My first job interview

Karma said:

Another thing that worries me is I'm nearly 19 and I don't want her to think I'm young and immature. Sometimes a lot of older people can have a bad impression on younger people.

On the contrary, she's probably had enough of old people and would love someone younger around to help.

No not at all. I appreciate yours and everyone's responses. It's all helpful and the input and advice is all very welcome with me. 

I haven't heard of behavioural interviewing before but I'll be looking in to this as well. Any help is welcome!

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.

Thank you!! I'm actually so surprised I heard back about this job...I wasn't expecting to hear anything back and then I got the email and I was like oh wow yay! Lol. 

Reading through the lines I think the job will be assisting this older lady like making her food, taking her shopping and thinks like that. One thing that does work in my favour is that I can drive, so if she needs taking anywhere I'll be able to do it. Though I'm little nervous on the motorway but I'm hoping everything would be local. 

If I get the job of course. 

Another thing that worries me is I'm nearly 19 and I don't want her to think I'm young and immature. Sometimes a lot of older people can have a bad impression on younger people.

Maybe I'm just overthinking it though. Probably lol.

Lol funny enough communication was the first thing that flashed through my mind and then I was like "No Bri don't say that" 

I like the one about saying I care about others wellbeing more than my own is a good one and oddly accurate. I've always cared more for other people, sometimes even people I don't know; more than I do for myself.

I'm very empathetic and that can be a bit of a curse at times. 

This helps a lot! Thank you so much. I'm grateful to you all for helping me with this today. It's my first interview and I so desperately want to get this job. My anxiety is telling me no but my heart is like yeah let's go for it.

I will be her new producer hehe 

Replying to my own post.... I'm over thinking this, aren't I?

Also, "behavioural" interviewing is popular these days. You might be asked questions where you have to give specific examples from your own experience. You can google "behavioural interview questions" and you'll find things like this: https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/behavioural-questions-for-interviewing/. That might give you some idea of the types of questions that you might be asked. However, as this is your first interview, they'll probably be asking fairly easy questions, as they know your experience is limited, so just answer as best you can and they'll appreciate your honesty.

And, courtesy of AI, here is how you might approach answering such questions:

Even if you lack direct experience, you can structure your response using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result):

• Situation: Briefly describe a relevant situation, even if it’s not directly related to the job.
• Task: Explain what you needed to accomplish in that situation.
• Action: Describe the actions you took, focusing on your thought process and skills.
• Result: Share the outcome, emphasizing what you learned or how it could apply to the job.

An example of your response might be:

"That's a great question! While I haven't had direct experience in that specific situation, I can relate it to a time when I worked on a group project in school. We faced a tight deadline, and I took the initiative to organize our tasks and communicate with my teammates. I ensured everyone was on the same page, which helped us complete the project successfully. I learned the importance of teamwork and communication, and I’m eager to apply those skills in a sales assistant role."

With enthusiasm like that, the job will be yours!

If you’re applying to work as one of her tour workers, then by all means go for it!

Damojo said:

Then ask a few questions about the job.

Damojo has tons of excellent advice here, but this is probably the most important bit. Asking a question about the job shows you are interested in the position and really care about getting the job. If you can’t think of one, it’s always safe to ask “How many employees do you have?”

I also agree with Damojo that it’s safer to not disclose during the interview. I have a few times, but that’s only been when I knew I was safe to do so ahead of time (ex. I work for a company that helps disabled folk right now).

Weakness if you dis t-swizzle I might have to use my wwf skills on you haha 

So your saying i cant say my strength is that im the best swiftie in rhe world?

Welcome and congrats on getting an interview!

Two questions that get asked a lot (from my experience) is what are your strengths and what are your weaknesses.

For strengths you’ll want to list something that applies to the job. Like, being amazing at Super Mario 64 is great, but probably not for an interview lol. For example, if you are applying for a job as a custodian, attention to detail is a great strength to have.

For weaknesses it’s a little bit harder. We all have things we can work on. You want to be honest, but you also want to give a weakness that does not conflict with the job or one that might be seen as a positive. The most obvious one I know of is that you care more about others’ wellbeing over your own. That can be a negative, but it can also be a positive. Being too overly focused on details is one I know a lot of ADHD/Autistics can use. Just don’t do what I did on my last interview and say communication if communication is a core element of the job lol

I hope that helps, and good luck!

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.

Good luck with all of that..I hope it goes well for you and is everything you're hoping for. 

I think your set list sounds good. I'm personally a big fan of both Taylor and Olivia Rodrigo. Bob Dylan is good as well, his song blowin in the wind is fab.

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. 

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."

Yea im hoping to start doing full time music so so no more bosses and changing staff just me and my music choices 

my set list consists of Taylo swift(i know it’s obvious for those who know me),Olivia Rodrigo,the real people,Waxfang,simple plan,yellow card,bob Dylan and more 

That sounds stressful. I've always liked the idea of working from home being self employed but only if I could stay inside all the time. The outside world is so stressful and frightening.

I hope it goes well and isn't too bad for you though.

Is your work going to be something you enjoy doing?

The job I'm applying for is helping a woman, so like cleaning for her, doing shopping for her, taking her places etc, etc.

Not really ideal for me but I can't be choosy.

My next job will be hard though I’ll be self employed so I’ll be always having to ring and visit venues and private clients 

Comgrats on your last interview! It must have been nice knowing the person. I wish I knew who was going to be interviewing me.

I was hoping for a virtual interview, still stressful but a lot better than a face to face one.

I've been practicing with myself in the mirror though that's not really been a lot of help.

It's only reassured me that I'm rubbish at socialising, with others; and myself.  

My dad and I aren't exactly "close" so I'm going to see if my mum will do some practicing with me.

Thank you for the great suggestion. Much appreciated!