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Aspergers and Job seeking

dayhiker

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I think the best thing to do is keep going on job interviews. After each interview take a few minutes to evaluate your answers to questions. If you made a bad comment practice to yourself what reply without the bad comments. Also think about what would make a better reply. That should help you on the next interview. Being good at interviews is a learned skill. So its something we can do.
 
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jackmt

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I am having hard time with this, and I believe that my Asperger behavior is showing during job interviews and application. Does anyone have advice? I am looking for min. wage jobs too, so it adds even more salt to the insult.
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I am taking speech therapy through my local university's RiteCare clinic. We sometimes do mock interviews in preparation for real ones. Also, I am working with Voc. Rehab. services doing the same. Both are free (to me, anyway) and are very helpful. I haven't found a job yet, but I am much better at carrying on conversations, generally.
 
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Intellectual-Christian

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I am having hard time with this, and I believe that my Asperger behavior is showing during job interviews and application. Does anyone have advice? I am looking for min. wage jobs too, so it adds even more salt to the insult.
Share your experience

This advice may sound strange, but here it goes. I used to get about 80% of the jobs for which I had an interview (before I found out about my Asperger's). Recently I haven't had as much luck. As I analyzed the differences between what I used to do and what I do now, I realized that what I do now is try to "appear normal" while before I was just myself (while trying to be cognizant of not insulting anyone). In other words, I had a lot more success when I was comfortable with the person I was portraying. On my last couple interviews, for which I am being called back for second interviews, I have intentionally dressed like myself (instead of how my wife insists on me dressing), which I think gave "cues" to the interviewer that I wasn't quite normal. We could then both be relaxed with me being more or less myself.

So, here is my thought. Do whatever it takes to be comfortable in your own skin during the interview. People don't mind hiring "weird" people as long as they are comfortable with their own weirdness. Weird is better than fake.
 
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Glass*Soul

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I am having hard time with this, and I believe that my Asperger behavior is showing during job interviews and application. Does anyone have advice? I am looking for min. wage jobs too, so it adds even more salt to the insult.
Share your experience

I don't know if I actually have any helpful advice, but do you have any feel for what traits in particular are coming out?
 
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Vitari

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I don't know if this might be of use, but in the uk we have The National Autistic Society. They have a website and the have campaigns and produce info to help employers who want to hire autistc people for their talents but are not sure how to handle problems that might arise. This includes how to interview aspies. I assume they may also give advice to aspies on how to tackle interviews as well as work
 
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Charlie:)

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Hi, I was wondering if there are any aspies out there that haven't ever been able to hold down a job long. I'm 24 and I live off Social Security Income, I can hardly leave my apartment. I feel really guilty about it because I seem a lot of aspies function great
 
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Theodiskaz

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Intellectual-Christian had what I think was solid, affirming advice. My advice would be this. Consider your strengths. Carefully consider, in an interview, maybe being upfront about it and why that's a plus. Not a lot of variety and special needs (on the part of employers) mabe at your level, but it gets better. Society is starting to value us and it seems to be only getting better. AS have a lot to give :)
 
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Theodiskaz

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Hi, I was wondering if there are any aspies out there that haven't ever been able to hold down a job long. I'm 24 and I live off Social Security Income, I can hardly leave my apartment. I feel really guilty about it because I seem a lot of aspies function great

Hi. You are not alone. I read about aspie success stories and it makes me glad. At 55, I don't think I have one in me anymore, at least not in the job force. But I am a success in my own house and I am a hero to my grownup children and my grandchildren love me dearly, despite the fact that I can't bring home the bacon anymore. I serve them my undivided attention. Maybe that is my success story, but like I told someone else, you are young, got your diagnosis, and society is opening up to our potential, day be day, so be encouraged!
 
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