Job interviews

Would it be possible to get these interview suggestions as i am struggling myself

There is no reason at all for an autistic person to avoid person-centred roles. I flourished as a social worker - using research findings, assessment tools and frameworks, legislation, policies and guidance. I persevered and sorted out complex benefits problems colleagues had long since given up on. I made sound judgements based on interviews and observations. My rapport with service users and carers was very good because the approach I used was what is now called co-production.

The key challenges were funding cuts, lack of resources and unmet needs, not my different communication and processing style. I gave up practising as a social worker to become a full-time academic. Research is another career route that allows autistic gifts to flourish. One of the happiest periods in my career was combining social work practice, teaching and research. 

I have worked in libraries too. They are often flagged up as an ideal environment for autistic people, but that rather depends on the type of library and the people who work there. They can be very stifling and toxic environments at times! You need to try and future proof your career by considering how opportunities will decline or expand in years to come. 

Here is a film by Alan Watts which I first watched many years ago. It's a reminder of the benefits that flow from doing something we love for work, rather than simply chasing money:

 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=khOaAHK7efc

I hope that in the future many more autistic people will be paid a good salary for doing something they are good at and enjoy. There's a long way to go, and change will only come as a result of pressure from all directions. An important part of this is autistic people refusing to modify their aspirations and settle for jobs that require less than they are capable of. Good luck! 

Hi Sunflower, thank you very much for the detailed advice and for the links too. It is good to know that others on the spectrum are in person-centred roles and are doing well. A lot of people seem to think that I should work in a library, or some kind of job like that, but I get bored easily. I like the challenge of interacting with other people. It means I have to push myself mentally. Anyway, I really appreciate the effort you have taken to try and help me.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It helps to know that others have similar difficulties, though of course I am sad that is the case.

Ghostranch said:

The thing is, while I am very good at writing applications, I am terrible at interviews. As well as autism, I have bad anxiety and this is triggered by the interview process, which then exacerbates my difficulties associated with my autism.

This is very much like me.   I could not say that I am 'good' at writing applications, it is just I take a considerable time in doing it, going over and over the application and altering bits, reading again, rephrasing, deleting, adding more details.  It takes a considerable time.  And I could at one time get an interview in most cases.  Anxiety is linked to autism as a co-morbidity and one of the places this shows up will be in an interview.

Ghostranch said:

I have asked for adjustments before, but these do not seem to help me much. Extra time does not help as it just prolongs difficult moments and does not help me to think more clearly as I just get more anxious about not being able to come up with an answer. I've found it helpful to receive prompts to give further information, but interviewers rarely do this.

A problem with the interview process is it doesn't cater for autism in any way.  And an employer wants the easy way out.  It is easy for the employer to think that someone needs to cope well 'under stress' and your failure to do well in an interview reflects your inability to cope.  However there is a difference.  In an interview situation, you are put on the spot.  You have not, in a lot of cases, been doing the job and there is a failure (perhaps due to literalism) to see the point the interviewer is trying to make.  Questions can be, or seem to be, completely random, and you are trying to find a 'match' from your experiences based on the question. 

As you say, this involves a great deal of time and time is lacking in the interview.  And even 'extra time' for the question would always be insufficient, your mind has gone blank, your head is filled with other thoughts, you are thinking of the past questions, and wondering what will come up next.  You may have noticed something distracting in the office or which is not quite right, you may have noticed a smell or heard a sound that you can't place, the interviewer may have reminded you of someone else and you are thinking about how you coped before with a similar question.

All this turns me into appearing a gibbering idiot, interviewers do not like silence so they then ask another question while you are thinking of the answer to the previous one, and then another and another. Then sometimes I will fly off on a tangent, saying something that I think the interviewer would like to hear but not answer the question being asked, or even say something which is seen to be totally irrelevant.

What is needed is not 'open' questions but  leading questions and the ability of an interviewer to clearly express in the question the type of answer they are expecting, with prompting if necessary.  Not a question such as 'tell me something about yourself' (which I always wonder what they want to know, I have already put it on the application form so where do I start?).

I am a candidate for the Guinness Book of Records for failing job interviews.  I was out of work for well over twenty years, not for want of trying, and each interview made me feel worse about myself.  I could plan for the interview but without prior experience of the job I would always be 'thrown' by a question.  If I was one of two candidates and the other candidate was a chimpanzee I am sure the interviewer would have chosen the chimpanzee ahead of me. 

And where the only candidate was me (it happened on several occasions) I still was second choice failing the interview to 'no suitable candidate'.  Feedback if I received any came back to 'lack of eye contact', 'not answering questions correctly', fidgeting, or being hesitant.  I must also say that I was not diagnosed at the time I was going for jobs, and this has also applied to internal vacancies and trying for promotion.  And now being less than two years from my retirement I do not wish to apply for any other jobs and I am very unlikely to do so.

All this has the effect of making one feel bad about oneself, wondering what one has done to deserve this.  Jobs I applied for were before autism was understood or even known about, and mostly when an employer could discriminate and was unlikely to make any adjustments in an interview.  So it all gives me a lot to mull over all the time, although I have now been in employment for over twenty years but not I may add, without its autism related problems. 

The reason I got any job was that I was sent by an agency.  An interview by an agency can be the same as for an employer, but several agencies are more interested in how well you could do the job than how well you can answer interview questions and as such will test you on the job skills (written) rather than inappropriate oral questions.  And this is then very similar to a 'job trial' if the employer is looking for someone permanent and you do well in the post. 

I have had 'job placements' over twenty years ago as part of college courses I went on to improve my employability.  Each employer was very impressed with my work although they did not directly lead to employment they gave a reference.

The other thing I would say is that often I found a 'small' employer is better at seeing your strengths and less likely to exploit your weaknesses than a big employer like a government department, local authority, or NHS.  These bigger employers are very bogged-down in interview procedures and although they are supposedly au fait with legislation in my experience they just use this to their advantage in exploiting the loopholes to avoid employing someone who may be perceived to present a problem.  A smaller private employer may not be so bogged down in protocols and will make the decisions for themselves, not to have to justify it to anyone higher up.

I must also say that my success in interviews has been no better during the last twenty years,  I have failed all job interviews in the last sixteen, my only consolation is that I have a job. 

And as I rapidly approach retirement, I can only think of what might have been. Although I receive more than the minimum wage my money has only given me very little spare cash after paying my bills and I am far below the earnings of the starting wage of, for example, a nurse.

A very, very long post!

Here are some suggestions based on many years of being interviewed for jobs: 

Try and find out who will be on the panel. If you are giving a presentation you can phone up to check how many copies to take with you. The person you speak to will sometimes tell you who is going to be doing the interview. Arrangements sometimes change so it is good to be prepared (if there is a panel of 4 I would take 6 handouts).

Where a PowerPoint presentation is requested I email it as well as taking it on a memory stick to avoid glitches. I have also learnt lots of technical tricks with PowerPoint - how to jump slides, move forward and backwards, keep the screen blank while setting up the presentation. As well as reducing stress technical competence is another chance to show your skills and impress!

Plan answers to as many questions as you can. Rehearse actually giving these answers so it becomes natural. Ask someone else to look at the job specification and suggest possible questions too. Talk to people who have been interviewed for similar roles and find out what they were asked. Do online searches for relevant information. It is surprising how much you can find out. Think about any questions you dread being asked - plan how to answer these.

Think about what time of day your interview is. If it early in the morning the panel are likely to be feeling quite fresh. If it is 12 noon they may be feeling hungry and distracted. If it is after lunch (the infamous "graveyard slot") or late in the afternoon they may be feeling tired and you might have to work harder to 'lift' the energy levels in the room.

If you know who is on the interview panel research their background and interests (I realise this might sound a bit creepy!) You may discover someone has done research in a particular area which you can allude to, or you might find out someone enjoys sailing as  hobby and choose to use a relevant metaphor.

Plan what to wear - you need clothes you feel comfortable in and which make you feel confident. You don't want to be distracted by a button that pops open or a collar that feels rough. I am superstitious so I nearly always have a lucky stone in my pocket.

The journey to the interview needs to be planned carefully to avoid stress. Spending time acclimatising after arrival helps me calm down. I often go to the loo where I can do breathing exercises to relax me and stretches to energise me.

During the interview if you are asked a question and your mind goes blank play for time. Say "that's interesting, I need to consider my answer for a moment" or take a sip of water. Take a deep breath. You can also ask for the question to be repeated or rephrased as you want to be sure you are giving a relevant reply. Everyone understands how stressful interviews are so no one will be surprised by this.

Think about applying the principles of NLP - using language in a positive way to give confidence that you can do the job, you want the job and you will fit into the organisation. Remember that every job will include aspects that are outside your current experience and comfort zone. Focus on transferable skills and your ability to adapt and learn.

If you are giving a presentation you can produce a handout to leave behind demonstrating the depth and breadth of your research, your analytical abilities and your ability to present information. One university panel said they were "disturbed" by my use of visual imagery in a handout which did not conform to their ideas about academic content. The next university panel said they were "delighted" by my use of visual imagery which was "original and refreshing". I got the right job for me!

I often have a folder with me which contains the interview invite, job description and person specification, a copy of my application, documents and certificates, examples of relevant pieces of work, personal achievements and endorsements by others. I also include ideas about how I would approach the new role. In one case where the job was all about 'hitting the ground running' I drafted a provisional 3, 6, 9 and 12 month plan. Browsing this folder before the interview boosts my confidence and I have sometimes referred to it during an interview.

The biggest challenge for me is trying to say the right amount - not too little and not too much. Generally I have been forgiven for going on a bit too long and straying into the territory of the next question. When I have said too little, and the interview ended far too quickly, I have never been offered the job. This sometimes reflects the fact that if I am really honest with myself I didn't really want it in the first place! 

You may be invited to ask questions at the end - prepare for this. Your questions are another opportunity to demonstrate that you have researched the job, you understand the role and you want to work with them. I always write down questions in case my mind goes blank. Referring back to notes shows you took time to think about this and prepare. Sometimes I might say something like - "this interview has confirmed just how much I want this job. It's a very good match with my skills, knowledge and experience and I would really enjoy being part of the team."

Don't forget the importance of making sure the role is right for you. On a couple of occasions I explained away the rudeness of the person interviewing me only to discover that I was working for a bully. Use all of your senses and instincts to make sure you will be treated well by colleagues and managers if you accept the role.

Perseverance is probably the most important thing of all. I knew a professor (undiagnosed autistic) who went for more than 30 interviews before he eventually got offered a chair - many people would have given up well before this. Put any previous negative interview experiences behind you and focus on the current opportunity. Autistic people are on an unlevel playing field at the moment when it comes to recruitment - I hope that will improve as ASD and employability get more attention and proper adjustments begin to be made.

I worked for a university employability and careers service at one time - do get in touch and see what they can offer.

Good luck! 

Wish you the all the best. 

Hi Ghostranch,

I have faced similar challenges. My Masters degree was in Social Work - even getting onto the degree was a challenge. Fortunately my employer at the time arranged a mock interview which was videoed and played back. This helped a lot. Interestingly one of the recommendations was that I should stop waving my hands around so much! I did not know I was autistic then - only got diagnosed a few weeks ago at the age of 58.

My first social work post was a new role working with adults who were falling into the gap between mental health and learning disability services. I now realise many of them were autistic but undiagnosed. Thought you might be interested in these articles about autistic people who practise as psychologists and therapists: 

Practising psychology on the autism spectrum - Dr David Hawker
www.resilientexpat.co.uk/myasd.html

What is it like to be a therapist with autism? Natalie Engelbrecht
www.forbes.com/.../

Realities of being an autistic therapist - Judy Endow
ollibean.com/.../ 

I have some practical suggestions about interview preparation I will send too; just wrote a long message summarising these which got deleted before I could post it (gremlins in the system again today!) 

Best wishes 

Thank you for your reply. That is good advice. I had not thought about using the university careers service. I will try to get in touch with them. Hopefully they will be able to help me before the interview.

I am applying for Assistant Psychologist roles, and this will be my second Assistant Psychologist interview. I think it is good that I am getting shortlisted, as there is a lot of competition for these roles, so that is a positive. I know this is not a typical area for people with autism to work in but I have worked really hard to improve my communication skills and to get more confident at interacting with others. I know I would be good at the role. It is frustrating that my suitability for the role will be judged in an unfair process.  

Don't underestimate yourself. They may be looking for exactly the qualities that you demonstrate here.  Honesty, integrity and insight.

Hi Tom, thank you for your reply. I do a lot of interview preparation but become flustered if the questions do not match what I have prepared for.

The field is psychology, which is what my degree is in. I did a Master's conversion course. This would be my first big job post-university, and it would combine my two passions: psychology and working with people living with dementia. Therefore I really, really want it! I just feel frustrated about my weakness in interviews. I feel that most interviews determine who is best at "selling themselves" rather than who would be best in the role. Unfortunately I am terrible at "selling myself".

I think I have similar experiences as you. I am much better at written applications, but not so good with interviews. I think doing a lot of practice will help. They will typically ask you to talk about your previous work/academic experience that is relevant, and why you want the current job, so it may help to think about answers to possible questions that you think you might be asked (but in my experience, do not memorise your answers word by word, as it would make it hard to be flexible, but try to memorise the general structure, or bullet points to these questions). 

Since you just recently finished your masters, you might be entitled to your university's careers service. There might be people there who could practice a mock interview with you.

By the way, what kind of jobs are you looking for? 

Hi Ghostranch (great name!)

I've had a lot of job interviews in recent years - including one last Monday, for a job I've just been offered!  I think I'm a bit better at them now.  I was always getting told, in feedback, that I couldn't maintain eye contact - so I try my hardest with that now.  Usually, I pick another place on the person's face and focus on that.  I also spend a lot of time researching the place I'm applying to, checking the Job Descriptions to figure out what questions I'm likely to be asked, making sure I have some examples from my work experience to present to them.  I memorise stuff, too, using simple mnemonics.  If I didn't, I know I'd just flounder around.  You're right - often they won't offer prompts, and you have to take the initiative to come up with stuff. 

Sorry... I don't suppose any of that is much help.  Maybe you could get something from the doctor to help you through your anxiety on the day.  Remember, though, that they will be expecting you to be nervous.  I fluffed one question on Monday - I wasn't expecting it - but it didn't seem to go against me.

Can I ask... is this your first big job post-university?  What field are you going into?  Different organisations will have different interview styles and techniques.  They all look for different things.

Check this out if you haven't already.  There may be something useful there:

Advice about work

Good luck,

Tom