Asperger's on the Job: Must-Have Advice for People With Asperger's or High Functioning Autism, and Their Employers, Educators, and Advocates (17 page)

•   
Practicing
in this case, means playing music for a living. Major triggers under this heading might be the socializing one might have to do, and unpredictable hotel rooms if one is touring. Lack of a steady paycheck is not necessarily a trigger but it is a ‘con’ and should be listed, since financial stability keeps stress levels down. A possible
solution
to these things might be working as a house musician for a studio or club, or playing with an orchestra if one is skilled enough.

•   Under
Studying
you can list what relevant qualifications you already possess and what, if anything, you need to acquire as well as where you can go to get it—i.e., what university, college, or technical school.

At the end of this section is a sample of what the table could look like. Make copies of this table as you may want to fill it out more than once. Before you do so, you may find it helpful to create a master list of Areas of Obsessive Interest on a separate sheet, as well as a complete list of triggers to really acquaint yourself with what you love and what you don’t, what turns you on and what ticks you off. Once you fill out the Job Map, your strongest triggers—things you absolutely want to avoid—need to be crossed out, or colored in red. Your strongest BTAs—things you absolutely require or desire should be bolded, circled, or colored in a favorite color. So should your best solutions.

When you are finished, have a look at what your worst triggers are, and then focus on your brightest, boldest BTAs. In the
Course of Action or Realization
box, write down your impressions based on your answers. The responses should help you form a plan or give you some important things to think about. You might find that by combining elements of different passions, you discover an area you could work in that you hadn’t considered before. You might find you are currently in the wrong field, but that you have identified what it is that you would like to do. You might even discover that you
are
in the right field, but the wrong application. You might ascertain that a degree is necessary to get you where you want to go. You might even discover that you are in the right field or job already, and that by applying some of the suggestions in this book, you’ll have what you need for career fulfillment.

While some of our Areas of Obsessive Interest are not immediately marketable, or may not be obviously linked to our proper vocation, I believe that they contain the seeds, the clues, to our perfect career. We need to be excited about our job in order to put our Asperger attributes to good use. By cross-referencing in this way, by the time you get done with this exercise, you should have some sort of viable “map” to choosing your career. You should have a vision for your immediate and long-term future. And remember, these are your own words and thoughts, not someone else’s advice for you.

1. Dress appropriately for the type of position you are seeking. There are big differences between retail, factory, office, coffeehouse, or outdoor positions. Use magazines, TV shows, job coaches, friends, family, or salespeople to get some advice on what to wear.
   
2. Make sure your clothing is clean and doesn’t have stains or tears. Don’t wear it inside out! (That
   had
   to be said.)
   
3. Hair, beard, and nails should be groomed appropriate to the position.
   
4. Don’t overdo cologne (you probably don’t wear it anyway) and make sure you have no body odor.
   
5. If eye contact is difficult for you, practice making brief eye contact with someone close to you and not flinching. Don’t overdo it and stare. At the interview have two copies of your resume so you both have something to look at besides each other.
   A portfolio is even better, because you can look at it together, and for longer periods of time.
   
6. A resume will also help you keep your facts straight, in case you get confused.
   
7. When you are answering questions and talking about yourself, don’t talk for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Think of conversation as reciprocal, like a relaxed game of tennis.
   
8. If asked about your interests, be careful not to give away too much or for too long. (They probably won’t understand your anime obsession at an insurance firm.)
   
9. If you do not disclose AS at the interview, do not feel guilty or sneaky. We all have health issues (the boss probably does too), and we shouldn’t thrust them forward when trying to make a good first impression.
   
10. Don’t speak ill of past bosses, co-workers, or companies, or talk about how you were abused, etc. It will be awkward for the employer and make you look like a whiner as opposed to a winner.
    
11. Stay positive. It takes conscious effort.
    
12. Don’t slouch in your chair. Make sure your shoulders are down and relaxed. Things mentioned earlier like yoga, martial arts, sports, dance, etc., will help you become more conscious of your body language.
    
13. If you sense during the interview that you won’t like the job, don’t take it just to prove you can. You’ll only be wasting everyone’s time, including your own. Have standards and stick to them.
    
14. If you don’t get the first job you try for, don’t give up. It probably wasn’t right for you. Keep trying until you get what you need!
    

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