Adult employment in Sheffield, England

How do you know it’s because of AS and that it doesn’t go into the black hole with all the other hundreds of applicants because they got the person they wanted? 

The major problem is that as soon as I declare my Asperger's, my application goes into a black hole and is not acknowledged, it's supposed to be illegal in the UK to discriminate, but under the 2010 Equality Act, if I feel I've been discriminated against, the onus is on ME to prove it in Court, against big companies, I have neither the money or  patience to do it.

Hello,

Im in the process of starting a recruitment agency primarily for autistic individuals and I'm currently doing research to understand the struggles people face when trying to get into employment. Id really love to hear more about your experience gaining employment if you would be able to share this. Send me a message and we can talk further.

Having lived in Sheffield for a number of years I suspect it isn't specifically that you are autistic that means your not hearing anything back rather than the sheer volume of applications these places receive. I used to work at one of the uni's and many of my students didn't hear back from those kind of applications - there's two uni's, a large college etc and all of these places contain 1000's of individuals looking for retail work and a lot of them already have previous experience. Plus, people in the surrounding areas including Rotherham and Chesterfield have to travel to places like Meadowhall for work due to the lack of opportunities where they live. 

The placement in the eBay shop sounds like an ideal opportunity for you and could be a great stepping stone into getting the job you want if your lacking recent retail experience. I've previously volunteered to help me back in to work during periods of unemployment due to MH issues.

I'm conscious that I don't know you but I'm newly diagnosed and have I found I've only been able to stay in previous posts due to the workplace not being suitable for my autistic needs. I always found Meadowhall challenging due to the sensory overload caused by indoor lighting, the noise form the shops, as well as the sheer volume of people. I'd only ever go when it was opening so I could get in and out as fast as I could. Have you considered this kind of thing and whether Meadowhall or a smaller environment would be more suited?

I'm 60 in May and have been offered three jobs in the last year alone.  I don't have any special set of skills, though I've worked in the care sector for many years.

Don't let your age be a barrier. 

As others have suggested, could you start off by doing voluntary work, maybe?  A charity shop, a library, a hospice?  I have a friend who hasn't worked for a number of years (ill-health), but she's done voluntary reception work for a hospice and a homeless charity.  It's all stuff that can go onto a CV.

I did some voluntary  work in my local library once,  when I was on long-term sick leave.  I  was a 'computer buddy', showing  people the  basics of using a computer.  Most people were retired and wanted to 'catch up'.  A lot of them just wanted to find out about the internet or set up an email account so that they could keep in touch that way with their families.

That’s a great story. I’m sorry the job came to an end as it sounds like it was wonderful, I would love a job like that. But I think it’s because something even better is in store for you. I agree that, sometimes, something truly wonderful can come from something small and that’s why it’s wise to be kind and friendly to everyone we meet as we never know when it will turn into something marvellous ~ besides which, it’s nice to be friendly. 

Volunteering at the local hospital is a great idea as well. There’s an inspirational book (can’t remember which one off hand) where he talks about a guy who sent off hundreds of job applications and got no luck so one day, he decided to go and help out in his favourite clothes store, which would be his ideal job. He just went in there for a few hours everyday and tidied up all the shelves etc, which enabled the sales staff to concentrate on customers. By the end of the week, I think it was, he had landed himself his dream job  

With such a beautiful attitude as yours, you’ll never go far wrong. Where attention goes, energy flows, and your attention is in the right place, so things will always work out for you in the end. Are you working now? 

Thank you :)

it was an apprenticeship in a local NHS hospital, the charity volenteer coordinator was acting in a consultancy role for a vacancy they were creating and she contacted me to see if I'd be interested, it took a significant amount of time, months before I started, but I loved every minute of it, my role was technically a housekeeper, I loved the fact that people came to me with their problems, no matter whether they were staff or patients and I was able to solve them or help to solve them, I was employed for 18 months which sadly ended last month  

My experience may be rare or I might have had luck on my side, but it just goes to show, sometimes, amazing things can come from something small, I had never met the coordinator in person and we only spoke over the phone a few time's when I applied for the volentrary position, before this I was unemployed for sometime.

Also another suggestion I have is to volenteer in your local NHS Hospital, There's plenty of opportunities and I remember one person who volunteered for a short period (less than a month), she applied for a Healthcare assistant position and got the job.

I love the idea of asking for a trial period instead of an interview. That could be great for a friend of mine. I'm going to mention it to him. Thanks. And I love how you got your job, or the offer of the apprenticeship. I don't know if you took it. I love your other suggestions as well. I don't need them but I can see they're great suggestions, and I can pass them on to a few of my friends at my autism group. Thank you. 

Hi there,

I can relate in regards to the age thing, it's so annoying when I see an amazing opportunity or programme, only to read or discover that you've to be 18 -24 year's old, it's so annoying because when you reach 25 your disability doesn't suddenly disappear, however I suspect it has something to do with their funding as sometimes, funding is targeted at particular demographics.

In regards to being told no, I know how fustrating this can be, could I ask whether you're told no at the application stage or whether you're invited to interviews? If you're not invited to interviews, I would double check that you met the person specification, if you don't, then unfortunately it's not covered by the Equality act.

One thing that could help is asking for a work trial instead of an interview, I've also read that you could ask for the interview questions on paper and to respond on paper or using a computer (like an exam), I haven't tried this though, but I've read that it would be regarded as a reasonable adjustment.

Some good advice I was given by the National careers advice service was to check out www.base-uk.org

I'd also say from personal experience that anything can happen, I applied to volenteer for a project which a national charity for people with learning disabilities was setting up in the area where I live, unfortunately the project didn't go ahead, but the volenteer coordinator was that impressed by my CV, she remembered me and when they partnered with an organisation, she contacted me to see if I'd be interested in an apprenticeship.

I'd suggest volenteering, admin and retail are very competitive sector's, I'd also suggest looking at volenteering, apprenticeships and the NHS, there's almost always admin vacancies in the NHS.

No. But then I don’t think my age (51) or anything else is against me.