Should an Aspie teen work in retail?

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Hi,
I'm new here...I've read some of you guys posts and thought that I would try it out myself...
I've been searching for a job for the past year in the half now and had no luck, most places want someone "bubbly," which I try to do believe me.....my father always says I should be more outgoing even though it just isn't me a lot of people don't seem to understand that.

The thing is I really need this job I recently applied too, my families been having trouble making ends meet ever since well forever....I read online that this store will hire you on the spot if you have what they're looking for meaning outgoing bubbly friendly and if you're good with people all the things i lack

Don't get me wrong I have had one job in the past and that just ended up with me getting bullied by the employers and the employees...let's just say I quit that one before my time was up.....
I've been trying to get a job in stocking (you know like shelves.) but had no luck.

I really don't want to change or try to be someone I'm not I just end up making a fool out of myself why can't employers hire shy reserved people instead of overly bubbly people?
Does it make customers feel better then they have someone grinning in their face like a fool?

Thanks forever whoever's listening out there

Welcome to WP.
I worked in retail when I was in college and did fine. Some shops are a lot easier than others though. I did best at The Gap and it's sister store Limited Express because the customers could fend for themselves pretty well. I also managed an ice cream shop. That was my first job. It was a tiny shop and I did pretty well with that too. There were only four employees though so it was not overwhelming. And I don't think you need to try to be too bubbly. Calm and friendly worked well for me.

Working in retail is tough for anybody. I would still try to get the job, though, especially if it would help your family.

Where are you located? If you're in a city, you could probably get a job in a field other than retail.

When interviewing, just be a "bubbly' version of yourself. Think about your special interest, and how you will help your family, while being interviewed.

You should also definitely finish high school, and definitely think about going to college. What would you like to be when you grow up?

Do they have job postings at a bulletin board at your high school?

(Thread moved from Autism discussion to Work...)

And I really think for those of us on the Spectrum, there is often an inverse relationship between "easy" jobs and "hard" jobs.

For example, when I worked at Kroger grocery store as a checker, the managers were generally disengaged and allowed bullying behavior. To the extent they even noticed at all, they generally blamed the person being bullied.

By contrast, when I worked at H&R Block, I was generally appreciated as an equal co-worker and as a person who knew his way around the computer system and who would respectfully try and work with you. Now, there were issues with the bank and loan products, and it was a temporary job of generally only five weeks. Yes, only 5 weeks.


PS I don't want to put out my whole resume, but I am willing to talk about some jobs I've had, generally from several years back or longer. My current job I call MegaMart* (fictitious name).

I worked a few weekend retail jobs as a teen. It was mainly okay - mostly cashier work in a supermarket, which also included other duties like maintaining stocks on the shelves, parcel-pickup and cleaning duties. I preferred the non-cashier aspects of my job. It was an opportunity to earn cash and meet people, and as a teen I quite enjoyed it.

But flash forward a couple of decades, and retail work sucks, especially when you have tertiary qualifications in another area. It is demeaning to have to wear a uniform and smile at jerks (when you have a socially alienating condition). Especially when there are better things to do than risking the effects of an armed holdup while carrying the responsibilities of a casual night job alone.

I guess it really depends on what you want out of life and what you enjoy doing. I used to enjoy working in retail, now I HATE it.