Asperger's and Jobs

I'm about to start voluntary work in a museum. I volunteeer on a heritage railway, tho wish I lived nearer the railway. I've never beeen so excited about work since I started on British Rail ( I regard the preserved railway as a hobby rather than work).  At the museum I;m excited by the transport, the old toys, the Victorian music room, love to dmonstrate the Victorian ''hi-fi'' the old replica street based on real shops, a cinema & a pub, and also the room with old telephones, my Dad used to work for GPO/BT as an engineer, so I do remember him showing me his eqiupment. I'm doing this to gain experience in a museum/heritage setting as I feel that's an area I;d like to work in. I'm also thinking theatre /performing arts, researching things for historical accuracy. I gather programmes such as Heartbeeat, Downton Abbey and period dramas will need period props to be accurate. In a rerun of Heartbeat I did notice a Southern railway locomotive in  a drama set in Yorkshire, maybe I noticed it as railways is one of my main interests.      

Definite pattern there!  I'm an IT techie and web designer myself.

I have worked in accounting for the las 15 years because I love to work with numbers and enjoy the solitude. Plus accounting has always come easy for me.

I work as an Independence Trainer with adults with special needs (including autism).  It suits me because I have a natural identification with vulnerable people and find them great fun to work with.  Being an Aspie myself, I think I have an innate understanding of many of their behaviours and needs.  Also, they tend to accept me unconditionally - no backstabbing, gossip, disloyalty, judgment - unlike an awful lot of NT people I've known throughout my life.

Banjo's Backpack said:

Sounds good Pentadactyl, and I am happy you've found a career you're enjoying. A lot of those things are attractive but I find myself needing more. My ambition means when I get a job, the first thing I think of is, how to I now move on to a higher level? I also don't like things too routine and too rule orientated. I like rules, but not dictated by others. Self-employment is therefore probably my preferred option so now after having a degree, I am exploring becoming a mechanic to be self-employed in a job I can be self-employed in, successful and create my own rules.

I'm unclear as to what you mean by 'more'. What is your view of work at a higher level? My experience of upper management and so on is largely based on the pursuit of (usually arbitrary or profits based) targets. Moving 'upwards' in an organisation is, in my opinion, best based on a thorough understanding of the lower levels of the organisation (thereby allowing you to 'emphasise' or better consider their position when you make requests for changes/requests for tasks or targets). That said, PR and marketing areas may be different and I have no experience here (if you are considering PR, I would suggest trying to find a job in a local newspaper, this will allow you to gain an insight into communication requirements and regulations surrounding items such as libel).

There are risks and benefits to being self employed. The largest benefit is, of course, self sufficiency, the largest risk; security.

If you decide to become a self-employed mechanic, consider the people you would like to service; for example if you would like to be able to work as an insurance repairer you will (as a minimum) need to be VAT registered. You must also consider your parts suppliers and the quality of the parts supplied (for example, if a part failed while still in warranty, would you replace it under warranty terms? Or, what is your profit margin on parts.

You should also consider what initial expendature would need to be made. For example, although vehicles are fitted with a universal connection (OBD?) as standard, universal software may not be sufficient to detect or amend vehicle faults and certain replacement of components would require vehicle re-programming following this replacement.

You should also consider the technical knowledge required to repair vehicles or provide a quote for repairs; would you subscribe to a technical data library?

Banjo's Backpack said:

On the salary front, I have a degree in the field of communication and marketing with a few years experience from placements etc. When I was interviewed for a job recently they offered me minimum wage. This was a very wealthy pharmaceutical company under pressure in the marketing department. I value myself much more than that. Much like another reader in this forum (sorry I don't have your username on hand), I was also advised to take my degree of my C.V. In a way, I am offered nothing more really for it, but I also value myself and so we should!

In reference to this, I suspect that it is related to the position applied for. My understanding of marketing positions is that they are based on incentive (i.e. comission based).

To give an anecdote, when I left university, I found it very difficult to find a relevent job and worked as a mechanic for approximately a year before I was able to do so. When I did find a relevent position, I was working at just above minimum wage for the time (and less than I was earning working as a mechanic), I worked in this position for four years before moving on. It has taken me ten years to reach my current position, and I am grateful that I was able to work in that lower paid position as it allowed me to gain experience in the industry as well as (as the work was relatively easy) put myself forwards for additional and more complicated tasks with little/no risk and so gain experience in other areas.

I suppose my advice here is not to look down on a position because it's low paid if it's something that you want to do.

@BP: Have you tried using the government's "Access to Work" scheme? It is a scheme designed to help people with disabilities to get into, or stay in, work. People with ASC are eligible for assistance and they can provide customised help for individual's circumstances.

Sounds good Pentadactyl, and I am happy you've found a career you're enjoying. A lot of those things are attractive but I find myself needing more. My ambition means when I get a job, the first thing I think of is, how to I now move on to a higher level? I also don't like things too routine and too rule orientated. I like rules, but not dictated by others. Self-employment is therefore probably my preferred option so now after having a degree, I am exploring becoming a mechanic to be self-employed in a job I can be self-employed in, successful and create my own rules.

I think it's a disgrace though how we are treated. Recently I just discovered that anxiety is likely in adults with aspergers syndrome, and I am still trying to work out my responses to work as I am coming across new responses and functional breakdowns. No financial support for our condition and not even support in the form of one-to-one or a phone call. It really annoys me, hence another reason why I am happy to see you in a job you enjoy.

On the salary front, I have a degree in the field of communication and marketing with a few years experience from placements etc. When I was interviewed for a job recently they offered me minimum wage. This was a very wealthy pharmaceutical company under pressure in the marketing department. I value myself much more than that. Much like another reader in this forum (sorry I don't have your username on hand), I was also advised to take my degree of my C.V. In a way, I am offered nothing more really for it, but I also value myself and so we should!

My work is largely QA in the scientific field, although I began in QC. I find it very interesting and it allows me to research new ideas and novel ideas and techniques as part of my job.

If you can get a life/chemical science degree it's a good place to start. It also allows you to work in a small and largely static team (so you don't have to learn new names and faces constantly). There are also alot of very descriptive (but open to interpretation) rules and regulations, and alot of the work is very routine.

Be aware though that the starting salaries are generally abysmal despite (as I've found) the general good education of staff. As a note, my general opinion is that Chemists are more likely, but not exclusively, to have ASD traits.

Since graduating in 2013 in Communication with PR (some part of that was to try to understand the things that are hard to understand with autism - turns out, even if you understand them, you can't change a lot of them!). Since then I struggled to find work, in fact I don't even feel competent in the area of my degree to be honest. I had a placement and it was like I hadn't a clue. in 2009-10 I completed the first year of a sport foundation degree, but I always wanted to finish it so I did last year. Find a job has been tough and finding work I enjoy even tougher. I have had jobs in the communication and sport industry, both of which I didn't enjoy. I now want to try to be a mechanic in order to do a job I would imagine I would like and finally earn some money too. I also feel help for us has been poor. I have had trouble with work but there's no support - doctors just sign post me and it's a circle of passing me on, financially its also tough because work is quite hard for me. I want to work, but I want some support to help me manage my working life long term.

i like barwork mainly because it was completely scripted and easy to get i liked working nights and sleeping all day doing most of my food shopping at odd times also i did part time hours in a  dark enviroment with one source of noise downside sometimes agressive but nightclubs usually had doorman and good doorman keep an eye on the barstaff unfortunately low paid and casual in nature dosnt mix well with families or even holding down a relationship 

I am a teaching assistant (primary), and work in a small school. I actually specialise in working with children with additional needs, including Autism. I always knew I was 'different', and it was only through being friends with someone with aspergers, that I began to recognise some of their symptoms and ways within myself. I find now that I actually relate well to children who need a little extra help as I have been there myself and understand.

I love my job, and am lucky that in a school environment, it is highly likely most staff have dealt with autism at some point, and know how to approach it. I'm lucky to work with patient people who dont treat me any different from anyone else, but will give me space if I need 'recharge' time and explain things different to me if I ask (which I feel comfortable in asking for help because it's so lovely). I love the fact days are so structured aswell. Also I find if I have any difficulties, I am able to overcome them and any solutions I find I pass onto the children, we are a proper little team muddling through together

I have worked almost exclusively in education or children's services since graduating. This has worked really well. My first job was actually in a secondary school (school data manager) and then I moved to the local authority, where I am currently working as school performance data manager. 

I am really lucky to be in a team which is very supportive and actually values me for my "quirks" as well as the fact that I am really good at my job. 

I do however think that the fact that the people I work with all have been teachers at some point (and therefore have all had to work closely with SEN - and most likely autistic children at some point) helps them to recognise and forgive my behaviour. So, in addition to IT departments which seem to be the commonly suggested areas of work for individuals on the spectrum, education isn't a bad area, because you're working alongside people who have been trained to promote inclusion. 

Having said all of that, I'm quite a sociable aspie (in small doses) - I do like being around people that I like, I just do it wrong a lot of the time! And education does have a greater element of networking than IT does (or so I've observed) so education may not suit everyone. 

The one job I had outside of education/children's services was in the corporate policy unit of the same local authority. It was awful; but I was perfectly capacble of the work, so I think it is about finding an environment you are comfortable in. I didn't last 6 months in that job!

It not paid work but really wish it was but work quite well as a cleaner on my own in a Church. (I go to that church). I am not in a team. Just me doing it.  It a town Church so people come in whilst I am there.  This may have daunted me at the beginning if I had thought about it but not now. I don't know how much extra I would have to do it if was a paid job. But I love just being allowed to get on with it and work through it. I learned very early on not to look at it as such because it an old building and you can't really see what difference it is making after the first week I did it (september) because it hadn't been done for a long time before then. But I really like it as work. Even if voluntary.  Wish it was paid work but I actually enjoy it and helps me feel a sense of worth.

This question was raised fairly recently http://community.autism.org.uk/discussions/health-wellbeing/work-volunteering/what-do-you-all-do-job by Sgt Romeo who is finding it tough going as a female in the police.

A lot depends on the lottery of who your manager and immediate colleagues are. I have worked in a number of places over the years and managers can vary from being genuine psychopaths to really nice people. The culture of the organisation also a=has a bearing. Large stable companies with well defined roles and processes can be good. Fast moving reactive companies that are always chasing the latest fad can be particularly challenging if one is resistant to change and multi tasking.

I've been surprised by a few people on the forum who have done jobs that I wouldn't think of doing - teaching which involves dealing with large numbers of kids seems to be possible if the school has appropriate atmosphere and culture of sensible discipline. Sgt Romeo is finding it tough in the police but it may be her colleagues or it may be the nature of the force that is making it tough.

Project management, or any role where you need to be negotiating or cajoling or being an intermediary would be impossible in my mind but I expect someone will be able to point out a contrary example.

Shop work could be suitable as this can be straightforward and rule based and often doesn't involve any greater understanding of human fellings than politeness (some might even struggle with that though)

I work in IT and also know a lot of engineers who are on the spectrum. In these areas your work can speak for you. If you do a quality job then people may give you respect and some allowance for being a bit odd. Working in an IT department can be tough though as people are often not very good at dealing with each other as humans! (Go figure!)

Some people have found success in self employment where they can do most of the work alone. This needs organisation and self discipline which is an area that many of us struggle with.

Despite my reservations about assumptions made that an aptitude for computer games makes for a career in IT there is no getting away from the fact numbers of people on the spectrum find jobs in aspects of IT. Just I feel caution is necessary in computing degrees because you neded to pass in all the aspects, which does lead to lots of failures.

IT environments seem much more accepting of social misfits - as long as you can do your job that is what matters.

The problem is why so many other work enviroments obsess about you having to fit in with workplace social structures. If IT can do it, why not countless other workplaces.

I did quite well for 12 years as a systems engineer, even though I didn't have an engineering qualification I had scarce skills that made it possible. Such organisations involve IT and are similar, and you often hear of engineering as a good place for people on the spectrum. I certainly met lots of engineers who with hindsight probably had autism.

The trouble I had in engineering was with time-wasters. I appeared different. There were people who spent hours (when they should have been working) engaging me in pointless conversations trying to work out what was behind the difference. There were also people trying to make me make mistakes, and then complain about me. Engineering is full of such timewasters, and may be why this country is losing out to overseas competitors in so many areas of engineering we used to lead on. Maybe they need to employ more autistic people.....

Trouble is I'd always wanted to teach in a university. When I finally got there, in the latter and main part of my working life, I found it full of petty tyrants, cliques and bullies. They say that academia is a good place for people on the spectrum, but those saying so are blissfully unaware of the petty idiots who get most of the jobs (and are usually bad teachers as well).

But then a lot of working environments are like that. You aren't allowed to be different, and there are people around who will go out of their way to make it tough for anyone who isn't eactly like them.

I work in IT as a web site developer, I can recognise asperger traits in my work colleagues. I remember talking to an employment agency specialising in this work who mentioned about how many people he had placed who had problems socialising, but were extremely good at their work. I think people on the spectrum are generally more capable at this type of work because of the in-depth analytical and logical thinking that is required.