Working with autism

Thank you especially for the understanding paragraph at the end, I’m still young and I do really want to work and finding the job/career for me is seeming hard right now but after speaking with people who understand it gives hope in a way  that it’s not easy but I should not give up.

Thank you for the reply, I really needed some advice especially from someone who has been working for longer than me and has more experience with things like this, I will definitely be using your advice and appreciate it.

You might want to consider what is causing you to reach breaking point. It is not mandatory to quit. I have been at one place (with a gap) for 15 years, it was 8 years with the previous one.

Are there times I get frustrated, of course. Do I sometimes get wound up and have to walk off and sit alone for 15 mins, occasionally. Do I think of quitting, yes. But then I calm down, think about what I have (the money, location, flexibility) and think of the positives. It is not that easy getting a job and after a certain age it gets harder.

The trick is to pace yourself. Don't say yes to everything, allow time to do stuff if you can, push back if you need more, try to complete things,even the bits you put off (in fact try to do these first of you can), set little goals and allow yourself to feel good when you meet them, don't take it all like it is life or death, be prepared to ask for help if you don't know something and write the answer down so you don't have to ask twice, a note book is good for this,don't try to remember, you won't.

The question Is whether quitting is because you are working at an unsustainable level, or if you are doing more as you get more familiar with the job till you get overloaded.

Assuming you are lasting more than a few weeks, then things get easier as you get to know everyone and all the procedures. It takes over a year to do this normally, because some problems don't occur very often and done people you don't see that often.

If you get bored, you can suggest improvements, it asks for a slight change. But not very often.

Take your leave and try not to think of work when you leave. As you get more senior this becomes harder and harder.

Take breaks in the day when you are allowed. Don't just sit at a desk it whatever. Have a short walk, it go outside to get sone fresh air. Remember to drink.

Check I with your manager often, and talk. If there are problems say something. But it is best if you have a suggestion that will help. Be pro-active and people will try to work with you. 

Try to make it something you are involved in, not some horrible chore.

Good morning from America, RIO011!

So my general advice is that - unless an opportunity comes up that is better or if your work situation is unbearably toxic - it is best to stick with a job at least a year. That looks better on your resume and employers are more likely to give you a better word as a reference if they’ve worked with you for a while. I also think that giving a job a year is a good yard-stick to judge whether the job will fit you in the long run, since you get to see how it goes through different seasons (ex some retail jobs are much harder in November and December). So maybe with your next or current job you can try to stick it out a year?

But yeah you’re right, work can be very difficult for people with Autism. Burnout from work seems so common with Autistic people. Work is actually not for everyone, but it’s hard for NTs to recognize that work is generally not designed with NDs in mind.