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My first job interview

Karma

Hello. 

I'm Karma. I was diagnosed with autism when I was six. I received a lot of help and support in my childhood though things quickly got more difficult during my teens with the added pressure of puberty and high school.

Tough times lol.

I'm finding life increasingly difficult now and my anxiety feels like it's at an all time high. I've been practicing yoga in the hopes this will help. 

My dad is very pressuring and he's been on at me to try and get out of the house and make some friends and try to live a normal life. So I have a job interview this Friday. I've never attended a job interview before and I'm feeling very anxious about it. My thoughts are racing with the what ifs and what it'll be like. 

Have you ever had an interview? If you have it would be great if you could share any tips you have here please.

Thanks so much. 

Slight smile

Parents

  • Just relax and be yourself. The interview process is quite scripted, so you just need to say hello, introduce yourself, and have a little chat about two specific topics: you and the job. As Autisitc people, we're great at talking about ourselves, as we're on solid ground with that. Then ask a few questions about the job. Say goodbye and thank you ... and you're done. You'll be fine.

    When I was an interviewer, all I was really looking for was someone who was enthusiastic and friendly. (It's not too hard to dial that up just a little for the interview.) Most of the rest I figured they'd learn on the job.

    Try this prompt to ChatGPT and then have a bit of fun with it: "I am applying for a job as a [insert job title here]. You are the interviewer. I am entering the interview room. I say, 'Hello. My name is John.' Now, continue the interview."

  • in reply to Damojo

    Thank you for your help with this and for breaking it down a bit for me.

    Do you think it's best to let her know I'm autistic or should I keep it to myself? I'm never sure if I should come out as autistic as a lot of people don't understand it.

    I'm in two minds about whether to say or not. 

    I appreciate your help with this though. It gives me a better understanding of what to expect at the interview and a good idea of what to say. 

    I can work on what to say and the answers I can give. Now I know a little more of what it'll be like I have a few days to try and practice on it. 

    The ChatGPT is an excellent idea! I've heard so many good things about this app but until now have never really needed to use it. I've given it a try and I think this will be a big help to me.

    I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this. 

    Slight smile

  • in reply to Karma
    Karma said:
    Do you think it's best to let her know I'm autistic or should I keep it to myself?

    Keep it to yourself, I suggest. It is illegal for them to discriminate on the grounds of disability when hiring, so whether they know or not should not matter. If you don't tell them, you are not being dishonest, you are just keeping it simple for them. After you get the job, you can look into reasonable accommodations, if you feel the need.

    On the ChatGPT front, you can just browse to https://duck.ai/ for free access to AI models that won't keep track of your interactions. You could probably also tell it a bit about yourself and the job and ask it to give you a full script for both sides of a short interview and see if that helps. We Autistics do love a bit of certainty and predictability, so a bit of preparation will help you to feel much more relaxed.

    There are probably interview skills training courses available from the usual sources, too. Maybe have a look for some videos on YouTube about first interviews, etc.

  • in reply to Damojo

    I think I will keep it to myself. If I'm lucky enough to get the job (big IF probably) and I get to know the lady and she's as nice and understanding as I'm hoping she will be and then I'll say about my autism.

    But I don't want to rush in to that and make a mistake trusting someone who can't really be trusted. One of my biggest problems is I'm too trusting and in the past this has led to a lot of upset for me.

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  • in reply to Damojo

    I think I will keep it to myself. If I'm lucky enough to get the job (big IF probably) and I get to know the lady and she's as nice and understanding as I'm hoping she will be and then I'll say about my autism.

    But I don't want to rush in to that and make a mistake trusting someone who can't really be trusted. One of my biggest problems is I'm too trusting and in the past this has led to a lot of upset for me.

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