Hello, everyone.
I left school in 1998, having had a mostly difficult school life for around 13 years. However, although I did some work experience doing data input work at my local town hall in Felixstowe, in Suffolk, it would be about 1 1/2 years before I would get my first proper job.
My first proper job, which started in 2000, saw me do various jobs for a local charity firm in Ipswich. It was a voluntary, unpaid job at a specialist training facility where people if various disabilities, including autism, would do a wide variety of jobs. I did data input work at first, then I did Art & Craft work, greetings card production, cookery, pottery, gardening and woodwork. The strange thing is that I was classified as a 'trainee', despite not studying any courses or gaining qualifications. I became one of the first trainees to have covered virtually all the aforementioned work categories.
However, the funding my workplace needed to recruit me at the time stopped in 2005, so I had to find somewhere else to work. I miss working alongside my work colleagues of the time even today. I then did voluntary work at a local transport museum. My knowledge on buses, combined with my computer skills, were very highly valued by my employer.
In 2007, I got my first paid job as a Technical Officer for a local environment research company. I did computer work, filing, scanning, photocopying, going on site visits etc. It was my first proper opportinity to spend my work pay on things like clothes, electrical items etc.
However, when my work hours were increased in 2008, my extra pay impacted on my Income Support, and unless I'm mistaken, it was replaced by Tax Credits. My Disability Living Allowance was not affected, but I can only work for 16 hours per week - any longer will have my Income Support (or Employment and Support Allowance) replaced by Tax Credits. My benefits support would probably have changed a lot since that time. My employer gave me a gift voucher as a reward for my hard work, but the Team Brief meetings I attended were nerve-wracking at first.
Unfortunately, I was made redundant in 2010. My employer would have loved to have extended my career, but the mployment market has changed a lot over the years. Whilst I was searching for another paid job, I resumed voluntary work at my local transport museum. In 2012, I did work experience at a local council building in Ipswich, mainly doing data input work.
Later that year, I got a paid job at a small computing company in Claydon, in Suffolk, where I currently work. I do data input work, as well as checking various database systems, websites etc for any faults that need attention. My employer has given 'Hero Awards' to people that have done goid work. As of early October 2013, I got 13 of them within 16 months, which is some going for any employee, autistic or otherwise.
I would love to be able to share my employment experiences with you.