Recently Unemployed and Frustrated

[greenlantern]

I just quit my job as an educator. I was only able to do it for one semester. In many ways it was a lot of fun but the social aspects really got me. It got to the point that when I would eat lunch with other teachers, they would not say a word to me. It was difficult dealing with parents and the students, so much so that they hated me. So in some ways it was good that I quit. I was teaching at a private school and I do not have state teaching credentials. My education is working in academic libraries. I am worried that I will not be able to find a job because of my aspi issues. I worry that I will not be able to get along with others or be able to do the job the way they want me to. I wonder if I will ever find a job that I can do. In past jobs through the years, I have been bullied and picked on. Some jobs more than other. I am really frustrated that no matter how hard I try, I feel like a failure. I want a job but because of my "issues" I do not want to deal with all of the crap. It is really frustrating.
Any thoughts of what I should do? Am I doomed to a life without a job? Or am I over exaggerating this? Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[King_Oni]

Honestly; it's a bumpy ride for aspies, even with degrees.

However, that doesn't make it so that everyone of "us" is doomed for life without a job.

There's a few things you can consider at this point.

- Do you want a job that suits your education more? Working in academic libraries
- If so, do you have any ideas how land a job like that?
- What issues do you have on a daily basis that you could presumably link to your Aspergers/autism?

If you get those answers cleared out, it opens a perspectives in a different way I think. Down the line you might see if you can find a jobcoach to help you with whatever you need to accomodate your needs.

Another thing to consider is looking at jobs in general and how these hold up to your issues. Are you that adamant about having a job that suits your education? Or even your education level?

 

[gailt915]

King Oni has some really great suggestions! I would love to work in an academic library, or even a public library. My degree is in Elementary Ed. I never could get a job as a teacher. I did a lot of subbing, but I hated that! I went to so many interviews for teaching positions.......I finally asked an interviewer why I was not chosen. She said it was my personality. At the time I did not know I was an Aspie. I have a very hard time with interviews. I'm like a deer in the headlights!
Time to do some soul searching! Jobs are always going to be hard for us. There are so many challenges and obstacles to overcome. Sensory issues are the hardest for me, especially sound/noise related ones.
I had a job coach thru our local Department of Vocational Rehab. The only problem was that I did not know I had AS yet. I still thought I had Bipolar II and social anxiety. It was not a successful experience for me. However, you now know you are an Aspie, so you might have a better chance, a more successful outcome than I did.
I don't know where you are from, but here in the States, each town has its' own DVR you can connect with to see if they can help you.
I know that what I said is not near as helpful as what King Oni said, but I wanted you to have some more imput!!

Good luck to you in your search for the right job

 

[CHASP]

I've been teaching high school for 15 years, and everyday seems like my first day. I wasn't diagnosed until about four years ago (although I my special ed records from the mid 1970s clearly indicated what would NOW be called autism). I've done well because the kids find my mannerisms amusing ( for example, I usually make a face before answering a question--to buy time, I guess). The problem is that I always need to be thinking--I'm always a beat or two off, unless I'm working from a script --a mental script of catchphrases, jokes, double talk, anecdotes, trivia. Before I knew about AS --found out when my son was diagnosed--I was forced to adapt, overcompensate: hard, endless work! I couldn't understand why other people didn't have to think so much--hey, I needed a plan to walk across a room or order a cup of coffee (words, voice modulation). TV helped a lot. As I'm sure you know, there are only nuances that distinguish the endearing eccentric from the weirdo, creep, or freak in the mind of the "typical."

As education in the US becomes more standardized, I worry about being evaluated by NTs who think avoiding eye contact and forgetting names mean a person dosn't care. I am thinking about telling my supervisors about my AS. I have to do some legal research first.

I wouldn't steer a AS person away from teaching (university work is a different matter, of course), but it's tough. So is everything.

 

[Meistersinger]

Do you have a master's degree in library sciences from a school accredited by the American Library Association? If you do, that's part of the battle. Do you also have at least a master's in a second subject, since a good many academic libraries will require it? Do you have the job experience to back up the credentials? If you do, you might want to get with a coach of some kind in order to figure out what deficit is causing the problem. ADA may be the law of the land, but it may not stop the potential employer to give it to someone who has a better handle on his deficit.

 

[paloftoon]

greenlantern, consider working at cyber school at least to hold you off. Things are more robotic. You won't have to be in an in-person classroom everyday like a normal school. I'd vaguely heard of a private cyber in UT. Most cybers are charter, and private cybers are few and far in-between. You will learn more no matter what you choose, but it won't be easy, that's for sure. I hope for the smoothest path possible for you, and I definitely know how you feel.

 

[Aspergirl4hire]

I just quit my job as an educator. I was only able to do it for one semester. In many ways it was a lot of fun but the social aspects really got me. It got to the point that when I would eat lunch with other teachers, they would not say a word to me. It was difficult dealing with parents and the students, so much so that they hated me. So in some ways it was good that I quit. I was teaching at a private school and I do not have state teaching credentials. My education is working in academic libraries. I am worried that I will not be able to find a job because of my aspi issues. I worry that I will not be able to get along with others or be able to do the job the way they want me to. I wonder if I will ever find a job that I can do. In past jobs through the years, I have been bullied and picked on. Some jobs more than other. I am really frustrated that no matter how hard I try, I feel like a failure. I want a job but because of my "issues" I do not want to deal with all of the crap. It is really frustrating.
Any thoughts of what I should do? Am I doomed to a life without a job? Or am I over exaggerating this? Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Yep, you're exaggerating

If you have a library science degree, IT-database people would be interested in you, as would people who design content management systems. You know how to think in taxonomies and you'd understand how data can be proximate or not proximate (ie, relevant to some given topic). IT is an aspie-rich environment. If you can put together some samples of work you've liked doing into a portfolio, you can use the portfolio to sell you--that has worked out very well for me, even when I was young. Work samples are persuasive.

Also, this gets easier as you get older and acquire more scripts about social behavior. The best thing I ever did about that for myself was force myself to "go out." Meet strangers and figure out how conversation worked, and then if it didn't work out, I'd never see them again.

Forgive them and yourself, give yourself a little rest, and then get up and do something that scares you, after you've planned everything you can to make it succeed. Just to see what happens, and learn from it. Cheers, and remember comedy = tragedy + time. I have to remind myself of that, frequently.

 

[annalaurabrown]

Have you considered starting your own business and working for yourself. I do and I know quite a few ASD adults who do it too.

 

[Grumpy Cat]

forgetting names mean a person dosn't care.

I get that all the time cause I remember patients by room #'s - helps me keep things straight.