Underemployment

[Yeshuasdaughter]

Praise the Lord for SSI

 

[Jojo_LB]

The prospect of going back to work full time scares me, tbh. I've never, in my 17-year-long history of working, been truly satisfied with what I did. I think the longest I ever stayed at a job was three years.

I work now, but I can only do so part-time because I'm a student. I work as a teacher's assistant for a few data science classes, and I'm also doing paid research for the mathematics department at my school.

I was never confident in my abilities, which always seemed really odd to people because I'm really talented at a lot of things (their perception, not mine, but I've started to believe this of myself recently). But I felt so out of depth in almost every learning and working environment because I can't learn like most NT's can (sit in a lecture, take exams, which require quick recall of information and I have very slow processing speed, and being around the other NT students makes me anxious which affects my ability to concentrate), and on top of this, I am a parent and I have a household to run.

I struggle with the whole "company culture" BS crap at organizations/companies, and I don't go out with co-workers and whatever so I'd felt isolated in my past jobs.

Also, any place I had to work closely with a group of more than 5-6 people didn't work out well. I ended up fighting with at least two people in the group, as well as managers and supervisors, because of my quick temper Well, I'm on great meds now, so perhaps that won't be such a big problem anymore, as long as I can leave work by 3-4 PM lol

My husband and a few teachers I work closely with at the college said I should look into tech jobs (data science), 'cause it suits me very well and I may be comfortable in the environment.

 

[Aspychata]

Just overcame battered women syndrome with a really great person's help. Finally l am standing on my own two left feet. But l throw myself out there for any job, almost any job. My last boss didn't like me because l could sell just about anything and customer would say yes. Yes, she was petty, but she has horrible pay and works to many hours for owners who really don't care about her. But l digress, l will toil away at a job, because working everyday makes me happy. Was shocked to see how hard for my fellow friends on the spectrum to obtain employment. l have worked with a ODC lady, but l was very patient with her, we got along great.

 

[DuckRabbit]

Could this be good news for people on the autistic spectrum?:
`Eight hours´ work a week most effective employment... | Daily Mail Online

 

[BehindtheScenes]

Master's Degree, unemployed (had several interviews yet rejected due to 'better-qualified candidates'), and somewhat disgusted. Currently looking at temp/contractor work 'for now'. It's even worse that most job application processes go like this these days: phone interview-> online test assessment--> in-person test assessment ---> in-person interview ---> job offer

My Plan B/C is to go overseas and teach for a year just to pay down my debts or join the Airforce or Navy...especially since I've been uninsured for nearly a year now.

 

[Mattymatt]

It’s Friday. I’m sitting down with my morning cuppa on a day off. When the grass is dry I’m going to start some work on the garden and do a bit of landscaping. Sounds idyllic doesn’t it?

I would rather be at work earning enough to live on comfortably, getting a pension and that kind of thing. However, I’m underemployed. I only have 3 days paid work per week and that is about to go down to 2. I’m also working at way below my capacity. I’m doing an entry level job when I have as Masters Degree and decades of experience in my field.

One thing I have learned about being on the spectrum (diagnosed or undiagnosed) is that it seriously harms one’s employment prospects.

I know there are horrifying stats about the number of Auties who don’t work. 85% was a figure I have seen around a lot- but I think that sounds suspiciously high. I suspect that many HFA/ Aspies do work and many Undiagnosed are struggling through work. Any indication of the reliability of those statistics would and info about where they came from would be most welcome.

I suspect very many are under employed too. (that is working below their qualification and/ or less hours than they want to or could.) Any reliable statistic on this would be most welcome too!

I have been lucky to have worked full time and in a few good jobs too. However my career has lacked continuity and there have been some long gaps when I didn’t work. I have lost jobs on more than one occasion. I don’t think I have ever been offered promotion or progression without changing employer.

I’m going to have to start posting my CV on line hoping someone is looking for someone within my specialism. I’ve considered the gigging economy to get a second income but that sounds like it could be full of problems because of the unpredictability and the dependence on ratings/ networking skills and then there is all the stuff which comes with being effectively self-employed. Self-employment doesn’t work for me as I get overwhelmed with the multitasking and the thought of trying t manage employees that I would need to reach the turnover I would need to sustain a business in my sector is not realistic.

How may here are underemployed and how do you cope?

Underemployment has been a sad fact of life for me and I do not cope very well. It causes me depression and anxiety. I work as a security guard and the work is thoroughly demoralizing. Despite having been self-taught in computers and technology and having 1 year of a masters completed in Information Systems, the best I've been able to do is put on my security guard uniform and hate every moment of it.

It's such a rotten existence that it has caused me to become a misanthrope. I want nothing to do with people. When I get done at the end of my shift, all I want to do is retreat away from people. Even recently completing a government-funded Cisco Certified Network Associate class and obtaining the certification has not been enough to get me employed. The whole thing was rubbish. The program was supposed to help me get employment as well and the agency tasked with it has been ineffective.

So yeah, I am a perfectly miserable person with no chance at ever retiring. When I am ready to retire, it will be because I am no longer on this earthly existence.