Question to aspies: Do you have a job?

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How did you get it?
University/schooling/education and drug use.

Did you go through an interview process?
Yes, and it was very difficult but I practised with help and got lucky with the questions. They matched.

Did you disclose your diagnosis?
No. I'm still not sure what I have and either is my psychiatrist. My suspicion is performance anxiety due to SAD and Asperger's.

Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis?
It was torture and I ended up abusing drugs and losing my license. But I'm going to be getting it back and the hell will begin all over again.

Do you like your job?
I like learning about it and some parts. The rest I hate. I hate the following:

Dealing with people.
Trying to work the till.
Phone calls. I'm very slow.
Multi-tasking, etc.

How many jobs have you held?
5-6. I liked assembly-line work. I wish I had stayed at it but the pay was crap.

Have you ever been fired? Do you know why?
I was pushed to quit. Performance issues probably as a combination of drug use, performance anxiety because I know I can't deal in a multi-tasking, pressure-driven, social environment. I should have chosen another profession/job but I'm not good at much of anything except school.


Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you?
I can fake it because I was on drugs. Helped a lot with anxiety issues but not work performance/memory/multi-tasking issues.


Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job?
Yes, finished drug therapy program, quit all drugs, seeing a psychiatrist and I'm taking Lexapro 5 mg/day for anxiety issues. Helping with anxiety somewhat but not much for my other problems: sensitivities, memory, multi-tasking, obsessive interests, etc.

While no one at work has ever called me "indispensable," I know that my differences are appreciated. The firm I work for doesn't need dozens of people who all think alike and who can do the identical job. They actually need a few people (like me) who sometimes don't get the big picture but who have a habit of finding some creative, possibly obscure, and even off-the-wall way of figuring something out that's "stumping" all the NTs. The closest to "indispensable" I've heard is, "see, that's why you're here -- we just don't think like you do..." I'm pretty sure that was meant as a complement -- although it got a little too close to AS for comfort! I just as often get, "why in the world would you have done this that way???"

That is close enough to indispensable

Maybe a little practice with interviewing is all he needs.

These are the things I think are important to pulling off a successful interview (or helping someone prepare for it):

* Go over lists of the most common interview questions.
* Explain the types of answers an employer would WANT to hear; and the reason they would want to hear them. Also discuss the types of answers an employer would not want to hear and why.
* Discuss the appropriate dress code for an interview and explain that it's to show the company you are serious.
* Have him do some research about the company and job, then have some questions he's ready to ask the employer. Some interviewers are discouraged when a prospective employee doesn't have any questions; they take it as a lack of interest.

I hope that helps. if he goes in knowing what to expect, and has some answers/questions ready, then interview may go much smother. There will always be something that will catch someone interviewing off guard, but if it's just one or two things (not the entire encounter) it's much much less stressful.

Oh... and have him do some practice interviews with family members or friends that would be savvy about interviewing people.

I hope that helps.

People. The first time I was recommended because I cleaned a house with someone and she recommended me to her husband when he was looking for someone to work at his thrift store he managed to clean there. The other one I had at school, Voc rehab. My third job, my boss decided to try me and called me in for an interview but it was hardly ever one. She was just telling me about the work and telling me when I start. Then the last one I had, I got it by applying and then I was called for an interview after I had passed the drug test. I somehow passed the interview and got hired. The fifth time, I went to this company that is for people with disabilities and I filled out an application there, I had some help with it and I had to bring in my disability documents. But because they were too old, they tried to get information from Social Security but they were taking too long so I went to my doctor and got a current list of conditions I have and brought it to them and it sped up the process. I was put in classes and then training and then was on the waiting list for four months and then I was put to work. Then was laid off again because I had to get a badge and then when I got one, i was put to work again. But it was my husband who got me a job because he was telling his supervisors at work how I have been looking for one and still waiting to get one so my name got drawn. They figured I'd be a good worker too since he is.


Yes

I had to in the last one since they do ask for disability documents so basically I did.

It requires flexibility but it's routine. You also have to show up on time and get the work done on time and be nicely groomed and wear clean clothes and keep your uniform washed. I am 5 minutes late to work sometimes because of the bus.

Yes

Five

No

I don't care what anyone thinks of me.

No.

How did you get it? i applied to an opening, but i was helped by previous connections (i've worked for different departments w/in the same organization before, and people liked me).

Did you go through an interview process? yes. i normally suck at interviews, but i did okay because i was prepared.

Did you disclose your diagnosis? i haven't been officially diagnosed, and when i got my current job (two years ago) i didn't know that ASD was the likely culprit for almost all my problems. now that i think that's what's going on with me, i've told my girlfriend and my immediate family--i would never divulge that information at work.

Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis? yes. i mostly do email tech support--a very good fit for my personality! lots of technical detail, problem solving, and i don't talk to people very often.

Do you like your job? overall, yes.

How many jobs have you held? honestly, i've lost count. at least 15, but probably more. i'm 30 years old and i've been working since i was 17.

Have you ever been fired? Do you know why? never been fired--i usually quit when either 1. i get bored with the job or 2. something unfair happens at work that i can't deal with, or that i address with my supervisor(s) and it backfires. and by backfires i mean that nothing is done about the situation, i can't handle the stress, and i leave.

Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you? yes, and yes. faking it is exhausting, and i know i come across as strange even when i AM faking it. there's only so much i can fake being more "normal"...and yes, i do care what my coworkers think of me, which is a source of frustration because i'm pretty sure a lot of them think i'm standoffish and weird. i want to fit in, but i don't fit in. i wish i cared less about what people thought. however, i think it ultimately works to my advantage that i care--i'd probably be more of an outcast if i didn't care enough to try to be more NT-like.

Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job?. yes, i'm in therapy to keep up with the demands of life. i'm in CBT (have been on and off for years) and i take lexapro for anxiety. both are very helpful.

How did you get it?
I had applied for many jobs in the past and had only made it to a few interviews. I had always messed up in interviews and hadn't been able to get a job. After trying for a long time I gave up. After find out about what AS was I decided that I would try to get a job. I researched how to create résumés, and once I had created a relatively good résumé I researched appropriate answers to interview questions and body language, and watched YouTube videos about what to do during interviews. Each time I would have an interview I would watch many YouTube videos to try to improve.

Did you go through an interview process?
Yes

Did you disclose your diagnosis?
I did not and do not have a diagnosis.

Do you like your job?
Yes. My job is directly related to my main interest. My job involves solving problems, organizing things, and creating purchase requests for equipment. It is fun.

How many jobs have you held?
That depends on how you define the word "job". I have worked as an official employee four times, two of those for less than a month and three for less than a year, have had one unofficial job which lasted several years, and was self-employed for several years.

Have you ever been fired? Do you know why?
I have never been fired from an official job. But I think I have almost been fired and don't know why.

When I was self-employed, a few times clients got really mad and said horrible things to me until I left.

Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you?
I don't know how to fake it. Although I am not diagnosed and have never claimed to be, some of my co-workers have told me directly and seriously that they think that I am autistic, and have mentioned this many times. I don't have a realistic concept of what it would be like to not be thought of as weird.

Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job?
The social demands of my job are usually low. They used to be much higher but shrank because I am very good at my job. I usually only have to speak to one person at a time and usually not for very long. Most of the day I work by myself.

I think speaking to a psychologist may be useful to confirm diagnosis, but I don't know how to go about getting a diagnosis. Despite having been told that I should talk to someone, I don't know whom to call or what specifically to ask in order to schedule an appointment.

First I'll say that my goal in life is to start a Land Surveying company. Also I have been with three main companies so far

How did you get it?
My first job I think was though my college career center, I got a call one day asking if I wanted the job, and I said yes.
I've gotten most of my jobs through other people.

Did you go through an interview process?
yep, an I've gotten the job for 3 out of 4, so I guess I'm doing something right

Did you disclose your diagnosis?
Nope

Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis?
No clue, my top two Meyers Brig (name?) test jobs were a mortician (morgue autopsy), and a Secret Agent, but I went with Civil Engineering.

Do you like your job?
I thing the best Job I had was with the First Surveying Job

How many jobs have you held?
1 Blacksmith Apprentice
2 IGA supermarket
3 Land Surveying/Drafting
4 Engineering Summer Intern
5 Engineering Drafting

Have you ever been fired? Do you know why?
Nope, just a lot of layoffs, The places I work can never find enough work for me.
They keep saying I work too fast

Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you?
I love to hear what people say, it helps me get more efficient

Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job?
Nope

How did you get it? I found the job ad online and sent in my CV.
Did you go through an interview process? I had a phone interview.
Did you disclose your diagnosis? No. I feel confident I would not have gotten the job if I had (yes, that's illegal, but that doesn't make it not true).
Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis? Not really, no, but it has been a valuable learning experience for me.
Do you like your job? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.
How many jobs have you held? 5
Have you ever been fired? No.
Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you? No, I don't know how to fake it. I care what they think if they are causing problems for me or being deliberately malicious.
Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job? No, I'm not, but I did go to therapy for exactly this reason a little while back. I didn't find it helpful on keeping up with the social demands in the short term, but learning more about my Aspie traits and, more importantly learning ways in which I am different from most people has helped me to gradually improve in this area. As for meds, I find having a couple of Xanax available in case of emergency helps to alleviate the stress and fear of being overwhelmed.

As someone who usually gets to the interview stage and then never hears from someone again, I recommend studying possible interview questions like one would a test. Memorize your answers and practice them until you know them and don't have to think about them. Practice wording them in different ways so that when the time comes, it sounds natural and not rote. Also, I do better with phone interviews than in-person ones and seem to do best with interviews conducted by middle-aged women (they seem to find my awkwardness endearing).

Graduated engineering college with high honors. Scored very high on their apptitude test when applying for the job. Nepotism.

painfully yes.

No.

Yes.

Yes.

I have had this one for 15 years. My record is nine in one year.

No

Yes and no. I don't hide it but I do care. They generally think of me as eccentric and a little weird and I am OK with that.

Take meds for anxiety and OCD.

I had two full time jobs in my life - my boss in the first job changed of company and, after some months, he take me with them.

The 1st, by the unemployment services; the 2nd, see above



In the first, yes (but I was the only person that appeared to the interview); in the second, no; in all other interviews in my life, I was rejected.


I am undiagnosed (then I am not probably a good cas study)



My job is a mix of data entry and accounting analyst; both tasks are usually good for aspies; however I have extreme inattention to details, then the task of data entry is very bad for me



I don't like my regular tasks; however, I am the person who is called to do the tasks-that-nobody.really-knows-how-to-do and these tasks I like



2 full-time jobs, an non-payed internship and some part-time (3-4 hous a week) jobs


In the internship, there was 5 interns, and, in the end, they gave employment to the other 4 - can be considered "be fired"; I suspect the reason was my apathetic personality and my many errors with details



Like other poster, "They generally think of me as eccentric and a little weird and I am OK with that. "



No

I am self-employed. The closest I've ever come to having a "real" job was a long-term contract, but when the economy tanked, of course they let go the contractors. I get my contracts via recommendations. I feel that I've been very lucky. I started out using a temp agency and built up my reputation from there.

I've interviewed several times, but even when I think I do well, I never hear from them again. The guy I started out temping for wanted to hire me, but the company didn't allow you to interview with the manager of the department you were applying for, for some incomprehensible reason, so I had to interview with a different manager who wasn't familiar with my work, and he wouldn't hire me due to my horrible interview.

I actually did tell the people I'm contracting with currently about my diagnosis, because they kept trying to get me to work on site and I'm miserable when I work in an office. Luckily they are really cool, and I can't imagine them judging me for it. Normally, I wouldn't say anything though.

I think self-employment is the best thing I can possibly do, and yes, I like it.

As far as "real" jobs, I've had a couple, when I was younger, working in stores. It was torture, and I had to leave. I was never fired though.

I try to fake it, but no matter how hard I try, my weirdness still seems to draw attention. And it's completely draining to do so. I care what coworkers think of me, because I like to keep getting work from them.

I am not in any kind of therapy or on meds. I feel that living my life as is comfortable for me is a better choice in my situation rather than trying to force myself into something by artificial means.

Yes, I have a job
Eight or nine years ago, I accepted a three week contract here, and I've kept doing the same thing since, with occasional shifts in title or conditions.
I've been through a variety of interview processes. Back when I joined this organisation I'd never heard of Aspergers. Since the diagnosis, my confidence has been in tatters and I fail completely at interviews. Actually, there was one way back when when I talked about having aspergers, and they gave me the job. Well, it was temporary, and I was already doing it.
Did you disclose your diagnosis? My personal feeling is that not talking about the diagnosis isn't right, but I know how many undiagnosed autistics there are in the organisation - we've been collecting them for decades, and we've evolved cultural techniques to exploit them - and I know it's unwise to push too hard.
Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis? Used to be when I was younger. Of course, then I didn't have a diagnosis. Even thought I was the normal one. Nowadays it infuriates me to be ordered to waste even more effort keeping alive applications that have already cost far more than they're worth. And to be excluded from conversations about what were doing and why.
Do you like your job? Used to, when I was younger. I still like delivering results.
How many jobs have you held? Upwards of 100
Have you ever been fired? Do you know why? Yes. Most recently after the tech wreck of 2001. Other times when the receivers came through the door.
Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you? I'm in a work group where most people are a bit odd. This is helpful, because I'm not brilliant at faking it.
Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job? I take some pills, to help me keep calm. I talk, from time to time, with a shrink about what's happening and how to deal with it

How did you get it? I found the job on my university's website. So I sent in my resume.
Did you go through an interview process? yes, I was terrified. Eye contact.. the right clothing, the right answers... to control some of the conversation, i brought a list of questions for the employer. That impressed them.
Did you disclose your diagnosis? no
Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis? yes. i work at united cerebral palsy. a place where we help individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities. everyone is understanding, and i have my very own quiet office building.
Do you like your job? when i am organized, i like it. I love the job altogether.
How many jobs have you held? 7
Have you ever been fired? yes- someone started cursing at me while i was off the clock. I cant handle yelling, so i reacted badly(meltdown cityyyy). I was 16 at the time.
Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you? I care what other people think of me. I want them to think i do a great job.
Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job? No, but I'm pregnant and when i give birth i will go on OCD medication as well as anti anxiety meds. Possibly concentration meds like ritalin.....

How did you get it?
Saw it by chance in the local paper and applied for it.

Did you go through an interview process?
Yes

Did you disclose your diagnosis?
No, it wasn't asked of me, that said most people there know now, I don't hide it, I'm not ashamed of it, and it doesn't stop me from getting my work done.

Do you like your job?
Yes, it's what I am good at, it's a relaxed atmosphere that's family friendly.
How many jobs have you held?
A dozen or so?

Have you ever been fired? Do you know why?
Yes, was a duty manager at a supermarket and was fired for attending a family funeral. I took him to court and got damages then spoke to the union and they had "spot inspections" for the next 6 wks. Wrong person to f.. with.

Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you?
My attitude is if people have an issue with me, and they don't let me know directly, it's not worth worrying about. I'm comfortable there so I can be quite social, and am usually the source of all the bad jokes.

Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job?

I take my pills every day, and I check in with a psych every 3-4 months but that's about it. I'm fortunate in that while I do have aspergers I don't have it to anywhere near the degree a lot of people out there do.

Do you have a job?

Yes. I am an aircraft mechanic with the U.S. Air Force. My job was featured on the Discovery Chanel program, "Dirty Jobs" in a segment entitled, "Fuel Cell Cleaners."

How did you get it?

I went to a military recruiter.

Did you go through an interview process?

Yes. You speak with the recruiter, and then you have to pass a physical examination and background check.

Did you disclose your diagnosis?

I wasn't DXed at the time.

Is your job a good fit for your diagnosis?

No.

Do you like your job?

No. My job blows monkey hole.

How many jobs have you held?

I haved worked at McDonald's, a garbage bag factory, done work in my school's mailroom, and as a library aid.

Have you ever been fired? Do you know why?

No.

Do you know how to fake it or do you care what your coworkers think of you?

Simply put, I try to turn my "quirks" into something positive and humorous. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It also depends how well my audience receives bawdy and perverted jokes. As for what they think of me, I typically don't have the slightest clue what anybody "thinks" of me. Until it's much too late.

Are you in therapy of some sort (meds included) to keep up with the social demands of your job?

Yes.

Thank you for your responses in advance.

You're welcome.

Many ASD people thrive in the military because there are clear rules, pretty serious structure and clear social rules.

I disagree. The military is very structured in certain areas and very un-structured in others. It has clear social rules in certain areas, and very muddled social rules in other areas. It's also very detrimental to people with severe sensory issues.

--XFG