Autistic-friendly careers advice

Nope you are correct..

I've done a bit of volunteering recently, namely shadowing someone in a primary school while he was running drama lessons.

Not what I saw myself doing but got me out of the house and doing something notable.  

I would say take your time with this and focus on your interests and go for something you know will interest you and you'll enjoy it. That's what I did and though it's a lot of stress at times I do enjoy it when I can bring myself to go in.

Have you thought of volunteering to start? I did this originally, at a hospital. It got me out and about, interacting with others and I only did it when I felt up to it and wanted to. It led to me finding the job I'm in now. It's not for everyone but I enjoyed it and I feel it gave me a confidence boost and that was well needed.

yeah i didnt wanna do anything and didnt know what to do either... it seemed accepting any agency work worked out well for me. it took away the thought, just take any agency job then it becomes permanent full time and throw yourself at it and you will stick. every job is minimum wage in the uk anyway so a real career doesnt entirely matter

I'm a bit hit and miss with kicking doors down. Sometimes I feel fired up enough to send out emails left right and centre, and occasionally I'll get an email back which will scare me because I'm worried I won't be able to do it or I'll have 3 different offers to pick from (nice problem to have)...

I don't expect it to be the dream job but I expect it to be something I will not dread doing. 

I've done that for 6 months.  

I would say "dream it and it will manifest". simple as that.

HMO said:

I need to know that such a job role actually exists

You have a chicken and egg scenario here - you won't prepare this sort of role research until you know the role exists but without it you won't know if there is a demand for your special skills.

Since this thinking is cyclical then I suggest you follow the thoughts of Charles Fort: "one measures a circle starting anywhere".

So the simplest option is to start with what is simplest - list your interests, tease out the skills that this had developed for you and work this into a CV to sell yourself.

Next start researching job adverts for this sort of role, what companies use this sort of role in your area (you probably need to consider a commutable range of up to an hours travel) and start to learn more about them so you can talk about them in the event you get an interview.

Any role is never a nice, clean, unicorns and rainbows perfect fit but you have to weight that against the tangible positives of an income and the less tangible positives of self esteem, career development and confidence building.

Where you find yourself doubting your abilities or see walls being built, bulldoze them down and get stuck into the drudge of the job hunt.

I used to have to put out 100+ applications per interview and I have a great CV (32 years of continuous IT experience in lots of great companies) so don't expect it to fall into place quickly. It takes persistence and it helps if you treat the hunt like a job itself - build a routine around it and put the hours in, learn related skills while you wait and keep a positive attitude.

The alternative is going self employed which brings different risks and challenges but can be more suitable for your autistic sensitivities.

That's a good idea. I think I know my strengths and the things I like, but marrying that with a job role is more complicated because I need to know that such a job role actually exists (if that makes sense).

Certainly the next step is to speak to some kind of careers advisor (who might be neurodivergent themselves) to get more of an idea.

Yeah, I think it helps to have someone we can talk to who understands what we need.

I stumbled upon your post about autistic-friendly career advice, and it's like music to my ears! It's crucial to have resources tailored to the unique strengths and needs of individuals on the spectrum. Speaking from experience, finding the right career path can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, but resources like the one you shared from https://www.becomeopedia.com/ are like shining beacons guiding us through the fog.

In my opinion, providing tailored career advice is not just about finding a job; it's about finding a place where one can thrive, where their strengths can shine like a beacon in the night. As they say, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Have you thought of writing down to clear your head and help organise your thoughts? It might help you find what you really want to do.

I would suggest not rushing in to anything. Look at your skills and what you enjoy. Take it slowly though, don't rush. You will find the answers and it will be worth waiting for. 

I was in a similar situation a few years ago and I eventually ended up working in a museum related to my special interest. It’s calm, quiet and people enjoyed my info dumping lol.

It was the ideal career for me but I didn't realise it until I wrote down my interests and skills and then it was staring me right in the face. 

That is exactly what expository journalists do, get out and about. Look the term up, research this word about researchers. You could also go into forensic sciences. CSI stuff.

I tried that some time ago. Essentially, it's a trainee social worker opening Google and printing the results. The vast majority of the links won't work or would be irrelevant. If you can use Google, you do not need this service.

"lol", what a thoughtful answer. Have you ever seen them procuring a real job to somebody?

lol..

Keep submitting. Keep submitting and you will succeed. Find a small publication and get in there - or report on local event for a local news paper.

Having been published shows you can do it and where is almost secondary - well not in a paper that thinks bat boy is on the loose again - . The more practice you have the better. Everyone gets rejected over and over and then things crack open and your in!

I summited and got rejected with my poetry ( a very hard field to crack into) for 6 months and taking to heart the suggestions of the editors, before I saw my work in print. Then, the more you publish the easier it is to publish as you've established a relationship with the publishing world.

Online publishing is also an option or you can joint the scaffolding of the tower of babel and start a blog or pod cast of your own and gain a following that way.

Self publishing is another avenue but self published works often come of as vanity projects.

There is copious material online about publishing.

Good hunting!

That's a start. Find some community of people working with video editing, and ask if there is any realistic hope of making a living with it in your area.

If there is any chance, find a way to get a basic qualification and an entry level job in the field. The specialist community will know more than me about the topic.

I tried that too. I've written about TV shows that are special interests, the challenge was finding a publication who would take it on sometimes.

I would consider myself reasonably fit. I can do video editing if that means anything.