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Otherwise known as 'The Unemployment Stage: Part 2'. So, for those of you who have been following along at home, you'll know how Part 1 concluded. I got a job, which I accepted with reluctance but turned out to be even more toxic than I'd anticipated. However, I was desperate at the time, so I did what I had to do. I lasted for just under a year before it all came crashing down.

When I left, I decided to focus my efforts on updating my portfolio. Something I found troubling was the realisation that I'd forgotten a great deal of my skills. I'd been doing the same thing for almost a year, so I'd forgotten a lot of the rest. Which is why I'm reteaching myself in certain areas through tutorials. However, I'm not far off completing my portfolio. I should be ready to start sending job applications in a couple of days.

My plan is to apply for admin type roles and graphic design roles. I've had enough experience dealing with filing systems and customer service that I am able to twist my former experience to suit this if necessary.

One obstacle is that our local economy...well...



It could be better. My small town hasn't been doing that well as of late. Which means travel is likely if I want to find employment. Unfortunately, I can't drive. I should be able to take weekday lessons, now that I'm no longer employed. Easier to get than weekend lessons. After all, I have enough money saved up to do so. Still, it'll be a while until I can afford a car.

For now, I'll be stuck to buses (which is only possible if the job starts 9am or later, accounting for travel time to most places and the services available) or trains (if they're not on strike) or taxis (expensive but reliable). I don't want to be reliant on my retired parents, and my older sister (and only sibling) is moving out.

So it's certainly an eventful time. I just hope I find something and find a way out of this place sometime soon.

I'm in the same boat, just had to leave a job that was literally two streets away from a public transit station. If I get the job I'm aiming now, I'll have 3 hours a day round trip, but at least I'm not driving for that long.

Perhaps this could be more of a plan b while you're working on that, but grocery stores have a lot of ASD friendly jobs involved.Things like merchandising, stocking shelves at night and pickup are often times great options for the autistic community, depending upon any specific issues that you have.

I'm not like certain, but I have a feeling that I'm not even the only one at my store with these kinds of issues.

I loved pickup and was up to doing pretty much all the work by the time I got promoted to a different department. It was entire days of doing the same thing over and over, but doing it slightly better than the previous time. In some respects the job was way beneath me, but it was satisfying to go around getting stuff off shelves and keeping things bagged and organized in a neat way.

Ah, the "joys" of youth.
I am so glad I am retired.

Best of luck to you.
At least you have that almost one year of work experience.
That is gold.
That first step is the hardest, I suspect.

I have an interview. Woo.

Knock 'em dead.

Now I have to wait to find out if I've made it to the second interview. *Sigh*

I'll keep applying for other jobs whilst I wait.

Good luck with your job hunting and interview!

I once held a job for four months where, amongst other tasks, I was employed as the store driver. But I couldn't drive. The disability job case manager got them to agree to let him do the driving while I worked on getting my license. However I didn't learn to drive fast enough, so was eventually fired.

It wasn't until years later, when I was in my early thirties and moved to a rural area away from plentiful public transport, that I finally learned to drive.

Learn to drive now so you're ready in the future when you can afford a car. Otherwise you'll get a job and find you don't have the time again. Until you're unemployed again and thinking about how useful it would be to have a license for your next job search... again.

And who knows, maybe a job opportunity will come up where a person with a license could drive the company car.

I'm on a waitlist for driving lessons. No clue how long that list is going to be.

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a "store driver" that "couldn't drive." that does not sound like a "reasonable accommodation" to me, but i have zero authority.

my situation is similar: i work at home depot as a Lot Attendant (Loader), but i have a doctors note that i am not allowed to lift over fifty pounds. when a customer demands loading assistance, about half of the merchandise is over fifty pounds. but Corporate said that that reasonable accommodation is fine with them, so Human Resources has it on file. plenty of customers have the nerve to micromanage me, bark @ me, and otherwise be rude or laugh @ me, because i am not physically strong enough to load their merchandise, for example, a vanity (sink). however, the cabinet box says that the cabinet weighs 567 pounds. i find it hard to imagine that anyone in the building can lift a cabinet. however, even if they could, they would still earn the same salary as someone that can't lift a cabinet. (my doctors note does not lower or increase my minimum wage salary). meanwhile, even though i got the doctors note in july 2021, and it is now june 2023, other employees keep ordering me to load heavy merchandise. for example, 123 pound refrigerator. the turnover rate is high, and new employees constantly getting hired. and customers have no way to know about doctors notes altogether. sometimes customers have the nerve to laugh at me for not being strong enough. some customers had the nerve to criticize me for not being as strong as they though i looked ("i don't care about the doctors note. put it in the car." "that was so hard for you".) some customers don't believe something is too heavy ("it's not too heavy. you just don't wanna do it.")

september 2022, a customer and i tried to unload a tool from his truck. the tool was too heavy, and i dropped it. on the way down, the handle chipped my tooth. according to company policy, i had to file a report. i was afraid that i would get a Safety Violation (final warning before termination), for violating doctors note. thankfully, all i got was a chipped tooth, and now i am so afraid to lift anything that appears remotely heavy. besides, i could've dropped the tool on my foot, and gotten a lot of medical bills, and been unable to work for months. or i could've dropped the tool on the customer's foot, and gotten made redundant for Reckless Endangerment or anything else ("at will" employer). or maybe the customer would've won a civil lawsuit against Home Depot. maybe i would've gotten sent to jail for a Tort. home depot has its own lawyers. i am not a lawyer or a doctor. i have no clue what would have happened, medically, financially, or legally, if i were to have dropped the tool on the customer's foot and the customer got veterinary bills. nor do i want to know. i am just a Lot Attendant at minimum wage.

one thing is, i am not physically strong enough to be loading and unloading merchandise from home depot.

the other thing: some customers and employees think i look much physically stronger than i am.

right now i am 40. been getting physically weaker, slower, and et cetera. paranoid that i have osteoporosis or arthritis. emailed doctor. doctor refused to send me to get a Dexa scan (for osteoporosis).

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plenty of jobs had the nerve to make my worthless corpse redundant.

barriers to employment: clinical depression, autism, tired all the time, can't drive, precious lil "people" don't like me, zero job skills, bad personality, constantly have to be near a litterbox @ work,

otherwise, nobody will make the mistake of hiring my worthless corpse

Update: I'm off the waiting list! I start lessons next week.

Oh my word, what a busy day I've had! Three different recruitment agencies rang me today. One of them rang me twice. Four work related calls in one day. I've no idea why I'm suddenly gaining a whole lot of interest all at once. Apparently I should hear back on Monday (via phone call) from one of my applications.

My last interview went really well. Apparently I should be receiving feedback tomorrow morning. I think I might have a chance. Guess I'll find out soon enough.