Future job

[J. Ann]

I'm going into high school next year, and I still don't know what I want to do after I get out of high school. I don't have many interests or talents. I know I need to start preparing soon. My fear is that by the end of 12th grade I will still have no plans for further education or a well paying job. I don't think Aspergers will limit me when it comes to getting a certan type of job, so I'm still keeping an open mind.

There are some jobs I'm interested in like Airplane Pilot, Radio Host, or DJ. But I'm not sure if any of them will workout.

 

[Jesse]

Hi J. I'm a 41 year old male Aspie - although I was unaware of my AS until 3 years ago. I now work in a UK university and one of my roles is that of admissions tutor and so I speak to many applicants each year. In my experience many young people at the age of 18 don't know what career they want to pursue. In other words you are not necessarily in a vastly different position to many young people - so don't worry.

I would advise you to choose subjects that will keep your options open. i.e. Research what qualifications you would need to become a pilot and make sure that if possible you choose them. Jobs like radio host and DJ tend to require natural talent and experience doing the work. So whilst you're studying why not try to get work at a local radio station. In the UK many young people work (on a voluntary basis ) for hospital radio stations. Could you do something similar? In this way you will be able to see if you a) are suited to those lines of work and b) if they are career paths that you really want to pursue.

Do you have Aspergers Syndrome or Autism and if so how does it impact on your life the most?

 

[J. Ann]

Thanks. Yes, I do have Asperger's Syndrome. It does not affect my ability to learn, but it does affect my ability to be social. I don't talk a lot. In the past few years I have gotten better at socializing. I use to be very shy, and I didn't like going places alone. I try not to let Aspergers stop me from living a normal life, and I won't let it be a reason for not getting a job I think would be best for me.

 

[Jesse]

I like your positive attitude. Hold onto that as you face challenges and you will go a long way.

Another suggestion I would make would be for you to try lots of different things. Volunteer to help at friends companies in order to gain an insight into different jobs and in the process you will learn new skills and build contacts. I know that building contacts isn't the easiest when you're not the most fluid and confident talking to people. You write in the past tense quite often. How are you now? Can you go places by yourself and speak to strangers?

 

[J. Ann]

I can go places by myself, have conversations with people, and be more casual when doing so. Going into a store by myself, and buying something is no longer a challenge.

I think one of the reasons why I don't socialize with people at my school very well is because of my age. I was held back a grade many years ago, and it's having more of an affect on me now that I'm older. It doesn't help that my school likes to put 7th and 8th graders in the same classes, which means I'm 15 and some of my class mates are 12. A lot of them are 13.