Choosing the most suitable job

Thanks for that.  There are good salaries and prospects for those with an aptitude for coding.  I have done some coding fifteen years ago on a part time degree course. But I concluded that I was okay with the coding in my course work (where I had plenty of time to produce the progam), but "real World" coding and having to understand complex systems would likely be a step too far. 

I do some limited pc support in my current job, I have done a some basic MTA qualifications.

There are resources on this site, too, which you might have already seen...

http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/tmi/employment.aspx

Is that partly down to not being good at articulating what our needs are....plus also selling the benefits that employing someone with ASD are...

also....are employers still confused and unaware about how to create an autism friendly work environment.....well, a work friendly environment for everyone? 

Very interesting thread (only just catching up having been off the forum for a while).

I'm not currently working due to other health issues, but have been thinking about what to do when I need to re-enter the job market.  I've either done well at work (usually when left to work things out on my own), or struggled to understand and follow instructions, which has on more than one occasion led to me having to leave a job.  Now I know this is almost certainly down to poor short-term memory, and real problems with processing verbal instruction.

I can certainly relate to what the young woman in the article was saying about difficulties at work, as I expect most of us can.  We now just need more employers to be more accomodating and flexible with our slightly different ways of working.

Article in The Guardian that might be of interest...

https://www.theguardian.com/tmi/2016/jun/24/breaking-down-the-barriers-to-employment-for-autistic-people?utm_source=pdscl&utm_medium=sfbk&utm_campaign=EmploymentAU_26072017&CMP_TU=macqn&CMP_BUNIT=labs

It would appear I mainly fall into table 2 with a little of table 3 as I'm good with facts. I appreciate music, tho not so good at playing it , I know a few chords on a guitar and ukulele. As regards being a mechanic, I do know a little about how a car or a railway locomotive works, but I couldn't strip one down and put it together again. I think the thing that stands out to me is museum, heritage and history.

I can't recommend any, really.  It was a long time ago.  At uni - given my age at graduation (30) and subject - the best they could recommend was teaching or the civil service, neither of which appealed. 

Do you do coding?  Do you have a specialism in something like Microsoft Dynamics?  I used to be self-employed as a recruiter for an IT recruitment company.  Many of their clients were often looking for coders, technical consultants, etc.  Quite a few were able to work from home.  Would that kind of thing appeal to you?

It was a couple of years back now, but at the time you could register with the company as a 'freelance' (even if you weren't looking for contract work), and all registered people could get access to the Microsoft Dynamics Learning Portal to keep up with things like AX, etc.  You might have needed to have some form of Microsoft Certification, though.

It's never easy - but if you could narrow it down to some sort of role that plays to both your interests and your skills, it's a good start.  Depends, too, if you want a job or a more defined career path.

Thanks Martian Tom.  I am interested in Science (have a BSc) and Technology (a second BSc in a Computing subject) . I am more technical than artistic, I am not really sociable.  I do some light reading as a hobby and spend quite a bit of time online, mostly reading other people's posts rather than posting. 

What psychometric tests do you recommend, please?  I did one at a University Careers Service, but wasn't convinced. I suppose that the test would have to be highly sophisticated to be useful and it would be good if it could be oriented towards people on the autistic spectrum.   I have seen some psychometric tests online, I am not sure how much good they are or whether to employ the services of a professional (again I have no way of knowing how good they would be, I am sure they would say that they are good) but that would likely be expensive. 

My interests are computers, video games, comic books, photography, fishing

I've had nearly 30 jobs since I left school - mainly clerical, shopwork, low-paid.  The best in terms of fringe benefits and holidays was the civil service - but it bored me to tears.  Working in care with special needs is the only job I've done that's given me any real satisfaction.  Being vulnerable myself in many ways, I identify most with vulnerable people.  The work is exhausting and challenging, but a huge amount of fun.  And so rewarding.

According to psychometric tests I've done in the past, my ideal work would be either acting or writing - things I do all the time anyway, without getting paid (unfortunately).  Maybe such a test could identify something for you, AutToFindMore. 

What are your main strengths and interests?

I'm also struggling with my job unfortunately I didn't get to choose it, I was put of a scheme for people who have learning disabilities, I've been at my job for  coming up to 3 months now. The first month I loved it the people were nice and still are ( I especially like my boss) she's great, but now I struggle with getting out of bed, my job involves a lot of heavy lifting and I'm really struggling with the loud noises, I wouldn't leave though I most probably won't find a better boss or nicer people to work for, my sister who recognises that I have autism ( I'm still waiting for a diagnosis) warned me that working for a wood recycling company it will be loud with all the heavy machinery. I've found a way to cope a bit, when I get home from work I'm straight upstairs to my quiet room for an hour or 2, it helps me cope a bit. I also have to hide my stimming from people in work which has given me a few anxiety issues. 

Thanks for that QuirkyFriend. I'm useless at verbal instructions as well.  I was diagnosed as being on the Autistic Spectrum in the past year. I am not finding it easy getting my employer to make adjustments. I don't want to give too much away about what I do and where I do it, in case it upsets my employer. I also have a long commute to work (about one and a half hours), have problems of fatigue (due to early starts and poor sleeping) and would like to move in with my partner who lives in a relatively distant town. I have applied for jobs there similar to what I do just now, but have been unsuccessful. So I just looking at a possible fresh start possibly doing a different type of job.

If I go in to the link that I posted, I would fall in to "Table 3 Good Jobs for Non-Visual Thinkers: Those who are good at math, music or facts" (not music in my case). These type of jobs are sought after so the fact that I have a science degree and have work experience in the science / technical area would not guarantee me one.

Alternatively I could be categorised as being in Table 4 "Jobs for Nonverbal People with Autism or People with Poor Verbal Skills". I am in my fifties so I doubt if I will ever have a sparkling career. I am used to living a frugal life, so I could live quite comfortably on maybe 10000 pounds per year. I suppose that at the end of the day that all depends on what jobs are available in the town that I want to live in, and would it be worth the time and expense training for a job that I would like to do (but might not get) or just trying to get whatever job is available (although some entry level type jobs such as call centre work, I have found to be problematic).

I had hoped that a link to a web page which would ask a list of questions, analyse the answers and suggest the best match job that I could do, might throw up a job that I had never thought about doing, but would suit me well and I could proceed from there. But I'll keep on looking and seeking advice.

I'd like something similar for SD16. Not yet found it.

My question is what are you competent at and of the things you find difficult, are there any reasonable adjustment via technology or working practices that could let you adapt?

An example, one of my friends gets to work in an outlying office 3 days a week because he has poor noise tolerance and because he uses voice software for report writing. The main office has set up a phone divert to his mobile on those days.

Another example, for me I'm good at process problem solving but I'm useless at verbal instructions so most staff know to email me with anything they need me to do. If it's a very senior manager I will send a summary of what I think they've asked me to do at a meeting and they know to either agree it or correct it by return email Turned out the one manager with nasty intentions towards me tried to say I was not following instructions and was unreliable, until her boss laughed and pointed out that if she hadn't corrected me in writing then it was her problem not mine... because he had received the summary emails during another project and he could not fault my systems for ensuring projects were clear.

Funny how I've stayed and she was asked to leave