Networking for employment

[Andrew206]

Has anyone on here networked to find a job? What was your experience?

 

[NeoPhile]

Networking can be hard for autistic spectrum people. We have a hard time meeting people. Stay away from websites like Career Builder or Monster. They have their own goals, and it's mostly ads anyway. What you want to do is take the phone book and find the field in which you want a job. Just go down listings in the phone book and call each business and ask them if they're hiring. For every job listed in the newspaper or on the internet, there are dozens that are not being advertised. In any instance, there is a lot of competition for jobs listed in the newspaper or online.

 

[midlife aspie]

Unfortunately, the more desirable positions are often "filled" before the vacancy is even announced internally within the company, let alone publicly. I'm seeing that more often than not, the vacancy listings are mere formalities, with 'insider' candidates already earmarked or "recommended" by people or persons with influence in the company. Networking is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to becoming such a candidate. One must ALWAYS be a self advocate and seek out influential people in places one would like to work before trying to pursue a position in those places. That means being social, outgoing, ambitious, and keen; all of which can be challenging for an aspie.

 

[Aeolienne]

What you want to do is take the phone book and find the field in which you want a job. Just go down listings in the phone book and call each business and ask them if they're hiring.

Other sources say that you should treat networking as a fact-finding mission and definitely not ask for a job straight away. I'm confused.

 

[s3_gunzel]

Other sources say that you should treat networking as a fact-finding mission and definitely not ask for a job straight away. I'm confused.

Because you shouldn't. Just like you wouldn't ask someone for a date in the first 5 minutes of knowing them. It's about selling yourself to them in the most indirect way possible, so that they go "Oh, @Aeolienne would be perfect for this position because X, Y, Z skillsets" - subconsciously - in a month or so's time.

 

[Questella]

Because you shouldn't. Just like you wouldn't ask someone for a date in the first 5 minutes of knowing them. It's about selling yourself to them in the most indirect way possible, so that they go "Oh, @Aeolienne would be perfect for this position because X, Y, Z skillsets" - subconsciously - in a month or so's time.

Omg it's not possible **headache

 

[s3_gunzel]

Omg it's not possible

It is possible, but I haven't mastered it yet.

 

[Full Steam]

Not much I hate more than networking.

It would have helped me loads in the past but I absolutely loath it.

I'm chatty and sociable in small groups, and I do consultative sales for my business with no problem, but a room full of people, all there to extract value from social engagement?!

I think it's likely to be very personal though, and you can be suprised about what you can excel in. I was terrified of sales, but I learned to sell I ways that suit me and I love it now, as I'm just telling people about things I'm passionate about that can help them.

I'd give it a try and whether B it works or not, try to find a way that suits you.

Direct contact can work as it shows initiative. If I were doing it I'd maybe start with LinkedIn, and I'd get personal website and start a blog about the industry.

If I were hiring I'd google your name for sure, and I'd think very well of people who show interest and passion.

Depends what you do of course.

 

[Andrew206]

I like the LinkedIn idea. It's important to write articles about the industry you want to get into. I agree that direct contact is essential.

 

[Questella]

I definitely don't write... me trying to write is just ridiculous, I only passed highschool English from reading all the extra credit accelerated reading books and taking tests on them, sometimes i would read 2-3 books a night but I would fail every single writing assignment

 

[Aeolienne]

Has anyone here had any luck with handing out your CV at trade fairs? (As I was filmed doing for Employable Me)

 

[Andrew206]

I've had some luck doing that @Aeolienne. I got an interview a week later. Unfortunately, I didn't get the job.

 

[Aeolienne]

I once handed my CV to a company at a trade fair and a month later they got back to me inviting me to attend an interview for a position as an Oceanographer. At this point I asked my contact at the National Autistic Society's supported employment to intervene and give the prospective employer a pep talk about Asperger's, reasonable adjustments and so forth. Then, the day before the Oceanographer interview was due to take place, and with my rail ticket already booked, the firm postponed the interview by a week. The reason they gave was that they had decided to interview me for a Database Systems Administrator position instead. I found hard to summon up much enthusiasm for the alternative job and was rejected after the interview.