WHAT JOB IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Is there something you have always dreamed of doing? Can you realistically do it and get paid for it? Do you have unique skills? Are they suited for a certain job? What are your interests? Are you looking for a job related to your interests, or are you looking for a job that can provide you the resources – like time and money – to pursue your interests? What if you have no idea what you want to do or what you are good at? It is a good idea to ask yourself these questions, self-reflect and do some research.
Assessing your strengths and interests
Taking a career assessment can help you choose the direction of your job search. The U.S. Department of Labor O*Net Career Exploration Tools is one place to start. It has several self-directed career exploration and assessment tools to help job seekers consider and plan career options, preparation and transitions more effectively. The American Library Association and some popular job posting websites, like Indeed, also lists several assessments online, including ones that help determine your personality and figure out what values you want most in a job.
If you are enrolled with your local VR office, you should also request an assessment from your counselor. To talk to someone about enrolling in VR services, click here to find the office in your state.
Workbook activity: Career assessments
Document the type of career assessment that you have participated in and a summary of the results. This workbook can be downloaded here.
Jobs to consider
A study by the National Center for Education Research (NCSER) identified jobs that individuals with autism have successfully held after high school. The jobs spanned across all industries and function. Take a look at some of the more common jobs. By no means is this an exhaustive list of options available to autistic adults. But it could help you start thinking about what job interests you.
- Building and ground maintenance
- Computer, mathematical, architecture, engineering and science
- Education
- Food preparation and services
- Office and administrative support
- Personal care and services
- Production
- Sales
- Transportation
CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, is a great place to explore careers. Check out their video library of hundreds of different careers. Videos include details such as tasks, work settings, education needed and more.
INDUSTRY FOCUS: STEM fields
STEM stands for the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Autism Speaks helped fund a national study entitled “STEM Participation Among College Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder,” which was published online in November of 2012 in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Co-author Paul Shattuck, PhD, senior fellow at Mathematica and founding leader of the AJ Drexel Autism Institute's interdisciplinary research program on Life Course Outcomes and the National Autism Data Center, confirmed that individuals with ASD indeed gravitate toward STEM majors in college. In fact, students with autism are significantly more likely to declare a STEM major in college than their peers with or without disabilities.
“STEM careers are touted as being important for increasing both national economic competitiveness and individual career earning power,” according to Dr. Shattuck. “If popular stereotypes are accurate and college-bound youth with autism gravitate toward STEM majors, then this has the potential to be a silver lining story for a group where gloomy predictions about outcomes in adulthood are more the norm.”
One theory for why this may be suggests that people with autism are very good at systemizing, which includes analysis and understanding of rule-based systems, and at looking for patterns. Another good reason to explore jobs in the STEM fields is that the growth of the digital economy is dependent on these jobs. It is estimated that during the next decade in the U.S., STEM occupations are expected to increase at more than two times the rate of all other occupations. Some of the more popular STEM occupations are: information security analyst, software developer, software quality assurance tester and computer and information research scientists.
The job market
It is important to understand what jobs are available now and what job are expected to be available in the future. One helpful resource is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook where you can search for occupations by their average salary, entry-level education required, available on-the-job training and the number of new jobs expected to be created. You can check out the fastest growing jobs over the next ten years and the median salary for each.
Get some experience
Whether you know exactly what you want to do or have no idea, consider some introductory ways to get some hands-on experience in a work setting. Learning about work – the work environment, the social norms among coworkers and time management – can set you up for eventual job placement success. It can also help you build your support network.
Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to learn about your interests and abilities and explore careers. There are many organizations that offer volunteer opportunities where you are not paid. Do not pass up a chance for work experience, as you will learn from all types of opportunities. Even learning that you do not enjoy a particular type of work is information that will lead you to the right career path.
For more information on volunteering and to find volunteer opportunities in your area, visit these websites:
Note: Many states have their own volunteer agencies. Google your state and see what you find.
Internships
A paid or unpaid internship is another way for you to learn vocational skills and gain valuable work experience. Many schools assist students in finding internship opportunities. Many pay and/or offer you college credit for your work.
Project SEARCH offers a one-year, business-led Transition-to-Work internship for young people with significant support needs in their last year of high school or who have just completed high school. It involves a combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through internships in various job roles within a host business. The goal of Project SEARCH is to equip participants with the skills to secure employment in a competitive job market.
Apprenticeships
An apprenticeship is a combination of on-the-job training in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of a highly skilled occupation or trade from experts in the field. Apprenticeships can teach you skills for a trade that is in high demand in the job market. This may make it easier for you to find a job. Visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship.gov to connect to employers and education partners with resources and opportunities.
TIP: Always make sure that you get a recommendation letter from your supervisor when you volunteer, intern or apprentice anywhere. It should be a formal, written letter, preferably in digital format, that should include where you worked, for how long and some of your responsibilities. They should include their contact information also. You can share this with potential employers.
Company spotlight: Aspiritech
Occupational and vocational training for software testers
Occupational and vocational training can take many forms, from pre-employment activities to on-the-job coaching. At Aspiritech, a not-for-profit near Chicago, Illinois, we provide training and employment for those adults who consider themselves to have high-functioning autism or were diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.
Our clients range in size from Fortune 500 companies (Goldman Sachs, Aon, Abbvie and JP Morgan) to startups, the TSA and large private companies (Empire, Medline and Bose). We provide a number of end-to-end QA project services including: manual and automated testing, data analysis and validation and accessibility WCAG/508 compliance testing.
Our training covers both the technical skills of software testing, and the soft skills needed to succeed in the workplace. The initial one- to two-week classroom style training period, which is provided at no cost, covers the basics of software testing and is designed to be accessible to individuals on the spectrum who possess a moderate level of computer proficiency (programming skills are not required). It is hands-on and avoids abstract lessons to meet the needs of trainees with challenges in auditory processing and a more literal sense of language. This training period can last anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple months, depending on the needs, pace and availability of the trainee.
In addition to learning software testing/data validation and 508/WCAG accessibility testing skills, the initial training serves as an evaluation period and opportunity for trainees to learn if software testing is work that they can focus on and enjoy. Those who successfully complete their training are invited to work for Aspiritech as paid software test engineers along with our 125 other employees of which 90% are on the spectrum, including most of our management team. While working at Aspiritech, employees continually undergo further training, developing more advanced technical skills.
Soft skills are also taught through frequent team-building activities, job coaching, social skill groups and regular feedback. Some specific areas addressed include accepting constructive criticism, asking for help, appropriate topics of workplace conversation, and e-mail etiquette. The result: employee surveys and parent reports suggest increased self-esteem and self-determination among our employees.
Workbook activity: Jobs to consider
Identify jobs that match your skills and interests. Include your dream jobs. This workbook can be downloaded here.