Adult revealing autism at interviews?

Sorry to butt in.....

I think this is the wise decision NAS 84940, but I would just like to squirt in a little caution here for you (forgive the adjective - I'm autistic don't you know [or just odd.])

Don't push yourself too hard on the masking side of things.  Perhaps bring in a little self-deprecating acknowledgement of your "oddness" to give yourself a little latitude in behaviour with others - if you need to blow off some steam to keep yourself sane around work colleagues for instance.  Perhaps consciously allow yourself and give yourself permission to be outright autistic at times when you can control and/or don't care who knows what.

I give this cautionary note to you as a gift.  You sound very similar to me, although you are self aware enough to find this place at this stage of your journey....I did not.  Accordingly, I didn't know I was masking, I just though I was dangerously messed-up in the head and that I didn't fit in this world - despite all outward appearances being to the contrary !  Don't take yourself for granted - I burnt out !

Good luck, and it has been lovely to interact with you so openly and constructively today.

Writing is a good choice, if you can make it work for you. I tried a few different jobs but have always had a love of writing, eventually I realised it was my ideal job as there's not a lot of pressure like in most jobs. Little social contact. Just deadlines to meet.

Hi Battybats, thanks for your insight. After reading your thoughts and those from Disnep and Number, I have been hiding it for good reason. I've tried to find a work from home job in my field but unfortunately the offices either do not trust staff to be at home or want lots of staff in the office for some fake "office culture". I will take your advice and try to get my jobs without mentioning it. It's worked so far; I just cant keep the jobs.

Funny you mention engineering. I'm already in a related field, although mine is a little more pretentious, which goes against the autism, but strangely goes with the masking. Maybe I should think about the pretentions of my industry and mask that way, with the rest of the "normals". Going with the grain rather than against. There is definitely something Orwellian about my recent experiences, and that needs to end. Thanks

Thanks Disnep, I'm sorry to hear that you have tried and tested what I am about to go through with the results you speak of. It's sad that "normal" people think of autism as something to close the door on, and that you have had to keep it under wraps. it is very good of you to have shared this so that I can find my way. I think for my interview next week I will work on my "Regular Joe" approach. 

Funny you mention writing. This is something I have picked up since being off work. I always seem to have something to note down, usually in poetry. Perhaps I could write and get paid. Best wishes.

Indeed.  A word of caution about masking = although it enables you to "be" in the normal world, it is far more exhausting and unhealthy than I could ever have known.  I still do it to a large extent (just to be functional) but I am now trying to explore who, or what, I really am in essence.  Now that, my friend, is the fundamental challenge that you perhaps need to unravel for yourself now - irrespective of whether you wish to pursue diagnosis or not.

Good luck.

I wouldn't say anything at the interview stage. While employers/potential employers aren't supposed to discriminate against people with the identities mentioned in the Equality Act, there is a stigma around autism, unfortunately. Once you're in a job it can be worth disclosing if and when you need accommodations, but it's still something I'd be cautious about, depending on the job and the accommodations needed.

I currently work in regulatory affairs which is very much a field that lends itself to autistic thinking, much like engineering is always thought of as a field where lots of autistic people end up. I still haven't told anyone there, just in case- though to be fair, I don't need any accommodations because I work from home.

Hi Number, thanks very much for your thoughtful response. It is very much appreciated. It seems sad that if I try to explain at interviews that I think I am autistic I get an instant black mark. I suppose flying below the radar = masking. Its getting harder to mask when I am faced with colleagues who enjoy trying to build an argument that due to various things they notice and embellish, I am in fact autistic, done for their own amusement and workplace security. It all makes me want to drop that career and find a work from home job without any face to face contact.

It's been my experience (for what it's worth) that telling potential employers I'm autistic makes my chances of getting a job far lower. I've tested this a couple of times, when I tell people I rarely hear back, when I kept the lid on my diagnosis, thanks to masking as well, I usually hear back. Autism is like a taboo word for a lot of employers, they hear it and the interview is pretty much over at that point.

I would love to be in a world where we could share our diagnosis and use it as a strength, but I don't think that's how it is for a lot of us. Autism can be an advantage in the workplace but there's a stigma attached to it, my gran thinks only violent people can be autistic, the ones who act out and I fear a lot of people agree with that.

I work as a writer now, I got the job, but didn't reveal my diagnosis and still haven't to my boss or my colleagues. 

It would be easier to say if we knew what job you do and what the enviroment is? How do typical autistic traits affect your work? My current employer doesnt know, one colleague does. My previous employer I told about a year after my daignosis when they thought changes to my job were resonable and I did not. They handled it professionally and ultimatly made me redundant at my request. My current employer is old school and would not have a clue what to do .

processing... said:

How should I educate myself about how "normal" people see autistic people?

Generally, I fear that autistic people are not viewed in favourable terms - based on my experience and quite a bit of research on the matter.

Two very kindly professional people in professions that are thought to be occupied by more than their fair share of autistic folk  told me that the vast majority of all "successful**" autists fly below the radar for good reason!  There is no upside from a declaration and strong reason to suspect quite a bit of downside.

This seems to be borne out by the statistics too.  Although there are a handful of "loud and proud" autists, (Temple Grandin would be my stand-out example) most autistic people seem to keep their autistic reality/identity quiet in their work circles, from what I can gather.  To a large degree, I even suspect that this extends into private and personal circles too.

If the above were not to be true, one would expect at least 3% of the most "successful**" people in the workplace to be loud and proud - and in certain professions, you would expect a significantly higher proportion than that.

**Disambiguation....."successful" = when used above, I mean respected and notable amongst their peers and able to secure employment howsoever they choose.

And finally - I do hope that the above commentary will not attract personalised attacks in my direction.  The above is not what I think is right - it is merely what I think is true.