What jobs best suit you as an autistic adult?

I work in a school, as a midday supervisor (in other words, a playground warden). It's about all I can manage, to be honest; the world of work has been one disaster after another for me, to the point I honestly worry that if I didn't have this little job I'd be unemployable. This job doesn't damage me too much (although it can be loud), I get support from very understanding colleagues, and the routine and getting school holidays off to recover suits me perfectly.

I'm otherwise reliant on government handouts, and given how the government rubs its hands in glee at the thought of taking benefits away from people in my position I worry that I won't be getting enough support soon.

I used to work as a rep for a cosmetics company that was once well-known for door-to-door selling. It wasn't a job that I'd applied for, but was a job I had reluctantly agreed to do after a great deal of persuasion from a desperate area manager who had come knocking on my door. I didn't think I would enjoy it, but I ended up doing that job for the best part of 10 years.

The money I earnt was peanuts, not helped by the fact that I had to buy the brochures I delivered through customers' doors, along with the customer order forms and delivery bags. However, I enjoyed it because I was working on the housing estate where I lived, established a good rapport with the majority of my customers (which helped to boost my confidence), and was able to work to a timetable that suited me because I was more-or-less my own boss. If I was unwell, there was no having to worry about phoning in sick.

I was a young single mum, and it was a job I could do without the need for childcare. My son was a 1-yr-old when I took on the job. When I was out doing my rounds, he would be with me strapped into his pushchair. He would have been around 10 or 11 when I gave up that job. Some of the customers had children who attended the same primary school as my son, and a couple of them were in the same class.

Some years later, I tried my hand at selling handmade greeting cards online, but it was short-lived. I felt like I needed to be a production factory churning out cards, which took away the therapeutic benefits of crafting. 

When I was much, much younger (a child), I thought I wanted to be a nursery teacher, until I realised it would mean having to go to college and university. During my mid-to-late teens, I thought I'd like to be a radio presenter. Just before I fell pregnant with my son, I had notions of joining the military police in the RAF.

I'm a warehouse clerk. I often hear, that I work below my qualifications and people wonder, what I'm doing there with my skills. But it's maximum I'm capable of, this job does not damage me mentally (although it's often loud), because I don't have to do small talk, so I'm at lower risk of saying something inappropriate or ridiculing myself by taking everything seriously and literally,  and most important- small talk is a hard job, that im lucky I can just skip. My job is based on routines, procedures,  my attention to detail is being praised (I notice all the transportation damages and report them immediately). I hope I will stay there long term, but I'm also a bit afraid of a possible burnout. 

I work in a school (SEN). I like the fact that it is timetabled. This gives me structure. But it is also varied so I don't get bored. I cannot do repetitive jobs. I need my brain to have stimulation. It can also be a very rewarding job and I thrive when it's going well.

There are definite downsides though. The timetable can change which I find challenging. Communication can be difficult. It can also be a tough job sometimes and whilst I thrive when it's going well, I get very disheartened when it's not.

I also like animals. I did originally want a career with animals but I quickly found once animals were my job that they were not a hobby any more. So I changed plan.

Good morning Ellie,

I was a professor of music for 10 years, but between the low pay, imposter syndrome, and students just outright stopped trying during/after COVID, I had to leave.

Then I was a factory worker putting tanks of insulation foam into boxes for almost 2 years. That job was pretty great, because it was a lot of repetition, so expectations were pretty solid. Problem was I often made small mistakes (ADHD) and I had difficulty with taking on too much work compared to my peers. It ended up being physically draining, whereas teaching was emotionally/intellectually draining.

Now I work as an employment specialist helping people with disabilities find jobs. On one hand it’s great that I feel pretty fulfilled when things work out and I have a flexible schedule that I am in charge of, but on the other hand it can be really stressful working with others with disabilities. Some of my clients are powder kegs ready to explode on a moment’s notice.

My career was as a pharmacist which suited an autistic perfectly. I left that (midlife crisis?) and started work at an animal charity. I would say DON'T work in this area if you are autistic. The sector attracts people who can't work well with people (yes, I know just like me with ASD) and that means the working dynamic is harmful if you are in any way emotionally sensitive as part of your autistic traits. Feedback from other people suggest its not just me who feels like this

I was an IT technician for 15 years, an IT manager for 17 years and currently run my own business renovating property as part of my early retirement plan.

Being my own boss works well for me as I know everything that is going on, why it is being done that way, who I have scheduled in to do the tasks and that I am able to substitute for any of the tradespeople if they let me down.

I also get to use the time between projects to source the next ones, research the market and get to know the whole field much better - it lets me be a subject matter expert in my chosen field which suits my Special Interest autistic trait.

My preference for clear and precise instructions makes me quite suited to train apprentices so I help out a number of local youngsters who can benefit from the skills and start out on their own. 

That slightly more formal relationship means I don't get drowned in so much of the social slang and chit chat that they use amongst their friends and hence makes the interaction more comfortable for me.

Being in control of the workload helps a lot although I have been known to take on way too much and run myself down physically from too much manual work. Once you get sick you can't just call in - you need to drag your ass back onsite and keep going even when you are sick or feel fried mentally, so there is that to remember for beng self employed.

On balance this change is the best thing I ever did.