Life on the Autism Spectrum
Autism & problems getting a job
The Jobcentre staff had 'no clue about people with autism'. Simon was told to go to a doctor to...
The Jobcentre staff had 'no clue about people with autism'. Simon was told to go to a doctor to...
Developing an interview technique is something Russell finds difficult.
Developing an interview technique is something Russell finds difficult.
Oliver finds it frustrating that people with autism can fail filling in job applications when...
Oliver finds it frustrating that people with autism can fail filling in job applications when...
I think it’s more that I’ve got a bit of charisma. And I think people pick up on this, but I seem, I do seem to fail, this is, because I’ve just recently got a new job, and because I’ve been handing out a few CVs out and things like this. I think that people with AS fail in normal human resource, hiring situations where it’s ‘please put your name here’ and it’s in a fairly basic form and people would, because the questions are obviously going to filter certain things out and I think this is where people on the spectrum or with AS fail. Because it’s not necessarily that they can’t do the job. It’s they don’t understand what’s been asked of them, because I’ve had this with quite a few situations. And it frustrates me greatly. Because I know I could do the job. A lot of the times I know I could do the job well, if not better than any one at the place. And it’s just the fact that they’re bureaucratic, very uptight attitude is basically putting them at a disadvantage. They could have some one better rather than just someone who’s just going to do the bare minimum and it doesn’t….
Miranda thinks she doesn't come across very well to employers.
Miranda thinks she doesn't come across very well to employers.
Steven describes how people with Asperger syndrome can focus on tasks a lot more than most people...

Steven describes how people with Asperger syndrome can focus on tasks a lot more than most people...
Mary finds her OCD more debilitating than her anxiety and dislike of dealing with the public.
Mary finds her OCD more debilitating than her anxiety and dislike of dealing with the public.
I would like to have a paid job. I don’t have a job, I did have a temporary job in February at the County Council. That came to an end and it’s difficult finding a job that appropriate for me, because I know I can’t deal with the public and I can’t do practical things and I get very stressed very easily, because it’s mainly the OCD. I would say the OCD in many ways is more debilitating in a sort of way, because although I find it hard to relate to people, the OCD has got, I mean it’s all the obsessions and you know, about dirt and stuff. I get very obsessed and have to wash hands all the time. It’s quite… So I am more under control.
But it wasn’t easy to get onto benefits. And then obviously we had a problem when I got the job, you know, the temporary job at the County Council, because I actually it was because I worked too many hours and got too much… you know, got paid too much. So you see we had a problem with the benefits then, and we had to go through the whole process again, and that’s very stressful.
And we were told that wouldn’t be a problem at the start so we were kind of, we felt a little bit cheated. We don’t want to go through that again because obviously I want to get off benefits and I want to get a proper job. But it goes, it’s a very difficulty, it’s a really difficult problem which that all the problems in relation to OCD and people and practical skills and extreme anxiety means that I’m very unpredictable and I often like, you know, I mean I know in voluntary work I often can’t go in because on some days I’m just too extreme. You can’t do that in a paid job, you would be just be a liability. You’d let people down, and obviously it’s just very, very difficult really. You know, you just, conflict that you’re really wanting to have a job and then having to work through all these barriers. So it’s quite hard. I think I’d just like to get in sort of gradually. I would hate to have a, I mean I wish I was in a sort of situation where you could actually have a job and your benefits were taken away gradually instead of suddenly taken away and then if you can’t deal with a job, you have to apply all over again and it’s just a stress, just …
Sam feels he is 'psychologically incapable' of doing a job that he isn't obsessively interested in.
Sam feels he is 'psychologically incapable' of doing a job that he isn't obsessively interested in.
I mean, the notion of the life, a lot of people have lived, or of getting a, you know, leaving school, getting a job, working, whatever, they just… people to my mind seem so very, very easy to satisfy. Whereas an autistic person in my experience will often very much more difficult to satisfy, insofar as we can go over and just get any particular job, whereas it’s difficult for me to imagine myself working any but the most specific of jobs, because I just simply don’t care about most of them. And yeah, most of people aren’t very enthusiastic about working whatever job they’re going to work, but they’ll do it, it’s not particularly that big a concern. Whereas, it’s to the point whereby I probably couldn’t do it, I’d be psychologically incapable. Because I just couldn’t focus upon it, and the sheer, the level of will power it’ll take to get up and go to it. I think it would be so much more, because it’s just I’d have to be...out whatever thing I’m particularly interested or obsessed with at any given point. Hm.
John's dislike of social interaction and his obsessional focus have led to difficulties in the...
John's dislike of social interaction and his obsessional focus have led to difficulties in the...
Daniel explains why he has never worked.

Daniel explains why he has never worked.
Catherine describes the difficulties she has had in work.

Catherine describes the difficulties she has had in work.
John describes himself as competent, efficient with a good eye for detail, but he can't 'multi...
John describes himself as competent, efficient with a good eye for detail, but he can't 'multi...
Debbie now does voluntary work because she can't cope with pressure, stress or bullying.
Debbie now does voluntary work because she can't cope with pressure, stress or bullying.
And then I got I got a job at a hospital but I was very badly bullied there. And that was what I was saying then I had a really awful time there. And that is what made us decide to push for a diagnosis.
<Damian has always had a problem with being told what to do, especially when 'it is ill thought...
Damian has always had a problem with being told what to do, especially when 'it is ill thought...
Peter has found a support organisation helpful in finding employment.

Peter has found a support organisation helpful in finding employment.
John thinks that raising awareness of autism among employers would help.
John thinks that raising awareness of autism among employers would help.
Well that’s quite a broad question. I mean I’m not an expert in job design or anything of that kind. I think, I think one of the main things that would help would be for somebody to explain the condition properly to an employer, so that, you know, when, when you as an individual are behaving in a certain way that you’re driven to behave in, that, that, somehow that’s explained to them, that it’s, you know, it’s just a facet of the condition and isn’t anything more serious. And, that, that’s one of the main things. And I suppose the other thing is you know, as I suffer with Asperger's I find I’m quite good at absorbing written instructions but, but when pragmatically local managers are trying to juggle competing demands and they want to not necessarily abide strictly by written instructions but to just get the productivity up, that, that you know, to, to explain that to me, rather than me sitting away thinking well I’m doing fine because I’m following the written instructions. I think those, those kind of interpretive pieces of assistance would also be useful.
Vicky has found that employers don't really understand that people on the spectrum need support...
Vicky has found that employers don't really understand that people on the spectrum need support...
John says there is nothing constructive or structured about his life; he is just filling in time.
John says there is nothing constructive or structured about his life; he is just filling in time.
What do you with your days now then?
Last reviewed February 2020.
Last updated July 2016.