Published on 12, July, 2020
I managed to get through school, and university. My social skills are okay, and when I've been in workplaces for work experience etc, I have done pretty well. But can I get through the interviews process? i think there is an inbuilt discrimination against people like me at the interview stage since I make bad eye contact, and find them hellish. I'm now in my forties, and none of the jobs I have ever done have ever had reasonable pay or required an interview. My CV is woeful even though my intelligence level is clearly above average. (Not genius level, granted!) I do have some issues, but can function at a high level, yet no one wants me.
What do I do? Even when I've done careers courses, I struggle, and get panic attacks. Yet, I know I can do certain types of work because I have already. Working is not too bad for me. Looking for work has made me feel suicidal. I am lucky I have some level of other support, but this is not enough to pay a lot of my bills and my gas has been cut off.
The really annoying thing is that I got offered a dream job at a bookshop, and turned it down because I was going out of the country for a few months. I have been kicking myself ever since.
Half the time some stranger speaks to me, they ask me what I do for a living. I'm not into the whole peeing contest aspect of that, but I would like to be able answer something other than telling them undiagnosed ASD has stopped me from ever getting a proper job.
I'm really sorry to hear you've had a tough time. The interview process can be really tough and isn't an inclusive process in a lot of cases.
If you've had some success with the bookshop, you could explore whether any other bookshops in the area are hiring.
Whilst your job hunting, could you do some voluntary work - even if it's just a few hours a week - to bulk up your CV and get you a strong character reference for future job applications?
It's also worth considering whether you have any skills, hobbies or interests that'd enable you to freelance/be self-employed. If you'd like to, feel free to note some down here and we can have a think about them :)
Sorry, my previous reply was a bit negative. I know I can do a lot of stuff that is required in many jobs, but I don't know how to get past the interview stage, or I find it very hard to speak highly of myself in an interview. My CV is blank for years on end, and I don't know how to solve this. It's a Catch 22.
It's okay - it sounds like you had a really frustrating experience with the charity shop. They didn't sound very appreciative either, especially considering you were giving up your time for free.
It is really tough. Thankfully, not all employers rely on interviews now - some do a blend of interviews and activities (which could give you a chance to demonstrate your practical skills), and some are happy to have an 'informal' conversation over coffee rather than asking structured questions.
Have you ever tried contacting Scope? I haven't used them myself, but I've seen them advertised a lot. They provide employment support services for disabled people (I don't know whether you class yourself as disabled or not, so apologies if you don't, but autism would meet the legal definition of a disability, so you should qualify for their services). Here's a link to their website: https://www.scope.org.uk/employment-services/
I know. If they're asking, "can I lift a box?" or be able to read, then no, I don't have a problem in that area. I do have some issues with social interaction.
I feel that way too - I never know whether to tick 'Yes' or 'No' when I'm answering the 'Do you consider yourself to have a disability?' question on forms.
I see myself as both disabled and not disabled... It's kind of a paradox. I have mentioned my mild facial blindness on another thread, and there are times when I get overloaded... These are enough to make me think I have a disability. But there is other stuff I can do as well as most other people, or better in some cases.