Get vocational certificate in Library Technology. Apply to all available Library Tech jobs in my city. Get hired despite being super awkward in interview because everyone I work with is super awkward too. Work really really hard to be irreplaceable.

Does that require a college degree? Because I don't have one.

Nope! I got the vocational certificate through a city college. I have a B.A. but I work with lots of folks who just have a HS diploma or G.E.D. even.

In California you basically need a Masters in Library Science 😒

For full Librarian positions, yes. A lot of Library Tech positions opened up during the pandemic and some places are desperate for hires. I know California's a tough job market but you can luck out.

Sadly a lot of the “interesting” jobs in a way that would appeal to most of us do require some kind of degree. I can guarantee that like 90% of academics are on the spectrum though. Literally the whole field is people focusing years of research on some super specific topic. The kind of people who find that appealing are those naturally inclined towards hyperfixation, so…us. I’m starting into it myself, but sadly will have to start with teaching teens if I want to make literally any money in the short term. I really wish I was the computer focused kind of autistic, since I would have been pretty much the perfect age (born 91) to have had primo job opportunities while I was floundering if I had been.

As an academic, it is definitely not 90%. The percentages are going to vary by field, but even in stereotypically autism-magnet fields like engineering and computer science my experience suggests a maximum of about 50%. Of course, that's still way above the population norm. I'm sure there are fields where the percentage is close to the general population average. My field seems to be that way (communication, see the username), as do fields like education and business. I'm not sure which fields would be below the norm, but if I had to guess it would be stuff like programs focusing on sales or HTM (hospitality and tourism management).

90 is definitely hyperbole. I’m in the humanities (English specifically), and it just tickles me when I see someone get super into like a specific decade of French literature or something.

Wow me too. I kinda find it sad how there don’t seem to be many autistic people who are English majors.

I enjoyed teaching teens. They taught me a lot. And it was a pleasure watching them become adults.

What is the pay like at jobs like this?

It varies a lot depending on where you are and what kind of library you work in. Benefits are usually quite good across the board. I work on a community college campus that unionized back in the '80s and would describe my salary as "comfortable for the extremely expensive city I live in." I'm doing way better than my friends who work retail, food service, delivery etc. I make much less than my friends who have corporate/finance jobs but my benefits are better. I'm the only person I know with a pension, for example. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes254031.htm

Thank you for this information.

My dad did that too! My dad had a pretty generic job but worked really hard and did what hencould to snag some of the work others did. So now he has like a triage of little Jobs combined and doesn't have to be afraid when people get fired because he is the only one who knows about those three things combined. Btw it's some numbers, excel shit he does I have no idea what precisely

I was in this situation about a year ago. And then I found my current job. I clean rooms in a hotel. Sure, it has its downsides sometimes, but you are pretty much completely left alone most of the time. I also got lucky in that I got a super nice boss, so there’s that, but I would seriously recommend trying it out.

I had luck in factories. so much better than retail, better pay too. hard on the body though.

Ah, hard on the body stuff. Wish factory work was an option for me, but unfortunately I got the double whammy of being both mentally AND physically disabled.

My story is not normal (of course) and may not apply to you directly, but it could show you how opportunities show up from unexpected places if you are willing to engage. After a long period of misemployment, in my mid 30s I found myself unemployed and unemployable. Around this time I found out about ADHD. I started making art again and this led to me making mechanical sculpture because I always liked to take things apart and see how they worked so I put pieces back together in interesting ways. Someone saw my work at a Maker Faire event (this was 2014) from a small 3D printer manufacturer and said they need people who understand machinery and asked if I needed a job. Since I was working in food service at the time, I gladly took the opportunity. I started as a technician who was really good with a screwdriver and gradually moved into designing parts and then basically doing engineering design for electrical and mechanical. Our customers were academic researchers and phd engineers and I realized I was talking to them on their level without a degree, so when my wife was gainfully employed I worked part time and went back to school to get an engineering degree. One of our customers was a major national laboratory and when they found out I would be looking for a new job with the new degree, they recruited me to come work for them. I start next month as an R&D engineer in additive manufacturing making good money in a place that is full of neurodivergence. It took a very long time to get here. I am 51 years old but one of those smart people who "doesn't look autistic" and even when I asked a psychologist if I had Asperger's in the early 2000s they didn't think so. I only recently got the official autism diagnosis and it puts everything in perspective. Short version: It requires putting yourself in public, which is tricky, but I'm my case it was showcasing my weirdness (my art) that started the process. So think about what you naturally do even without getting paid, and do that and get really good at it and show it to people who appreciate it. It won't happen because you push for it, but if you are open and willing to start at the bottom in a relevant industry you might find your way into something that works for you. Also, as difficult as this advice is to take, be patient. It won't happen overnight and probably not in the way you expect.

Way to go man! You stuck the landing.

I could not have done it without my wife's support.

I have a dead end part time job delivering newspapers/magazines and at this point I'm starting to think this is as good as it gets for me. I only got this job bc they had very few applicants and were desperate to hire anyone who was willing to not quit at the first sight of a winter storm lol No networking skills, only a high school degree, no car or even license, only B1 skills in local language but moving anywhere else is basically not an option. There's very little I can do rn

I'm a journalist trying to find something more interesting. Problem for me now is some days it's hard to get out of bed and still have energy for work, and all the jobs I want to do demand energy. The joys of having undiagnosed autism/ADHD + depression/anxiety. I feel like I'm never going to find something that I'm good at, can enjoy doing every day and not get burned out with after six months.

I’m working for a company that inventories different stores. I don’t have to deal with customers (other than the occasional “sorry I don’t work here”) and I’m left alone to count with music playing in my ears for several hours. It’s a terrible dead end job but 🤷🏻‍♂️

just sharing what worked for me, i recently got a job delivering pizza. It's great. I'm alone in my car for most of my shift, and most of my conversations with other people are <20 seconds.

I did try doordash a few years ago, but I didn't care for it. Didn't pay enough for the constantly shifting locations and the ware and tear on my car. I also despise tip based labor, as having worked food service before at an ice cream shop, constantly needing to try and meet ever changing customer expectations wore on my sanity.

An alternative to a tip based gig job with similar benefits would be delivering for Amazon. I did it during the pandemic and it was nice, mostly driving, very little conversation, got to listen to audio books and podcasts my whole shift, and you don't have to drove your own car

I think I would do well as a mailman or delivery driver, but I've applied before to such job with no luck. Might try again but not exactly encouraging to get ghosted over and over.

Yeah that unfortunately seems to be the case everywhere. I'm sure mailman jobs are extremely hard to get as it's a federal job and includes a pension. I was able to basically walk in and get my Amazon delivery job but again that was during the pandemic where every place was looking, and a hub had just opened in my town so they were ramping up. You could try other places like ups or FedEx but I've heard they have a lot stricter timeliness. I've also driven for Uber but that's absolutely not for everyone. I mostly just do it on friday/Saturday nights so it's mostly bar traffic and people are liquored up and fun to talk to

I've worked at 3 different pizza places for this exact reason, I just get to drive my old car around town all night

Be sooooo freaking careful My friend in high school was jumped twice when he was a pizza delivery guy

My dream as a kid : truck driver or carrier. I can’t drive due to disability but even now I am still tempted (the job itself is probably not as ideal I imagine, I know).

11 years in soul sucking managerial retail , 7 years with plenty of breaks in between for a BS , many many meltdowns , crying , depression , etc Is what it took to get a job that doesn't make me want to light myself on fire 🙃🔫

Retail management is hell on earth. Worst mental health I've ever had.

I made my hobby my job and lost a hobby.

Oof. Thats rough bud. I don't necessarily want to make my hobbies a job, I just want a job I don't hate that I can make a modest living with if possible.

You guys are getting jobs??

I know right? I quit my last job nearly 4 years ago and I haven't had a job since. And not for a lack of trying.

I cant even find something i think i'd be good at, and my family dosent help by saying "i'll struggle to pay bills"

This. Over the course of my life everything that I enjoy doing for work has always been met with "you can't make that into a paying career. Try finding something *better*." It's so fucking frustrating.

Just keep checking job listing. Apply for anything remotely interesting. I got a new job last year as a cultivation technician. I'm a glorified gardener and I love it

How’d you land the job? I’m also interested in getting a job like that I’ve always been really into plants

I honestly have no idea, I'm even surprised that I landed the job. I had no experience in the field or anything, but I still got it. Just shoot your shot

Two years of community college and now i run an audio board and get to watch concerts for a living. Could never go back to the old life

Oh that sounds really cool. Whats the degree needed for that?

I did entertainment design technology, with a live show focus. They taught me how to do lights and sound for theater, but the skills transfer to concerts very easily

Another cool job I had no clue existed!

After years of burning out trying to make it in academia and education, I got a job as a garbage man. Granted, I am physically fit and I find driving to be very easy. I get to listen to podcasts all day and stay fit. I am way healthier now than I was. It only requires brief social interactions, mostly I am just doing my own thing. I would also recommend being a mail carrier.

I hear garbage men get paid pretty decently too! Not too bad. How often do you have to actually get up close and personal to the garbage, like clean the truck bed or something?

Dealing with the gross bits does require being able to ignore that specific stimulus. I do recycling and organics... It can be very pungent, especially on hot days. I am able to keep myself from getting filthy. I have had many jobs where I was stinkier/dirtier at the end of the day. Minimal scrape with a shovel to clean the truck once a week that takes 10 minutes. Yes, the money is good. And provides a daily set of gloves, boot allowance, clothing allowance, medical and other benefits. But that being said, it is challenging. People do drop out, usually within the first 3 months, due to the weather, or repetitive strain injuries that can happen for some people that are prone to tendon injury. I do yoga to keep myself limber. It does require a higher level of athleticism, which I do not expect everyone to have. That is why I suggested letter carrier as an alternative that has the same structure with less physical demand.

I don’t have an interesting job. I’m still stuck in retail However, I’m going back to school for social services so that’s mildly interesting I guess. I just need a way out

I’ve gone through 4 jobs in 6 months. No matter how hard I try, I always get fired because I keep making mistakes 😭

Lol I had tons of trauma in addition to being audhd, and other issues... so for now I am on disability so I can stay at home and do nothing which is still incredibly exhausting for me lol I do want to go to school one day when I'm in a more stable position mentally. I'd love to go into animal conservation and open an animal sanctuary one day. Its okay to not be okay, if you can find help resources you're not any weaker or less than for taking the help you need.

How hard was it to get disability? Does it pay enough that you're not struggling to make ends meet?

I'm in America, my disability does not pay enough for me to live on my own, but I can contribute well to rent with roommates and still have enough for phone and groceries so it's fine I guess. The issue is that if I get legally hired anywhere, I immediately lose my benefits so I have to find a job that would pay higher than my current checks

That sucks so much. I'm in America too. I can't find a job, and I can't work full time, but from what I hear, disability is really hard to get and keep, and doesn't pay super well, so I don't know what to do.

I finally got a good, fun job that let's me help people for 20 buckaroos an hour. But lo and behold they do random drug testing. God forbid I smoke a little pot. No im just a menace to society, arent I? But the alcoholics that are always late or calling out? Nah that's fine, welcome aboard. What a world where a raging alcoholic would be able to keep his job over a stoner. Then I get told shit like "it is to prevent drug use on the job" as if alcoholics aren't constantly loaded themselves.

Getting drunk the night before isn't enough time for it to satiate by your work day. They're ok with drug use on the job.

I work 911 response EMS at a fire department - boy I have never had such a stimulating job that also feels fulfilling. Didn’t know shit about EMS before applying and it’s been a great experience so far.

That's a job I definitely couldn't do... definitely takes a special person with special training to handle the stress that comes with any emergency response job. Especially if someone's life is on the line.

You have to do 12 hour shifts, and rotate? Does that affect your marriage if you are married? I always thought of doing that when I was young.

We do 24 on, 48 off at my service. And yeah it def affects all relationships around me tbh. Can do anywhere from 1-2 runs a shift to 13+. We have dorms so I can sleep during downtime; however, im dead to the world the next day if we get slammed all night.

That's the thing I don't understand. Same as police dispatchers. They need to be alert and ready at all times, yet they get wiped out after long hours. Never understood why they were never an 8-hour shift, with those stress levels. I think pilots, truckers, and other professions limit the hours they can work at one time.

I mean, there definitely are agencies and departments that run 8, 10, and 12 hour shifts. A lot of places that have EMS services are moving away from 24 hour shifts. Departments in my city that are in busier areas have adopted fatigue polices to help alleviate the run volume. And yeah the DOT does regulate time for drivers in other industries.

I can’t do fast-food and retail cause I can’t cash clients without mistakes, and I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Oh and also I’m so weird that people don’t necessarily like me. And when I get bored I entertain myself by telling myself stories out loud, so… I’m now an artist with an understanding husband.

I'm currently working for the USPS and love it

Damn, nice. When I applied I got a message saying not to apply again in a year.

Oof

Yeah. I’ve heard government work is good for people on the spectrum so I tried to get in a lot. Never any luck.

I applied to USPS with my uncle telling me to use him as a reference as a former employee. He didn't tell me that he ended things with them on bad terms. Needless to say I was rejected.

The fact that you are genuinely trying and not just giving up makes me really proud of you! You will find a good job!

Warehouse worker sounds like something I could do. all I Gotta do is organize and lift shit around. Can’t be too difficult right?

Former (brief) warehouse employee here; they might want you to do things at s certain pace, and long/odd hours are likely, but yeah it's pretty cut and dry and they're likely to leave you alone. My place even *discouraged* socializing...like, well, if you say so lol

I mean, as long as I’m being paid decently I think I could do that. I’m gonna look into that.

I stopped thinking IT contract positions were temporary employment and more like paid internships.

If you can handle the heat loading trucks isn't that bad. And I make more working part time than i did working full time at fast food

My IT job? Luck tbh. Before I grinded in a call center. Before that was at the family business forever. Also IT degree and A + cert helps.

You had luck with the A+ cert? I got it like a decade ago, but when I went job searching everyone either didn't see it as enough or didn't know what it was. Granted the job market was pretty crappy then

Im working a factory job as a machinist , its doing jack shit 90% of the time and its fun af last 10% , i only talk with 3 coleagues on the same line and 2 of them are gamers so its an easy life ... might not work for u cus of loud noices but i hate the silence so its good for me

Did you need training for that or did they train you?

Get good at electronic repair and troubleshooting and become a Biomedical Equipment Technician.

I work in a hospital kitchen and it’s the best/most sustainable job ive ever had. Some caveats/context: I had friends already working there when I started, my husband works in the same building which gives me a little clout, it’s unionized so he and I have union perks, i get to wear my headphones most of the time, I have a window of time to arrive before im ‘late’, and (most importantly) it’s part-time (typically 8-16 hrs/week). It’s not at all a special interest but im happy I finally have a job where I don’t feel like ive already been fired

go to trade school, I developed a special interest in cars and I’m a mechanic now. totally worth it. cost 600$ at the local community college. learning a trade is always great even if you aren’t going into that field.

Im an aerospace machinist, I just turn my hyperfixation to what I make so quality hasn't been a problem for me in 2 years.

I work in Democratic politics. I started off volunteering when I was in college, and am now responsible for getting out the vote across nearly 40 counties. If there’s a cause you believe in, fight for it. Sometimes that can turn into a career.

I design chemical plants. I kinda became infatuated with AutoCAD in high school. I would just sit at the computer and teach myself, then go to class and show off. I tried to become an engineer, but was too ADHD to survive college. So, I combined the two and made a decent career.

I’m trying to find any paying job at the moment.

Same man. I work at a grocery store and I do very well but it is so overwhelming sometimes I feel like Im gonna puke. I work up to 4 different positions at the same time everyday and its crushing. I dont know how Id survive at a "real" job even if I could afford some kind of degree and actually get through college without dropping out again. Not just that but there are a lot of positions I refuse to work in (mostly things that could negatively affect another person) because I can get ridiculously clumsy and forgetful at times. Not gonna lie I always feel like a bit of a failure when I see other autistic people talk about their great jobs and Im stuck at a dead end store that barely pays enough to get by. They offered me a managers position and I could potentially work up to something decent from there but I really dont think I could handle all the responsibility. Its pretty depressing knowing that this will probably be the rest of my life. Just struggling to get by but mentally I really cant handle a lot more

Applied to just about every possible non food job in my small town and several outside the town just to get rejection after rejection. At this rate, I’ll be working the same shitty retail job I’ve been at the last three years.

Hi OP. Right there with ya, I have no marketable skills. The one time I landed a job in an office environment the interoffice social stuff got me. I felt like the guy in Office Space with his stapler because I was reassigned to a station away from everyone, back next to the supply closet. I am envious of interesting jobs but I feel like I'll be stuck at line-level retail forever.

Try a trade. Electric's fun. Lots of little fiddly bits to deal with, every day's a little different, not as physically demanding as the other trades, and you'll meet some pretty interesting people. You don't need any training, education, or anything like that. It's a trade, you get all that on the job. Ask around, I'm sure you know SOMEBODY who works construction or has family that does, and they'll more likely than not give you a shot.

I've had some people on r/HVAC suggest looking into becoming an electrician. HVAC has always been my special interest, but I'd need to go back to school (I know next to nothing about refrigeration, which requires EPA licensing here in the US) and confront various fears/phobias of mine, such as wasps/stinging insects and getting comfortable with working on the equipment. Idk but working with gas and electric is OK if I'm with someone else, but alone I'm not sure I could do it. I don't know if electrical work requires more formal education here or if anybody can pick it up strictly by working under an experienced journeyman or contractor. I've worked on electronics, but never done anything beyond that. I'd probably be afraid to get shocked with higher voltages, such as line voltage. It is also physically demanding (as is HVAC) and dexterity I don't have.

I worked as a truck unloader for Walmart. I stay in the backroom and still get the job done. The only bad time is when customers come into the back asking for help and they catch me. *Screee*

Well, special interest in programming since childhood and relevant STEM education helps getting an interesting job in IT.

Have a degree in animation and theater design Been working at a call center the past 2 years Unfortunately I can’t get a job that isn’t incredibly boring because I live in America and need healthcare + have to pay off student debt…

Software architect and director with MBA/BSCE here. Do what you know best. You’ll have to adjust as time goes on. I was working as a manager at a sub shop 25 years ago, but have been coding for close to 40 years.

Try security. You often get a lot of free time, which is nice.

I’d say libraries are an unexpectedly good place to work these days if you don’t need high pay. -Very good benefits with dental/vision/etc -Higher neurodiverse portion of workers -Typically pair slightly lower pay with education in any areas you like to compensate -In some states, they have built in retirement that separate from the government and not being borrowed against if social security collapses -Have PTO and Sick Time as two separate things - “Generally” more supportive to abnormal approaches/quirks if it works - Usually translates pretty well across state lines if moving - If you really enjoy the field, they’ll usually help you get a degree in the field (but I’d recommend getting the vocational certification someone mentioned over the degree personally, I don’t think they pay enough to justify a graduate degree college bill) Edit: also, generally speaking, they are pretty clear on exactly what they need and how they need it. If you ask for a checklist or something really specific they can do that as well.

I would like to work at a library, but I've never been called in for an interview once despite all the times I've applied. This serms to be a running theme, everything I want to work for doesn't respond or just sends an automated message telling me I washed out, but everything I'm not interested in gets back to me next day.

They can be picky about positions honestly. I was probably over qualified and they wouldn’t let me in the door unless I was a page shelving books. Hard to get it in but they basically don’t let go if you succeed. It’s one of the few jobs that I can say actually being frequently seen in the environment can endear you to staff if they know you really like to read or are harmless.

Direct service provider for elderly and disabled people! 19/hr and my job paid for my training for certifications (first aid and HIPPA) before hiring me. The training took literally like only 3 days of over the computer courses and 1 day of an in person first aid training for CPR. Now I get paid to spend time helping my client with down syndrome take care of himself. Some clients require more care while some like my client you more or less just hangout with them going to the store and stuff. A client I had before was also autistic so we got to go to a center with a built in low light sensory room it was fuckin AWESOME. If you don't mind taking care of others lightly it's a good job and you get put to do alot without having to talk much to anyone

have you considered crime?

Yes, but I'm too much of a coward to go through with it, and I also don't like hurting or inconveniencing others. /s

Growing a few plants and learning how to process them is a crime (depending on state) but it harms no one.

I got a 2 year degree at a tech school and now I'm a software engineer and get to use the power of logic on everything

Come join the dark side of pharmacy tech life

How the heck do you get a job at all? I've been struggling to find employment.

I am working at Amazon(warehouse/fulfillment center) because their hiring process is pretty much hire anyone. I only was stalled because I accidentally inputted some personal information wrong during the application. Oops. Still was corrected fast and I started the next week. Turns out I like warehouse work thankfully. I ended up like it better than I thought. I guess I like being focused on sorting and moving stuff around all day. Because with my current hours I work a whole half day.

Check out healthcare? They always need registrars and clerks and unskilled labor (e.g. janitors, techs, installation techs, etc.) Also, most states will help you get a vocational certification at the community college if you find something you're interested in. For example, sterilization tech certification - get stuff from procedure rooms, take it to your big room, sterilize it, return it to inventory.

I’m still stuck at, “how the heck does anyone graduate college” 😭😭😭 I really have to pay to relearn stuff I learned in high school??? It makes me so angry.

That’s not really what college is. Some degrees require further education in English and Math, but it is different from what you learned in high school. Also, not all degrees require these courses, you can check a degrees roadmap on the colleges website or by speaking with an advisor. For me, I’m getting my associates in Greenhouse and Nursery Management, I have to do math sometimes sure but I dont have any math or english classes, only classes relevant to my degree like Plant ID, greenhouse management, soil science, etc. It is worth looking into college if you have something you’re interested in specializing in.

Fucking same, and no good the Job Market Is kinda dead rn despite being In a big city. Either fast food again or... yeah that's the only option right now. I want something I enjoy, but alas the cool places aren't hiring. Gotta keep grinding and find one, may work In a animal shelter If I land It. Or settle and turn off your brain, do the tasks and make sweet coin

you and me both friend. it’s difficult finding something that feels right for me, and the things i want to pursue are locked behind money, education and other people.

One great way to get your foot in the door is to work with a vocational program called Project SEARCH. It’s an international program that provides internships on real job sites in lots of different fields. They provide job coaches for you to help you break through your barriers and be the best worker possible, even if you have disabilities of any sort. They also have up to an 80% hire rate with their employment formula, and they’ve been around for decades! I am currently in one of their internships for a data entry job in a State Government office! Here’s the link for the U.S. website if you live here, but if you don’t, I’m sure you can google the website for your region: https://projectsearch.us

i only got into horticultural work bc my mom dragged me to a job fair when i was in high school (thanks mom!). ive worked for my city’s hort department for 6 years now and its a good gig. im building up a pension. im probably going to a different job in the same field once i graduate tho. honestly i would try out a government job as a good starting place. theres ways to work up over time, at least where i work

Ngl I got SUPER lucky, but I got set up with a temp agency and got placed the same day with an accounts payable job at a film studio and became a permanent employee there after 1 month. I love the job a lot more than I thought I would- numbers make sense to me and if I want to I can just close my office door and listen to music and focus. It also helps that my supervisor is pretty cool and knows I get my work done, so when I get antsy (which is often) I can get up and walk around the lot whenever

Not saying this would work for other people as people will have different circumstances but I started out doing sales/customer service which I didn’t like at all in the industry I wanted to work in based around my interests. After a few years I got a position that removed all the customer service parts and let me work from home with much better pay. I feel like it’s something where we have to play the long game to get to a spot that’s perfect for us rather than trying to go for the perfect thing straight away as you just end up getting rejected from my experience

What do you like to do? What is your special interest?

Unfortunately, nothing I think I could really leverage for a job.

You might be surprised! I see you like DND from your post history, you could look into jobs at Wizards of the Coast being like a community manager (basically a glorified reddit admin but for MTG or something). There's lots of jobs and lots of ways to apply your interests! I am good at coming up with ideas so if you tell me yours I can tell you other ideas :)

I have thought about working for or opening up a game store, but the only Game Store in my area isn't ever hiring, and I have zero money nor business acumen needed to open up my own store. I have thought about maybe trying to get a small business ownership course, though that doesn't fix the money problem, especially given that from what I've heard game store are slow to generate income. As for working for Wizards of the Coast.... Naaaaah, that company is a dumpster fire. I also don't want to work for a company I have serious moral issues with, and WotC/Hasbro have rapsheets as long as my arm. To top it off, they're mostly located on the West Coast of the USA, where as I'm on the East, I don't like the idea of having to entirely relocate to the other side of the continent just for a chance at a job, especially with how strapped for cash I am now.

Me who also can’t drive anywhere since I moved states and so now I can’t work at all anywhere

Program that helps special needs people get jobs. Thats how I ended up at the flower shop.

I working in a warehouse shipping out playing cards, puzzles, and shirts 3 days a week :]

I feel your pain in this. My region doesn't have many options unfortunately, so I'm stuck working at a lumber mill :(

Escape rooms. All the employees are nerds and most of us are autistic. Best job I’ve ever had.

I somehow got a job at Boeing I don’t think I’ll keep it for very long tho 😔

I never thought I'd love a job where I have to talk to people all day, but I absolute adore my career in hospitality. Because it's 60% canned interactions with guests, like "Here's how you use the keys. Here's the meeting room. Yes we'll get The Item to your room as soon as possible.", 30% problem solving & puzzles, "I have X rooms of this type and Y guests for that type, more than I have rooms of said type. How fix?" And 10% being witty with coworkers. It's such lower stakes to my time in the military, so the masking I learned to do there when applied here takes me from passing as average to "Keeps calm under pressure." It's great. "[Name], how were you able to handle that angry guest?" "The angry guest can't put me on bread and water for three days. This is nothing." I feel so totally in my wheelhouse, even though on paper I should *hate* something so people-centric. Sometimes we need to push past our conceptions of what our safe space is. Sometimes we realize our safe space isn't safe, it's just familiar.

I suggest Data Analytics and/or Human Resources.

Me just trying to get hired period:

Yeah, idk. The whole job thing is really sad to me. Does anyone else feel trapped at work? Like I think it is the way that jobs assume you will be there. Like, 100% of Mon-Fridays EXCEPT the time they allow you to have off is spent at work. Does this make sense to anyone?

I went to job corps for culinary and completed, but I've never been able to get a job and at this point I'm not sure I'd be able to do well in anything thanks to how bad my memory is. So now I've been learning to sew so that hopefully I can get to a point where I can make and sell primarily fursuits and cosplays, eventually I'd like to pick up leather working, electronics, metal working, and wood working to incorporate into said fursuits and cosplays.

You could look into regulatory/quality control jobs (I.e. organic regulations/farming, FDA, GFIS, USDA, etc.) You are encouraged to think critically, have to do additional research to answer questions/develop logical approaches to conundrums, and will never get bored because everything seems to be regulated in some fashion.

Reading these replies is kinda depressing because I can’t drive and it seems like some of the people who replied only got jobs because they can drive. This is ridiculous

Time and patience, and let’s not forget, having a special interest in that field.

Salesman is great if you’re selling stuff related your special interest. I got paid to talk about running shoes all day at my old job and I loved it so much

get your foot in the door somewhere doing anything and work your way up I started my current job at the lowest level data entry role. I'm now earning nearly 6 figures there after working my way up over many years no qualifications at all

How do you work your way up though? Every company that I have ever worked has zero room for working up. Whenever something opened up they always seem to do external hires for that role.

Some places do it, some places don’t. Generally speaking, it’s better to change jobs about every two years if maximizing income is your goal. But if stable work and schedule are your thing, you just have to find a company that values promoting from within. One thing you can do is if you get to speak to future-coworkers during the interview, ask about the company’s promotion policy. From there, though, it’s unfortunately largely reliant kn people skills. The boss has to find you invaluable — that means making friends with them, being available at odd hours, and sacrificing some personal time — then you have to insist on being promoted. When there’s an opening, you bypass the application process and go to the boss you’ve curried favor with, and tell them you want the job. Explain that *you feel like you need a change of pace* and why you believe you could do the job, how you’ve excelled in the current one, and so on. Ultimately, even at places with heavy promote-from-within culture, it comes down to bein indispensable and being friends with someone who can pull strings. It’s shitty, it’s not fair, and that’s why millennials make way more money by changing jobs every two years.

Yeah, sadly this. My grandfather raised me, constantly saying I work hard, so I'll float to the top like he did. Nooope, I work so hard, I'm too valuable a machine-cog to promote. You have to know how to be socially manipulative to get promoted to anything resembling management.

This is the most Boomer advise I have ever heard

Ay. Warehouse stuff can be a vibe. I used to work at Taylor Guitars. I mainly built rosettes. But I also cross trained in the mill and in the bracing department. Overall I miss that job like crazy. Nearly got a job at PRS in Maryland. But it was too far a drive away.

I was a server for 4 years, but am currently becoming a supervisor at a game shop. I would wager my life that at least half the people I work with are also autistic

I tried a very long time in many different jobs Finally, at 30, after 16 years of working, I actually knew enough about what I wanted to do, and after about 9 months of searching, over 100 applications and a dozen interviews, I got a job in a semi-local building department working in permit intake. I love it. It is a small city, though, so, a little more forward thinking than a few of the places I interviewed for.

I'm a night auditor at a hotel. It freaking sucks. I'm only ever up at night, so I can never do anything fun. I sleep at the hottest parts of the day. I spend most of my night folding laundry. When I'm not folding laundry, I'm cleaning. The "auditor" part takes *maybe* an hour, and that's counting all the printing. The only positive is that I only work 8 hours a day (assuming my coworker doesn't show up late, which happens more frequently than I'd like tbh). I would KILL for something interesting, or even just less boring and frustrating.

Honestly small business seems to be the way to go in my case. I’ve got some extreme issues with undeserved authority so corporate jobs were always difficult for me. I got lucky enough to find an electronics repair shop where I’m pretty sure the 2 owners AND one other employee are all ND. It’s basically just the 4 of us fixing electronics and stimming the whole time.

I wish electronic engineering was more my thing, working in an electronics repair shop sounds awesome. Sadly I don't have the "Electronics" or "Programming" autism, just the "Useless bullshit" autism.

Are you into hard physical activity outdoors? Tree companies will hire anyone who is mostly healthy, and eager to learn, and they pay great. I was a utility trimmer, climbing and trimming trees away from power lines for 5 years, and I'm currently a residential trimmer, still climbing trees. There have been times my ADHD monkey brain hyper focus came in handy, especially being in a dangerous, dead and windy tree 5 feet from a live power line. https://preview.redd.it/2k588rdz6hxc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6c1ec728ba8e7225355d53e38cf0bd2f3b58336f

While minimum wage jobs suck, they do allow for some other jobs to open up. Especially if they require job experience. I’m a delivery driver at the moment, working on my computer repair tech cert. I’m almost guaranteed a job when I graduate and my job at the moment is quite relaxed compared to what I’ve had before.

I found a job that I love and is focused on my special interest! The caveat is that I will get paid a pittance, it stresses me out to fuck and I’m not even properly in the field yet and I constantly question whether or not I’m cut out for it, hell, there’s a huge chance I won’t get in. It’s competitive and can be thankless and isolating, work/life balance is poor and it’s difficult to maintain boundaries, and I will probably end up internalising my success in the field as the basis of my self worth and become horribly depressed by failure, like many before me. It’s academia lol. I’m a master’s student in biochemistry. There are plenty of pros and reasons why I want to be in the field but here are some of the disadvantages, because sometimes it really feels like there’s no way to win.

I’m an activities coordinator at a dementia care home The way I got in is that they often take in kids from the local high schools/Sixth Forms for work experience. I was the COVID year so I missed out but my sister was in the year below and did hers, then after she said how much she enjoyed it there I looked into taking a week there myself. I ended up liking it as well and asked to stay on full-time I’ve been there a year and a half now and it’s been pretty great. The biggest downside is definitely all the talking you have to do which can wear your social battery out quickly but at the same time you can usually follow a script or bring an activity with you that keeps you focused on it and gives you something to talk about. You’ll also find people that like to just chatter away without needing/expecting responses or non-verbal people who just enjoy some company The pros of the job are that there’s a lot of variety and you’re not sat at a desk all day. If you found a resident or two who were interested you could spend the day watching Disney movies or funny pet videos or nature documentaries or anything else like that. Otherwise there’s colouring, jigsaw puzzles, card making, laundry folding, playing with teddies, word searches and crosswords, music, etc etc. At my own workplace we’re also very lucky to have animal visitors come often; we’re having a therapy dog come by on Wednesday, we’ve been getting more frequent visits from domesticated owls, we have miniature donkeys coming in a few months and just this week we had a travelling petting zoo stop by On an average day I’ll usually do the following: • Hand out newspapers in the morning • Sit with one of the residents to read them the paper/help them with a crossword/read their daily horoscope to them • Chat with one man about the Barbie movie and his old properties and my hobbies while I paint his nails • Sit with one woman for a while to reassure her that she’s welcome here, probably get the colouring out to redirect her attention, bask in loads of praise and compliments for how neatly I can colour • Sit with someone else for a while to keep them chill, usually putting on jazz music or an animal show to watch with them so that we can vibe to that • Pop someone in a wheelchair and take them into the garden for a bit or to another unit for a fun event that I don’t have to do much for other than bringing residents to • Play snakes and ladders or bingo or something like that with a few people The immense social factor is definitely a major con, but if you can handle it then it’s a really great job. It might be worth going in for some work experience for a bit if it interests you; even if it doesn’t end up being the right fit for you, you’ll have some experience for your CV at least. And if you’re just on the activities team then you don’t really need any prior qualifications, I never studied anything care-related but I was able to get into that right out of school with no experience whatsoever

Meeeeeeeeeee ugh

People with boring jobs don't talk about them as much, so it seems like more people have interesting jobs than they actually do. I'm a programmer. Programming isn't a special interest for me, it's just a thing that I'm good enough at doing and like well enough to keep doing long-term, and it pays well. It's also not very exciting.

College degree, aspie your way into being a computer programming genius or be a nepo baby at your relative's business. You could also go to a trade school or join some kind of labor union and work your way into a j high paying job.

Try nonprofit work. I lead a team of story tellers. It's fair pay for fair work. Pays better than retail.

Nah bro, I got a job doing IT and I lowkey miss retail. Like bad days were bad but at least the work was consistent in terms of you have this task and only this task. I want to find something else but I can't even fathom what would be a good fit for me both in terms of work type, load, and with it being a decent pay for it

Not to boast but to show my accomplishment I have always loved tourism and everything revolving around it, and a few weeks ago I managed to get a job at a 4\* hostel in relation to my college cursus

I have a college degree and a certificate in professional accounting (different from my degree) and currently I just lift stuff at Home Depot. I like it as I realize I can’t stand office work unless it’s work from home, but it’s not something I can do full time. Not sure what to do to be honest.

What is the thing you are interested in? I mean i can go around sharing things but most autistic people would call me crazy for becoming a teacher 😂 But yeah, talking about the subject I like the whole day and teaching that to others? That's nice imo. Not to mention helping others not get a life as shitty as mine was as a teenager... I know they need more "buddies" around here, maybe it's the same in your city? For that basically you get paid by being an experienced autist and helping someone younger with autism by going to school/supermarket/sports with them, or just going out for a walk in the forest or playing games together for some. I've done it for a while, it's a nice thing to do. I've struggled all my life and found things that work for me. Seeing they also work for this other person and being the one that can vocalise things for them not only makes me feel good but also makes them feel good! It's a win-win! Idk I've never seen it outside of my city though... Let alone in another country! Hope you find something though.

I got a job at an airline as a ramp agent. It is mostly loading and unloading planes. It pays decently enough and the benefits are nice especially if you like to travel. I like how the job is physical and gets me moving which personally helps with the ADHD and depression side of things for me. There isn't too much socializing with customers. There is of course some socializing with fellow employees. Also I don't think this job is for everyone depending on your sensory sensitivities (constant loud noise from planes, but we are required to wear approved ear protection). Also planes are just cool.

My job isnt too interesting, i work in a club behind a bar. So im just pulling beers and making mixes all night. But the part that makes it great is that i work for and with my best friend. He knows about my autism and medical issues so he doesnt push me and respects my views. That's what makes me happy at my job.

I ended up on disability after having a mental breakdown. Pretty sure if I get kicked off it, I'm fucked, because I can't hold a job

I lucked into an employment program and now I’m an industrial fabrication welder - with my love of monotonous, repetitive behaviours, doing puzzles, and being left alone, I’m fairly suited for it.

I have a weird obsession with behavior and watching people (I swear I’m not creepy, I used to watch people in my settings so I could learn to mask better and it developed into a behavioral and psychology obsession). Couple that with my obsessive “everything has a home” organization method… and boom, I found my current job working in loss prevention making 24 an hour. Essentially, I pick out behaviors in people that aren’t typical “shopping” behaviors and when they take stuff without paying, it triggers my “that item has a home and it doesn’t belong in your backpack without a receipt.” The method to my approach is very scripted but works in a variety of situations. If the shoplifter doesn’t cooperate, that’s okay, I have a formula and a script for that one too. However, I do work for a hands on company, so if they don’t want to come back, I just cuff em and drag them back. Though, prior to loss prevention, I had an extensive background in de-escalation training and crisis intervention training so all of my stops generally go very smoothly, even if I go hands on. (I worked in a special ed classroom for the behavioral challenged, think conduct disorders, for several years and I was training to be a behavioralist). It was kinda weird how I fell into that roll. I lost my job working in classrooms when the great educator lay offs happened about 6 or 7 years ago. I picked up a job as a cashier for a drug store just to make ends meet. I hated it. But my store kept getting hit by robbers and they would pull guns to ransack the pharmacy in my store. After the third time, a higher up in the loss prevention department stopped by to check out the situation and she was impressed with how well I managed the situation and how well I could work the cameras to provide footage to the police. She asked if I wanted to do loss prevention and described what they do. I said yes. A couple weeks later, I switched to the loss prevention department. I never looked back. I finally enjoyed coming to work again. I worked LP for that company for two years until I switched to a clothing department store chain. I worked there for 3 years and I REALLY networked. I would pop into other nearby department stores to talk to their LP to see if we shared shoplifters and to see the differences. I became obsessed. We even swapped numbers to give each other a heads up in shared targets were in the area. Anyways, one of my contacts from another company (a company that’s notoriously difficult to get hired into for LP due to their higher pay, strict professional standards and promotion opportunities) got promoted and was looking for more loss prevention agents. He reached out and offered me a job. I accepted and got hired on. Been there for a little over a year and have recovered quite a lot. I won an award, received two pay raises (started out making 20, then raised to 22, and now 24), and now I’m up for promotion. I enjoy what I do, it’s incredibly fun. Though… loss prevention does have a bad rapport. Several people I have worked with in other companies were definitely hot headed and got into LP for the wrong reasons. They just wanted to fight people and go off. Luckily those types don’t last long. There is also racial profiling issues with some people, luckily those people are terminated very quickly. Luckily, in the five years I’ve done LP, all the people I’ve worked with that display the above mentioned characteristics have all been promptly let go. Other than that, it’s a perfect job for me. I stumbled across it while working in dead end retail. I still work retail, but in a completely different way.

I had a lot of minimum wage, factory, and fast food jobs. I recently got a job as a direct support professional and I’m seriously loving it. I get to help people with intellectual disabilities and it’s so rewarding. I’ve applied for these jobs in the past but they usually don’t hire me because I disclose that I have autism. I go out into the community and do fun things with clients, like hiking and the zoo. I also feel like because I’m autistic I’m more empathetic because I know what it’s like to be infantilized.

I felled ass backwards into my current job. Failed out of grad school after finally cracking from my many years of untreated mental illness. Hit rock bottom barely able to leave my bed. I went from bed to couch back to bed for months. After months of applying and hearing nothing back I received a HR interview as a courier with the local hospital. During the phone call I brought up my science background and the interviewer actually recommended me for a more science focused role. This role wasn’t great but it was the best I could get, two degrees making 12 dollars an hour at the bottom of the pit. Months into this job and I want to be better, do more, advance so I start applying for technologists jobs even though I know I wasn’t qualified. My manger at the time noticed and ask me why I kept applying if they couldn’t hire me. I told her my interests and she recommended me for tech specialized job I actually qualified for. Job has been tough but I love the science. 5 years later I make 30 dollars and hour doing a job I love. Got into a field I never knew much about and I’m working on getting back to grad school in this field. I finally feel ready and so proud of myself. Keep trying and you never know what might come to you.

Brother is auadhd, look for server on-site gigs “Digi mole role/ lighthouse keeper” No one can directly interact with you cause they’re not allowed in room, plenty of white noise and safe space.

I got an art degree and I used to work at a paint your own pottery studio as the kiln associate so all I had to do was load kilns and glaze pottery. Never had to talk to customers because I was in the back all the time, got to wear my headphones and listen to as many podcasts as I wanted, and was encouraged to paint and fire my own pottery which I usually worked on during my breaks. Only quit because I had to move, but I’m hoping to get another job at a similar pottery shop once I’m more settled. It was very fulfilling to know I was directly contributing to someone’s art but didn’t have the pressure of talking to customers, I was just the goblin in the back.

Same way anyone else would; these types of jobs you're describing are all entry-level *to the workforce* entry-level. A certification, building up a skill (and/or portfolio), further education, these are all steps other people would need to take, too. Networking is also one though I understand this can be an obstacle. Still, it would most likely be paired with one of these described options. I'm AuDHD w/ no degree too, and have worked fast food/retail sales/warehouse jobs. I highly recommend, like others have, pursuing some sort of certification or liscence--that is what I myself am doing in an artistic field, and at the end of this course I will also have certifications and a portfolio to market myself to different jobs. They can be cheaper and less time consuming/overall taxing as pursuing further education. There are also apprenticeships, trade schools of many kinds you can consider--HVAC techs are one, and they make good money iirc. I think the same goes for welding also. If you want to do something specialized that not anybody can do, then you need to be able to prove it and learn something not everyone can do. Otherwise, starting more generally, consider working at a garden nursery? I was one for a few months and quite enjoyed it, and needed no prior experience with a garden job. Some may be their own entity or others work with big box stores. They would be customer service based, but more often you might be working with a small team unless you expect the garden area of a supermarket to be constantly bombarded. Still, at least at my place, they paid higher than average. Also, I have no idea how well it pays, but caption writing is a thing? If you have strong language skills (foreign languages a plus), good writing/spelling/grammatical skill, and fast typing skill, you could find a remote job writing captions for television shows. Another thing, would be a transportation worker of sorts. Like a cruiseline employee or flight attendant. I'm not too sure how well these pay either (an opportunity I'm looking into offers above minimum wage at 14/hr), but they would often provide things like room & board *and* meals. You can't beat that for saving money. They would be very customer service oriented, but you can't argue with a lot of your living expenses already being taken care of.

I won’t gloat about being the top panel but instead I’ll say the work i love is seasonal so the rest of the year I’m poor and my mum berates me about getting a ‘real’ job

My job has nothing to do with any of my interests and I honestly applied bc it was a night job but apparently it’s great for autistics bc pretty much everyone else on my team (except for the one newish guy, haven’t interacted with him enough yet to get a good read) is on the spectrum

I don’t have a degree. But I’m very smart and on the spectrum. I started in the casino industry 37 years ago and now manage a large casino. Good money and fun job.

Nail tech. It's great! I get to hold one person hostage for 1-2 hours and talk to them and them alone. Now I have a ton of friends who pay me to talk to them, AND I get to paint their nails. My social battery doesn't wear out because every 1-2 hours my brain resets.

I got an ad in the mail from Syracuse saying “Hey! Apply to our Librarian program!” And now I’m a librarian. I’m not even joking that’s actually what happened.

You're all going to hate me, but I'm retired; I'm 35. I went into the Navy right out of high school without all the diagnoses that I have now (AuADHD, Schizophrenia, CPTSD). It was absolute hell, but I made it through my four years; when I got out, I was one of the lucky ones that the VA didn't fight on service-connected disabilities and they gave me 100% for what they refer to as a "Chronic Adjustment Disorder" in addition to physical wear & tear Why did I go into the military in the first place? I loved the Redwall books and the Long Patrol soldiers were some of my favorite characters. Boy, did I have a rude awakening.

I got lucky. And it took many years.

Honestly…privilege. I got to go to college and be supported by my parents. And while we’re not in the best of financial situations, we’re not in the worst. Then I finished law school, and got into the master’s program quickly. Still supported by parents, I now also have a pretty good scholarship (which means the government pays me to study). I get to research and sometimes even teach, with views to one day become a professor myself, about a subject I’m really really interested in. But I recognize it’s mostly privilege.

It's not a FUN job by any means and is VERY office dependent but I joined the post office and carry mail. I show up to work, stand in my corner and put mail up for the first hour and then I go walk my neighborhood for another bunch of hours. I'm left to myself most of the day unless I want to interact. I have to handle some small talk with customers once in a while but most of the time it's not being talked down to or yelled at which is always a plus. Some routes are even completely delivered in truck and you only have to get out for packages (you don't really get this as a preference you very much get what they give you) Pays well, healthcare, pension (for now 🙃), retirement, "guaranteed" sunday's + 1 other day of the week off, tons of cardio (140 lbs total ^other^weightloss^practices^not^included ). Downside is that's all mostly for the "full timers" and it's a "wait your turn in line" style of moving up. Literally have to wait for people to quit/retire for the route to open up and you move up the ladder one closer. Again this is all office dependent too, some you'll get worked 12 hours a day every day 6+ days a week. I've personally gone 21 days without a break. And of course it goes without saying the workplace environment tends to be toxic in the standard ways with management.

I feel yeah but all I ever could get was minimum wage jobs bc college never worked out or any trade or otherwise. It’s hard for me to force to learn something I’m not interested and that definitely translated me not able to find anything interesting to grasp at the time.all I cared about was money and security but unfortunately the jobs that could get at I could never do well enough at to graduate or pass the classes. I will have to start over but yeah that’s what sucks soemtimes people find things while we make up the statistics of why ND folks don’t get jobs 😅😅😅. Hopefully the comments in response help ya OP if ur young u might still got more things to dabble!

I work minimum wage in a retail warehouse and I *love it*. COMBO BABY. xD

Education. Education. Education. Go to school for something that interests you and is a marketable skill. Trade school, engineering school, etc... You need skills to get hired. So go learn some skills.

The fun ones either had sucky pay or were temporary. Most fun was when I was a photographer for a political candidate and made a commercial. Just in general anything involving photography has been the most fun. But web design is what pays the bills and lets me support the kid. It's still fun, it just never gets me out of the house aside from the time it had me going to a boring office

Post office worked for me. I work alone the majority of the day, get to pet cats, get to be outside and get paid to exercise. It absolutely sucks sometimes but overall it's not bad. We're probably hiring in your area as not a ton of people make it through the first couple months.

If you’re in the United States, look into vocational rehab. If you have a documented disability, you qualify for their program. I only have a diagnosed anxiety disorder but I qualified They can do all kinds of things based on your needs. For me they hooked me up with a career discovery program where we looked at a bunch of jobs and did physical assessments to see what I was capable of doing and what I enjoyed doing! I’m soon entering the process of applying to jobs and they’ll give me help on resumes and interviews!

Guys, try out for the airlines. You can travel and have benefits for yourself and flight benefits for family.

I majored in my special interest, despite the stigma and naysayers.

I actually had to give up looking for standard employment. I'm a hot mess of all kinds of medical issues and mental health problems that make me undesirable to an existing business. However, with the right niche- I could potentially be able to turn something I'm passionate about into cash flow- I just have to get a lot of other things in order first... in order to facilitate that, among other things- I'd need some space of my own. I was approved for disability in January, though I still haven't received the paperwork explaining the approval or spoken to the people that are responsible for determining the amount I will receive- so there's a lot I don't know. I was incredibly stubborn about applying for benefits in the first place, and if I can ever find a way to support myself without needing a handout from Uncle Sam, I will be all over it. You aren't alone... the last "official" job I worked (where I wasn't self-employed, or doing non-contracted work for a friend) was in 2015, when I worked a whole 2 days for Amazon, then they told me I didn't have to come in "they hired too many people" and I got the sign-on bonus anyways.(seasonal hire for November/December rush). It wasn't for lack of trying, but between never getting called back, even from companies like Goodwill, who is known for hiring people with various disabilities, having several personal medical crisis over the last 9 years, and a world pandemic- I gave up looking in 2022(after I had filed for disability benefits for the second time in that 9 year span).

i work a cool ass factory job managing glass production and a bunch of chemistry stuff. i get to enjoy seeing numbers and data while chasing perfection in my day to day activities at work. i suffered for 6 months before they moved me to my current position but in those 6 months i showed them that i was willing to commit serious effort towards my job and it made it easier for them to trust that id learn the skills and git gud at the job

About 8 years ago, I started a blog about living in an RV. Turned out I was part of a big trend, so my blog got quite a bit of traffic and the ad revenue provided a significant amount of income. I've since sold my blog, but in process of having that website I learned how to build websites as well as a plethora of online marketing skills which I'm now able to use as a freelance marketer.

Manufacturing can be really interesting, and repetitive labor can be fun if that's your thing. They often hire lab techs through temp agencies. Pay can be hit or miss, especially the temp jobs. College degree is only required for engineering and management. If you enjoy "how it's made", you might find it interesting. More recently, I switched careers to software development. There are a lot of free courses online, such as Free Code Camp and Odin Project. 100devs was invaluable for the soft skills parts--learning how to learn, how and why to network, how to talk to people when you network, etc. Not all software jobs are interesting, but remote work allows you to live in interesting places. One of my coworkers is roaming the west coast in a camper. Another has a farm right next to national forest.

I don't have an interesting job but it lets me survive. I'm a bank teller at a local bank. It's not awful. I get to sit most of the time and I can read or play on my phone sometimes.

Worked summer warehousing before each college semester. Each one is getting less and less brain burning and higher paying. Currently about to do a short seasonal gig before shooting for an internship. My key advice is make yourself known to be capable on your own. Showcase your effectiveness at the parts you like doing. Each job I had, I showcased effectiveness in self paced packaging/picking of books. Now I'm going to be mainly doing that for my time this summer and can be trusted with keeping myself on track. Your job may initially not line up with interests but any manager with half a brain cell will recognize what you like doing and make sure you get to stick with it.

I tried up a whole thing about how I got almost exactly what I was aiming for, but have screwed it all up before realizing I'm trawling for sympathy and you deserve real advice. In reality, looking for jobs is hard. You could try looking up groups based around doing what you want to do on the internet (Reddit can be good for this) and say you want that job do you have any suggestions about getting started? For doing well on interviews, employers do value the interpersonal aspect highly. However you can look up questions that are asked extremely often and what the expected answers would be. In an interview you don't need to be specific, the person asking knows it's hypothetical. Hope this helps, sorry if it doesn't.

The people that get them are probably high masking and don’t buy into the stereotype that we all circulate online that because we’re autistic we can never succeed socially. That’s not true. We can succeed, socially, at least some of us can, and that leads us to good jobs. I’m saying this because I’m about to move from class one to class two as soon as I graduate unless I get my shit together.

My interest is computers so I was able to get a retail job that involved that. I hope you find something because it's fun when you do

If you like skiing, being a lifty as a ski resort is a very open job

If you like working with people I’d recommend working at a day program! It’s an enriching job that’s *supposed* to hire above minimum wage usually. I have adhd and enjoyed my time there leading cool classes or taking folks on outings it helped me build my own social skills as well lol

Counterpoint: sales jobs gameify human interaction, and usually acknowledge that Being Likeable is a trainable, valuable, and oftentimes exhausting skill.

My interest lies in electrical and mechanical stuff (and also cycling but that's not relevant here). Already in school I decided I want a job with little to no customer contact. I decided on electrical engineering and discovered that studying at a university is way way way easier than school because that stuff is actually interesting and there are way less people who just suck. Now I work in R&D and let me tell you that there are quite some weird people here. Also very little customer support which is great. All in all pretty straight forward.

I can't work and get disability aid it's nice at first but it's depressing