(Peter Burdon via Unsplash)
San Juan; Texas — How do I handle the hurdles of working with autism? Spoiler alert, it’s hard!
First of all, getting a job is total BS. It’s already hard for neurotypical people, but it is extremely difficult for people with autism. The main problem for people on the spectrum is that we can be too honest, and in a job interview, you have to walk the knife’s edge of having to be honest with your answers, but not too honest. For example, when the person asks you, “what type of work environment do you prefer?,” what I really want to say is something in the style of a low-pressure environment. But even if the position is low stress, the interviewer will want to hear how you are completely adaptable under high pressure and how much you love and admire the company, when in reality you just want this position to make some spare money or to survive.
Let’s be frank, no one is willing to jump on a grenade, Captain America-style, to save their local Wendy’s restaurant. I never understood all the interview questions about loyalty or future goals.
I actually don’t want to climb any corporate ladders. I don’t care about job titles. I don’t need accolades.
I just want to have income to fund my lifestyle, not be depressed, help other people, and be around good humans. Dassit.
— IG: theikonickay (@theikonickay) July 28, 2022
As seen in the tweet that explains my thoughts, people usually don’t want to climb all the ladders, trample over other people or become a money hungry sociopath. The main reason we work is to survive and to gain resources to what makes us happy. What makes me happy is to make money to go on trips, pay for my friends meals and splurge a bit on video games and model kits.
Then if you have the amazing luck to land the position, you will have to navigate through corporate politics and gossip which is a total Catch-22. If you don’t speak your opinion about these frivolities, you get ostracized, but if you do, you may be adding to the toxic work culture. And if caught, you are scapegoat number one to be fired.
Question: why should I have to care about this gossip and politics when all I want is to get paid and do my work? Isn’t that what the bosses want? What do the other people want? With ASD, it’s even harder due to taking everything so seriously when it comes to harsh jokes and comments and then the corporate retaliation comes in.
All in all, it’s not easy to get a job now, let alone hold one. For people with ASD, it may feel like the hunt for a job is 10 times harder than the average person. The good news is that if you search hard enough, you can find something amazing. Don’t give up and keep your head high.