I don't know what to do with my life

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Joe90
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02 Jul 2011, 4:05 pm

I'm currently on job-seekers, but I really don't know what I'm looking for because every job holds a snag whats against one of my AS traits. I can't do full-time, I can't do anything to do with interacting with customers, I can't do stuff what involve multitasking..... All I want to do is be in a factory packing boxes, because it's easy and you don't have to speak to demanding customers, and most factories around where I come from you don't have to wear uniform (because I hate wearing certain clothes), and apparently factories pay you more than shops do. I don't mind interaction with other colleagues. But part-time factory work packing boxes is hard to come by, but this is the only thing what will suit my needs. I just WISH I had the knack with dealing with customers, but I don't - even after working for 3 years in charity shops. I'm getting sick of charity shops now, because I find retail work SO hard. I hate myself! I can't do anything! Anyone else in this dilemma?


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OneStepBeyond
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02 Jul 2011, 4:16 pm

try a non-charity shop. retail work helped me quite a lot

tthe worst that can happen is you don't like it and quit.



Joe90
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02 Jul 2011, 4:55 pm

I would have thought three years of retail work experience would help me out a lot, getting my confidence up with interacting with customers, but it seems to have made me feel worse about the customers. I think it's because my Autism shows right through me, no matter how hard I try to smile and look enthusiastic, and customers can see the unconfident expression on my face and know they can take advantage of it, and me being timid and kind doesn't help.


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OneStepBeyond
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02 Jul 2011, 5:20 pm

but youve only worked in a charity shop?
there are all different types of shop with all different types of clientele, if you tried you could probably think of some that would suit you. it's good to push yourself

maybe post something in the work forum and people will have suggestions of other suitable jobs for you



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02 Jul 2011, 10:23 pm

Have you tried temporary employment agencies? Ones that specialise in non-office work could find you a job doing basic factory and warehouse work, such as order picking and packing boxes. Ones that specialise in office work often need people for basic things like filing and data entry. The assignments are usually relatively tedious and monotonous tasks that "normal" people hate to do. The clients are usually quite happy just to have someone who shows up to work on time, quietly goes about getting the job done, and who does not waste time chatting and goofing off. (Being a good worker, in this sense, makes the agency look good, which in turn makes them happy.) The one caveat is that you may have to try several agencies before you find one that will sign you up and find work for you. (I do not know why. It is just how they are.)

If you have a formal diagnosis, you might want to look into the various charitable organisations in the UK that help people with "disabilities" (including autism/ Asperger's syndrome) find and keep employment. I have heard that the National Autistic Society runs some programmes to help people on the spectrum find employment, but those programmes do not cover the whole country (and I have never dealt with NAS). There is also the employment services agency "Remploy" < http://www.remploy.co.uk/ >, which has branches in many of the major cities. (I have never dealt with them, but I know that several of my co-workers originally obtained their jobs via Remploy.)

I do data entry work at night. On the one hand the job is highly structured (so my executive dysfunction is not an issue) and requires very little interaction with other people (so my poor communication skills are not an issue). On the other hand, well, let's just say that when I was younger, I had hopes and dreams of doing other things, and for a while I seemed to be making some progress, but then everything fell apart. Now I just pray for a relatively painless and peaceful death. C'est la vie :?