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Looking for a job

LavenderPiano

This is mainly a rant about my job searching situation and a bit of background.

I've been looking for a stable job for a few years now, since graduating from uni, but it's such a struggle. I managed to work as a barista for a few months and my confidence improved a lot, but I just couldn't communicate that well with others, and I still can't. I basically got fired from the job but the manager said that it was a 'temporary' job and that it was in my contract even though it was blank. I should have really asked about it at the time but I didn't think it was that important. I was kind of sad from it but also a bit relieved because I hated most customers lol.

I got another job after that as a technician on a casual contract at a theatre, as I thought I wanted to work in the music industry. However, I only ever worked one shift in a year and I hated it. As a short, skinny girl in her early 20's I wasn't really built for it lol.

Anyway, I decided it wasn't for me and I did a short office admin course, because I like making schedules and to-do lists, and thought a career in admin might suit me well. Turns out you have to have experience working as an admin assistant and you have to have 'excellent communication skills', yay (sarcastic). I'm not even sure if I would enjoy it, but I'm sick of not having a stable job. I'm worried about my future and I need to get out of the house.

In an ideal world, I'd love to have a stable, remote job where I can travel the world and learn different languages in my spare time, while feeling comfortable enough to live on my own. When I look anything up about this, it says about being a freelancer but I don't really want a heavily creative job, or it says about going into education, but I feel like I've been in education enough and now I'm just ready to be stable. 

I also worry about not being able to do the job properly and misunderstanding what I'm supposed to do, as I have made many mistakes in my previous jobs. 

I'd love to hear about other people's experience with looking for a job or some advice.

Parents

  • Finding a job that works with our challenges is always going to be difficut, but you can do it with some logical thinking.

    First, look at your weaknesses. You say you don't communicate well and are slighlty built physically. Both of these can be imroved if you really want a job that involves them although both will have their limitations.

    For example you may never be able to be a hostess in a club for example or a labourer on a building site - understanding where the limitations are will help you have realistic expectations, but you are capable of learning comminication skills and could hit the gym and become stronger if these were really important for you.

    To build a list of things that we thing could be suitable it will really help to know what things you like. For example:

    1 - Do you like animals? Consider learning a bit about animal care and look for jobs as a vets assistant, working in a kennel etc. Working in a stable may be a bit too much if you would struggle lifting a saddle into position, moving bales of hay etc, but these can be worked on with focus.

    2 - Love the open air? Postal delivery could be an option with limited social contact (you will always get some doorstep lurkers though), and possibly territorial dogs.

    3 - Enjoy working with your hands and building things? There are a lot of vacancies for tradespeople (joiners, electricians, plasterers etc) and getting on a training course will get you into work. There will be a need to socialise with your colleagues onsite though and it can be a bit of a blokey environment but you largely need to get on with your own task or work with one other person most of the time. The pay can be good though.

    4 - Want to travel and have a chance to learn about other cultures? Consider teaching English. Places like Japan will often give you a years visa to teach English to their students. The cultural difference will be a challenge but they are very formal typically and their society is very rules based so once you learn these plus a bit of their language it get a lot easier. The culture shock can be challenging though.

    I think China has a similar scheme.

    Tell us more about what really interests you, what your autistic "special interests" are and what you really enjoy and we may be able to give more ideas, including how to get into those fields.

Reply

  • Finding a job that works with our challenges is always going to be difficut, but you can do it with some logical thinking.

    First, look at your weaknesses. You say you don't communicate well and are slighlty built physically. Both of these can be imroved if you really want a job that involves them although both will have their limitations.

    For example you may never be able to be a hostess in a club for example or a labourer on a building site - understanding where the limitations are will help you have realistic expectations, but you are capable of learning comminication skills and could hit the gym and become stronger if these were really important for you.

    To build a list of things that we thing could be suitable it will really help to know what things you like. For example:

    1 - Do you like animals? Consider learning a bit about animal care and look for jobs as a vets assistant, working in a kennel etc. Working in a stable may be a bit too much if you would struggle lifting a saddle into position, moving bales of hay etc, but these can be worked on with focus.

    2 - Love the open air? Postal delivery could be an option with limited social contact (you will always get some doorstep lurkers though), and possibly territorial dogs.

    3 - Enjoy working with your hands and building things? There are a lot of vacancies for tradespeople (joiners, electricians, plasterers etc) and getting on a training course will get you into work. There will be a need to socialise with your colleagues onsite though and it can be a bit of a blokey environment but you largely need to get on with your own task or work with one other person most of the time. The pay can be good though.

    4 - Want to travel and have a chance to learn about other cultures? Consider teaching English. Places like Japan will often give you a years visa to teach English to their students. The cultural difference will be a challenge but they are very formal typically and their society is very rules based so once you learn these plus a bit of their language it get a lot easier. The culture shock can be challenging though.

    I think China has a similar scheme.

    Tell us more about what really interests you, what your autistic "special interests" are and what you really enjoy and we may be able to give more ideas, including how to get into those fields.

Children
  • in reply to Iain

    I mean I definitely want to improve my social skills so that's something I'm working on at the moment and I think it'll be good for most jobs. I have thought about the teaching English thing but I looked into it and I don't think I could handle teaching kids since I don't really like them. Also, thank you for the suggestions but I don't think those are for me.

    As for special interests, I really like making schedules and I'm into seasonal stuff, so watching certain things in certain seasons and doing certain activities. I also like music and watching shows. 

    I think I do want to work in admin but I'm always thinking about the negative things whichever path I choose. It's nice to know my options though in case there is something better suited to me.

  • in reply to Iain

    My special interests actually helped me get my current job. I got a little obsessed with learning everything I could about Autism and I used that to fuel my job search. My job is working with people with disabilities, so I think my knowledge on ASD helped.