Lack of opportunities

[Zain]

Ugh. In another annoying situation. I want to join the British Army and commit to a non-combative role, but I'm quite afraid of what is going to happen at the medical records stage. Officially, I don't have ASD on my records. I actually just finished the waiting list and can book an appointment. However, I don't want to add anything that is a disadvantage so I'm undecided on whether I'll bother with it. Only thing that is on there is my one-time period of anxiety/social anxiety and my list of traits on why I suspected I have autism.
Why on God's earth is it just so damn difficult to do anything nowadays? I want a job - nope, poor employment history and job market. So I considered the army as an alternative - nope, a momentary period of anxiety could be what denies me a career and independence. What a joke! What is someone meant to do when they are given no opportunities? I hope I'm overreacting and they accept, but I don't think I am.
I think I could make a good argument in an appeal. Any past traits related to anxiety has been remedied. I was very responsive, competent and had a good conversation with the recruiters, if that means anything. I've no history of self-harming or suicide attempts. If the condition is that I cannot have anything that affects everyday life, then I should be accepted as I fulfil it. If this doesn't work out, I'm going to be so disappointed and upset. I wouldn't know what else to do or where else to look.
Sorry for the venting.

 

[Outdated]

I tried to join the Australian military when I was 15, I applied for an officer's cadetship. I passed every test with flying colours until it came to the psych test and I failed that miserably. Apparently I have issues with authority.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Who knows they may like people on the spectrum for certain positions. M brother in the air force told me about a fellow who is an engineer was in officer training did not make the cut got bumped down to private now is corporal,
both work together says the guy is brilliant, I ask about this guy when I see my brother, I think this guy may even have looked me up on linkedin.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Drone pilot.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My brother is an electrical technologist, no idea what type of engineer the other guy is, they support search and rescue, pilots. 40 years ago the Canadian Navy approached a professor for some one to do some top secret programming he recommended my older brother. So who knows. If you get noticed your on your way if not you stuck in a position no little chance of advancement.

 

[Misty Avich]

You're lucky your autism ain't listed on your medical records. Mine is and I don't want it to be, as there's always a chance it could be revealed beyond my consent, no matter how strictly confidential they say your medical records are supposed to be.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I tried to join the Australian military when I was 15, I applied for an officer's cadetship. I passed every test with flying colours until it came to the psych test and I failed that miserably. Apparently I have issues with authority.

We have that in common, I was known for not respecting authority over my career.

 

[Zain]

You're lucky your autism ain't listed on your medical records. Mine is and I don't want it to be, as there's always a chance it could be revealed beyond my consent, no matter how strictly confidential they say your medical records are supposed to be.

I know. I'm starting to think it is not worth finishing my diagnoses and cancelling my appointment. Considering my case wouldn't be severe anymore and the services for support are not adequate. What if it puts me at a disadvantage again in the future?

 

[Misty Avich]

I do envy people who didn't get a diagnosis forced upon them in childhood and just had the option of getting assessed as an adult where it's all down to you whether you really want something else on your medical records or not, when you've managed to survive so far without a label.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

My younger brother joined the military for similar reasons as you uncertain about his future. Had education lost his job Always sees the glass as half empty. retires next month. Self diagnosed as having ADHD.

 

[Misty Avich]

Having Asperger's syndrome written on my medical records does make me live in paranoia, even if it's irrational. Like on another forum they were saying that something was hiring autistic people to help fight cyber attacks (to do with war or something) on computers, and my paranoia and anxiety immediately told me that it meant they're going to track everyone with a diagnosis of ASD down, assume they're all excellent in computer technology, and force them to take part in it.

But surely autism is a drop in the ocean out of many things anyone can have on their medical records and probably the vast majority of the world's population has something on their medical records, so what would make autism so special?

 

[Zain]

Having Asperger's syndrome written on my medical records does make me live in paranoia, even if it's irrational. Like on another forum they were saying that something was hiring autistic people to help fight cyber attacks (to do with war or something) on computers, and my paranoia and anxiety immediately told me that it meant they're going to track everyone with a diagnosis of ASD down, assume they're all excellent in computer technology, and force them to take part in it.

But surely autism is a drop in the ocean out of many things anyone can have on their medical records and probably the vast majority of the world's population has something on their medical records, so what would make autism so special?

I do want to do an IT role.
You're right, but having ADHD or ASD is an immediate rejection for life with no recourse.

 

[Cryptid]

Ugh. In another annoying situation. I want to join the British Army and commit to a non-combative role, but I'm quite afraid of what is going to happen at the medical records stage... Why on God's Earth is it just so damn difficult to do anything nowadays?

You answered your own question. Fear of failure -- and sometimes fear of success -- is what stops people from exploiting opportunities.

The problem has nothing to do with either God or the Earth.

 

[Aspea]

Why on God's earth is it just so damn difficult to do anything nowadays? I want a job - nope, poor employment history and job market. So I considered the army as an alternative - nope, a momentary period of anxiety could be what denies me a career and independence. What a joke! What is someone meant to do when they are given no opportunities? I hope I'm overreacting and they accept, but I don't think I am.

I agree completely; it is very difficult to do anything now adays. I am now of middle age, and it was much easier for me to do adulting things in my early 20s, such as getting and keeping a full time job, renting an apartment, living independently etc. But since then, it seems that opportunities have been shrinking and it has gotten progressively harder to be an independent adult and do normal adulting things.

There are now more requirements and disqualifiers; the walls/barriers to accessing opportunities in life have grown really out of control to where it just feels like no matter which way you turn, there is a big wall there blocking you.

One alarming trend that is especially painful for us on the spectrum is that jobs that used to be non-customer-facing, such as "back office" or production jobs or other jobs that do not involve dealing with people, have disappeared, and most jobs now-adays seem to require (and specifically request in the job ad) "strong" communication skills, and I have also seen "empathy, emotional intelligence" called out in the job ad.

 

[Outdated]

There are now more requirements and disqualifiers; the walls/barriers to accessing opportunities in life have grown really out of control to where it just feels like no matter which way you turn, there is a big wall there blocking you.

I emphatically agree with that part, I first started work in 1981 and it was an entirely different world.

There's still a lot of good jobs around though if you know where to look. You need to be certified to do this but it's only a very basic course, my government sent me on this course just before I got on the pension, the government paid for it in full because I was long term unemployed.

The person holding the lollipop sign at roadworks. It pays really well and I can't think of a more suitable job for autistic people.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I lucked out my first job was working for a person with a PHD in chemistry, we really connected may be he was on the spectrum it was a junior lab job on a coil coating line painting aluminum, working alone saw book on colour control read book cover to cover. Used this as a base had three year diploma in chemical engineering. learned as much as I could on industrial painting, stepped up to next position post painting. appliances just two colours, upgraded education with certificates in coatings, position ended free trade, next position testing lab got position through lab partner at night school as she was employed their, certificates turned into diploma lab tech coatings.
Next position was treatment specialist at automotive assembly plant as over the years I had obtained considerable expertise in this particular process, left this position when I took it as far as I could. Next position was plastic substrate automotive parts supplier. When this ended moved back too pre-painting again on coil line all my experience and education lined up thousand of colours, multiple substrates, various treatments. all sorts of industries each with their own requirements.

 

[Outdated]

I lucked out my first job....

It was the same for me too, one hell of a lot of luck was involved. But there's also a major difference between our generations and the younger ones, one that can be learned but isn't easy for them. We didn't have mobile phones or internet, most of us didn't even have landline phones and we relied on public phone boxes.

Because of this we had no choice but to learn how to talk to people in person in order to get anything we want. Communication is the key, if you have the aptitude for the type of work then the skill of communication means far more than any formal qualification. How to talk to people, how to get them onside, how to get them to offer you bright new opportunities and how to keep them believing that it was their own idea in the first place.

It's a dying art.

 

[Judge]

I tried to join the Australian military when I was 15, I applied for an officer's cadetship. I passed every test with flying colours until it came to the psych test and I failed that miserably. Apparently I have issues with authority.

That may have worked out much better than you might have imagined.

I have a cousin who had issues with authority too. Nevertheless he chose a path in the US Marine Corps. Like father, like son. Poor kid, his father retired as a USMC Sergeant-Major. So much to live up to. I'm certain he is on the spectrum, but never diagnosed. He did surprisingly well in the Marines, making sergeant and enjoying his job working as an aviation mechanic on Harrier jets.

However his career took a dramatic turn when his CO informed him he had to fulfill so much time as a Marine Recruiter. A new assignment with lots of social skills required which my cousin didn't have. He settled his dispute with his CO by knocking him flat. He never worked on jets again, but instead got trained in refrigeration and in particular, food preparation.

He did well in the brig....serving an unintended eight more years. But when he got out, he went to culinary school and became a very successful pastry chef at a swanky hotel. Go figure.

 

[Outdated]

...became a very successful pastry chef at a swanky hotel. Go figure.

That's a genetic failing in my family - we're all suckers for Pastry.

I grew up 20 minutes from the Barossa Valley, world famous for it's wines but that's not what I love it for.

Traditional German Bakeries. They're the best.

 

[Zain]

I agree completely; it is very difficult to do anything now adays. I am now of middle age, and it was much easier for me to do adulting things in my early 20s, such as getting and keeping a full time job, renting an apartment, living independently etc. But since then, it seems that opportunities have been shrinking and it has gotten progressively harder to be an independent adult and do normal adulting things.

There are now more requirements and disqualifiers; the walls/barriers to accessing opportunities in life have grown really out of control to where it just feels like no matter which way you turn, there is a big wall there blocking you.

One alarming trend that is especially painful for us on the spectrum is that jobs that used to be non-customer-facing, such as "back office" or production jobs or other jobs that do not involve dealing with people, have disappeared, and most jobs now-adays seem to require (and specifically request in the job ad) "strong" communication skills, and I have also seen "empathy, emotional intelligence" called out in the job ad.

Life seems to be getting harder and harder. Couldn't imagine where I'd be without living with my family (5 others).