Published on 12, July, 2020
I recently got my dream job as a Python Developer and at first it was really great, but after a few weeks I had to declare I was on the autistic spectrum because my boss kept taking the mickey out of me infront of my colleagues at daily standup meetings when I asked questions where he thought the answers were "obvious". I had to take to take him aside and explain that I do need to ask questions and the answers aren't obvious to me, but he responded by giving me a really massive project to do that involved learning a great deal. I managed it, but it took me six weeks and during that time he had increased the level of ridicule so I was having regular anxiety attacks infront of everybody and making a lot of errors because I couldn't concentrate. Things came to a head when they brought the whole team on a work getaway to Menorca that I really didn't want to go on. I had meltdowns in the airport on the way there and on the way back and felt I was going to lose my job because of them. The week after we got back I managed to complete the task and was fired immediately. I had been expecting it but I was not expecting to be informed the same day and told to leave my keys to the building. I did not really understand what was going on and I felt really awfully let down after all those group exercises about how we were a family.
Now I don't know what to do and my anxiety is driving me crazy. I'm failing tech tests I should pass and employers aren't being accommodating about adjustments at interview - one in particular is demanding I make a video of myself explaining my work and this is not something where I feel I understand what I'm being tested on - I don't want to be a presenter, I want to be a coder.
I'm going crazy. If I don't get a job before Christmas I won't be able to feed myself or my cat - my cat is the reason I've stayed alive really and I don't want to live without her. I don't want to go on Universal Credit either because I'm sick of the jobcentre. They are not subtle about how much they hate people like me and I don't like being around people who despise people who need help.
It definitely sounds like you have very good skills! You've done really well landing a job as a Python Developer in the first place, and you were able to complete tasks given to you while you were there even under stressful conditions. It was unfortunate that you met a bad boss. Given your skills, could you apply to a similar Python Developer position with a different team, and hope you could get a better boss next time?
Thanks for your encouragement! Yeah that's what I shall do - I've been getting interviews consistently for about a month but my confidence has taken a severe knock tho
I really do think you have good skills! It's great to hear that you are being proactive in trying to find another job. And given that you have been offered many interviews, it sounds like you are highly qualified and people value your skills. There are so many things that employers take into consideration when hiring people, and often times it's just a matter of the right timing rather than your ability. There's a lot of luck involved, e.g., how many positions are open this year, the company's current financial situation, the personality of the manager, etc. I'm also starting to look for jobs recently as well, and have already been turned down by some due to various reasons like space and funding. In my field, it is quite common to apply for tens of places before getting a good offer. You seem talented, so keep looking, I'm sure you will find a place that will value your skills.