Ender
Unemployed Philosopher
I have thought a lot about what jobs would suit me, and to a greater extent, people on the autism spectrum in general.
Many jobs require a finite knowledge of socializing, adaptability, emoting, and so forth. I myself have held only two jobs. My first was actually rather enjoyable: watering and tending plants at a greenhouse. The routine was relaxing and the work straightforward, albeit a bit boring. I wasn't bothered with people. The second job was in childcare, a job which I reluctantly accepted because I needed money and have experience (being in a big family) with how to deal with kids. That was a disaster. I performed well enough with preparation of lessons, but the toll it took on my energy levels was not worth it. I would come home drained and shut myself in my room for peace and music.
So this leads me to my question. I know what kind of jobs I like: that which is systematic and logical, requires fixing, improving, or creating things, and leaves me with as little as possible human interaction. While I am not a computer nerd - because I have not really given the hobby a chance to develop - I am drawn to the idea of working with these machines. A job in IT would be a dream job, honestly. But is that all I can do? I want to be a scientist eventually (psychology), but that takes a lot of education which I am still working on. But until then, what kind of employment can an Aspie guy get? What types of employment have worked for you?
It just seems that whenever I try to get a job, I cannot because it is either socially exhausting, confusing, or overstimulating. And my quirks make me an unsuitable customer service associate at about anywhere. Should I try to develop skills which would allow for employment in computer work, or try self-employment/freelance in my other skills?
Many jobs require a finite knowledge of socializing, adaptability, emoting, and so forth. I myself have held only two jobs. My first was actually rather enjoyable: watering and tending plants at a greenhouse. The routine was relaxing and the work straightforward, albeit a bit boring. I wasn't bothered with people. The second job was in childcare, a job which I reluctantly accepted because I needed money and have experience (being in a big family) with how to deal with kids. That was a disaster. I performed well enough with preparation of lessons, but the toll it took on my energy levels was not worth it. I would come home drained and shut myself in my room for peace and music.
So this leads me to my question. I know what kind of jobs I like: that which is systematic and logical, requires fixing, improving, or creating things, and leaves me with as little as possible human interaction. While I am not a computer nerd - because I have not really given the hobby a chance to develop - I am drawn to the idea of working with these machines. A job in IT would be a dream job, honestly. But is that all I can do? I want to be a scientist eventually (psychology), but that takes a lot of education which I am still working on. But until then, what kind of employment can an Aspie guy get? What types of employment have worked for you?
It just seems that whenever I try to get a job, I cannot because it is either socially exhausting, confusing, or overstimulating. And my quirks make me an unsuitable customer service associate at about anywhere. Should I try to develop skills which would allow for employment in computer work, or try self-employment/freelance in my other skills?
