Chronicles of a Grocery Clerk/ How I succeeded for 3 years.

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I have held successful employment in a grocery store for three years and tup to tonight here is what I have learned. Everything counts on time sensitivity and innovation, no matter what. Some departments are easier than other depending on how perishable the items are. Now each department is going to be different. Luckily for me, I have multiple resources to help me. But even then, the majority of the work falls on me.

1.) Keep a notebook and a watch on you at all times. For me I literally have to keep track of the minutes of how long it takes me to do each task. I still do. Also, make sure you ask your department head for a time frame to complete each task.
1a.) Understand that you will be interrupted often to complete your tasks. Keep track of how many minutes it takes you to do that task and subtract it from the task you have returned to.
2.) [b]Odds are, there is going to be somebody who works in that store who will be able to help you achieve your goals because they will have had a relative who has some form of autism[/b]. If the store is big enough. But who knows even if it is small you amy still find somebody.
3.) Let everybody you know about your disablility. It can serve as a very quick temporary base of relief while you take care of your end of the deal. THEY BEING THE GROCERY MANAGERS ARE NOT GOING TO UNDERSTAND NOR ARE THEY GOING TO GIVE A s**t THAT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY. Learning how to succeed despite the fact that you have it will require you to go to other sources for help. I went to the disability services office and found a man who has experience with helping other Aspies.

3a.)You absolutely have to build a TEAM of professional individuals in the know who can help you. Most of mine are at school with about 2 exceptions.

4.) Most other people you work with are not going to understand about what you have and will not be able to help. In my opinion, simply because it INSIDE THE BRAIN. They don't get it and neither do you. Look at it this way. Different people have different aptitudes in different academic areas in school. Some people are better at math than they are language arts and some people have high aptitudes in science but not good in English.....you get the idea.

Also know this. The one thing that will always come in your life is change. If you just want to get to a certain point and plateau, fine, I won't judge you for it. For me I only know that I have two options. DEATH OR VICTORY.

Please feel free to ask questions.

Now, please realize that many of us have an anti-team, that is, people who stay on the sidelines and criticize. And I'd ask you to comment upon this.

I take it the department heads are one level below the store managers. Some of these people don't like their jobs either, resent any 'complications.' So, if there's a grouchy individual (or even hostile individual), who doesn't give a time frame for a task, how do you finesse that situation?

And I'd be very interested in how you came to the decision on "coming out of the closet" and self-disclosing your autism at work. And I'd also be interested in the early stages of how this worked out.