suspected discrimination on my part but I have no proof so I never done anything about it and I have no proof anyway. Sure I don't put disability on my application but my references may mention it or a previous work place could say I ask too many questions before I could get stuff and understand and I need more simple instructions and reminders to do things and that response may have my application end up in the no pile and don't forget internet search. I should get a new email address to use for job searching lol. But I have nothing to worry about now since I do have a job.

Hmm I guess discrimination does happen but I thought it was rare. Yes, you have no idea why your applications are rejected (or even interviews since they don't always give feedback). I always thought that it was best to disclose so they knew the reason you might behave a certain way or say things. But I guess you don't know.

I want to work in local government or some policy related job so I always thought that it would be less likely to be discriminated against when applying for these kinds of jobs. (Given their aim to promote equality).

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