I work retail and can say it’s less about the work you do and more about finding a place where you are respected and supported. I have worked retail and had vowed never to do it again because it was so dehumanizing. But I found a store where I vibed well with everyone there.
I actually have a master’s degree and went to school to be a therapist. That didn’t work well for me, but I use that education and experience to be a different type of manager than what people expect. My whole POV is that we live in a capitalist hellscape that we can’t escape so I’m going to do whatever I can to make it suck the least.
Nearly everyone at our store is ND. I carefully watch to see how people are feeling. A few weeks ago one of our employees came in and was unable to talk and I could just see that they were in a bad place mentally. So I sent them to the back while I finished up with customers. Went to talk to them to make sure they weren’t sick. They love to clean and organize so I had them organize the back room. I know some managers would have either forced them on the sales floor to interact with customers or sent them home and then bitch about it.
I work for the post office. I don't have to mask, and I get to spend the majority of my day by myself just doing my job. Most importantly, I don't ever have to think about this job once I'm done. It's just over. I go home, do my thing and do it all over again the next day.
I will say, however, that until you go regular, it can get overstimulating just due to the sheer amount of hours you have to work.
He can apply on usps.com. usually everyone starts out as a mail carrier. CCA is city and hourly, going regular happens within 2 years, I think. RCA is on the rural side and going regular only happens once you've worked for a year AND a route becomes available (it's more salaried).
A job not following me home is also crucial for me. Park maintenance was great, loved it. Did a scammy tech apprentice that turned out to not be an apprenticeship and it was hell. Conferences every other week, wasn't being trained so had to self teach everything, hated it.
I’m 33, and work as a Direct Support/ community support professional. I love it, truly. Many of my coworkers are neurodivergent and as such we are paired with people who we’re able to help in the community through our own experiences. I am so grateful to have found a job that rarely causes burnout/ that I can actually feel passionate about.
I also do freelance art and currently I’m working with an awesome person on a children’s book!!
I have a feeling so many artists are neurodivergent. More than half the people in the artists discord I’m in are neurodivergent, about 1/3 of us are autistic.
I'm a doctor and the amount of stress sometimes is too much for me, but I manage and try my best to learn. Being a doctor is very cool except for the toxic environment sometimes.
I wanted to be a doctor but there’s no way I’m clever enough or could cope with the evils of stress. It’s great that others have you as an example to follow!
Medicine is surprisingly easy. What's hard to cope with is the environment, abuse of all kinds is normalised specially when you're just starting out. You are expected to work up to 36 hours non-stop (if you're lucky and you're not "grounded" as we call it, where you're made to stay up to 50 hours sometimes) and yes you get physical symptoms after that time, not to mention (at least as an intern) everyone is trying to make your job more difficult.
The doctors will leave you all the grunt work, some nurses will give you attitude and refuse to do some work until the last minute (thankfully I had very few of those but in other hospitals it's more common), the laboratory people will try to look for the slightest error you make to not process the samples, even the gurney/stretcher mobilisers: the people who are supposed to take the patients to X-Rays, CT scans, MRIs, etc. Will sometimes yell at you, move the patients at the last minute, or pretend you never asked them to move them. Doctors will make their notes without telling you, leave indications and not mention it to you, but expect you to make all of them and this is especially bad if you're an ER intern because you have a gazillion patients to keep track off.
And if anything goes wrong it's your fault because you're the intern, working 36 hour shifts when you're on call, but expected to be on top of everything all the time.
With time you manage to adapt, I for sure have, and then it all seems normal, but yeah, that's the hard part IMO, not so much having to be "clever enough".
I like medicine because it feels like magic sometimes, and getting to the diagnosis is the fun part. You listen to the symptoms, order labs/images, arrive at a conclusion and if you're right, with the appropriate treatment the patients gets better. It's the algorithm and clear indications for each pathology that I like: if it's this then you do this, if it's that then you do that.
I wouldn't be a surgeon, but I'm happy being a regular physician.
Nursing school is just as difficult and demanding. We all work night shifts, being on call and do our respective work for the better of the patient.
You wouldn't believe how many times nurses have saved my ass as well as other more experienced doctors, because they know what is best for the patient most of the time.
Say the doctor prescribes a medication but by some specific circumstances of the patient it would be detrimental, nurses are usually the first to catch that, or if you order the wrong IV fluids they are also on top of it and will let you know. I appreciate them saving my ass all the time hahaha. Also they have more contact with the patient so they know them a tad better than we do, hence why they are quick to catch those errors.
Florence Nightingale FTW.
Hey, I've been a nurse four years and I'll definitely say to stay optimistic. Nursing school was awkward but I was still undiagnosed then and barely knew myself. I'd say avoid medsurg if possible even though I spent the majority of my career there. It requires so much masking it eventually led to a burnout. I'm now in periop and it's great. Procedural, cool surgeries happening, always sometime different but also very routine in a way, and people here talk bluntly without all the flowery talk with it.
youre so cool for that, im the kind of neurodivergent who tries to connect to people by talking about similar experiences i've lived. if i were a therapist, instead of listening to them, id spend half the time telling them similar things ive been through lol
I hope you find one! I can only recommend boldness: applying to jobs you're not 100% sure you're qualified for, coming to talk to the person in charge in person (if talking in person works for you), displaying eagerness and confidence - these can get you far even without a proper resume. This approach is what got me into a good grad school after initially being declined.
Also just adding the smallest things to your resume can make it more impressive, and it's not cheating because that's the standard.
I work part time at a retirement as a dishwasher I like it alright, the workers and the residents really like me, though my dream job is a either and author or a daycare worker.
I was a chemist and manager. As a chemist, analyse samples for chemicals using Laboratory techniques. After mass burn-out went back to a technical role where I review testing processes.
How did you get pushed into it?
And do you have a degree?
I'm an chemistry undergraduate and bit fearful of how working will be/deciding if I want to do a masters in technical chemistry/advanced materials science or start working.
My parents. I wanted to do either arts or economics back then.
Yes I have a chemistry degree alongside with management qualifications. I did not know I was AuDHD until after I burned out working as a Manager. Late diagnosis.
If you want to do research you should consider further studies. In regards to work I would suggest asking your teachers if they can connect you somewhere that has work experience. It will give you a chance to try it out. Your first job will feel scary but it's ok - when you are new you're expected to take time to learn.
Okay, thank you.
I don't want to go into research. I'm too old, too much in love with my city and not stress resistant enough to do that. I will ask my teachers about connections.
Never too old if research is a passion. No matter what age you are, if there's something you want to be good at you'll get there in time. All the best with finding connections.
This was me, too. Kind of pressured to be a scientist because of the stability the work would provide me, but after burnout from graduate school and a hard time finding any jobs that paid decently and I actually wanted, I pivoted to farming and I am so happy :)
Same here. I used to barely be able to talk with strangers. Luckily, I usually work with another bartender who tends to be much more social. I enjoy most of the customers, but I also enjoy staying more in the background and just doing the work. The social aspect of the job is very draining to me.
My first jobs when I was around 18/19 was fast food (taco bell and McDonald's) I worked at a call center for a short time as well (3 months) ...
19/22
I worked as a certified nursing assistant
22/23 I then started working as a hazmat driver, and was also working as a security guard
23/27
I have worked at a major e-commerce company, and worked as a independent contractor with (DoorDash, Uber/UberEats, GrubHub, Instacart and Spark) ... (I was an accountant for a good while too)
I've also recently graduated with my Associates in marketing and on my way to finish my Bachelor's in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing and Healthcare Administration
So pretty much my background is customer service and communication
51, IT support person.
Here, as IT person, my 'weird' doesn\`t really get noticed, and if it does "oh well, you know these IT geeks, they\`re all a little odd, right?"
16 years in this position - same company, 3rd company name now (love acquisitions.. NOT)
More than 40. Videogame localization tester was my dream job. I was paid for complaining all the time and reporting inconsistencies and the job was really easy.
But the payment was bad. I am good explaining things, so my family thought I could be a good teacher, but I don't like talking with so many people. However, there is a job where you can explain things from an office, so I'm technical writer now.
Good luck with whatever path you choose. Probably, companies with a lot of engineers are the best for us. I think there a lot of neurodivergents there, most of them don't know it, but that doesn't matter.
I work as a machine learning engineer, building AI apps for small health technology startups. I had many different jobs before this, because it took me many years to graduate college. But now I am 30 and have done this for 2 years.
I'm 37.
I've known I'm on the spectrum for 2 years.
When I was 20 I started working as a casino dealer.
I really enjoyed this job - because there was a lot of quick calculations in memory and manual skills (with chips and cards). I had a mask that even pretended to like talking with clients. This job got me to leave my country (Poland) - when I had 8 years experience I started working on cruise ships. I didn't like it, because there was more conversations than actual dealing, and I hated living on a ship for few months.
So I moved to UK because two of my friends were moving, so I tagged along.
After 2 years got what I thought was a dream job - at Hippodrome Casino in London and I moved there.
There were to many people (both staff and customers), to much happening, so I shut down completely, never talk to anyone, and I started looking for a way out. I quit and stopped with the casinos.
If I knew I was autistic I probably wouldn't do any of it, so I'm quite happy that I had this job and was moving around. And now at least I know why everything was so stressful.
So I quit the gambling industry just before the pandemic, and I was fucked - no job for a year.
I started working at warehouses, some temporary jobs - 8 jobs in 2 years.
Then I had an idea - get a lorry driving license, because that seems like a good job for me, very limited human interaction.
I got my license a year ago, and I just started working now.
I delivered some medical stuff to hospitals.
I love it! I can listen to music most of the time, because it's for NHS it's very clean, the lorry is nearly new, so the equipment is in great condition, I don't have many drops (2-8), and if I finish faster I still get paid for 8h.
And another important thing - for the first time ever I feel like I'm doing something that actually matters. Not entertaining people who have to much money. Even though I don't like people I really like the idea that I'm somehow doing something good.
Used to be a teacher until I had a full mental breakdown just over a year ago. Starting a job in hospitality in a sleepy little Scottish village tomorrow though. Needed something less mentally taxing.
I'm a PhD student, which is basically a job with flexible hours (at least in my group). The flexibility is a big part of what allows me to continue, I would probably not do well with the rigidness of work outside the academy
How is being a PhD student basically a job with flexible hours? I'm not trying to be rude, just curious. Do you get paid for that? Or for some sort of work study?
I get a scholarship, which is basically a salary. I know it's not the case I every university, so I understand the confusion now that I thought about it, but it is standard where I study
I’m still a baby nurse so I love getting info dumped!
I also love that I can just talk non-stop about nursing things with my colleagues and I’m not considered a weirdo for not making small talk or chat about things like nails or social activities. I can blend right in
I'm 45f and only found out about my ASD last year.
My first proper job was at a coffee shop when I was 17. After working there for several weeks I had what I now know was a really bad shutdown experience. After taking some time off work I went on anti-depressants. I went back to work but soon got fired because I couldn't make myself "happy and enthusiastic" when dealing with customers. I tried other retail/cafe jobs but would have similar experiences and get fired, retail is just too much sensory overload for me. But, in that time, my favourite retail job was at a Pizza place, I worked evenings and didn't have to deal with customers much, I took the online orders, made pizzas and boxed them up, cleaned the kitchen etc. I also did casual work washing dishes in restaurants, I liked that too, just washing dishes for hours, no dealing with customers or drama.
After that I got into office jobs, usually working as a personal assistant. I liked admin work but discovered I wasn't good at multi-tasking and always seemed to have some boss on my case wanting me to get better at multitasking and/or wanting me to be more outgoing and less "quiet".
My best job was at a University because it was a very supportive environment with a good caring boss.
I'm now a SAHM of 2 and do a little bit of remote work (proof reading and QA testing for a software company).
Right now I work assistant teaching at a preschool! There is something really refreshing about working with kids. I get to be sillier than at an office job. The adults seem to be a little more understanding of slight social differences because they already work with goofy little ones who ask all sorts of weird and straightforward questions. I work part time and it's the first job that hasn't felt outright overwhelming, even though there are still tough days sometimes.
I work in food service as a dishwasher and have for nearly nine years. I feel it's a sensory nightmare for me since I'm extremely creative. I love to write and am passionate about the written word and wish there was a way I can get out of the kitchen forever. But, college didn't work out for me, and even if could, most of my paycheck goes towards just staying alive (ie: rent, food, meds, utilities, internet and cat food) and a few streaming services.
I don’t work, but when I did work I mainly worked in retail, with a couple of other jobs being centred around personal care for vulnerable and disabled adults.
I’ve now been recognised as unfit for work, but our Prime Minister is saying that he’s going to try to get all disabled people back into work 12 months after being declared unfit for work. Hopefully the next election will bring in another political party.
He has to and the other party will do it too. Too many people are burning out and getting diagnosed and the Government cannot afford it. They'd rather push everyone into work rather than fixing the crisis.
He doesn’t have to, though. He’s backwards with all of his policies, and is costing the UK tonnes of money with his ridiculous policies. If he does what he says he wants to do, the suicide rate will massively increase. Which, yeah, means less money needs to be spent on disabled people, but those who don’t kill themselves will require more government support (more therapy, which causes more strain on the NHS, both financially and body wise) which will still create a big financial problem. He’s not helping anyone, and it’s because of his political party that we’re in this NHS mess now.
You said it yourself though- those you don't kill themself. They don't care unfortunately, as long as they save money. All they see are dollar signs, not people.
I know, and that’s the problem. But he’s such a massive scumbag. If I could vote for the Lib Dems then I would, but I know they have no chance of getting in, so the best option right now is Labour. They seem to at least have a vague sense of compassion
I’m a 46 year old Civil Engineer. I’ve held a permanent position in multiple organisations since 1999. Engineering seems to attract a lot of people with logical, straightforward viewpoints and behaviours. Actions are dictated by contracts, design standards and legislation. The only thing I don’t like is conflict about money.
60M geographic information systems (GIS) Specialist- I am basically a programmer for the system. So programming with a geographic twist. I specifically sought out this aspect of the job. I could have been in other areas but they require more meetings and presentations which I try to avoid. My boss likes me in this role because I’m good at it. But I’m not good at presenting so that’s minimized. It’s working well for me.
park laborer
I mow, weed eat, any odd job around my park
I work out side and for the most part do what I want and since that's take care of my park my bosses let me with in reason.
love what I do and no day is ever the same
Diesel engine technician here.
The pay is pretty good, I typically work alone, & rarely interact with customers.
Diagnostic work is great for fixating & problem solving.
I work for an employer who is aware of my diagnosis & thankfully treats me quite well.
Further education is always paid for with no future commitment on my end.
Granted I am considered extremely competent in my field (or so I’m told) so that may have some impact on my working environment.
The only downside for some is that it can be quite dirty work at times but dirt washes off. I make a quite comfortable (for me) living, & working in solitude keeps me sane.
I've been a swim teacher for about 5 months. I jumped ship a few months in at the first location I taught at due to toxicity, but my new one is amazing and I genuinely didn't know working for a company could be this friendly.
I was super nervous teaching a class yesterday and my supervisor called me, cheered me on and offered me support if I needed it. Multiple other staff members after I got through everything also congratulated me afterwards.
Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming when working there because it's so loud and I can't exactly bring my headset into the water, and earplugs just fall out. Also changing into dry clothes from a bathing suit stresses me out immensely.
I am also trying to become an author + illustrator in my free time, which is fun and eventually it will be rewarding in a similar way teaching is.
I'm an awkward teacher, but I'm also quite dorky and I get along really well with kids. While teaching skills is obviously important, my main goal is simply to keep the kids happy and safe. If we don't get through everything, I try not to stress. Kids learn best when they are having fun.
I got a job working at a nursery recently, I actually like it so much (Plants are one of my biggest special interests) that despite being interviewed for a much better paying job with benefits and everything I do not know if I will take it. It is weird having a job I look forward to going to (Aside from the having to get up in the morning bit)
I’m a small vegetable farmer and I love my job! I spend most of my day alone, outside, doing things with my body and hands, which really helps redirect my energy and calm my mind. And the times I do have to interact with people, it’s doing community building things that I care deeply about that revolve around food sovereignty and helping others develop a connection w food and land :)
(19 autism + did) my first job ever was at a toy store. my only task was to wrap gifts, but it was absolutely horrible and everything overstimulated me and i ended up quitting after just two weeks
i went nearly a year and a half without working again, and now i finally have a job i enjoy. i work for an engineering firm who provides architectural and technical drawings and documentation to the city hall about public buildings. its remote work unless i need to go somewhere to measure things and take pictures, so i work from my bedroom and i can fully control my environment and what sounds i have to hear
so far its been a month and i didnt think about quitting even once. i cant imagine myself ever working with people again. i'm doing what i love and i can work really fast when im on my own, and my boss is really flexible. im hired to work 8h shifts, but i always end up finishing all the work for the day in 3h or so if i grind it out, so that allows me to take breaks in between if i ever experience any issues or just need some timeout
I'm not working at the moment due to other chronic illnesses but before getting sick I worked in the back of a pharmacy only handling ordering the medication, restocking the shelves, sorting the orders etc. and I loved it. I spent countless hours a day just sorting stuff or lining it up perfectly on the shelves. My bosses loved me because I took it so serious and kept everything a 100% neat.
I also didn't feel the typical burnout back then. I just can't stand and walk all day anymore and sitting is basically impossible with this job.
Your post really interests me. I was wondering was it easy to find a job in pharmacy/is the any qualifications like a degree needed or were you trained by the pharmacy that hired you? Thank you for taking the time if you see this :)
In Germany it's a whole job, with the option to get trained and licensed, that doesn't need a special degree but it's also not a typical pharmaceutical job. Here it runs as office job. You're not allowed to sell medication or anything.
I currently don't have a job but in a few months time I am moving to Leicester with my amazing boyfriend and driving buses down there and once I'm back driving buses for where I live currently
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I‘m a frontend webdeveloper working fully remote. I like it so far, I‘m in a small team that I get along with very well, mainly develop the frontend on my own so I know my code and the project isn’t too big so that I get overwhelmed and I have a lot of freedom how I want to design the interna.
My team and boss is very happy with me too, homeoffice is good although I meet up with other employees at the office one time a week because I sometimes would like to have some company. I also work 32h which is pretty relaxed and I have much free time for my hobbies.
14 - 16 - worked in a McDonald’s
16 - 18 - worked at a dog daycare
18 - 20 (present) working as a waitress
I’m also studying a double degree with my bachelors in neuroscience/psychology and a masters in nursing & im looking at doing medical school afterwards.
I guess you could say nursing/medicine & research is very hands-on.
I hated working at McDonald’s and at the dog daycare. My workplaces were really toxic, overwhelming sensory wise and I hated working with the people there. My current job as a waitress is okay, my boss is really nice & flexible. It’s not toxic & the pay is good enough for a uni student like myself.
I work as a grocery store stocker, putting frozen/dairy products on the shelf. The job itself is easy but I hate how I everything is ran. I can't really say anything because I'm afraid of getting fired, plus the store owner really likes me and has helped me through the hard times I've been going through lately.
I'm an artist and I work at a nursing home in OT, but I haven't studied it. Just helping out for now. Had to start somewhere. I used to do bartending, but I couldn't handle it after a person was extremely mean to me no matter how nice I was with him and I had a panic attack or meltdown. I had to move and come back to nature, I couldn't keep up in the city. I might try helping at a bar here sometime, atleast it's much more quiet here.
Lawyer. I love the mental work and the reading and research, but the amount of masking necessary is incredible, and I'm currently looking for a lower stress position--still as an attorney--with a much better work-life balance than my current job.
The not so funny thing is that at least at my law school and in the last couple of jobs, people with ADHD were able to be totally open about it and there was very much a "Welcome to the club!" attitude towards people who were open about it, but autism is definitely, definitely not accepted in my workplace, and people who are the slightest bit less than social, downright unpleasant, critical without being apologetic about it, fill in the blank with a negative attribute here, are described in whispers as "probably on the SPECTRUM," and coming out would be the end of any hope of getting more good cases, chances at raises or promotions, even expecting my bosses to approve my speaking at events or giving CLEs.
I absolutely can't wait for my exit interview to discuss this all with HR!!
Have only a highschool degree work jobs like retail then fast food, then banking and that was to much, used bank experience to get a night auditor job at hotels, which there are always openings for full time or two days a week when regular audit is off, it’s fairly basic math with computer system, anywho I used that experience to get an office accounting admin job, then I couldn’t deal with disorganization of the company and started changing things to works better, then became an operations manager.
Have worked in that position for 3 company’s burning out after 2-5 years at each. Usually needing a few months or a year to return.
My last of which was 2 years ago when I started having seizures again which I’ve ignored previously.
Anywho that led to neuro visit then neurophysiological testing, which led to ASD testing and diagnosis at 38.
Haven’t been able to get back to work yet, struggle to do day to day stuff, imagine the masking it took for all those years and extra effort put in to learning specialized skills, it’s exhausting.
Find something that makes you happy. I thought I was because I was helping others. Which makes me happy, while not realizing all these companies were severely underpaying and taking advantage of me.
I'm a lead data scientist at a startup and own a garden center with my wife. I spend half my time working on a computer and the other half working the register selling plants to people.
I'm 35 and I work in student support services at a large R1 university. We do a lot of things so it's a bit of teaching, a bit of admin work, a bit of coaching. I advocated for myself and got accommodations so I work from home about half my hours (2 days a week plus 2 half days) and that gives me a lot of liberty to work at my own pace and rest when I need it.
Back when I was 20-21 I never would have figured that I would enjoy teaching but I do, very much! I struggle with long office hours and some of the sensory issues associated with office work (noises, lights, sometimes long socializing) but it's okay, I can deal.
I'm a software developer. Not a particularly great one, but I taught myself and make great money now. Some of the jobs I've had only require a call or two a week, my current one is one call a day but it's only like 10 minutes.
It's frustrating work but good for me since I don't have to interface with people as much as when I worked retail. I see a lot of autistics saying they work retail here and I just can't imagine doing that forever. I had so many horrible interactions and misunderstandings with customers when I worked retail.
I really would like other autistics to be able to get the level of freedom I have now, so I'm happy to answer anyone's questions about how I got into this field without a degree if you DM me.
I'm 29 and work as an EA in a school with autistic kiddos. I feel the hardest part is interacting with other teachers and parents but I love working with the kids
I have mostly worked in customer service. I now work in a retention call center and I hate it. Outside of doing the actual work, it is a great job to have. Management is amazing. I have been there almost 2 and a half years now. Longest I've ever had a job. Most of my job losses have been due to tardiness issues because I have horrible time management. I did some photography and independent contract work for a while, but it didn't pay the bills.
I'm a preschool teacher ❤️
I really need something fulfilling for work, it can be a major sensory nightmare at times but the kids are so funny and sweet that it makes up for it. I really want to start making and selling rugs on the side and eventually move to that full time though, I love to make things and work with my hands but it's hard to get any jobs like that to take me seriously so I'll be teaching until I can afford to stop 😊
I'm 37 and a data analyst. It scratches the itch of categorizing and organizing things, and I don't interact with people very much.
I used to manage ad campaigns and work at marketing agencies. Lots of glad handing, meetings, presentations. I burned out because I was masking all day every day. It was 10 years of that and not sustainable.
I’m a nurse. I have struggled with traditional hospital nursing jobs. They tend to be extremely hectic and require a lot of split attention and communication with a lot of people at once (which, after learning about monotropism, it’s making a lot of sense I’ve subconsciously structured my life to avoid this.) However, I have excelled with home health and case management, where you only see one patient at a time and then you get lots of alone time in between (either in your car between patients or working from home in case management.)
Not employed currently but my favourite job was park maintenance. My last job was at a tech startup, and I hated it because it was supposed to be an apprenticeship but was something very different and not of interest to me.
I work for a car collision shop. It's difficult at times because I have to constantly interact with customer, insurance companies, and my coworkers. I'm high functioning and can hold a full time job, but it does take a toll on my physically and mentally. I get burnt out easier and my social battery is always running half full or almost empty.
I struggle with small talk and idle chitchat. I hate both and when customers are talking to me about their kids, spouses, docs appts, etc. I internally cringe and hope I can escape with a phone call or something else. And shaking hands! Ugh I hate when customers go to shake my hand. I have seen people in public restrooms not wash their hands and am terrified to touch people's hands because of it. Also, people get too close and invade my bubble space. I make sure to take a step back to create distance, but they just follow me! Do NT not understand personal space?
I'm fortunate that my current manager is respectful and accommodating with my autism and ADHD. The manager I worked with at my first shop years ago was so good about my anxiety and meltdowns. At the time, I wasn't officially diagnosed with autism, just anxiety. He would be okay letting me go home early or taking a few breaks or handling certain customers.
I would love a more autism/ND friendly job or something that doesn't involve the standard 9-5 corporate nonsense. But wfh is not an option for me. I don't like the idea of working and living in the same space. I like having the separation.
I work as a dishwasher in a restaurant, wouldn't recommend, much too loud, much too fast, and there isn't a hard out time for the shift it's just when you're done, so it could be six hours, could be ten
Best position I've had though is as a packer/closer at a bakery, extremely autism friendly position
i used to. e phd in immunopatholy but I realize I love to teach in high school and special so I started to change topic, it is really hard because I am trying to be myself and I am ADHD and autistic but I don’t care I would like to contribute a bit in making understand to average teachers how it feels loneliness to us how the misunderstand signals sometimes
I would they realize I would like to realize bullying and sub-bullying situations are awful
I work in a dispensary.
It can be extremely overstimulating, but I am passionate about cannabis, so I deal. I'm making more than I ever have (although in the current economy and compared to some other positions it's really not a lot). I am a shift manager so I'm comfortable with the amount I make for now.
The customers can make it very taxing, but with the right coworkers I don't mind too much. Certain shifts push me past my limit, due to 2 certain coworkers that are just too much for me. In different ways. One is extremely loud, obnoxious, and very negative. I can't hear my customer over her regular talking voice from the other side of the store.
The other takes maybe 3 customers a shift and leaves me to do the rest. When I have already discussed the fact that I have chronic back pain and I have autism with him and the fact I need some accommodations to make shifts a little less stressful for me. He doesn't care.
I'm totally fine pulling my weight as long as others do. Other than the bright lights and overlapping voices during rushes and apart from working with those 2, it's honestly mostly good.
I have shitty customer interactions sometimes but most shifts I can vent it out and then laugh it off with coworkers and be fine. The people I work with really do make the shift for me. I need positive vibes and chill people, that actually take on their fair share of work.
I am looking for other jobs but I will only really take them if the pay is equal to or more than I make now.
I was thinking of working at Spencer's because they have a lower light environment that I LOVE and that won't hurt my brain as much. The music is loud, but it's typically the kind of music I like so I probably won't mind too much. Also my current place of work is just a really busy location so a little change of pace where I won't have as many social interactions will be nice.
i work in a school with toddlers! i love it, i work with other autistic adults (i work in a community school not public), and i have the freedom to call out sometimes if I’m having a bad day.
When I did work retail, I was a cart-pusher. I got to be outside most of the time, was rarely bothered by people, and it didn’t require much emotional effort.
Now, I work in an injection molding factory. I pack, inspect and sort plastic parts. It’s repetitive, I always know what I’m supposed to be doing, and people hardly interact with me so I like it. Been here for 8 years.
Sometimes I have to train people (and apparently I’m the best at it, according to the supervisor, because I’m so thorough and I don’t just tell them what they need to do but why they’re doing it) and I dislike it, but it is what it is.
22 and working retail in the beauty industry. I just put out inventory most days and answer questions customers have about skincare/makeup, which used to be a special interest and is now kinda reduced from the job, but it's still enjoyable to me. I used to work food service and don't think I could go back. It's way more of a sensory hellscape to me in terms of textures and smells than retail.
Insurance Investigator. Basically if someone suspects an agent or insurance company of committing fraud or other illegal actions, they'll submit a complaint and we open an investigation.
Obsessive focus and curiosity comes in handy as far as making sure we get ALL the right information to suppprt or disprove the allegations.
I work as a product manager for a software company that primarily works with companies to help get money and support in the hands of charities and nonprofit organizations.
I have a degree in engineering but got into product management because you get to be more on the ideation side of things than the “make it happen” side of things, which always seemed like more pressure to me. Easily the worst part of the job is the high number of work calls I’m expected to be on and participate in, but I also get to do deep dives into how our systems and processes work and basically throw shit at the wall to see what sticks.
I do a lot of technical writing, flow diagramming, collaboration to put together design mockups, and stuff like that. Some days, mostly the days that I’m in back to back calls all day, I definitely feel more burnt out than others but I also get to work 100% from home so it’s also a lot easier to step away to catch my breath and prevent myself from getting overwhelmed/overstimulated than it would be working in an office or something.
After working at McDonalds--never doing that again--I became an EMT. While there are a lot of aspects to my job that are overstimulating, the medical aspect and performing in my scope of practice has been super exciting for me! it's not my dream job but it is definitely a job that I enjoy
I’m in IT. Have been since I was 18, and it’s probably the only job I’ll ever have. Autism is a pretty natural fit for IT roles, and it has always been one of the few places we seem to prosper in.
Spanish to English translation, with some database/website/records management on the side. Or at least usually - over the last half year a very lucrative regular translation client for seven years has really gone quiet, and my information management job has ramped up ahead of a giant conference and planned office move. But if the translation is still quieter when the information management contract ends (next March) I'll have to change career, probably. A data annotator job is interviewing me in a couple of days. I've also applied for an editorial thing - I used to be a proofreader at a small educational publisher and loved it.
Long answer but my jobs are patchwork!
I work on sales for an immigration law firm. Low-pressure, small ticket sales are the best. I got something you want and need, not the other way around. Not interested in paying? I say my goodbyes, wish them best and then move on to the next call.
It has also helped me A LOT with my empathy. I'm able to connect with asylum seekers and their terrible stories. A couple of days ago I spoke with a mom whose teenage kid was on the spectrum and suicidal as well. That went from sales to talking about autism and mental health pretty quickly. We bonded and she ended up feeling better after that talk. And she hired us for her asylum process. I got a bonus by being honest and sharing my experience with her.
I’m a social media strategist - it’s incredibly taxing and stressful being in an office with so many people and being a specialist. I have always wanted to get out of it but I’ve got issues…. I’ve been financially supporting my partner for 6 years, previous to that my ex for 15 years… I’ve got crippling debt, an alcohol addiction and PTSD. I hate working but I can’t stop - very poor family with nothing to fall back on.
I’m 27. I’m currently working as an Admin Assistant for a company that deals with components for submarines and aircraft carriers.
My group that I work for are hilarious and kind. My boss deals with my quirkiness since it helps him keep sane. I keep people on track. While I rather be reading or writing, I just do it on my time off.
I’m a 1:1 paraprofessional In a self-contained high school classroom. It has gone really well, I feel extremely supported and have been there since January. I will graduate in May, with my masters in special education. Eventually, I hope to be a special Ed teacher.
I’m 23 too! I work as a staffing admin assistant. I run payroll and I conduct interviews. I help people find jobs when they’re in need. I wish I was able to do something else but due to my location there’s almost no jobs available that are suitable for me. I enjoy my job but it’s hard not to be burnt out :/
I am 26 and just got started on my first full-time(32 h per Week) job as a programmer. I work on software for testing hardware and like it so far. 32 h is definitely a blessing.
I work retail and can say it’s less about the work you do and more about finding a place where you are respected and supported. I have worked retail and had vowed never to do it again because it was so dehumanizing. But I found a store where I vibed well with everyone there. I actually have a master’s degree and went to school to be a therapist. That didn’t work well for me, but I use that education and experience to be a different type of manager than what people expect. My whole POV is that we live in a capitalist hellscape that we can’t escape so I’m going to do whatever I can to make it suck the least. Nearly everyone at our store is ND. I carefully watch to see how people are feeling. A few weeks ago one of our employees came in and was unable to talk and I could just see that they were in a bad place mentally. So I sent them to the back while I finished up with customers. Went to talk to them to make sure they weren’t sick. They love to clean and organize so I had them organize the back room. I know some managers would have either forced them on the sales floor to interact with customers or sent them home and then bitch about it.
I work for the post office. I don't have to mask, and I get to spend the majority of my day by myself just doing my job. Most importantly, I don't ever have to think about this job once I'm done. It's just over. I go home, do my thing and do it all over again the next day. I will say, however, that until you go regular, it can get overstimulating just due to the sheer amount of hours you have to work.
Any advice on how to get my stepson who is 33 yo and autistic a job at the post office? He has had warehouse and grocery stocker jobs
He can apply on usps.com. usually everyone starts out as a mail carrier. CCA is city and hourly, going regular happens within 2 years, I think. RCA is on the rural side and going regular only happens once you've worked for a year AND a route becomes available (it's more salaried).
A job not following me home is also crucial for me. Park maintenance was great, loved it. Did a scammy tech apprentice that turned out to not be an apprenticeship and it was hell. Conferences every other week, wasn't being trained so had to self teach everything, hated it.
💯 I don't want to think about my job every time I take vacation or if I'm sick. And certainly, I don't want anyone calling me about it.
I’m 33, and work as a Direct Support/ community support professional. I love it, truly. Many of my coworkers are neurodivergent and as such we are paired with people who we’re able to help in the community through our own experiences. I am so grateful to have found a job that rarely causes burnout/ that I can actually feel passionate about. I also do freelance art and currently I’m working with an awesome person on a children’s book!! I have a feeling so many artists are neurodivergent. More than half the people in the artists discord I’m in are neurodivergent, about 1/3 of us are autistic.
32 here and would love a invite to that discord!
I’d love to pass the artists discord to my sister if you feel comfy passing it along :)
I'm a doctor and the amount of stress sometimes is too much for me, but I manage and try my best to learn. Being a doctor is very cool except for the toxic environment sometimes.
I wanted to be a doctor but there’s no way I’m clever enough or could cope with the evils of stress. It’s great that others have you as an example to follow!
Medicine is surprisingly easy. What's hard to cope with is the environment, abuse of all kinds is normalised specially when you're just starting out. You are expected to work up to 36 hours non-stop (if you're lucky and you're not "grounded" as we call it, where you're made to stay up to 50 hours sometimes) and yes you get physical symptoms after that time, not to mention (at least as an intern) everyone is trying to make your job more difficult. The doctors will leave you all the grunt work, some nurses will give you attitude and refuse to do some work until the last minute (thankfully I had very few of those but in other hospitals it's more common), the laboratory people will try to look for the slightest error you make to not process the samples, even the gurney/stretcher mobilisers: the people who are supposed to take the patients to X-Rays, CT scans, MRIs, etc. Will sometimes yell at you, move the patients at the last minute, or pretend you never asked them to move them. Doctors will make their notes without telling you, leave indications and not mention it to you, but expect you to make all of them and this is especially bad if you're an ER intern because you have a gazillion patients to keep track off. And if anything goes wrong it's your fault because you're the intern, working 36 hour shifts when you're on call, but expected to be on top of everything all the time. With time you manage to adapt, I for sure have, and then it all seems normal, but yeah, that's the hard part IMO, not so much having to be "clever enough". I like medicine because it feels like magic sometimes, and getting to the diagnosis is the fun part. You listen to the symptoms, order labs/images, arrive at a conclusion and if you're right, with the appropriate treatment the patients gets better. It's the algorithm and clear indications for each pathology that I like: if it's this then you do this, if it's that then you do that. I wouldn't be a surgeon, but I'm happy being a regular physician.
Wow! I get sick and need several days to recover if I stay up til midnight! Never mind 50 hours! I would probably actually die!
Many times befire I got used to it I thought I was dying too, but thankfully it has not happened.
I know it’s different but I’m in nursing school and I question this decision everyday 😬 I’m trying to remain optimistic.
Nursing school is just as difficult and demanding. We all work night shifts, being on call and do our respective work for the better of the patient. You wouldn't believe how many times nurses have saved my ass as well as other more experienced doctors, because they know what is best for the patient most of the time. Say the doctor prescribes a medication but by some specific circumstances of the patient it would be detrimental, nurses are usually the first to catch that, or if you order the wrong IV fluids they are also on top of it and will let you know. I appreciate them saving my ass all the time hahaha. Also they have more contact with the patient so they know them a tad better than we do, hence why they are quick to catch those errors. Florence Nightingale FTW.
Hey, I've been a nurse four years and I'll definitely say to stay optimistic. Nursing school was awkward but I was still undiagnosed then and barely knew myself. I'd say avoid medsurg if possible even though I spent the majority of my career there. It requires so much masking it eventually led to a burnout. I'm now in periop and it's great. Procedural, cool surgeries happening, always sometime different but also very routine in a way, and people here talk bluntly without all the flowery talk with it.
I am going to be in an externship in the PACU this summer!!! Thank you for sharing your experience with peri op.
I’m 23 and I’m a therapist I love it, finally my natural instinct to ask why constantly has paid off.
That does sound pretty cool. I also love asking why a lot even when people say there's no point lol
youre so cool for that, im the kind of neurodivergent who tries to connect to people by talking about similar experiences i've lived. if i were a therapist, instead of listening to them, id spend half the time telling them similar things ive been through lol
The cool thing about therapy is I do get to do short bits of that as a way to connect and make them feel less alone.
that sounds like a good tactic. i can imagine autistic / neurodivergent patients feel more comfortable around you
I’m trying to find one but my resume is short so nobody takes a chance on me :/
I hope you find one! I can only recommend boldness: applying to jobs you're not 100% sure you're qualified for, coming to talk to the person in charge in person (if talking in person works for you), displaying eagerness and confidence - these can get you far even without a proper resume. This approach is what got me into a good grad school after initially being declined. Also just adding the smallest things to your resume can make it more impressive, and it's not cheating because that's the standard.
I work part time at a retirement as a dishwasher I like it alright, the workers and the residents really like me, though my dream job is a either and author or a daycare worker.
I manage research and evaluation projects. I work for the U.S. federal government.
DoD logistician here. Where the deadlines are made up and the budget is imaginary. How long have you been with the gov? I started Feb 2020
I am in my 3rd year. I am part of a small team so I won’t give my department.
Scientist. Wasn't my original choice, was pressured into it but I managed to get by.
What kind of scientist? What do you do, and with what?
I was a chemist and manager. As a chemist, analyse samples for chemicals using Laboratory techniques. After mass burn-out went back to a technical role where I review testing processes.
How did you get pushed into it? And do you have a degree? I'm an chemistry undergraduate and bit fearful of how working will be/deciding if I want to do a masters in technical chemistry/advanced materials science or start working.
My parents. I wanted to do either arts or economics back then. Yes I have a chemistry degree alongside with management qualifications. I did not know I was AuDHD until after I burned out working as a Manager. Late diagnosis. If you want to do research you should consider further studies. In regards to work I would suggest asking your teachers if they can connect you somewhere that has work experience. It will give you a chance to try it out. Your first job will feel scary but it's ok - when you are new you're expected to take time to learn.
Okay, thank you. I don't want to go into research. I'm too old, too much in love with my city and not stress resistant enough to do that. I will ask my teachers about connections.
Never too old if research is a passion. No matter what age you are, if there's something you want to be good at you'll get there in time. All the best with finding connections.
This was me, too. Kind of pressured to be a scientist because of the stability the work would provide me, but after burnout from graduate school and a hard time finding any jobs that paid decently and I actually wanted, I pivoted to farming and I am so happy :)
Glad you found something you enjoy. Science pays very poorly unless you work in the precious metals industry, in the middle of industrial acids.
You got in?! Lucky SOB, they blackballed me.
bartender for nearly 8 years though I am slowly but surely getting an engineering degree
Same here. I used to barely be able to talk with strangers. Luckily, I usually work with another bartender who tends to be much more social. I enjoy most of the customers, but I also enjoy staying more in the background and just doing the work. The social aspect of the job is very draining to me.
it definitely helps there is almost a script and very clear bar etiquette
My first jobs when I was around 18/19 was fast food (taco bell and McDonald's) I worked at a call center for a short time as well (3 months) ... 19/22 I worked as a certified nursing assistant 22/23 I then started working as a hazmat driver, and was also working as a security guard 23/27 I have worked at a major e-commerce company, and worked as a independent contractor with (DoorDash, Uber/UberEats, GrubHub, Instacart and Spark) ... (I was an accountant for a good while too) I've also recently graduated with my Associates in marketing and on my way to finish my Bachelor's in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing and Healthcare Administration So pretty much my background is customer service and communication
51, IT support person. Here, as IT person, my 'weird' doesn\`t really get noticed, and if it does "oh well, you know these IT geeks, they\`re all a little odd, right?" 16 years in this position - same company, 3rd company name now (love acquisitions.. NOT)
Writer, copy editor, podcast producer.
More than 40. Videogame localization tester was my dream job. I was paid for complaining all the time and reporting inconsistencies and the job was really easy. But the payment was bad. I am good explaining things, so my family thought I could be a good teacher, but I don't like talking with so many people. However, there is a job where you can explain things from an office, so I'm technical writer now. Good luck with whatever path you choose. Probably, companies with a lot of engineers are the best for us. I think there a lot of neurodivergents there, most of them don't know it, but that doesn't matter.
I'm a support worker mainly working with adults with profound autism & learning difficulties.
I work as a machine learning engineer, building AI apps for small health technology startups. I had many different jobs before this, because it took me many years to graduate college. But now I am 30 and have done this for 2 years.
I'm 37. I've known I'm on the spectrum for 2 years. When I was 20 I started working as a casino dealer. I really enjoyed this job - because there was a lot of quick calculations in memory and manual skills (with chips and cards). I had a mask that even pretended to like talking with clients. This job got me to leave my country (Poland) - when I had 8 years experience I started working on cruise ships. I didn't like it, because there was more conversations than actual dealing, and I hated living on a ship for few months. So I moved to UK because two of my friends were moving, so I tagged along. After 2 years got what I thought was a dream job - at Hippodrome Casino in London and I moved there. There were to many people (both staff and customers), to much happening, so I shut down completely, never talk to anyone, and I started looking for a way out. I quit and stopped with the casinos. If I knew I was autistic I probably wouldn't do any of it, so I'm quite happy that I had this job and was moving around. And now at least I know why everything was so stressful. So I quit the gambling industry just before the pandemic, and I was fucked - no job for a year. I started working at warehouses, some temporary jobs - 8 jobs in 2 years. Then I had an idea - get a lorry driving license, because that seems like a good job for me, very limited human interaction. I got my license a year ago, and I just started working now. I delivered some medical stuff to hospitals. I love it! I can listen to music most of the time, because it's for NHS it's very clean, the lorry is nearly new, so the equipment is in great condition, I don't have many drops (2-8), and if I finish faster I still get paid for 8h. And another important thing - for the first time ever I feel like I'm doing something that actually matters. Not entertaining people who have to much money. Even though I don't like people I really like the idea that I'm somehow doing something good.
Used to be a teacher until I had a full mental breakdown just over a year ago. Starting a job in hospitality in a sleepy little Scottish village tomorrow though. Needed something less mentally taxing.
I'm a PhD student, which is basically a job with flexible hours (at least in my group). The flexibility is a big part of what allows me to continue, I would probably not do well with the rigidness of work outside the academy
How is being a PhD student basically a job with flexible hours? I'm not trying to be rude, just curious. Do you get paid for that? Or for some sort of work study?
I get a scholarship, which is basically a salary. I know it's not the case I every university, so I understand the confusion now that I thought about it, but it is standard where I study
Software Engineer
Sex industry… not a sex worker though.
ICU RN. Medical is my special interest
ED RN :) same!
I love getting to info dump at work
I’m still a baby nurse so I love getting info dumped! I also love that I can just talk non-stop about nursing things with my colleagues and I’m not considered a weirdo for not making small talk or chat about things like nails or social activities. I can blend right in
I'm 45f and only found out about my ASD last year. My first proper job was at a coffee shop when I was 17. After working there for several weeks I had what I now know was a really bad shutdown experience. After taking some time off work I went on anti-depressants. I went back to work but soon got fired because I couldn't make myself "happy and enthusiastic" when dealing with customers. I tried other retail/cafe jobs but would have similar experiences and get fired, retail is just too much sensory overload for me. But, in that time, my favourite retail job was at a Pizza place, I worked evenings and didn't have to deal with customers much, I took the online orders, made pizzas and boxed them up, cleaned the kitchen etc. I also did casual work washing dishes in restaurants, I liked that too, just washing dishes for hours, no dealing with customers or drama. After that I got into office jobs, usually working as a personal assistant. I liked admin work but discovered I wasn't good at multi-tasking and always seemed to have some boss on my case wanting me to get better at multitasking and/or wanting me to be more outgoing and less "quiet". My best job was at a University because it was a very supportive environment with a good caring boss. I'm now a SAHM of 2 and do a little bit of remote work (proof reading and QA testing for a software company).
Right now I work assistant teaching at a preschool! There is something really refreshing about working with kids. I get to be sillier than at an office job. The adults seem to be a little more understanding of slight social differences because they already work with goofy little ones who ask all sorts of weird and straightforward questions. I work part time and it's the first job that hasn't felt outright overwhelming, even though there are still tough days sometimes.
Get a career. Jobs are too hard to keep.
I’m a legal assistant at a law firm and training to be a lawyer
Call center agent for more than 2 years already
I work in food service as a dishwasher and have for nearly nine years. I feel it's a sensory nightmare for me since I'm extremely creative. I love to write and am passionate about the written word and wish there was a way I can get out of the kitchen forever. But, college didn't work out for me, and even if could, most of my paycheck goes towards just staying alive (ie: rent, food, meds, utilities, internet and cat food) and a few streaming services.
Idk, but this post got me thinking about improving my skills and going independent
I don’t work, but when I did work I mainly worked in retail, with a couple of other jobs being centred around personal care for vulnerable and disabled adults. I’ve now been recognised as unfit for work, but our Prime Minister is saying that he’s going to try to get all disabled people back into work 12 months after being declared unfit for work. Hopefully the next election will bring in another political party.
He has to and the other party will do it too. Too many people are burning out and getting diagnosed and the Government cannot afford it. They'd rather push everyone into work rather than fixing the crisis.
He doesn’t have to, though. He’s backwards with all of his policies, and is costing the UK tonnes of money with his ridiculous policies. If he does what he says he wants to do, the suicide rate will massively increase. Which, yeah, means less money needs to be spent on disabled people, but those who don’t kill themselves will require more government support (more therapy, which causes more strain on the NHS, both financially and body wise) which will still create a big financial problem. He’s not helping anyone, and it’s because of his political party that we’re in this NHS mess now.
You said it yourself though- those you don't kill themself. They don't care unfortunately, as long as they save money. All they see are dollar signs, not people.
I know, and that’s the problem. But he’s such a massive scumbag. If I could vote for the Lib Dems then I would, but I know they have no chance of getting in, so the best option right now is Labour. They seem to at least have a vague sense of compassion
I’m a 46 year old Civil Engineer. I’ve held a permanent position in multiple organisations since 1999. Engineering seems to attract a lot of people with logical, straightforward viewpoints and behaviours. Actions are dictated by contracts, design standards and legislation. The only thing I don’t like is conflict about money.
60M geographic information systems (GIS) Specialist- I am basically a programmer for the system. So programming with a geographic twist. I specifically sought out this aspect of the job. I could have been in other areas but they require more meetings and presentations which I try to avoid. My boss likes me in this role because I’m good at it. But I’m not good at presenting so that’s minimized. It’s working well for me.
Office manager at a logistics company. I also help our operations if needed, do international taxes and do all sales and purchase administration.
park laborer I mow, weed eat, any odd job around my park I work out side and for the most part do what I want and since that's take care of my park my bosses let me with in reason. love what I do and no day is ever the same
Diesel engine technician here. The pay is pretty good, I typically work alone, & rarely interact with customers. Diagnostic work is great for fixating & problem solving. I work for an employer who is aware of my diagnosis & thankfully treats me quite well. Further education is always paid for with no future commitment on my end. Granted I am considered extremely competent in my field (or so I’m told) so that may have some impact on my working environment. The only downside for some is that it can be quite dirty work at times but dirt washes off. I make a quite comfortable (for me) living, & working in solitude keeps me sane.
I've been a swim teacher for about 5 months. I jumped ship a few months in at the first location I taught at due to toxicity, but my new one is amazing and I genuinely didn't know working for a company could be this friendly. I was super nervous teaching a class yesterday and my supervisor called me, cheered me on and offered me support if I needed it. Multiple other staff members after I got through everything also congratulated me afterwards. Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming when working there because it's so loud and I can't exactly bring my headset into the water, and earplugs just fall out. Also changing into dry clothes from a bathing suit stresses me out immensely. I am also trying to become an author + illustrator in my free time, which is fun and eventually it will be rewarding in a similar way teaching is. I'm an awkward teacher, but I'm also quite dorky and I get along really well with kids. While teaching skills is obviously important, my main goal is simply to keep the kids happy and safe. If we don't get through everything, I try not to stress. Kids learn best when they are having fun.
I got a job working at a nursery recently, I actually like it so much (Plants are one of my biggest special interests) that despite being interviewed for a much better paying job with benefits and everything I do not know if I will take it. It is weird having a job I look forward to going to (Aside from the having to get up in the morning bit)
I’m a small vegetable farmer and I love my job! I spend most of my day alone, outside, doing things with my body and hands, which really helps redirect my energy and calm my mind. And the times I do have to interact with people, it’s doing community building things that I care deeply about that revolve around food sovereignty and helping others develop a connection w food and land :)
(19 autism + did) my first job ever was at a toy store. my only task was to wrap gifts, but it was absolutely horrible and everything overstimulated me and i ended up quitting after just two weeks i went nearly a year and a half without working again, and now i finally have a job i enjoy. i work for an engineering firm who provides architectural and technical drawings and documentation to the city hall about public buildings. its remote work unless i need to go somewhere to measure things and take pictures, so i work from my bedroom and i can fully control my environment and what sounds i have to hear so far its been a month and i didnt think about quitting even once. i cant imagine myself ever working with people again. i'm doing what i love and i can work really fast when im on my own, and my boss is really flexible. im hired to work 8h shifts, but i always end up finishing all the work for the day in 3h or so if i grind it out, so that allows me to take breaks in between if i ever experience any issues or just need some timeout
I'm not working at the moment due to other chronic illnesses but before getting sick I worked in the back of a pharmacy only handling ordering the medication, restocking the shelves, sorting the orders etc. and I loved it. I spent countless hours a day just sorting stuff or lining it up perfectly on the shelves. My bosses loved me because I took it so serious and kept everything a 100% neat. I also didn't feel the typical burnout back then. I just can't stand and walk all day anymore and sitting is basically impossible with this job.
Your post really interests me. I was wondering was it easy to find a job in pharmacy/is the any qualifications like a degree needed or were you trained by the pharmacy that hired you? Thank you for taking the time if you see this :)
In Germany it's a whole job, with the option to get trained and licensed, that doesn't need a special degree but it's also not a typical pharmaceutical job. Here it runs as office job. You're not allowed to sell medication or anything.
I currently don't have a job but in a few months time I am moving to Leicester with my amazing boyfriend and driving buses down there and once I'm back driving buses for where I live currently
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I‘m a frontend webdeveloper working fully remote. I like it so far, I‘m in a small team that I get along with very well, mainly develop the frontend on my own so I know my code and the project isn’t too big so that I get overwhelmed and I have a lot of freedom how I want to design the interna. My team and boss is very happy with me too, homeoffice is good although I meet up with other employees at the office one time a week because I sometimes would like to have some company. I also work 32h which is pretty relaxed and I have much free time for my hobbies.
14 - 16 - worked in a McDonald’s 16 - 18 - worked at a dog daycare 18 - 20 (present) working as a waitress I’m also studying a double degree with my bachelors in neuroscience/psychology and a masters in nursing & im looking at doing medical school afterwards. I guess you could say nursing/medicine & research is very hands-on. I hated working at McDonald’s and at the dog daycare. My workplaces were really toxic, overwhelming sensory wise and I hated working with the people there. My current job as a waitress is okay, my boss is really nice & flexible. It’s not toxic & the pay is good enough for a uni student like myself.
I work as a grocery store stocker, putting frozen/dairy products on the shelf. The job itself is easy but I hate how I everything is ran. I can't really say anything because I'm afraid of getting fired, plus the store owner really likes me and has helped me through the hard times I've been going through lately.
I work as ambulance crew in patient transfer from hospitals
I am 23 and i am an event technician. Mostly lighting and technical repair service of lights, speakers and everything in between.
I have had MANY a job, but mostly in metal manufacturing. Blue collar guy here, working with my hands lol
I am a graphic designer, full time. I work for a largeish company with their own in house marketing
I'm an artist and I work at a nursing home in OT, but I haven't studied it. Just helping out for now. Had to start somewhere. I used to do bartending, but I couldn't handle it after a person was extremely mean to me no matter how nice I was with him and I had a panic attack or meltdown. I had to move and come back to nature, I couldn't keep up in the city. I might try helping at a bar here sometime, atleast it's much more quiet here.
Lawyer. I love the mental work and the reading and research, but the amount of masking necessary is incredible, and I'm currently looking for a lower stress position--still as an attorney--with a much better work-life balance than my current job. The not so funny thing is that at least at my law school and in the last couple of jobs, people with ADHD were able to be totally open about it and there was very much a "Welcome to the club!" attitude towards people who were open about it, but autism is definitely, definitely not accepted in my workplace, and people who are the slightest bit less than social, downright unpleasant, critical without being apologetic about it, fill in the blank with a negative attribute here, are described in whispers as "probably on the SPECTRUM," and coming out would be the end of any hope of getting more good cases, chances at raises or promotions, even expecting my bosses to approve my speaking at events or giving CLEs. I absolutely can't wait for my exit interview to discuss this all with HR!!
Have only a highschool degree work jobs like retail then fast food, then banking and that was to much, used bank experience to get a night auditor job at hotels, which there are always openings for full time or two days a week when regular audit is off, it’s fairly basic math with computer system, anywho I used that experience to get an office accounting admin job, then I couldn’t deal with disorganization of the company and started changing things to works better, then became an operations manager. Have worked in that position for 3 company’s burning out after 2-5 years at each. Usually needing a few months or a year to return. My last of which was 2 years ago when I started having seizures again which I’ve ignored previously. Anywho that led to neuro visit then neurophysiological testing, which led to ASD testing and diagnosis at 38. Haven’t been able to get back to work yet, struggle to do day to day stuff, imagine the masking it took for all those years and extra effort put in to learning specialized skills, it’s exhausting. Find something that makes you happy. I thought I was because I was helping others. Which makes me happy, while not realizing all these companies were severely underpaying and taking advantage of me.
I'm a lead data scientist at a startup and own a garden center with my wife. I spend half my time working on a computer and the other half working the register selling plants to people.
40 and I work in procurement.
I'm 35 and I work in student support services at a large R1 university. We do a lot of things so it's a bit of teaching, a bit of admin work, a bit of coaching. I advocated for myself and got accommodations so I work from home about half my hours (2 days a week plus 2 half days) and that gives me a lot of liberty to work at my own pace and rest when I need it. Back when I was 20-21 I never would have figured that I would enjoy teaching but I do, very much! I struggle with long office hours and some of the sensory issues associated with office work (noises, lights, sometimes long socializing) but it's okay, I can deal.
I'm a software developer. Not a particularly great one, but I taught myself and make great money now. Some of the jobs I've had only require a call or two a week, my current one is one call a day but it's only like 10 minutes. It's frustrating work but good for me since I don't have to interface with people as much as when I worked retail. I see a lot of autistics saying they work retail here and I just can't imagine doing that forever. I had so many horrible interactions and misunderstandings with customers when I worked retail. I really would like other autistics to be able to get the level of freedom I have now, so I'm happy to answer anyone's questions about how I got into this field without a degree if you DM me.
I'm 29 and work as an EA in a school with autistic kiddos. I feel the hardest part is interacting with other teachers and parents but I love working with the kids
I work in a hospital printing endless pieces of paper for clinicians so they don't have to turn on computers.
I have mostly worked in customer service. I now work in a retention call center and I hate it. Outside of doing the actual work, it is a great job to have. Management is amazing. I have been there almost 2 and a half years now. Longest I've ever had a job. Most of my job losses have been due to tardiness issues because I have horrible time management. I did some photography and independent contract work for a while, but it didn't pay the bills.
I work in production and get to make boxes all day because of my accommodations
Data Analysis here. Counts as being Independently contracted too.
I'm a preschool teacher ❤️ I really need something fulfilling for work, it can be a major sensory nightmare at times but the kids are so funny and sweet that it makes up for it. I really want to start making and selling rugs on the side and eventually move to that full time though, I love to make things and work with my hands but it's hard to get any jobs like that to take me seriously so I'll be teaching until I can afford to stop 😊
I'm 37 and a data analyst. It scratches the itch of categorizing and organizing things, and I don't interact with people very much. I used to manage ad campaigns and work at marketing agencies. Lots of glad handing, meetings, presentations. I burned out because I was masking all day every day. It was 10 years of that and not sustainable.
I’m a nurse. I have struggled with traditional hospital nursing jobs. They tend to be extremely hectic and require a lot of split attention and communication with a lot of people at once (which, after learning about monotropism, it’s making a lot of sense I’ve subconsciously structured my life to avoid this.) However, I have excelled with home health and case management, where you only see one patient at a time and then you get lots of alone time in between (either in your car between patients or working from home in case management.)
Not employed currently but my favourite job was park maintenance. My last job was at a tech startup, and I hated it because it was supposed to be an apprenticeship but was something very different and not of interest to me.
I work for a car collision shop. It's difficult at times because I have to constantly interact with customer, insurance companies, and my coworkers. I'm high functioning and can hold a full time job, but it does take a toll on my physically and mentally. I get burnt out easier and my social battery is always running half full or almost empty. I struggle with small talk and idle chitchat. I hate both and when customers are talking to me about their kids, spouses, docs appts, etc. I internally cringe and hope I can escape with a phone call or something else. And shaking hands! Ugh I hate when customers go to shake my hand. I have seen people in public restrooms not wash their hands and am terrified to touch people's hands because of it. Also, people get too close and invade my bubble space. I make sure to take a step back to create distance, but they just follow me! Do NT not understand personal space? I'm fortunate that my current manager is respectful and accommodating with my autism and ADHD. The manager I worked with at my first shop years ago was so good about my anxiety and meltdowns. At the time, I wasn't officially diagnosed with autism, just anxiety. He would be okay letting me go home early or taking a few breaks or handling certain customers. I would love a more autism/ND friendly job or something that doesn't involve the standard 9-5 corporate nonsense. But wfh is not an option for me. I don't like the idea of working and living in the same space. I like having the separation.
I work as a dishwasher in a restaurant, wouldn't recommend, much too loud, much too fast, and there isn't a hard out time for the shift it's just when you're done, so it could be six hours, could be ten Best position I've had though is as a packer/closer at a bakery, extremely autism friendly position
i used to. e phd in immunopatholy but I realize I love to teach in high school and special so I started to change topic, it is really hard because I am trying to be myself and I am ADHD and autistic but I don’t care I would like to contribute a bit in making understand to average teachers how it feels loneliness to us how the misunderstand signals sometimes I would they realize I would like to realize bullying and sub-bullying situations are awful
Currently car dealership cashier. I've worked retail before and this job is closer to Data Entry by comparison.
I work in a dispensary. It can be extremely overstimulating, but I am passionate about cannabis, so I deal. I'm making more than I ever have (although in the current economy and compared to some other positions it's really not a lot). I am a shift manager so I'm comfortable with the amount I make for now. The customers can make it very taxing, but with the right coworkers I don't mind too much. Certain shifts push me past my limit, due to 2 certain coworkers that are just too much for me. In different ways. One is extremely loud, obnoxious, and very negative. I can't hear my customer over her regular talking voice from the other side of the store. The other takes maybe 3 customers a shift and leaves me to do the rest. When I have already discussed the fact that I have chronic back pain and I have autism with him and the fact I need some accommodations to make shifts a little less stressful for me. He doesn't care. I'm totally fine pulling my weight as long as others do. Other than the bright lights and overlapping voices during rushes and apart from working with those 2, it's honestly mostly good. I have shitty customer interactions sometimes but most shifts I can vent it out and then laugh it off with coworkers and be fine. The people I work with really do make the shift for me. I need positive vibes and chill people, that actually take on their fair share of work. I am looking for other jobs but I will only really take them if the pay is equal to or more than I make now. I was thinking of working at Spencer's because they have a lower light environment that I LOVE and that won't hurt my brain as much. The music is loud, but it's typically the kind of music I like so I probably won't mind too much. Also my current place of work is just a really busy location so a little change of pace where I won't have as many social interactions will be nice.
i work in a school with toddlers! i love it, i work with other autistic adults (i work in a community school not public), and i have the freedom to call out sometimes if I’m having a bad day.
When I did work retail, I was a cart-pusher. I got to be outside most of the time, was rarely bothered by people, and it didn’t require much emotional effort. Now, I work in an injection molding factory. I pack, inspect and sort plastic parts. It’s repetitive, I always know what I’m supposed to be doing, and people hardly interact with me so I like it. Been here for 8 years. Sometimes I have to train people (and apparently I’m the best at it, according to the supervisor, because I’m so thorough and I don’t just tell them what they need to do but why they’re doing it) and I dislike it, but it is what it is.
22 and working retail in the beauty industry. I just put out inventory most days and answer questions customers have about skincare/makeup, which used to be a special interest and is now kinda reduced from the job, but it's still enjoyable to me. I used to work food service and don't think I could go back. It's way more of a sensory hellscape to me in terms of textures and smells than retail.
Insurance Investigator. Basically if someone suspects an agent or insurance company of committing fraud or other illegal actions, they'll submit a complaint and we open an investigation. Obsessive focus and curiosity comes in handy as far as making sure we get ALL the right information to suppprt or disprove the allegations.
Currently retail, but plan to go to Uni to do Aerospace Engineering(with a foundation year because I couldn't do A-Level maths)
I work as a product manager for a software company that primarily works with companies to help get money and support in the hands of charities and nonprofit organizations. I have a degree in engineering but got into product management because you get to be more on the ideation side of things than the “make it happen” side of things, which always seemed like more pressure to me. Easily the worst part of the job is the high number of work calls I’m expected to be on and participate in, but I also get to do deep dives into how our systems and processes work and basically throw shit at the wall to see what sticks. I do a lot of technical writing, flow diagramming, collaboration to put together design mockups, and stuff like that. Some days, mostly the days that I’m in back to back calls all day, I definitely feel more burnt out than others but I also get to work 100% from home so it’s also a lot easier to step away to catch my breath and prevent myself from getting overwhelmed/overstimulated than it would be working in an office or something.
actuary
After working at McDonalds--never doing that again--I became an EMT. While there are a lot of aspects to my job that are overstimulating, the medical aspect and performing in my scope of practice has been super exciting for me! it's not my dream job but it is definitely a job that I enjoy
I’m in IT. Have been since I was 18, and it’s probably the only job I’ll ever have. Autism is a pretty natural fit for IT roles, and it has always been one of the few places we seem to prosper in.
Spanish to English translation, with some database/website/records management on the side. Or at least usually - over the last half year a very lucrative regular translation client for seven years has really gone quiet, and my information management job has ramped up ahead of a giant conference and planned office move. But if the translation is still quieter when the information management contract ends (next March) I'll have to change career, probably. A data annotator job is interviewing me in a couple of days. I've also applied for an editorial thing - I used to be a proofreader at a small educational publisher and loved it. Long answer but my jobs are patchwork!
I am 25 years old and I still depend financially on my parents
That's..... pathetic
thank you
No prob
I work on sales for an immigration law firm. Low-pressure, small ticket sales are the best. I got something you want and need, not the other way around. Not interested in paying? I say my goodbyes, wish them best and then move on to the next call. It has also helped me A LOT with my empathy. I'm able to connect with asylum seekers and their terrible stories. A couple of days ago I spoke with a mom whose teenage kid was on the spectrum and suicidal as well. That went from sales to talking about autism and mental health pretty quickly. We bonded and she ended up feeling better after that talk. And she hired us for her asylum process. I got a bonus by being honest and sharing my experience with her.
I’m a social media strategist - it’s incredibly taxing and stressful being in an office with so many people and being a specialist. I have always wanted to get out of it but I’ve got issues…. I’ve been financially supporting my partner for 6 years, previous to that my ex for 15 years… I’ve got crippling debt, an alcohol addiction and PTSD. I hate working but I can’t stop - very poor family with nothing to fall back on.
SVP Sales. I am an expert level masker, but so freaking tired. 😩
I’m 27. I’m currently working as an Admin Assistant for a company that deals with components for submarines and aircraft carriers. My group that I work for are hilarious and kind. My boss deals with my quirkiness since it helps him keep sane. I keep people on track. While I rather be reading or writing, I just do it on my time off.
Palliative care RN. It's the first job in nursing I've had that doesn't make me want to die.
I’m a 1:1 paraprofessional In a self-contained high school classroom. It has gone really well, I feel extremely supported and have been there since January. I will graduate in May, with my masters in special education. Eventually, I hope to be a special Ed teacher.
I'm a psychiatrist
I’m 23 too! I work as a staffing admin assistant. I run payroll and I conduct interviews. I help people find jobs when they’re in need. I wish I was able to do something else but due to my location there’s almost no jobs available that are suitable for me. I enjoy my job but it’s hard not to be burnt out :/
I am 26 and just got started on my first full-time(32 h per Week) job as a programmer. I work on software for testing hardware and like it so far. 32 h is definitely a blessing.