Finally got a job (managed to bypass the interview)

Firstly a brief overview of things to now. Left school due to bullying without sitting GCSE exams. I sought advice from Connexions, who looked at notes from my school and tactfully hinted they thought I was not academically bright enough to do GCSEs. They suggested vocational training courses, which the Government were pushing at that time, and I gave them a try. These had mixed end results. The first I was referred back due to difficulties securing a placement due to the interviews. The second the assessor was off long-term sick, I could not see any progression and quit. Another was in IT which I quit as it was not challenging and quite boring, with no feedback or support offered. It was just a case of if you had a problem, they would help, otherwise you were left to it. My skills were well beyond the introductory exercises. The other was another IT one and I didn't bother turning up as I could tell it would be like the other I left. It's worth bearing in mind my mental state at this time, bullying and other life events led me to be rather depressed

Eventually I went to college, did GCSEs then A levels, then went to university and achieved a first class honours degree in 2005. In the hope it would help me get somewhere in terms of finding work, I studied for a masters for which I graduated in 2008. Unfortunately this only left me with a Career Development Loan that I was unable to pay off. I was only formally diagnosed about the time I started GCSEs.

My only experience of work to date has been voluntarily for two organisations, and a paid job in a cake factory manually pressing a mould onto icing. There was no interview for this, just a check you were a human being and eligible to work in the UK etc. I left as I found the work very tiring, I was getting repetitive strain injury, and the line manager seemed to take a dislike to me, so I left after 2 weeks. At present I am 32, and the above pretty much covers all my employment and education history.

Well I had an interview for a job within Civil Service some months ago. I was unsuccessful, and feedback indicated this was mostly due to lack of evidence of team work skills, and in managing work. Both manifestations of my disability, in addition to the difficulties this poses in 'selling myself' at interview.

I wrote an email to the Diversity Officer in the organisation, in short saying the above, and asking if work experience might be possible. Some time later I was offered work experience on an unpaid basis for 4 weeks. It seems I managed to sufficiently impress, and I have been offered a one year contract. From what I can tell the Diversity Officer has a great deal of influence, and has contacts with people in various departments who are positive about disability. The contract is at a lower level than I had interviewed for, but there are initial discussions on the possibility of taking the assessment without the interview process. I can't believe how positive things seem to be turning out to be honest, as the only concessions they would give for the original interview were extra time and to not have to complete the group-work assessment.

It's strange to know that past experience shows me I don't stand a chance at interview for most minimum wage jobs out there, because of my difficulties at interview. Yet OTOH I have managed to secure a relatively skilled job, with an adequate wage which will see my student loan begin to be paid off. Furthermore the job itself I enjoy, even if I find interactions within the office itself somewhat taxing, and the buzz from the fluorescent lighting somewhat irritating at times. I genuinely can't imagine me enjoying anything more. It seems the email paid off.

I have been to numerous places to seek assistance in my quest to secure employment. Primarily including the JCP Disability Employment Advisor and Remploy. I found one of the Remploy staff had a somewhat dismissive and discriminatory attitude, which quite surprised me. The whole set-up seemed like a Work Programme, with a little more impetus behind it due to companies approaching them specifically to recruit people with disabilities. Unfortunately this provided only some practical help in terms of filling in application forms for other jobs, and considering interview questions and the like. The last thing the DEA suggested was a residential training course, which I personally did not consider appropriate, but to be fair to her I think she was struggling for ideas and had little resources available to her.

I guess there needs to be some caution with my approach though. If people with AS suddenly start sending emails of complaint as a response to failure to secure a job after interview, this will undoubtedly make the majority of employers think negatively about AS in general and not want to bother with people with the condition. Why bother with people who are going to complain and make life difficult at the first possible opportunity?! It might also be possible to get a black mark next to your name. This approach can definitely work against, as well as potentially for you. Sadly I suspect it's most likely to work against.

I wish I could do more to help those who are struggling, but all I can do is share my own experience. Thanks for reading. Hopefully I can last out the contract and beyond.

  • Hi,

    I trying to understand because my form of speech and lifestyle is chaotic. People say I am autism because of my repetition and unavailability to follow direction and still no comprehension but only reduce my anxiety and this has been for years.

  • anewman said:

    Certainly the type of work was related in part to my degree, and in particular quite relevant to my interests.

    IWhen I did send the email, I became resigned to the fact this would be a make or break situtation (and believed most likely the latter). Even though this was a job ranked highly amongst the ones I would want to do.

    They didn't seem interested until the Diversity Officer became involved, so it was certainly all a stroke of luck - and if I sat down and accepted the rejection I'd be in the same position.

    luck and your own ability to go for it, i think it's brilliant you did that even tho you knew it was a make or break for you and would be what you wanted to do

    As my partner always reminds me 'fortune favours the bold'

    It could have gone wrong, but you went for it anyway, thats what a lot of people dont have, guts to do it even tho it might fall apart

  • Goatworshiper said:
    I think the thing you highlight well is:  if you feel your can do the job, have the ability to do the job, but feel the dissability went against you it is worth it. But your very right to point out that spurious emails because you didnt get a job becasue your were not the right candidate doesnt help any one.

    I guess that's a difficult one to call in some ways. If you haven't done a job before, it's difficult to know how it will go. And when I was rejected at every possible opportunity, I did kind of begin to wonder whether something was *wrong* with me other than the social behaviour aspect, that I had no insight to. When I began the work experience placement, it wasn't without a certain amount of trepidation. The open plan office layout was a bit of a concern to me as it ranked quite highly in the type of environment I believed I'd least enjoy. But I gave it a go. In addition to letting them see if I was suitable for the job, it also provided an opportunity for me to see if it was a job I would want to do - which in some ways is more important. One good thing about the job is it is flexi-time, so I can go in and leave anytime within a range of hours - so long as I work up to the required hours per week. This allowed me to avoid traffic, and take a more relaxed approach than I have with anything else.

    Certainly the type of work was related in part to my degree, and in particular quite relevant to my interests.

    I guess if the feedback indicated some big issues, other than teamwork and managing work, that made me realise I was not suitable for the job, then I would probably not have bothered - and indeed I suspect if I did not look good on paper, they wouldn't have offered me the work experience. When I did send the email, I became resigned to the fact this would be a make or break situtation (and believed most likely the latter). Even though this was a job ranked highly amongst the ones I would want to do.

    They didn't seem interested until the Diversity Officer became involved, so it was certainly all a stroke of luck - and if I sat down and accepted the rejection I'd be in the same position.

  • Nice one. Well doneSmile

    I think the thing you highlight well is:  if you feel your can do the job, have the ability to do the job, but feel the dissability went against you it is worth it. But your very right to point out that spurious emails because you didnt get a job becasue your were not the right candidate doesnt help any one.

  • Brilliant anewman, I'm glad it did the job and got you a job  ;-D

    It's a sad fact that there is a lot of discrimination towards people who dont 'fit in' or come across 'well' in a face to face interview, sometimes even if their disability is taken into account and a lot of autistics don't get jobs based purely on their social skill credentials

    Hopefully it will change

    I think your story and what you did will help a lot of people, it gives them hope to show they can get there , and shows them sometimes proactive is best

    You really pushed and it's quite admirable

  • Shell4429 said:
    I have even thought that the only way to secure his future is to somehow start a small business, such as buying a taxi.

    I am reminded of this article www.telegraph.co.uk/.../Who-says-Aspergers-sufferers-are-unemployable.html where exactly this happened.

  • An interesting approach anewman; I agree with your penultimate paragraph.

    I have had no experience of Remploy but I was referred to the Shaw Trust and that did not go well.  Despite knowing I have Asperger's, I was treated as though I had learning disabilities and they kept changing agreements, meeting times, etc.  Shaw Trust was meant to help me obtain work trials rather than interviews but did not do so.  The problem, I believe, was their lack of understanding of Asperger's.

  • Hello ANewMan. First of all let me congratulate you, not just on your new job but all of the achievements you have made, I think you are inspirational. It gives me a bit more hope that my son may one day achieve a modicum of success, although like you he has had pretty negative experiences so far. I have even thought that the only way to secure his future is to somehow start a small business, such as buying a taxi. The Disablity employment service at the Jobcentre has been pretty useless, and I want to complain about one particular advisor but my son may suffer as a result so I'm reluctant. But reading your story has cheered me up, well done.