Advice to find work that is right for me

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Hi Wrong Planet,

I've been looking for a job for the past 5 months. I graduated with a bachelors in electrical and electronics engineering, looking for work in the energy sector. I got an average final grade because I didn't try too hard. But I am certainly intelligent. I don't plan to do a masters until I can afford it.

Through my job search I've gotten plenty of interviews with large companies but am constantly rejected afterwards because I lack experience for the role or (apparently ) have no enthusiasm. The former I can understand but I don't entirely understand what they mean by lacking enthusiasm? On the inside I am very enthusiastic, but how can I express that without seeing the job beforehand? How do NTs show enthusiasm for a job they have never physically perceived?

I did a corporate test that measures your potential based on personality, motivation and intelligence. I scored high on their intelligence tests but my personality and motivational results brought down my overall hireability to just above average (and of course, no one just wants above average..)

I'm almost convinced that despite all of this that I won't find a job just because of my social skills. I know I'm not the only one who struggles, does anyone have advice either on finding work in energy or even an alternative career path?

Many Aspies suffer from executive function difficulties and have difficulty actually going stuff.
This can be a serious problem in the jobs you want as they don't have the management who can deal with that.
Some Aspies get lucky and find a manager that enables them to work efficiently.

One idea is to get in with an entry level job and apply for better jobs within the company as you gain work experience.
I know a senior editor who got in with a data entry job and got promoted to better jobs.

We can't do anything about NTs who just don't like us. A lot of companies help by telegraphing this in the job ad to start with - 'young, buzzy culture', 'we work hard and play hard', 'there's nothing the team like more than to all go down the pub together on Friday nights', etc., etc.

If two autistic people are infodumping, we know the other person is interested, regardless of their outward level of animation. A classic example is two chess nerds analysing a game - a casual observer would often think we were both bored. NTs aren't like that; they feel they have to act up. (!)

The good news is we can do plenty about the skills and (perceived) enthusiasm gap, both at once. If you've got a side project which is relevant to the particular job you're going for - it doesn't have to be in a work context, it can be college or hobby - then bring it out and show it to them. If they're into it, they will know you're enthusiastic without having to look for the usual NT-specific enthusiasm flags.

Good luck.

I have got the "no enthusiasm" feedback in the past as well.

First of all, if you have a monotone voice or flat affect, try and practice speaking and emoting more like an NT if you can at all, I naturally have a very muted affect when I'm stressed and I come off as robotic, most NT interviewers hate this, but they are fine with put on enthusiasm and warmth, because this is what NTs do in interviews as well. Inserting small amounts of safe humour at certain points can help as well, one technique I like: when giving answers to technical questions, I give a straightforward detail answer, covering the points I need to cover, then finish with a humorous observation or anecdote about something semi related to the technical question.

When interviewing for jobs you need to keep in mind that there is an expectation that you will seem very interested in the particulars of the job and the kind of technologies you will be using etc. When you go for an interview you should have some idea of the things involved in the role you are interviewing for, and should prepare to sound interested and enthusiastic about them.

You don't actually have to be, everyone knows that this is BS, but its basically required to get a job, and its also expected that you will present yourself as friendly, sociable, etc. etc. partially this is because interviews are in some ways box ticking exercises and partly because the people doing the hiring want some confidence that you will fit with the corporate culture.

Demonstrating enthusiasm comes down to engaging with the interviewer on the particulars of the job, providing examples of what you like about a thing/a previous example of having done the thing (make it up), mentioning little details about particular things that are related to the interview questions but weren't strictly mentioned, demonstrating that you have done more than bare minimum prep, and confidently expressing yourself during the interview.

If you are going into interviews and thinking of them as technical question and answer affairs you need to reframe them as something more like selling a used car, you can't directly lie, unless its something where you cannot be called out, but you embellish, present things in the best light, make yourself seem friendlier and more excited than you are.

The next time you are going for an interview, research the company before hand, look at what they've been up to in the past few years, any research they're involved in, major contracts secured, etc., bring them up in the interview as an aside. If you are doing stuff in your free time that's related to the company's work or the field in some way, talk about it, explicitly demonstrate that you are interested in the field beyond getting paid for working in it.

You know you are going to be asked some non technical questions, like "why do you want to work here?" "what do you bring to the team?" "what do you think your strengths and weaknesses are?" Prepare answers for them, not strictly scripted ones, but a series of key terms and points you want to include, I'm conscientious, I have project planning experience, In the past my time management has been poor BUT I've since started using these tools to address that, I have x or y experience that's really relevant to what you're doing right now, etc.

Over time as you interview more and more you will polish these into very robust, reliable responses that project confidence and enthusiasm.

The corporate tests are mostly pseudoscience, the best thing to do is try and find out what test is being administered before hand and practice it, and remember while doing them that you don't need to be honest, you are aiming for a score in a game, give the answers you think they want.

Actually getting the knack of interviewing is quite hard, and even when you do well you can end up not getting the job because someone else did marginally better, so don't worry about not getting it quickly.

If you want specific examples of any of the above let me know.

One idea may be to draw pictures!
If you are a visual thinker it can be better to relate to others via pictures!

I know someone who got his job because he demonstrated a ham radio project he built.

I saw someplace someone made little frogs as a hobby and gave one to the person who interviewed him!

Hi, I just wanted to say as someone who is going through the interview process myself I know how frustrating it can be. Everything you do gets analyzed from the first moment you meet with the interviewer. Tanhauser had some great tips above on interviews and is very applicable from my experiences. The more you do the more comfortable you become. I think it really comes down to how well you "sell" yourself to your interviewer. About four years ago I went to a local career services center in my area and they helped me with my resume and on interviews. If you have one in your area they can be of great help. I wish you best of luck in your interviews and no matter what just remember there are always more opportunities that will come.

Do you want to work with fossil fuels or alternative energy or both?I live in Texas and I am a small time landman and oil driller here in Texas.My uncle is a former engineer in the Texas oilfields and he took "Toastmasters" which I think could really help.

You could also try to read "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. I live in one of the biggest oil and gas producing areas in the world and you prolly need to be willing to be a roughneck or a toolpusher and get your CDL because I have a friend who is a engineer with a big corporation and he got the job I think partly because he was willing to do blue collar work in the oilfield.People can get the roughneck jobs straight out of high school and live the American dream straight out of high school and make 6 figures per year.I know thats not your end goal but you should prolly be prepared to be a roustabout or toolpusher or roughneck so you can get engineering job.

Also invest in some outings at Starbucks or other restaurants because sometimes recruiters from the oilfield will recruit you at the Starbucks to work a frack crew and that could get your foot in the door.You should prolly consider going to the bars to net work and join a non-profit and volunteer to network.I would get to Texas if you could around Houston and the Permian Basin of West Texas/SE New Mexico.You may want to consider getting into the land business which is what I do.I am involved with getting land for companies to drill on at least I was but I have not gotten a lease in years.You could maybe partner up with a guy who is more social and more the wheeler-dealer type and you could handle the title searches.You could easily hundreds of thousands doing that as a partnership.And thats just very small time.Young Self-employed landmen can make more than full-fledged doctors and lawyers if they are lucky.I am sorry for focusing so much on oil and gas in my post but its all I know but Texas has plenty of green energy.

Texasmoney- so pleased you are also a Dale Carnegie fan! I second this, OP!

I used to be a hiring manager and my husband is a successful aspie working in the IT field at a admin level.

My husband says that trying too hard to fake being neurotypical comes off as creepy. I second this. I also discourage people from bringing up the autism spectrum in an interview. It should be irrelevant. However, you may need to explain your flat affect.

I advise researching any company you are applying to. When you are speaking to them, ask them a relevant question about their company, and/or give them a relevant compliment. Example, "I am excited for this opportunity to speak with you guys. You are a big name in the industry. I apologize if my tone does not match, I have been told that I have a flat affect." And then, "I saw on your website that you are experimenting with Avocado oil as an alternative energy. Do you anticipate supply limitations?"

In general, receiving the feedback "not having enthusiasm" does not sound like a real complaint to me. They may have simply liked another person more. Keep in mind that you can reapply to the same company later. If it is a big company, you could send your application in 6 months later. If it's not as big, I would wait one year. You may have been on the short list before and get in the second time. I had a person I wanted to hire but I couldn't because another applicant was super, super qualified. There was an opening later and I remember that this person had applied more than once, so I got special permission from HR to offer her a job without putting the position up again.