Facing the real world.

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Yes, mine too. The one job I obtained of my own effort, I quickly found it's politics to be illegible - the work environment was harshly competitive, gossipy, and if you don't keep your ear to the ground, not only did other people take credit for your good work, you also got screw-ups pinned on you... I got fired after 18 months, and stigmatized harshly during the event. I spent a great deal of time after that wondering what was wrong with me.

I realize now that I have to use my diagnosis as a guide. When I pursue employment it has to be with that reality at the center.

I'm sure there is a job out there you'll enjoy, it's depressing to say it, but due to AS might have to go through more jobs to find it and there is a lot of competition for jobs anyway.

You need to find a niche where you can be so good at your job, that your boss can overlook your other issues. As long as you are not creating conflict in the office, employers will pleased to have someone who turns up, works solidly and isn't a distraction or high maintenance.

I'm with you completely on the difficulties with interviews. I've come across very weird in many of my few interviews. I see this as a blessing in retrospect though, I'm pretty sure with those people who hired me who brought out odd reactions wouldn't have been the right employer for me - that's what I tell myself anyway.

Jason.

If 'the workplace' is real life than I really must be in hell......my god what has happened to people? I mean what is it with people letting their contribution to the bloody system define them as a person. I mean I just can't help thinking as much as in this society people may need jobs to make money and or find other ways of getting money....there has to be something more to life than that I'd think. It's just all so confusing to me......and no its not that I think people should be lazy and never do anything useful or to better them self, there are many other ways to do that besides working. I guess I just don't see what is supposed to motivate people to want to be a part of this society.

I realize my views may be a bit controversial...but I cannot help what I think or feel.

1) A lot of people feel passionately about their careers. Many people don't just go to work.
2) Even for a driven person seeking to make a life not centered around a career, getting a simple job to make some money is the easiest or most/only realistic option to open the door to whatever they want. Art, self employment, political activism, raising a family, etc. are all a lot easier and more fun when there is money coming in to put food in the fridge in the meantime.


It's because those are the only types of jobs most people can get while young and without a degree. Those with education for a profession often spend years looking for a position in their field. They need small jobs to bridge the gap. The more specific your talents, the more true this is, and aspies are usually about as specific as people come.

Those are also the sort of job you are supposed to have on your resume as experience when breaking into a more serious career field. Someone with a degree who worked at wal mart for 7 years and made manager is much more intriguing to a potential employer than someone with the same degree (and/or similar portfolio, I suppose, depending on the field) and little to no real workplace experience.

I understand how you feel.

All my life from what I've seen work meant slaving away your whole life doing something you hate for a pittance that you can barely live on.

I'm with you guys. I'm going through such an existential crisis because of this. I do not want to slave my life away. I don't see the point, the meaning of it... But then again, I also do not see the meaning of forming a family or attaining a higher social status. I definitely wasn't made for this society, as I said earlier...

Wow. It's like you guys are reading straight from my journal... Still, I am confident that I will be able to be a functioning member of society, albeit on my own terms, when I do finally find my niche.

This is way off topic but I have to say I love your avatar. I don't even know why.

On topic though - I think the best thing to do is to find work that has to do with a special interest, if you have one or more and if work can be had from it. It's the only way I've been able to make money at all. It's not much but it's better than nothing.

Another way to go about it: what is the thing you're best at? If possible, try to get a job doing something like that.

I couldn't spend my life doing any sort of normal job. I can't even take a 12.5 hour per week job for 4 months. I will do my best to make money doing things that I love to do.

Yes there is a real world. It's where the money is made. And it's where unreal bargains must be exchanged.

People take pride in supporting themselves.

Jason.

I've noticed that in other people. But it's a kind of pride that I for one do not understand. In fact, I don't really understand what it means to take pride in anything...

Right now I am facing the consequences of a real world. I'm on academic dismissal and am afraid to admit it. Because to other people they see me as someone whom just was a lazy student. But I honestely have a struggle between my own indentity and becoming an organic machine.

Also that is just the thing other than my other reasons for dropping out of college one of them was I couldn't handle a job on top of the classes except the first year I tried doing work study but that was on campus not necessarily real world workplace. So yeah what was the point of a degree if you need a bunch of work experience to even get into the field you study for....I mean it just so happens most entry level jobs want 'fun, energetic, friendly employees who love fast paced work.' well I simply never have been able to live up to that. So yeah it just seems this society is great for people who can function in it though I might be disturbed by how it looks.

For the record, I never said political activism was fun. It is just an activity that a lot of people support themselves with jobs they don't care about to take part it. Whether you're taking a petition from door to door or rolling a giant, copper globe into a starbucks, you have to sell some soap to eat when you go home.

Also, just because something is the normal path doesn't mean it's the only path. That is, in a nutshell, what second wave aspergers is about. There is always an alternative solution. If you have a skill at which you can excel, you can always find a way to get to a place where you can use it.

Also, to go back to the original topic, I just had a super draining job interview, but I think it went well. I did a lot of fake smiling and floundered uselessly way less than normal at my interview regular nemesis: "tell me about yourself." That is the worst when you have terrible executive function. >_< It sounded like my strong points, however, were the weak points of the person they were getting rid of. They made it sound like they had been dealing with a lazy, irresponsible employee, and I hate to not be working at something when I'm on the job.

I don't get it...can someone please explain what options you have to working? I mean, those who are talking about other options. If I didn't work, I'd die of destitution in the street within weeks...

I can understand people taking pride if their job isn't completely stressing them out and they are actually good at it and are making enough to decently live on.

I don't see any reason to take pride in slaving away at a minimum wage job where you are so bad at it that you could lose it at any time and you make so little you can barely afford to pay your bills and eat.