Best types of jobs for people with autism

Last year I dropped out of a course and I was struggling to find a job. I was trying to get a job in retail/a public facing role, without luck, because I have little 'customer service' experience and my autism shows quite a lot when I am nervous in an interview situation. 

In the end I found a temp job in a hospital pharmacy. Getting employed by the temp agency was easy for me because I just had to do an aptitude test online, so it was skills-based and I didn't have to talk to anyone. I would also recommend pharmacy as a career for autistic people. You can get employed as a Technical Assistant with no prior experience. The most important thing is that you have good attention to detail, and it's quite enjoyable if you enjoy organising/counting things, and learning detailed procedures. Being pedantic is seen as annoying in a lot of jobs, but pointing out mistakes in pharmacy is very important. 

It’s certainly a subject of my prayer intentions, as I have a great devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Padre Pio, especially when praying the Rosary, as 15 years ago I returned to my traditional Irish Catholic faith in a really big way 

I used to just go by my Myers-Briggs personality profile INFP-A; I think that although it is not the Autism literature, it paints a pleasure picture and I’m okay with that..

When I look at jobs to recommend for other autistic folks I would say:

• Something related to a special interest to avoid becoming dispassionate about it and helps with the going in every day.
• With a work environment that doesn't upset sensory issues or can be adjusted to negate sensory issues.
• Cope-able commute. The more stressful the commute the shorter the journey needs to be in both time and distance.

And that short list I think applies for almost all of us. But there will be other stuff to consider for other people I'm sure.

That all sounds great, I'm really pleased for you.

I have been very lucky with employment, I have been at my current place of work for 28 years. Over  that period my role has evolved. I’m an electrician by trade but have never had to do house rewiring. Its alway  involved  generators, so engines and alternators, control systems.
Now i am the training guy, and when I’m not training I offer technical support. Fortunately I rarely have to meet or speak to customers, only my colleagues from the engineering team. I haven’t got the skills for customers care & my boss knows that.
With all that in mind, training can be a good job, as long as you know your subject. It can be helpful if the subject your special interest.

I can certainly say that in my 30 years in supermarket retailing, regardless of an autism diagnosis or otherwise, supermarket jobs are (never) a “good fit” for people with our condition, as despite thier denials to the contrary, the bullying and prejudice and discrimination in supermarkets from managers and colleagues alike, backed up by in-house trade unions due to “partnership agreements” is off the scale and it’s got far worse in the 3 years since my redundancy after 17 years from my last store in Sept 2019 - during my time at my last store, I knew of at least 2 people with Autism long before my own diagnosis in 2021 and the way they were treated was appalling - citing “mental health issues” and “behavioural issues” management and unions alike (where the unions were totally dismissive) along with others in the store, got them falsely accused of theft in one instance, where the diagnosis was fully disclosed on initial application some years previously in both cases - enduring bullying has always been seen as part and parcel of working in supermarkets right from the start and even long before I joined my last supermarket (where I’d endured all forms of bullying and prejudice during the entire 17 years I’d been there) I’d heard of a tragic case in London, where due to bullying a young person had taken thier own life, the others at the store were threatened to remain silent by management, the family were offered compensation, but only on condition that they sign a “gagging clause” to never speak about the incident, yet somehow someone “broke ranks” and the story made it onto an online forum which I discovered some years later after I’d joined that same company, who only want to create the false impression of compliance with employment law and yet behind the scenes they are breaking the law despite thier “policies and procedures” and this supermarket is also well known for other “sharp practices” over the years with both customers and suppliers, not just with staff - even during Covid, I found it impossible even before my diagnosis to even get any interviews via the online application process with any supermarket and frankly, it’s just as well - they are also known to make it as difficult as possible to obtain truthful written references once one leaves for any reason and if they suspect that someone is about to leave and/or try a different career, they give “bad” telephone and email references to all potential future employers, even though they know that this is clearly illegal, assisted by the trade unions who are simply “yes men” for management, as it’s “part of your employment contract” (renewed and must be signed annually) to join and be part of that trade union for the entire time you work there, with union dues stopped at source by the company even before tax and any other deductions - in recent years, Union shop stewards are not present in stores and the only union presence is to get people to sign up to the union while also actively preventing any other unions from coming into the store to properly represent workers and while preventing workers at a store from setting up thier own unions, which I have personally witnessed such attempts being actively suppressed by unions and management alike - people with autism, who are facing potential bullying issues when working in supermarkets in particular, are especially disadvantaged, especially if they try to obtain any justice for bullying, even with the help and support of advocates, so supermarket jobs, even part time and short term, are always best avoided for people with autism 

I'm not sure miss is the right word for me with regards to not being in the office with the team.  I connect with a couple of people, but most of the time I'm sat in the office, trying not to meltdown, and just feel lonely.

I know how that feels.  I've found home working has been beneficial to me.  Just one day in the office is plenty for me to cope with

I really enjoyed working with NEET, in a sense it did feel like working alone, because I had no overseers. 
I worked with people who actually wanted my help, unlike working other jobs I was no catering only to the bottom line, I was actively managing the flow of a session and rooting the individual in a micro-community.
I felt as if I was an open and agreeable CEO, whose employees did not exploit him for his generosity, I as if we all were interested and humbled.

When I later went out into the world of recruitment, I had a renewed confidence, that I was not defective, but the world was defective relative to my style. I had seen myself working optimally and I knew it wasn’t all on me that success was so hard to grasp. 

Aye - there is plenty to be worried about, that's for sure.  But also, worry is never good.  Understanding and appreciation of your situation is good - and you have that.  Many matters in the world are shaky at the moment so we are wise to have our feet firmly planted in the here and now....the future will unfold, but what we do tomorrow really counts, Irish, in my opinion.  Every day I try to do my best and try to reach tomorrow better than I am today.

I asked this question because I’m also worried about my retirement, having lost all 4 state and works pensions in both Ireland and the U.K. during Covid - when I reach age 65 anyway, the state U.K. pension age will have been raised to 70, but this is largely not relevant for me because I’ll still have to work well past that age, even with any physical health/mobility issues, as I’ll have no retirement income - I could try quitting and going on benefits, even at the risk of any benefit sanctions in either Ireland or the U.K. , but I still face a very uncertain if not bleak future and who knows what could be planned for the future by governments worldwide, as the U.K. economy alone is already in recession - aside from retailing, the hospitality industry is on shaky ground if plans to bring in 15 minute cities and other travel restrictions are brought in, even if in response to climate change - living alone in the U.K. and having extended family in Ireland is a big worry too, because of many changes to Irish society by the Irish government, including Irish property laws, which directly affects me, as even that route to retirement income and a place to live in Ireland looks very shaky, as the Irish government wants to confiscate these properties and any funds in related/linked Irish bank accounts 

Hello Billy...good to see you.

Have you considered online and/or personal tutoring?

I have spent most of my life working in education which does suit some of my own personal autism as I can use my high level of empathy to support people. 
However in other ways it absolutley destroys me, the noise, the busyness, the need for multiple constant social interactions with classes of students and other teachers all day.

Trying to find something more suitable for me and have hit on the idea of libraries as they are nice and quiet and i love books. Just starting to apply for library jobs now. Only trouble is a lot of them are full time and I cant work full time due to my autism and my burnout 

Bo said:

I think the best thing for autism and working is to find something where you can use your interests and strengths to your advantage

That is really good advice 

I think the best thing for autism and working is to find something where you can use your interests and strengths to your advantage. 

I read once that repetitive jobs like IT are meant to be good for autism, like coding, or working with animals so you're less likely to be stressed by other people.

I don't work because of my mental health and anxiety but one day when it comes to getting a job I'm going to try and work with animals.

Personally, and I understand why people suggest 'lone working', but working in an environment you either have control over or at least find some understanding from people in.

Calm environments over being a long worker, for me, are a better description. I find,.I still need connection. Personally I like doing Zoom calls & emails, and I don't miss an open plan office. But I do miss having a team around me sometimes. But good teams are hard to find so I'll take controlling my environment for now

For me, lone working would be ideal. But really, it’s more about what you feel you can do, even if you do struggle from time to time. I’ve had about 7 jobs in my lifetime, and that doesn’t include many successful years being self employed. They are all different types of jobs, and I’ve been fine doing them on the whole.

I’m job seeking right now. It is a slow process, as positions need to be easy to get to, better pay than I get now, and short hours or a few days in a block. I don’t mind customers, but not 24/7. I also don’t want to be on my feet all day anymore, but a desk job is just too boring,… I’m too lazy and burnt out to study, and I’m getting older anyway to start a new career…‍

I agree with that, moving from open plan hot desking to working from home has helped a great deal.

I do feel that the job I do is well suited to my particular 'flavour' of autism, but for me the more important thing is the environment. I'm much better at the same job now, doing it in my own home, than I ever was when I had to commute on public transport to an open-plan office and mask for 11 hours a day.