Hi, what degrees have best outcome for Aspies?

[SAF]

What careers have the best outcomes for women with Aspergers?

 

[Bolletje]

That's impossible to answer as it really depends on your strengths and skills, as well as your interests, as well as the market. There's no cookie cutter answer here.

 

[Judge]

Sadly when it comes to employment statistics pertinent to those on the spectrum of autism I'm afraid most of them don't go past unemployment numbers. Though agreed it would be nice if anyone could find such statistical data to come to a reasonable conclusion about both an optimal education and job based on a prospective employee's Neurodiversity.

We often hear about how successful Aspies may be in computer-related occupations. However they still require very specific skill sets which one may or may not have, and whether they are skills that can be objectively taught to achieve them.

 

[Butterfly88]

I have heard some aspies do better in jobs that don't involve a lot of social interaction.

 

[Judge]

I have heard some aspies do better in jobs that don't involve a lot of social interaction.

That's a big consideration to me personally. One of the key things I would have likely heeded had I known I was on the spectrum in my youth rather than learn so much later in life.

Instead most of the jobs I had always involved various degrees of having to interact with and depend on others. Some more successful than others.

Though admittedly one is more often than not at the mercy of a job market and the overall condition of the economy.

 

[Ambi]

If you major in your special interest, then you may achieve the highest marks academically - but you would need to see how to make a future career out of it - if it's academia, consider how to get into a doctorate program and how frequently professorships come up in that field. If it's in industry, is it a field that you can get into with a bachelor's, or will you need further study?

If you major in something that is not your special interest....for me that was VERY hard. But in a roundabout way it has led to my current job, which is perfect for me in terms of the day to day routine job requirements. I have found with work, you need to stick with what you can actually perform well at, efficiently, without burning out - considering the entire work enironment and job requirements. That can lead you to a very different field than your special interest sometimes. So in order to realize what major would be best for the best career you want...you need to most of all have a good understanding of your strengths AND your weaknesses, not just in terms of knowledge, but in terms of coping with the work environment.

 

[Nervous Rex]

1) Pay attention to what you can’t help but do. Isaac Asimov said, “I don’t write because I want to write. I write because I can’t help it.”
2) Consider seeing an academic or career counselor. They can help you find careers that match your interests.

I did very well academically, but didn’t ever talk to a career counselor. I took math and computer classes because they were interesting, and when my scholarship was about to run out, I got a degree in computer science because it was easiest.

I got a job programming, but I would always jump at the chance to work on projects that involve math. When I got bored, I would do math for fun. Ever so slowly, it dawned on me that I love math. Like, a lot more than programming. I’m looking at going for a master’s degree in math and changing careers, as soon as I can face down these wonderful anxieties that I’ve been blessed with.

I wish I was self-aware enough at 20 to know what I love. The best I can do now is:
1) Start making a change now.
2) Recommend to everyone else that they pay attention to their own likes, and see a career counselor.

 

[Beguiling Orbit]

Everyone has offered great advice so far. I'm confused about the way you asked the question. The title asks about majors, but your post asks about careers. One doesn't necessarily follow the other, although it could. I was well into my career and had good outcomes before I earned my bachelor's degree at age 45. Getting the degree did, however, open new doors for me and helped me command a higher salary. Also, I think any woman, Aspie or not, could pursue any career she desires. Are you asking for anyone in general, or for yourself specifically? Are you considering pursuing a degree, or making a career change?

 

[Mr Allen]

There's no definitive answer to that, some people are good at some stuff, other people are rubbish at everything, only you and you alone know what you can and can't do.

 

[Mattymatt]

No one is really rubbish at anything. I believe that everyone has a talent. I think that being a security guard can be a good option for people on the spectrum. It is certainly serving me very well as I have hardly any interaction with people at all. I basically guard a large abandoned site that was formerly a mental hospital of sorts. There are four guards per shift and we each do our own thing. We're all armed since the grounds are in a not-so-great neighborhood but the work is actually really interesting. I make it my thing to look for previously undiscovered corridors or passages. The history is both scary and fascinating at the same time. I don't make a killing but it is the first job that I've ever had that I can say I truly enjoy.

 

[pjcnet]

House wife.

Only joking lol! As other people have said it depends entirely on your talents and interests, women can be successful in virtually any careers these days and if you are on autistic spectrum it shouldn't hold you back either.

PS: I've just noticed you're a new member, so welcome to ASPIESCentral.

 

[Aeolienne]

Sadly when it comes to employment statistics pertinent to those on the spectrum of autism I'm afraid most of them don't go past unemployment numbers. Though agreed it would be nice if anyone could find such statistical data to come to a reasonable conclusion about both an optimal education and job based on a prospective employee's neurodiversity.

We often hear about how successful Aspies may be in computer-related occupations.

"Interestingly – given the apparent prevalence of skills shortages in this area – it is computer science graduates who are most likely to fail to secure a job six months after graduation, with almost one in ten ending up unemployed."
Source: The Graduate Employment Gap: Expectations versus reality
Chartered Institute of Professional Development (UK), November 2017

 

[Judge]

"Interestingly – given the apparent prevalence of skills shortages in this area – it is computer science graduates who are most likely to fail to secure a job six months after graduation, with almost one in ten ending up unemployed."
Source: The Graduate Employment Gap: Expectations versus reality
Chartered Institute of Professional Development (UK), November 2017

It took me nine months to secure a high-tech job in Silicon Valley in the late 90s after graduating from a vocational school. And I believe it amounted to who I knew rather than what I knew at the time.

 

[Aeolienne]

Another interesting detail from the CIPD report is that two thirds of law graduates end up earning less than the national median salary. I wonder if Ben from the first series of Employable Me* is/was contributing to this unhappy statistic? (In all fairness I was told via Facebook when the show aired that "Ben has a job and is very happy".)

I suppose the explanation for this is that most law students are intending to become lawyers (obvs) and haven't drawn up a contingency plan for if they don't get accepted onto a training contract or pupillage.

* Ben, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was 14 years old, has unsuccessfully applied for 50 different jobs since obtaining his LPC four years ago. Despite this, he is determined to work in the legal profession.
Was I the only one thinking "50 job applications in four years? You need to up your game!"?

 

[tducey]

Any. My background (Office) suits me but it usually goes on a case by case basis.

 

[Aeolienne]

Any. My background (Office) suits me but it usually goes on a case by case basis.

Is this in the right thread?

 

[Aeolienne]

"Interestingly – given the apparent prevalence of skills shortages in this area – it is computer science graduates who are most likely to fail to secure a job six months after graduation, with almost one in ten ending up unemployed."
Source: The Graduate Employment Gap: Expectations versus reality
Chartered Institute of Professional Development (UK), November 2017

However, according to this 2014 report from the Sutton Trust, computer science is one of the top earning courses in terms of starting salaries. To elaborate:
"A more surprising finding from the study was that graduates from computer science courses (including software engineering and information systems) were at relatively high risk of unemployment compared with other graduates. This conflicts with studies of earnings, which suggest that computer science graduates are among the highest earners. There are several potential explanations. First, the earnings differences reported by both the DELNI and Chevalier studies were for graduates working full-time. If computing careers are highly competitive, then it is possible that computer science graduates endure a high-risk of unemployment before (hopefully) landing a relatively highly paid job. Second, the differences unemployment levels reported by the Universities UK study did not account for the potential confounding influences already discussed (such as student background, A-level attainment or university type). The increased risk of unemployment for computer science graduates may therefore be partially explained by, for example, a large fraction of certain types of software design courses being offered at lower-tier universities."
Earnings by Degrees: Differences in the career outcomes of UK graduates

Another interesting detail from the CIPD report is that two thirds of law graduates end up earning less than the national median salary.

Again from the Sutton Trust report: "A somewhat surprising result is the relatively low average starting salary of law and architecture graduates – given that both law and architecture are highly paid careers. A possible explanation for this is that, as well as being highly paid, architecture and law are highly competitive professions. It is therefore possible that many recent graduates in those subjects are required to take on relatively low paid work or internships while seeking jobs in their chosen profession. It is also worth noting that, particularly in the case of law, many degrees will require follow-up postgraduate study – 29% of law graduates in these data were engaged primarily in study at the time of the survey."

 

[Aeolienne]

Copied and pasted from the Times website:

Good University Guide: Go far from the madding crowd for top teaching
Rosemary Bennett
September 24 2018, 12:01am, The Times

Geographical isolation appears to affect teaching standards with the universities rated best for quality of lectures, assessment and speedy feedback being in far-flung parts of the UK.

Aberystwyth, the most remote university in the land at 70 miles from the nearest city, was top in The Times/Sunday Times ranking for teaching quality followed by Plymouth Marjon and St Andrews, on Scotland’s eastern coast. Other universities which performed well included Wales Trinity St David in the tiny town of Lampeter, Staffordshire University and the University of Worcester.

The findings suggest that when lecturers are holed up in remote locations with only their students for company, and less distracted by board memberships and speaking engagements than their city-dwelling peers, education can be the winner.

London universities including the London School of Economics, UCL and Kings, along with Edinburgh University and Manchester all performed poorly and are at the bottom of the table.

However London universities performed better on the jobs front. The Good University Guide placed St George’s Medical School in London as top for professional employment six months after graduation, followed by Imperial College, London, Lancaster University and London South Bank University. Nottingham, Birmingham and Newcastle also did well in getting their graduates into professional jobs.

In terms of subjects, engineering in all its forms led to some of the highest salaries among new graduates, just behind medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, with salaries of £31,000.

Separate research shows that big businesses increased the recruitment of new university graduates this autumn by 16 per cent, despite the economic uncertainty brought by Brexit and a fragile economic recovery.

However the annual report from the Institute of Student Employers found that only 57 per cent of the new graduate intake into top professional jobs went to state schools, despite 91 per cent of young people being educated there.

The dominance of independent schools is a concern for universities and employers, which are largely seeking to diversify.

Good University Guide 2019
Expanded coverage with 67 subject tables in full, interactive tables on all the league table components, and additional features are available at thetimes.co.uk/gooduniversityguide

Link to original article (behind paywall)

 

[Aeolienne]

What careers have the best outcomes for women with Aspergers?

If by outcomes you are referring to the wider impact on society, this guide from 80,000 Hours may be of interest:
Academic research

 

[Aeolienne]

(Not written by me)

Earnings continue to grow for recent graduates
The Universities Minister has welcomed figures out today which show that median earnings for recent graduates increased in 2016/17.

Published 28 March 2019
From: Department for Education and Chris Skidmore MP

Earnings for recent graduates have continued to increase, reinforcing the financial benefits a degree can bring for the vast majority of students, new figures have revealed today (28 March).

The statistics published by the Department for Education show that median earnings in 2016/17 for graduates one and three years after completing a degree have increased from the previous year to £19,900 one year after graduating, and £23,300 three years after graduating. These earnings at one and three years also increased after being adjusted for inflation.

The figures are one part of the Government’s drive to make data more available than ever before to help inform students’ choices, and these statistics play a vital role in helping students and parents to understand the likely earnings and outcomes for different subjects.

However financial outcomes are just one of the considerations for students when choosing a degree subject, as students will make career choices not solely based on a likely graduate salary but also social value and job satisfaction.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said:

"We now have record rates of English 18-year-olds going into higher education, so I am delighted to see that graduate earnings have continued to increase for recent graduates, showing that it pays to study in our world-class higher education system.

"We want students and their parents to have the best possible information about higher education. This data is an invaluable tool to help prospective students make the right choice and know what to expect from the course they choose.

"It is vital that we ensure that higher education carries on delivering for students, the taxpayer and the economy, and it will continue to do so as long as we focus relentlessly on quality in our system."

The data out today shows how earnings varied for different subjects in 2016/17 from one to ten years after graduating, from disciplines like creative arts and design through to medicine and dentistry.

The figures also show that the gap between median earnings for male and female graduates has widened in 2016/17, with a 15% difference between what male and female graduates earned five years after completing their degree, compared to 12% in 2014/15.

This latest data on graduate earnings follows research published in November which, for the first time, used the LEO dataset to compare the earnings by subject, institution and course for people who went to higher education to those with similar background characteristics who did not.

The research by the IFS showed that the vast majority of graduates with a degree earn more at the age of 29 than those who did not go to university – particularly female graduates who saw a greater difference in what they earned compared to women who didn’t complete a degree than male graduates to their counterparts.

Source: gov.uk