Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi All and Hello,
I've just joined the commnunity - I'm in my early 50's and was diganosed ASD 18 months ago after a period of particularly poor mental health led to burn out and me being out of work for a year.
I am now also awaiting dignosis for ADHD.
I have tried to return to full time work in my previous career managing Engineering Projects however it quickly became apparent to me that after all the years of struggling to get on first in school and then in the workplace I simply do not have the energy anymore to 'mask' my autism and try to 'keep up' in a neurotypical environment. I am currently working 2 days per week on a contract basis handing over my project and find that challenging to maintain.
I know that I need to find a different less demanding job that is more sustainable - as such it would seem logical to me to state that I am autistic on my CV to allow prospective employers to understand why I am changing career, make adjustments and set clear expectations as to what I struggle with as well as what I am good at, however all the advice on line seems to suggest that you shouldn't and I cant find a good example of how to introduce this on a CV.
So my question to the community is what are peoples thoughts - is it best to disclose on your CV or not?
Many Thanks
Jeremy
I wouldn't put it on your CV- too many employers have a poor understanding of autism and that could result in them unfairly rejecting your application. If you need accommodations at the interview stage you might want to bring it up then, but I would still be careful unless you know the company is good for autistic employees- until then, it would be best to discuss just the exact accommodations you need, e.g. interviewing in a room with plenty of natural light if typical office lighting is a sensory problem for you.
battybats said:I wouldn't put it on your CV- too many employers have a poor understanding of autism
I agree.
Employers see autism as a disability that makes it hard for us to work well with the rest of the NTs in the workforce so we are often silently discriminated against.
Looking at it from an emplyers point of view, it would seem that you are possibly going to be less productive, need a lot more adaptations than the other staff and may not get with the social group you are working in - so I can see why they do this.
It varies from company to company though - researching will help a lot with the decision.
It sounds like you are particularly impacted by burnout so the flip side of this arguement could be that you may need to disclose your diagnosis in order for them to take into account your situation.
It could be that there are other roles in the project management side you can take on, have you considered this? This way your track record can work to your advantage.
I'm from a similar backgrund (I was in IT management and project management) and get it - I spent years hovering on the edge of a burnout towards the end.
My solution was to change careers to something I really enjoy doing - now I manage a property renovation company in Brazil that gets abandoned apartments back to as-new condition and supplies affordable housing this way.
I get to control the interactions with others to my capabilities at the time and can spend days working away on my own on some of the flats like a form of therapy.
Do you have any resonable alternative career paths open to you now that avoid the stuff that leads to burnout?
Iain said:battybats said:I wouldn't put it on your CV- too many employers have a poor understanding of autism I agree. Employers see autism as a disability that makes it hard for us to work well with the rest of the NTs in the workforce so we are often silently discriminated against.
Yeah I agree with this too, I have always masked like the dickens in the interview then hit them with it after I have already got my foot in the door and the probation period has ended to maximise my legal pretections when I eventually let them know, like if I need to ask for adjustments etc.