Job interviews...

[Doliba]

I have a job interview tomorrow. I'm scared, both because I am really not prepared for this at all and I don't even know if I even want a job. My parents are forcing me to do all the paperwork and make a good looking resume and stuff.. I feel like I want to mess this interview up on purpose because I feel really repulsed by the mere idea of having a job, but I don't know if I can bring myself to mess it up on purpose like that. I really feel like either way this interview goes is a loss, and I'm trying to feel okay about this. I don't know what I should do :c

 

[VictorR]

Why might you want a job?

reasons may include
* money
* sense of purpose
* meet new people
* participate in society
* acquire knowledge and skills

Keep in mind that interviews are very random. I've had interviews where I thought I did great but didn't hear back from, and interviews that I thought were a mess but which resulted in an offer.

If nothing else, interviews are one of the more challenging barriers that autistic individuals face because the traditional format is not very spectrum friendly. That being said, maybe you can take it as a learning experience, so no pressure to perform - just go with the flow.

 

[Progster]

As @VictorR says, think about the positives of having a job. And there are lots - I would say that the positives most defininitely outweigh the negatives, the most important being for me financial independence.

Perhaps if you go with the attitude that there is no pressure, it doesn't matter if you don't get the job, at least you tried, it might make you relax a bit more and you will perform better in the interview. Good luck!

 

[Major Tom]

A fact of life is that unless you are homeless,born wealthy, institutionalized, or under someone's care, you are going to have to work.

I hate working too, but it's helped me grow in a lot of ways. I've also learned a lot in the process. If I never would have worked, I never would be where I am today.

 

[Thinx]

You have already done well to get an interview, congratulations! Even though it sounds like your parents are pushing you to do this, still, the application is about you and they chose you to invite to interview. That's an achievement, in itself.

What is the job that you are going for?

 

[unperson]

It's worth experiencing, you might like it.

 

[SDRSpark]

What kind of job is it? Is this a "I don't want to work" or "I don't want to work this particular job"? At some point, you're going to have to work. However, it doesn't have to be this job. I would encourage you to seek out entry level positions that you think you would actually enjoy, and put your effort into getting into one of them.

I've actually done the interview for a job that I didn't want...my dad pushed me into it. It was for Utz (snacks) route salesman, I would have had to start around 3AM and go around selling snacks to stores. I didn't even know how to drive stick! Anyway, I went for the interview, and it was a group interview. Partway through it, I was like "you know, I don't think this is for me" and told them so. What's funny is, they tried to give me a shot anyway! Asked if I wanted to go on a ride along to see the job, because I guess, they still wanted to hire me even when I said I didn't want the job. (I'm female, so maybe there was some affirmative action thing going on here? I have no idea.)

I have absolutely no regrets about how that interview went. I now have a different job which, though frustrating at times, I actually enjoy (pretty much) and I've been there over 10 years.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Sometimes it can take a while to fully understand who you are as a person. That said, some jobs are just something to pay the bills until you either achieve a higher scholastic education and/or you find something that really fits your aptitudes, special interests, etc. At some point in our lives we have to cut the umbilical cord, go out into this world, and begin to act like a responsible citizen and contribute to society. There is nothing more worrisome and frustrating than a child that "fails to launch", as a responsible parent is to teach their child the life skills to go out on their own, have some success,...and not come back.

Having said that, there are ways to make a living working from the home,...assuming you have some basic computer skills. For example, more recently, I have started doing my own trading on the stock market,...but having said that, you have to have some other form of steady income to get started.

 

[zozie]

I don't do well at all if the work isn't in line with what I already like. I burn out very quickly, in other words, if I'm doing "just a job" to pay the bills. Granted, I am also a single mother and that hogs a lot of my time and energy, so perhaps there'd be more to spare if I weren't. (today is one of those days that I'm wishing I had more time to myself to rest. It's just not there.)

For me, the "journey" has been moving towards what I like and do well that happens to also pay enough. If other opportunities arise that feel like they "should" be easy enough, I think about it for a while and eventually decide to steer clear.

This course isn't for everyone, but it's not one that I chose, exactly; more like, it was the only option left standing after I'd totally burned myself out trying to do everything else.

 

[zozie]

There is nothing more worrisome and frustrating than a child that "fails to launch", as a responsible parent is to teach their child the life skills to go out on their own, have some success,...and not come back.

This thought keeps me up at night. Both my kids are either autistic or adhd and autistic. We're all learning "life skills that actually work" together, so it feels like I won't have enough confidence in the process to know when to cut the cord. But I will suffocate if I have to rear them in my own home until they're 30.

Sometimes I wish I had more help.

Bad day.

 

[Primrose]

Hope your interview goes well.

You might actually like the job. If you get offered it I think it would be worth trying it out. You might be pleasantly surprised.