Published on 12, July, 2020
There are going to be a lot of questions here so sorry in advance if these questions are already answered elsewhere. If you could point me to them that would be really help you thanks.
So some background. I have just graduated from university with a degree in Maths where I got a really good grade. I thought that if I focused on doing my degree well then that would be enough people would hire me because of that but it appears that my degree really didn't matter what I should have been doing is focusing getting internships, work experience and doing projects. It wasn't till after I had completed my degree that I realised I could be autistic there some red flags like the fact that I hadn't talked to anyone in my final two years of uni but it didn't click until after I have graduated. I am in the process of getting diagnosis but I have read that takes a long time to actually do. My strengths are I am very good at completing clear written assignments I have been given, I got 100% in the majority of my university assignments. I am very good at solving problems similar to ones that I have seen before, I ended up with getting at or above 70% in all of my university modules. If I am given a deadline to learn something I can. I enjoy learning things especially how to learn, which is probably one of the main reasons I did so well in uni, I created a structure for myself so I could do well. I also have the weird ability to sometimes understand there is a mistake in my work if I understand what is going on. Everything is interesting to me, I could become a software developer, data analyst or go into cyber security but I have trouble with talking to people so I think software development would probably be the best but I will still need to talk to people in it. The problem is what I want to do is constantly switching every five minutes so it is hard to just pick one and learn the skills I need to get a job because it seems employers want you to already be able to do the job before they hire you which I understand but also that does not help me much. I am also having trouble with figuring out the requirements to actually get the job because it hard to know what I need to be learning. I am also worried about ChatGPT and that will take away most of the entry level programming jobs given enough time so is it even worth still learning programming or should I focus on learning something else. I am not really bothered by what job I get, I like the book "So good they can't ignore you" by Cal Newport which says you should focus on doing things well rather then following your passion. At the end of the day if you can do something well you will eventually enjoy it given enough time but companies seem to think differently they want you to be passionate about the job rather then saying I will do it well anyway.
Sorry for the long ramble, as you can imagine I haven't really talked to people in a while and I don't really like asking for help but I figure if I want to live a good life then I am going to need to ask for help. So some questions for you.
How do I become a software developer? - I know I need to learn a programming language, I know Python and I would say I am a competent beginner I am able to complete tasks I have been given as I look up what I don't know but I don't know how to bridge the gap to intermediate programming which I think I need to use projects for but the problem is I have trouble coming up with project ideas and then actually finishing the project. I probably just need to find ways to trick myself into doing it. I think I also need to learn Data Structures and algorithms but I am not exactly sure what I need to learn and how. I also need to have experience with git and github, so I can host my projects and showcase them. What sort of level should my projects be at before I start applying because I have a tendency to I either over do something or under do something there is no middle ground. Should I focus just on development or should I focus on development in a specific area? E.g Embedded software development seems extremely interesting to me but I have a maths degree not an electrical engineering degree so I am not sure how I would get started learning what I needed to learn. How much time should I expect it to take to learn what I need to learn? I read somewhere that in order to get a job being a developer you need to already see yourself as a software developer. Does that make sense? Is it also even possible to become an embedded software engineer with a maths degree and how do I showcase my skills? Should I focus on learning the skills and look for jobs where they ask for those skills and can showcase in projects that I actually have those skills. I have trouble getting started doing things and not getting distracted when I am doing it. I imagine breaking a problem down into solvable parts is helpful but the problem is actually doing them.
How do I get a part-time job whilst I upskill? I don't have any work experience as I kept putting it off and off until eventually my degree finished and I have no work experience. I don't really have much to put on my CV as the only thing I have really done is worked on my degree and done nothing else. Does it matter? How do I even do an interview? Why do you want this job? Because I want a job not really the best answer. What sort of part-time work should I look into doing, as I imagine customer service is just going to go badly? I honestly have no idea.
Most of the resources out there seem tailored to people with a diagnosis, which I understand why, but are there any resources tailored to undiagnosed people?
How do I get social skills, as currently my social skills are at 0 and I don't know how to move the marker? How do I actually make friends? There is a lot of general information out there but not much specific information.
Sorry for all of the questions, there are probably answers out there already to all of them, the problem is I just don't where and what exactly is relevant to me. There is both too much information and not enough information. So I figured I should just ask them all in one place. There are probably more questions that I just haven't though of yet but these should be the main ones. Sorry, if anything I say is rude, I tend to either get stuck in my own head for days overthinking problems or just blurt out a response where I come across as rude but I don't know how to fix this. I am new to all of this and am trying to figure everything out.
Thank you to anyone who answers. Thank you for your time and I hope you have a great day.
Welcome to the community
Firstly well done on achieving such a good grade in your degree. Being awarded 100% in your university assignments is truly impressive. I'm sure many employers would be impressed too.
My observation is that you are in a but of a tailspin and trying to solve too many problems at the same time. That is understandable as you are at a critical point in your life and obviously are keen to make the right choices. Autistic brains tend to be monotropic, which means that they work best when highly focused on one thing at a time. There was a link to a monotropism questionnaire posted on here recently, if you want to test yourself.
https://community.autism.org.uk/f/adults-on-the-autistic-spectrum/34220/an-mq-test-quiz
I either completely shut down and say nothing at all or I eventually say something weird. I can't really control what I say, either I say nothing or I say everything that pops up into my head.
It's clear that you are very logical and analytical and approach everything in life as a problem to 'solve' using those skills. I'm very similar myself. That can work very well for things like maths and computing but less well for things like social skills and making friends.
Like you I tend to shut down and not speak at all or say something that isn't appropriate to the situation. It's been a lifelong problem for me and I workaround it by using written communication wherever I can.
What many autistic people do is learn from observing others. There are also books on the subjects which may help. However if you deliberately 'mask' your natural self to try and fit in it can be exhausting, damaging to your mental health and result in burnout.
There is some good advice here: https://autismunderstood.co.uk/social-stuff/friendships/
In your situation I would focus wholly on the job seeking and improving your interview skills. If you can find work in an environment that suits you then you may well find like minded people there. Talking about what interests you tends to be a bit easier.
How do I get a part-time job whilst I upskill? I don't have any work experience as I kept putting it off and off until eventually my degree finished and I have no work experience. I don't really have much to put on my CV as the only thing I have really done is worked on my degree and done nothing else. Does it matter? How do I even do an interview?
There are employers who will recruit people straight out of university without work experience. I feel that trying to take on a part time job at this stage will just add to the pressure you are under.
Therefore consider carefully if that experience will actually help your CV or not. You can put a lot on your CV already, based upon the skills you have clearly demonstrated academically. You have already mentioned many strengths and skills in your post.
There are a lot of resources online about improving interview skills but you also need practice as well as the theory. You can if you wish disclose that you may be autistic and ask for reasonable adjustments, although they may not be granted until you receive a formal diagnosis.
https://employmentautism.org.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-interviews-and-assessments/
Being given the questions in advance, so that you can script the perfect answer, would be a huge help in an interview. Autistic people can struggle to be able to come up with answers on the spot, especially in the pressured environment of an interview.
Everything is interesting to me, I could become a software developer, data analyst or go into cyber security
Those all sound good areas to consider but I don't have any direct experience to help. Based upon my limited knowledge I would say there is always going to be demand for suitable people within cyber security.
Your choices are limited by what jobs are actually available and what employers are willing to hire someone straight out of university. I would suggest you start narrowing your options that way.
Good luck!
Hi Autonomistic (Interesting Name), thank you for the response. The monotropism link was very helpful.