High IQ, but Unemployed?

[Fino]

You manage to be greatest at several things:
1. infallible humor
2. sensitivity
3. everyone's friend/get along with every kind of person
4. no visible imperfections

Wow, thanks!!!!!

I hope you weren't online as I accidentally put "funny" then the screen did a little freak out dance so it took me a bit to fix it!

You're awesome too!

 

[Derp]

I'm a piano teacher for a studio and a choir accompanist, both of which coincidentally pay the same rate. I call it the "musician minimum wage".

so i'm assuming your highly skilled musically ?

 

[Fino]

so i'm assuming your highly skilled musically ?

It's what my degree is in!

 

[WildCat]

Everyone in this thread: I'm really a genius but its so hard for me to get a job with all these "normies"

so if only 34% of autistics have employment than how much perent of that is above minimum wage like dishwasher or supermarket baggers so say only like 15 or 20 % of autistics can get a job that is above a high schooler or entry level or developmentally disabled person

So even if your in the top 15 % of "autistic working capacity" you likely just do something like push carts

I started out doing just that (pushing carts), bumped up a bit and am now making a reasonable wage. By "reasonable", I mean a job that was gotten with no marketable skills, college education or any of that networking stuff that people like to push around. Really not a bad deal at all if you ask me.

I could be wrong here, but in my personal opinion attitude and effort plays a large part in whether or not you're able to keep any sort of job or position. I'm not buying the whole "IQ = success" hogwash either, but people can believe what they wish all they want.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I'm really a genius but its so hard for me to get a job with all these "normies"

I haven't seen "normies" used as a pejorative on this site before. I certainly hope it doesn't catch on here. I think that "us vs them" mentality is unhealthy.

 

[Nervous Rex]

I'm not buying the whole "IQ = success" hogwash either, but people can believe what they wish all they want.

Yep. IQ only measures IQ. It doesn't measure marketability, employability, maturity, social skills, etc. The most information you can get from someone's IQ is how well they did on an IQ test.

 

[Shamar]

A lot of good thoughts here. I think I can sum it up from my own experiences. The ability to deal with, understand, and use social skills and interaction are more important to getting a job than skills and intelligence. The inability to make eye contact (without looking ready to freak out) is a definite interview killer. Once you get the job, skills and intelligence help, but social interaction is still of paramount importance.

During my career as a geologist, most of the problems I had trouble dealing with involved people and not technical issues. The one exception was a project on an island off New Guinea, which was the origin of the phrase "Disaster du Jour." And half the problems with that one were still with people.

I once paid more money than I could really afford (this was before I learned I was autistic) for a "how to get a job" course offered by a VERY well known and reputable company. The course consisted of "do the obvious" and "use your friends to network." I thought this was one of the dumbest ideas I had ever heard. Network? I had no friends, and trying to contact someone I had never met to network with was totally out of the question.

I guess I went on a bit of a rant there.

 

[Sabrina]

I did work a long time ago. Now I’m a divorcee mom of two kids, and I’m terrified of going back to work (and I will avoid as it as long as I can). Why?
1- I’m terrified I’ll become a horrible mother and my kids will suffer. Why? See #2
2- I can’t stand the thought of having to interact with people all day long, be it chit chatting, making phone calls, answering e-mails, etc. I can’t even imagine having to DRESS UP every day, wearing make up, heels, tight skirts, pants or jackets, etc. I can’t stand the traffic, the commute. All these issues amount to lots of stress, and anxiety, and my executive function skills fall even more. I know that if I start working in a job that I am not interested in, my mental health will suffer, and with it, my kids.

 

[Sabrina]

I often feel like academic stuff and learning is the only thing that feels actually easy and non-stressful to me. If I could have stayed in education forever, I probably would have.

Yes, exactly, and everything related to it, like writing and reading. When I was in high school I got an all-expenses-paid scholarship to study abroad, but I refused it because I was in love and didn’t want to move far away from my boyfriend.

So, there you see it: High IQ, vs. terrible decision making. Sometimes I remember that scholarship so I can recall that I am actually intellectually smart, in spite of having very little professional experience (I did graduate from college, though... after dropping from the first career, and changing to another one, so it took me two years and a half longer than usual).

 

[H-Kath]

My partner's IQ is around 160. She was reading at 2. She has a CS degree and had a six figure job at Amazon when I met her. Unfortunately her family was so abusive growing up that she has a trauma disorder she was unaware of. The knew she was Autistic but made her wear a pager that could go off any day at any hour with this painfully loud noise that would trigger her. She'd often message me about never being able to establish a routine there and constantly having to worry about being interrupted. I think she said about two hours a day went into work the rest were meetings where what she was doing would suddenly change or presentations about Scott Bezos.

When burnout hit at Amazon she lost the ability to use phones and leave the house regularly on her own without bolting. Ordering food on her own, cooking for herself about 70% of the time, taking care of bills, anything that involves walking up to a desk and asking for things are too overwhelming now. When she's made to go take care of something with DSHS I go with her and she'll wind up curled around my legs begging to go home while the person at the agency sees how disabled she is and rushes the paperwork through.

I want to say about 60% of the time, when we're at home and she's not being triggered or put through sensory overload, she seems like one of the most capable adults you'll meet. When I'm working on a math problem and I get to arithmetic I can't do in my head it's faster to ask her than use a calculator. Whenever I have a CS question or want to discuss ideas for a paper I'm working on she's my go to person. At the same time she's too disabled to do any of the things it takes to get a job let alone deal with making mistakes at work or disruptions to her work routine.

She has a theater background and enjoys learning languages. I have a background in phonetics so we'll often talk about my field and she'll teach me accents. I can hear the details from my training but I'm terrible at producing them. It's a consistent issue of mine as I'm much less articulate in person and processing auditory language shuts down at times. I'm considering learning ASL to compensate. The small amount I've seen makes more sense to me than my native language. When she's mute she's able to use the sign language she knows and when processing English cuts out for her I'll wind up making up some gestures that work for communication.

I haven't given up on her ability to to put that mind of hers to work someday. I just think that the way jobs are offered and the social expectations at corporate jobs in my country are toxic for people with issues she and I have. Who knows, we may wind up working on a project together.

 

[All-Rounder]

Wow, thanks!!!!!

I hope you weren't online as I accidentally put "funny" then the screen did a little freak out dance so it took me a bit to fix it!

You're awesome too!

This is the ultimate proof! It totally backs up my point, for the universe knows and is trying hard to get you to make a mistake to equal out the balance~~~

 

[DuckRabbit]

Social-political deficits seem to place a cap (glass ceiling) on how far one can go career- and income-wise, regardless of level of skill, expertise, intelligence or qualifications. Most things are viewed through a social filter which for most people, colours everything. 'The social' is the bias suffusing this planet like a gas. This gas is invigorating for those with social-political neurological circuits but noxious for those without such hardwiring. More information on this topic can be found in the following thread: Underemployment

 

[Edward764]

Reading most posts on this forum has enabled me to arrive at an obvious conclusion.
There is a strong correlation between autism and having a high IQ.
This site reads more like a mensa forum than an autistic forum.
I wonder how and if neurological sciences can explain this correlation?
This is another factor that separates me from the majority here.
I do rank high on the conscientious scale however, as my motivation to put forth my best effort has at least partly made up for my mental and physical shortcomings.

 

[All-Rounder]

Usually its either higher or lower

Do people with autism or Asperger’s score higher on IQ tests? - Medium

 

[All-Rounder]

31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85).

Less than 50% are avg + above

 

[Nervous Rex]

I don't know my IQ.

My high school had me take an IQ test 2 weeks before my 17th birthday. At 16 and under, they give you the children's test. At 17 and older, they give you the adult test. The guy doing the test waffled a bit because I was so close to the cutoff date, but decided to give me the children's test. Several times during the test he muttered, "I should have done the adult test." At the end, in an attempt at humor, I asked, "Did I pass?" He said, "Oh, you passed. The thing is, an IQ test is supposed to progress through harder and harder questions, to see at what point you start getting things wrong. That's how you find out what your limit is. So you're not supposed to get everything right." ... From which I assume he meant I got too much right.

They never told me my IQ. I've been tempted several times in the 33 years since to find out, but I always stop myself by asking, "What will that get me? Nothing more than an ego boost, which won't be good for me."

Here's what I know: I was valedictorian of my high school. I graduated college with honors. I've been employed full time for 25 years. I make 70% more than the average pay for my profession in my state. I have produced over 100 patents. I have solved problems that made the difference between releasing a product and scrapping it.

And I don't seem to have any ambition of my own. I don't look for projects. People bring them to me and I do what they say. I have almost 20 years until I retire, and I can't wait. I'm always tired, always stressed. I always feel like I'm just barely getting by, like I've been surfing a tsunami my while life. I always feel like I have no spare time to just sit and breathe. But when I do have time, I feel like I should be doing something, like I'm not of value unless I'm accomplishing big things. I'm 50 years old and I haven't yet learned how to just be happy with myself and my life. I would take that over a high IQ any day.

 

[All-Rounder]

I don't know my IQ.

My high school had me take an IQ test 2 weeks from before my 17th birthday. At 16 and under, they give you the children's test. At 17 and older, they give you the adult test. The guy doing the test waffled a bit because I was so close to the cutoff date, but decided to give me the children's test. Several times during the test he muttered, "I should have done the adult test." At the end, in an attempt at humor, I asked, "Did I pass?" He said, "Oh, you passed. The thing is, an IQ test is supposed to progress through harder and harder questions, to see at what point you start getting things wrong. That's how you find out what your limit is. So you're not supposed to get everything right." ... From which I assume he meant I got too much right.

They never told me my IQ. I've been tempted several times in the 33 years since to find out, but I always stop myself by asking, "What will that get me? Nothing more than an ego boost, which won't be good for me."

Here's what I know: I was valedictorian of my high school. I graduated college with honors. I've been employed full time for 25 years. I make 70% more than the average pay for my profession in my state. I have produced over 100 patents. I have solved problems that made the difference between releasing a product and scrapping it.

And I don't seem to have any ambition of my own. I don't look for projects. People bring them to me and I do what they say. I have almost 20 years until I retire, and I can't wait. I'm always tired, always stressed. I always feel like I'm just barely getting by, like I've been surfing a tsunami my while life. I always feel like I have no spare time to just sit and breathe. But when I do have time, I feel like I should be doing something, like I'm not of value unless I'm accomplishing big things. I'm 50 years old and I haven't yet learned how to just be happy with myself and my life. I would take that over a high IQ any day.

I sometimes wonder if my boyfriend will truly be happy for a long while, given that his anxiety is taking over his life normally. While my anxiety is 1-2 generally, his lvl is 7 usually and when he gets at 8-9 he shuts down and can't function. He also has chronic depression and there's not much people can do to make him feel better even with hard work. Perhaps when he's on his own or with close friends he feels the best.

He too hasn't wanted to take an IQ test because to him it doesn't matter. He dislikes people who show off with their high iqs. He's quite wonderful and cool to me but I wonder if he feels it.

You've been cool too, even before I had known what you've accomplished. I like people for their thinking, perceiving and respect/relation to others.

Some people don't ever feel cool about themselves but I guess that's people too. There are different people, very different people with very different struggles and lives the way some people don't even realize. They are much like me but very different within, and they are just people too. They live every day and every night differently than me. They share, learn, question and grow differently than me. They think and feel differently than me. And they are just people too.

 

[Edward764]

31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85).

Less than 50% are avg + above

These are indeed surprising statistics.
If true, then this forum is not indicative of the norm. Other than myself, I am nearly certain that no one responding on this thread has an IQ lower than 120.
I am guessing that puts everyone here except me in the top 10-15% of autistic entities.

 

[All-Rounder]

These are indeed surprising statistics.
If true, then this forum is not indicative of the norm. Other than myself, I am nearly certain that no one responding on this thread has an IQ lower than 120.
I am guessing that puts everyone here except me in the top 10-15% of autistic entities.

Hmm I guess then id be the only one ashamed to even mention my maximum score.

 

[Nervous Rex]

He too hasn't wanted to take an IQ test because to him it doesn't matter. He dislikes people who show off with their high iqs. He's quite wonderful and cool to me but I wonder if he feels it.

Sounds like your boyfriend learned faster than me - well done, anonymous boyfriend. I was an intolerant, intolerable know-it-all until I noticed that nobody liked it. It's been a few decades of learning to be nice. You may be the first person to call me "cool".

There are different people, very different people with very different struggles and lives the way some people don't even realize. They are much like me but very different within, and they are just people too. They live every day and every night differently than me. They share, learn, question and grow differently than me. They think and feel differently than me. And they are just people too.

That's beautiful.