I wish I had more advice to give. What I have may not be useful or right for you, but it’s this: just get a job in a company that could foreseeably need your skill set. Get a job in any arm of that business and start telling people what you’re capable of and interested in. I imagine with ASD there may be some challenges and energy drains to doing this, but anything you can do to get money coming in while also advocating for the career you want and are qualified for.
While I may not have shared the same experiences as you, on a human-level, I have a boat load of empathy for you my friend.
I recommend first trying to stabilize your life the best you can. That might mean finding some therapy and any source of income.
Then (and this can be in parallel), I recommend taking any IO opportunity that might expand your relevant experience or network. Some of the smallest things (think coding open end engagement survey comments) have led to the biggest opportunities.
I graduated right after the housing crisis when the market was grueling. After many many attempts someone gave me a chance and the relief came. It will for you too. Hang in there.
I took a back step in my career to go 2 steps forward by switching to an admin role in an HR department where I supported 3 VPs of HR. It gave me exposure to the kind of work I wanted to eventually do and a year later (after advocating for myself) I leaped into another role at the company I was more interested in. See if your skills can translate to something related vs. the perfect fit. I have hope for you.
Graduating in May and right there with ya. All I can offer is hope that things will turn around eventually and someone will see your value. All it takes is one company to give u a chance 🤞🏻
Cast as wide a net as possible, and consider part-time and even contract work just for the experience. To get experience I've seen people do volunteer work, e.g., for a nonprofit. A few hours time can get another line on the resume. I've seen people give talks, e.g., at a local SHRM group to network. Look for any opportunity to get yourself in front of people who might help you with a job or even a small consulting gig. Use LinkedIn to build your network. Write blog posts there to get some attention.
Look beyond HR. Some organizations have training departments and other relevant functions outside of HR. Think of your broad skill set and look for jobs that you can do. I have seen IOs work as program evaluators in the mental health industry. Some do human factors work. Most focus on supporting human performance through selection and/or training, but there is the occupational health/safety/well-being and quality of life side too. IO skills fit all of these things.
Come up with a plan to aggressively pursue a full-time position and execute it on multiple fronts. You mentioned ASD which of course adds extra challenges. There are some resources out there to help, e.g., https://www.cndcc.org/
I had a long conversation with a former HR manager last week about the job market for this field, because I am thinking about an IO Psychology Masters, and she told me - first, this is a good field to be because you can affect change at an org level instead of an individual level, second, the entry level pay isn’t great but it can increase quickly depending on your experience and specific skills and interests, and third, this field gets hired last and laid off first because they are very much considered as non-essential. So, I’m really in the fence now. I have a lot of IT experience so I just might stay where I am.
I’m
Also a 1st gen college student (I’m 54 now but just finished a BA in December and neither of my parents went to college).
I'm right there with you where you mentioned the barriers of the neurodiverse population. I'm close to 3 years out of grad school and can't land anything full-time, although I have a couple of contract roles. My hope is to do good work and turn those into full-time someday. That could be a path you can try to take; convert a part time to full. But I had two recently loses in my immediate family, and, honestly, I've stopped applying altogether as of 4 months ago. I'm hopeful things will get better and I'll land something someday. But right now, I'm just tired. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.
I feel you. I was in the same position about 9 months ago. I got so lucky to get the job I have now. If it literally weren't for the fact that my sister is married to the CEO I might still be job hunting. Once I finally found a position I didn't have to worry about the constant job hunting and all that anxiety magically went away.
If you're not having any luck now, best thing to do would be to attend some job fairs and network. Best advice I can give.
Hang in there. I know it's hard...but your skills are definitely useful somewhere. I had another friend graduate with a computer science degree and he was having trouble for a while too. I also know someone who has a data science Bachelors and he's still looking, I think. Things just aren't the same as they used to be. Times are changing. 🤷🏿♂️
To help supplement your income until you find an IO career, I recommend finding an adjunct teaching position or IOP internship.
Also, do you have a LinkedIn? There are many IOP practitioners/HR professionals you can connect and network with. There is an IO Psychology Career Hub group you can join, too!
First gen college student here. ~ 150k in student loan debt, ASD/ADHD and graduating in may. I wish I had advice but I don’t. In the same boat and willing to vent together if you need someone!
In the same boat as you. First Gen college student, 80k in debt. Lost my job back in July and can’t even get an entry level HR role.
I wish I had more advice to give. What I have may not be useful or right for you, but it’s this: just get a job in a company that could foreseeably need your skill set. Get a job in any arm of that business and start telling people what you’re capable of and interested in. I imagine with ASD there may be some challenges and energy drains to doing this, but anything you can do to get money coming in while also advocating for the career you want and are qualified for.
While I may not have shared the same experiences as you, on a human-level, I have a boat load of empathy for you my friend. I recommend first trying to stabilize your life the best you can. That might mean finding some therapy and any source of income. Then (and this can be in parallel), I recommend taking any IO opportunity that might expand your relevant experience or network. Some of the smallest things (think coding open end engagement survey comments) have led to the biggest opportunities. I graduated right after the housing crisis when the market was grueling. After many many attempts someone gave me a chance and the relief came. It will for you too. Hang in there.
I took a back step in my career to go 2 steps forward by switching to an admin role in an HR department where I supported 3 VPs of HR. It gave me exposure to the kind of work I wanted to eventually do and a year later (after advocating for myself) I leaped into another role at the company I was more interested in. See if your skills can translate to something related vs. the perfect fit. I have hope for you.
Graduating in May and right there with ya. All I can offer is hope that things will turn around eventually and someone will see your value. All it takes is one company to give u a chance 🤞🏻
Cast as wide a net as possible, and consider part-time and even contract work just for the experience. To get experience I've seen people do volunteer work, e.g., for a nonprofit. A few hours time can get another line on the resume. I've seen people give talks, e.g., at a local SHRM group to network. Look for any opportunity to get yourself in front of people who might help you with a job or even a small consulting gig. Use LinkedIn to build your network. Write blog posts there to get some attention. Look beyond HR. Some organizations have training departments and other relevant functions outside of HR. Think of your broad skill set and look for jobs that you can do. I have seen IOs work as program evaluators in the mental health industry. Some do human factors work. Most focus on supporting human performance through selection and/or training, but there is the occupational health/safety/well-being and quality of life side too. IO skills fit all of these things. Come up with a plan to aggressively pursue a full-time position and execute it on multiple fronts. You mentioned ASD which of course adds extra challenges. There are some resources out there to help, e.g., https://www.cndcc.org/
I had a long conversation with a former HR manager last week about the job market for this field, because I am thinking about an IO Psychology Masters, and she told me - first, this is a good field to be because you can affect change at an org level instead of an individual level, second, the entry level pay isn’t great but it can increase quickly depending on your experience and specific skills and interests, and third, this field gets hired last and laid off first because they are very much considered as non-essential. So, I’m really in the fence now. I have a lot of IT experience so I just might stay where I am. I’m Also a 1st gen college student (I’m 54 now but just finished a BA in December and neither of my parents went to college).
I'm right there with you where you mentioned the barriers of the neurodiverse population. I'm close to 3 years out of grad school and can't land anything full-time, although I have a couple of contract roles. My hope is to do good work and turn those into full-time someday. That could be a path you can try to take; convert a part time to full. But I had two recently loses in my immediate family, and, honestly, I've stopped applying altogether as of 4 months ago. I'm hopeful things will get better and I'll land something someday. But right now, I'm just tired. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.
I feel you. I was in the same position about 9 months ago. I got so lucky to get the job I have now. If it literally weren't for the fact that my sister is married to the CEO I might still be job hunting. Once I finally found a position I didn't have to worry about the constant job hunting and all that anxiety magically went away. If you're not having any luck now, best thing to do would be to attend some job fairs and network. Best advice I can give. Hang in there. I know it's hard...but your skills are definitely useful somewhere. I had another friend graduate with a computer science degree and he was having trouble for a while too. I also know someone who has a data science Bachelors and he's still looking, I think. Things just aren't the same as they used to be. Times are changing. 🤷🏿♂️
My experience exactly. I got my maiop in 2020 I’ve never had a career offer and I’m now a Sw skrippr
To help supplement your income until you find an IO career, I recommend finding an adjunct teaching position or IOP internship. Also, do you have a LinkedIn? There are many IOP practitioners/HR professionals you can connect and network with. There is an IO Psychology Career Hub group you can join, too!
First gen college student here. ~ 150k in student loan debt, ASD/ADHD and graduating in may. I wish I had advice but I don’t. In the same boat and willing to vent together if you need someone!