A list of suitable and unsuitable jobs

[Warwick C]

In some ways Kari it sounds like you have found the right balance for you, and that is important.

 

[HarleyMama]

For the list of unsuitable jobs: US Army.

 

[MicroWeiss]

I'm a visual thinker and was a drafter/designer (sick of work at the moment), but I'm a damn fine drafter/designer, so say they all.

 

[HappyHermit]

I see the original list was written for parents of children with Aspergers... I think that's problematic. For people who are on the spectrum themselves, it is probably often clear that those lists should be taken with a grain of salt. They're rough guides, but that's all, really. I've had jobs from the 'bad jobs' list that I loved and was really good at (croupier, for instance), and supposedly good jobs for people with ASD that I loathed and struggled with - they bored me, and then there's still company culture to deal with (accounting). In my case it's fine, I took the jobs I took - good, bad or indifferent - out of necessity, not choice, and not because someone, like a parent, purposely pushed me into that direction. (Not that they didn't make many mistakes knowing better.)

The problem starts when people who don't quite understand that Aspergers / autism aren't monolithic ways of being - and it is my impression that many parents unfortunately don't understand much at all - come across them and use them as more than vague but, for any one specific person, unreliable, suggestions that apply to an average that fits few people exactly.

Also, I suspect that the people who compile these lists don't really know all the jobs from personal experience. The job of a croupier (casino dealer) might seem highly social and complicated, but it actually follows extraordinarily strict rules both in the games and the social aspect. Accounting, a supposedly suitable job, can still present people with a highly unregulated and social company culture that can be both mystifying and oppressive for non-socials. It can also be very prone to frequent interruptions, depending on the type of business one works for.

Again, no problem with these lists for us, and overall I tend to agree with their drift, even though I suspect it's a rare person to whom they really apply in full, but I see lots of issues when non-ASD people in charge of ASD people get a hold of them.

 

[I am that which I am]

I am rather surprised that lecturer/professor and scientist has not been mentioned. Especially considering most aspies are INTJ and these are jokingly seen as the mad scientist type. In some ways a lecturer just repeats the same thing from a script and can be rather excited when it something they are obsessed with. I am studying as a neuroscientist to do research and maybe teach. I can also tell that there are many other people in that area that have some aspie traits or are aspies. I can think of a few professors I've had that get really excited when talking about the material. In some ways academia also allows them to thoroughly explore a particular obsession and sometimes channel that energy and intelligence to something very useful and rewarding.

I would also take the list with a grain of salt though. Some things are not for some but might be for others. I might disagree one of the worst jobs being in the army, because the army presents a great deal of structure and order which some might like. I was in cadets (ie. army before you turn 18 and can actually get in the army) and I quite liked the structure, order, everything was predictable and organized.

 

[HarleyMama]

...
I might disagree one of the worst jobs being in the army, because the army presents a great deal of structure and order which some might like. I was in cadets (ie. army before you turn 18 and can actually get in the army) and I quite liked the structure, order, everything was predictable and organized.

Unfortunately, the Army is neither structured nor predictable. It's loud, illogical and chaotic. The rules aren't actually rules, they're guidelines - FRUSTRATING! To be successful in a career there is a lot of required social tight rope walking. I'm not even talking about deployments.
Active Army is not cadets. I've heard from many people who agreed with you until they enlisted.

 

[I am that which I am]

Unfortunately, the Army is neither structured nor predictable. It's loud, illogical and chaotic. The rules aren't actually rules, they're guidelines - FRUSTRATING! To be successful in a career there is a lot of required social tight rope walking. I'm not even talking about deployments.
Active Army is not cadets. I've heard from many people who agreed with you until they enlisted.

I see. I never tried to enlist in the army as it was definitely not for me so I would not know. I can see how frustrating it might become if the rules are guidelines modified and molded by those in a higher position of authority that control your every move. Good to know.

 

[Judge]

The military as a possible job/career. Oh yeah...we've discussed that before here. A lot for any Aspie to contemplate before taking the first step.

I'm Autistic and Want To Join the Marine Corps. | AspiesCentral.com

 

[HarleyMama]

Lol if only I'd known...

 

[Judge]

To be successful in a career there is a lot of required social tight rope walking.

No kidding!

I grew up in a miltary family...my father was a career naval officer....Annapolis grad- the whole nine yards. As a family not only did my mother and father have such social expectations constantly placed upon them, but so did my brother and I. As a child I had to attend a number of birthday parties for total strangers....because of social/political/cutthroat obligations of my father that could have been right out of the script for the movie, "From Here To Eternity".

My father used to think my rigid thinking would serve me well in the military. My mother vehemently disagreed. Clearly Mom knew something more than did Dad....and she was right. I was the one person in our extended family who chose to remain a civilian. Thank goodness...

 

[James K Trefethen]

To be successful in a career there is a lot of required social tight rope walking.

Make that just about any career. I think that the military could be good for the right person (in the right position).

Just like a lot of everything else, it really depends on the person. My paternal grandfather seemed to do well in the military (and I would be willing to bet he had autism).

The same with the rest of the list, really. Some people with autism are able to work. Others aren't. It's pretty easy to come up with a list of jobs that we cannot do (because most of us are unemployed) and harder to come up with jobs that we can do (because isolated individuals have been successful at such jobs).

I hear software testing is largely good for people with Asperger's Syndrome.

 

[KayMarie]

I'll add two jobs to the "bad jobs" list, from my own experience.

Coffee shop barista. Fun if the shop isn't busy, but when it's the only one next to a college, the crowd gets overwhelming. Depending on your tolerance, the product can be detrimental.

Bartender. Same as above, but add a dizzying amount of drink recipes to memorize. Highly sociable, tip earnings dependent upon rapport with customers.

I was a barista for about 6 months and it was literally one of the worst jobs I've had. Things can get chaotic really fast and it's very overwhelming.

 

[KayMarie]

I'm an Officer in the federal government and I would say it's an unsuitable job but it has made me gain and use a lot of social skills. I don't like dealing with people but during the course of work I can manage it's just exhausting both mentally and physically and I usually crash once I get home.

 

[amusic20]

I had trouble working in retail, even though I tried it several times; it's really about the customers, and I didn't want to help people find stuff. I just wanted to fold and organize clothes and get an employee discount (haha).

 

[SonoranPrincess]

Sounds like Harrison54 drives a tow truck.

 

[SonoranPrincess]

I can pretend to be NT, but it takes a toll on me, and then I have to retreat to my home and inner circle of family members. My career as a journalist worked well for me, because the stories I wrote sometimes became mini "special interests," and I poured much effort into researching them. Aspie's who choose journalism as a career may want to avoid political/government reporting. That involves much interaction with low level politicians and special interest groups (who tend to fight with said politicians). That can be taxing for an Aspie like me.

 

[Harrison]

Sounds like Harrison54 drives a tow truck.

Not quite, it's a 12 tonne flat bed recovery truck like this

 

[SonoranPrincess]

Not quite, it's a 12 tonne flat bed recovery truck like this

View attachment 15252

Gottcha.... That's a big truck.

 

[Harrison]

Gottcha.... That's a big truck.

Yep, needs to be for some of the motorhomes I recover. As well as on the bed I can pull trailers hitched up to the rear, which does make it a long truck then.

 

[113]

Here are thoughts on some jobs that I've worked:

Cashier -- making change quickly puts too much demand on short-term working memory

I didn't have a problem with this job, though busy days were tiring and I began to hate it after a few months. I liked memorizing the PLU codes. I read a dictionary when it was slow. I preferred to work as a grocery bagger rather than at the register as often as possible.

Short order cook -- Have to keep track of many orders and cook many different things at the same time

I did prep cooking, which was okay.

Computer programming

This job can be good.

Web page design -- Find a good niche market can be done as freelance work

Dealing with clients is terrible for me. It would be better to work for a company.

Coffee shop barista.

This was okay in a small coffee shop.

Bartender

This was okay for me, because the waiters would order the drinks, not the customers. The downside is that there were no tips.

"professional blogger"?

This is perfect if you can make money with it, but it's difficult to make a living.