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Employment and Autism

NAS78089

Hello, I was wondering about my long term unemployment, I think I was about thirteen when I got my first premonition that I would never have a career. I went a fair way with my education and now have three university degrees, but no career.

I think we would all admit that things like relationships involving mutual trust and interdependence are always difficult with Autism but I wondered whether this was a community wide thing?

In 1993, when I was thirty my last proper job finished and I knew that this was to be an open ended period of unemployment, and so it has turned out, I said to myself that that New Year I need a job, a car and a partner, since then I have had three cars but no career and no partner.

It seems that the way I apply for work is the problem, I do have a fancy way of using words and like to display my knowledge and maybe this is off-putting, the few interviews I did get were a result 'ticking the equal opportunities boxes' and boy does the panel always see me coming, yes, I got travel expenses, but no offers.

I am still at least in theory due to age employable, but it it is all looking a bit late.

Nick.

Parents

  • I've had similar experience Nick.

    I honestly feel that a lot of writing is on the wall for the young people in our position today, let alone those of our kind of age. There seems to be an unwritten law attached to work, that states that disadvantaged people of all kinds have almost zero chance of meaningful work unless they devise it themselves in a digital form. I.E create something & be something online. If this were true (and i'm only hypothesising this), then it would hardly be announced officially since they'd not want to create awareness of this state of affairs. The reason i ponder this possibility is that it seems clear, that the good jobs available all entail a method of recruitment that filters the disadvantaged out. If this were so at all, it does leave plenty of jobs not so well appointed with perks & wage one should be aiming at when young. But it seems even they can cherry pick from applicants & young people (for instance ) who had SEN will have declared their schools. As for older people we cannot escape an explicit declaration of matters either, and all it all it just feels like the envelope is narrow. I could be wrong, but it does see that the government expects a lot of people to either sink or swim according to what can be created online these days. In my case ? - i'm certainly convinced that there would be nothing for me unless i took that step. But as i say i could be completely wrong here.

  • in reply to Grubby

    Hmmm, I once applied to the Office for National Statistics for a freedom of information request and yes it was a case of giving us interviews but then no job, perhaps I could write again and ask how many Autistic people end up unemployed despite good qualifications? Next port of call, Thank you for your reply. I really enjoyed reading it.

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  • in reply to Grubby

    Hmmm, I once applied to the Office for National Statistics for a freedom of information request and yes it was a case of giving us interviews but then no job, perhaps I could write again and ask how many Autistic people end up unemployed despite good qualifications? Next port of call, Thank you for your reply. I really enjoyed reading it.

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