Finding a job can be challenging for everyone, especially in the current economic climate, writes Dr Nicolina Newcombe (PhD).
However, Autistic people may face additional barriers in this process. Here are eight things I learned about job searching as a late-diagnosed Autistic woman after actively seeking employment for one year. In the end, I received three offers and had to turn one down job, along with other contract work.
For most Autistic people, finding a job is not about being capable enough to perform the work. Many of us bring special skills, deep focus, creative thinking, tenacious loyalty, and other qualities that make us exceptional employees. Instead, the challenge often lies in finding an exceptional employer who will accommodate and celebrate our whole selves. We are often searching for the right employer, rather than just the right job.
We are job searching with Autistic differences
In my experience, most hiring managers are non-Autistic. Since they hold much of the power in today’s employment market, Autistic job seekers may go further through a recruitment process by thinking about their perspective. Autistic people tend to be very honest and direct, which does not always work in our favour during a job search. Non-Autistic people often shy away from what they perceive as negativity or complaining, meaning that a full or entirely truthful account may not be well-received. It can be strategic to curate what we want to say to emphasise, or solely focus on, what has gone well. Learning about the norms and expectations of non-Autistic hiring managers can help us navigate the job search process while respecting our Autistic differences.
Networking can look different for us
The one thing I heard more than anything else was that job searching is all about networking. Networking means talking to people with the hope they might consider giving you a job or remember you next time they, or someone they know, is looking to employ someone. Unfortunately, the social differences between Autistic and non-Autistic people can sometimes make networking with non-Autistic people counterproductive for us. At one point, I went through a phase where I scheduled as many 30-minute Zoom conversations as possible with people who already had jobs. These calls, however, seemed to backfire. I would inevitably end up sharing my frustration and sense of injustice about being unemployed. Later in my search, I began to think of job interviews as structured networking calls. This shift taught me that networking can look different for us—it might require a specific framework or be more effective through platforms like LinkedIn, rather than in traditional meetings.
LinkedIn might be the answer
LinkedIn is a social media platform where people share their professional lives. You can use it to find opportunities, connect with others, and stay up to date with trends and information in your sector. Most hiring managers are highly engaged with LinkedIn and often base decisions on your profile. I recently joined LinkedIn and gained crucial exposure through the platform. As it was not intuitive for me at first, I benefited greatly from attending two LinkedIn seminars at my university. Others might find online tutorials or career services helpful for learning how to use it. LinkedIn is like networking on steroids, but without the need for to talk to anyone. Once I started sharing my work on LinkedIn, it created a snowball effect—others saw my posts and became more interested in my skills. One advantage of LinkedIn is that it allows for us to plan for what we share, and even use artificial intelligence tools to check how our posts might be understood by others. Additionally, there are thousands of Autistic people on LinkedIn who are ready to share their knowledge and Autistic joy.
Think about experience with a wider lens
In the beginning, most potential employers told me I lacked experience, which confused me because I have had many jobs and been actively involved in the disability sector for 13 years. I even tried to hide my qualifications, thinking they were overshadowing other aspects of my background. What I eventually realised was that I was viewing experience through the narrow lens of permanent employment. One change I made was adding an entry in my LinkedIn experience section titled ‘Autistic Leader, Advisor, Author, and Presenter,’ where I listed other things I have done, such as advising on research projects or writing non-academic articles. I also included a lot of the contract work and volunteer roles I have done, and I began discussing these examples as part of my experience. After that, potential employers stopped telling me I lacked experience, even though I had the same amount as before. The difference was that I had broadened my view of what counted as experience.
Lean into Careers Services
I used as much career services support as possible during the later stages of my job search. My university had a careers service, but job seekers with a disability or health condition who are on, or applying for, a Work and Income benefit can access a funded career service called an Employment Service. Others can pay for career services privately or use their individualised disability support funding, if available. I attended weekly drop-in sessions for a period to stay connected and continuously build micro-skills to improve my job search. At the start of my search, I thought I knew how to find a job, but I eventually realised the value of working with people whose job is to help us find employment.
Consider volunteering carefully
A lot of people suggested I volunteer, and I was fully on board with that. However, getting rejected from voluntary roles was even more demoralising than being turned down for paid work. I interviewed for a volunteer youth mentor position, and one of the interviewers said they did not want me because they did not want the youth to get a bad impression of what a mentor is like. I also applied to volunteer as a teacher aide, but one school suggested I start by doing some gardening when I had already completed my PhD in Education. Eventually, I was warmly welcomed onto a school board, but I decided to step back before it became official because I had started full-time work by then and did not want to overload myself. I continue to run the Matamata Autistic and Neurodivergent Social Group as a volunteer. My first learning was that landing a volunteer role is not necessarily easier than getting a paid one, and my volunteering search was harder on my rejection sensitivity than my job search. My second learning was to be more realistic about my capacity to continue any voluntary role when fully employed.
Prioritise mental wellbeing
Job searching is an intensely emotional and exhausting experience. My mental well-being took a serious dive, and rejection sensitivity became a major issue. I also wanted to stay close to home so I could respond immediately if anything happened on the job front. If frequent email checking was a sport, I could have won a gold medal. I realised I needed to invest in my health to get through this process. I met with my support worker weekly to plan positive activities and hold myself accountable for completing them. For a time, I went to Tauranga weekly to do yoga, walk along the beach, and take a break from my intense schedule. I aimed to listen to affirmations or meditations every day or as often as I could manage and had people praying for me. I also stopped seeking feedback on unsuccessful applications, as I was dwelling on their words and using them to upset myself. My job search took much longer than I expected, during which I received rejection emails almost every day. I learned that prioritising mental well-being is a non-negotiable aspect of job searching.
Dr Nicolina Newcombe has a PhD in Education and works for VisAble and IHC.
The post What I learned as an Autistic job seeker appeared first on Altogether Autism.