Getting a Job

If you are in an office environment and you pick up a pen and play with it, that for most employers would be a pleasing indication that you are alert. Huge amounts of time are wasted in office environments by people not doing what they are supposed to be doing (known as "displacement activity" - doing anything other than the task in hand). It's not like school where teachers are paranoid about not having full attention.

In "shop-floor" environments in factories and other production based contexts you may have to turn out so many units an hour, and be expected to keep up the rate to ensure everyone gets the monthly bonus, but its not a job to pick if your concentration or motivation is poor. But people with ADHD manage, and some AS difficulties of this kind may be resolvable with some effort. Socialising I agree is the mega impact on holding down a job, but that has nothing to do with doing the job.

I "tune-out" a lot - I'm not day-dreaming and I'm not asleep, I look attentive and awake but my brain switches off for hours at a time. However when motivated my focus allows intense productivity, beyond the capacity of most NTs, so I probably survived on that basis. I had terrible guilt for years about the number of hours, even days, when I did nothing  The trouble is most of the NTs around me were skiving every bit as much in their own way.

Most work environments are about productivity. If the output is not measured by repetitive tasks by the hour, it is most likely they are only interested in results. I recall one engineer years ago who read science fiction books at work. Management eventually conceded that as long as he provided solutions when asked to solve problems, they did not mind the blatent disregard for his duties at other times.

The worst situation I've been in was three months in a job where there was no work, but management insisted we looked busy and went round reprimanding anyone who didn't. Several people had mental breakdowns trying so hard to look busy with nothing to do. So I would not worry about twiddling your pen - sign of a brain.

If you are in an office environment and you pick up a pen and play with it, that for most employers would be a pleasing indication that you are alert. Huge amounts of time are wasted in office environments by people not doing what they are supposed to be doing (known as "displacement activity" - doing anything other than the task in hand). It's not like school where teachers are paranoid about not having full attention.

In "shop-floor" environments in factories and other production based contexts you may have to turn out so many units an hour, and be expected to keep up the rate to ensure everyone gets the monthly bonus, but its not a job to pick if your concentration or motivation is poor. But people with ADHD manage, and some AS difficulties of this kind may be resolvable with some effort. Socialising I agree is the mega impact on holding down a job, but that has nothing to do with doing the job.

I "tune-out" a lot - I'm not day-dreaming and I'm not asleep, I look attentive and awake but my brain switches off for hours at a time. However when motivated my focus allows intense productivity, beyond the capacity of most NTs, so I probably survived on that basis. I had terrible guilt for years about the number of hours, even days, when I did nothing  The trouble is most of the NTs around me were skiving every bit as much in their own way.

Most work environments are about productivity. If the output is not measured by repetitive tasks by the hour, it is most likely they are only interested in results. I recall one engineer years ago who read science fiction books at work. Management eventually conceded that as long as he provided solutions when asked to solve problems, they did not mind the blatent disregard for his duties at other times.

The worst situation I've been in was three months in a job where there was no work, but management insisted we looked busy and went round reprimanding anyone who didn't. Several people had mental breakdowns trying so hard to look busy with nothing to do. So I would not worry about twiddling your pen - sign of a brain.