Is there just one job out there for you that is of interest? If so, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration by just going after that one position with no "bigger mind" realization that there are plenty of jobs out there related to the one you have in mind, ones that might allow you to gain experience to be a better candidate for the "perfect job" that you have narrowed it down to. There is nothing wrong with having aspirations for a certain position, but you have to allow some room for learning and growth that will prepare you to be a stronger candidate for the position that you believe is just right for you.
Focusing on working in the general industry that you want to concentrate on is a very worthwhile goal, and one that you should pursue! Doing this will expose you to other positions that you may not have ever heard of, ones that meet your needs and ask things of you that you are glad to provide, and offer career growth and security. Having the mindset that "there is just ONE perfect job for me, and if I can't have that I won't even THINK about something related" is a hurdle you have constructed for yourself rather than a ladder that leads to the start of success. This rigidity is hard for some people "on the Spectrum" to realize and overcome, but allowing yourself some alternatives that are still closely-related to the career you are set on is a wise choice and one that leads to more chances for success and progress.
For instance, many people are interested in gaming, and maybe being a game designer is your "perfect job." Okay, but did you realize that there are relatively few game design positions for beginners? Working on game design on your own and getting prototypes out there is one way to gain experience, but do you know how to do this? If not, consider all the related jobs to game design! For starters, how about marketing, advertising, voice work, game reviews for blogs and magazines and websites, publishing a site that deals with gaming, comparing and contrasting games and series, "how to play" advice? Doing these tasks will expose you to the gaming world and let you establish "on the job" experience that you can later apply to trying to design games, with your past work guiding your new work. Isn't it a decent idea to learn and earn and build skills rather than try to start at the top? (HINT yes, it's a decent idea! :-)
Be broad-minded about the work and industry you are shooting for, and use job and career guides that will list related jobs to ones you already know about for inspiration. See what these jobs need, and how to gain the experience in a way that will broaden you and make you a stronger candidate with a variety of skills employers will value. YOU CAN DO IT, bit by bit!
Monday, March 31, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
What should potential employers know about your diagnosis, and when should they know this?
Often, clients have a fear how to appropriately express their conditions/diagnosis/uniqueness to possible employers, worried that once they know this, an employer won't value them as highly or make them do work that isn't exactly the kind of work the client wants to do. This is a highly personal thing, but as the years have gone by and the general awareness and understanding of the Autism Spectrum has grown, I do sense a better climate for uniquely-abled workers to be forthright about what they are good at and not so good at, and to be clear about the kind of accommodations that they would benefit from at work. Also, if you want to get technical and legal about it, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the amendments passed in 2009 mandate that employers make these accommodations for workers. This combination of the legal requirements and the general awareness and acceptance of diagnosed conditions certainly have made the climate more conducive to people on the Spectrum being more open about their needs when looking for work than in decades past.
Practicing being clear and concise about what you have been diagnosed with is absolutely necessary; for one big thing, having "the speech" down and ready for use rather than fumbling with a million thoughts will show the person you are speaking with a small example of you dealing with your condition in a positive, businesslike way. That said, I'm not sure I'd start the conversation with this topic, let it come up as the interview progresses, perhaps after they ask you (as an interviewer always does!) if you have any questions for them. "Yes, I do" you might say, "Have you had much experience with people with Asperger's Syndrome (or whatever your condition is) in the past?" See how they answer, and be ready for a quick follow up such as, "Well, I have Asperger's, and as such, sometimes I have trouble recognizing social cues, body language, and other non-verbal communication." Let them respond, but also have the positive ready, like "However, with Asperger's, I also have tremendous attention to detail and deep focus, and will really dig in deeply to the tasks I am assigned and get you the kind of results that help the company!" Again, practicing your conversational and informational bits will really stand you in good stead and help you be comfortable going in.
As for when to disclose, I think "the earlier the better," but would also include "the more comfortable the better," meaning be comfortable with the moment first, and that's hopefully sooner than later. Some want to wait until there is a job offer on the table, and while that would give you great leverage, I think the person who has been evaluating you might feel a bit taken advantage of if you did it in that way. Plus, I think you'd want to let them know about yourself and see how they react and see if they have had other workers that they have made accommodations for in the past, etc. Look, they are hiring all of you, so let them know what "all of you" really means, and then when you do get the gig, you'll know that they are welcoming the entire package!
Practicing being clear and concise about what you have been diagnosed with is absolutely necessary; for one big thing, having "the speech" down and ready for use rather than fumbling with a million thoughts will show the person you are speaking with a small example of you dealing with your condition in a positive, businesslike way. That said, I'm not sure I'd start the conversation with this topic, let it come up as the interview progresses, perhaps after they ask you (as an interviewer always does!) if you have any questions for them. "Yes, I do" you might say, "Have you had much experience with people with Asperger's Syndrome (or whatever your condition is) in the past?" See how they answer, and be ready for a quick follow up such as, "Well, I have Asperger's, and as such, sometimes I have trouble recognizing social cues, body language, and other non-verbal communication." Let them respond, but also have the positive ready, like "However, with Asperger's, I also have tremendous attention to detail and deep focus, and will really dig in deeply to the tasks I am assigned and get you the kind of results that help the company!" Again, practicing your conversational and informational bits will really stand you in good stead and help you be comfortable going in.
As for when to disclose, I think "the earlier the better," but would also include "the more comfortable the better," meaning be comfortable with the moment first, and that's hopefully sooner than later. Some want to wait until there is a job offer on the table, and while that would give you great leverage, I think the person who has been evaluating you might feel a bit taken advantage of if you did it in that way. Plus, I think you'd want to let them know about yourself and see how they react and see if they have had other workers that they have made accommodations for in the past, etc. Look, they are hiring all of you, so let them know what "all of you" really means, and then when you do get the gig, you'll know that they are welcoming the entire package!
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Developing executive function skills...start a task and see it ALL THE WAY to end!
To really develop the sometimes elusive executive function skills (sidenote: I've always thought it should be intentionally mis-pronounced "EXECUTE-ive function," as in, executing and getting things all the way done...make sense?), working with clients to start and task, break it down to manageable chunks, have a formalized schedule written down (or saved digitally with recurring reminders, or whatever the best application of schedule is), get these chunks accomplished on schedule, AND THEN HAVE A DEFINED "FINISH" TO THE TASK is key. Even if the task is recurring, having someone see the start to finish routine and grasping that it's not accomplished when "oh, most of the work is done," or "Yeah, it's going fine" is the answer to queries about the completion.
I have seen too many crumpled homework assignments pulled from the depths of backpacks or incorrectly-saved/misfiled/mislabeled work products suddenly unearthed when using a computer or checking a memory stick for something else, along with the requisite "Oh, there that is!" Yeah, there it is, 99% of the way done, with time and effort having been devoted to it weeks ago, only to have it languish somewhere and the TASK NOT BE DONE. Bosses and teachers have blank spaces for the work, or perhaps the person had to half-bake a replacement and turn it in late with the usual sturm und drang and frenzy that has come to often characterize their work or academic life.
Getting rid of that unneeded frenzy and smoothing things out is a beneficial side-effect to perfecting the entire cycle of EXECUTE-ive function, and a calmness that once it becomes noticed is something that clients like and can work towards. Having examples of getting tasks all the way done and the positive effects it has on life, work results, grades, interpersonal relationships, extra time reserves, etc., is a feeling that is pretty positive and one that I can mention in retrospect as "let's head for the way you did the work and got it turned in on time like the FULLY DONE WORK NAME HERE from last month, okay?"
That concrete example of something that THEY DID is crucial, and to get it you may have to really dig in on an assignment and be involved and re-emphasize chunk deadlines and assembly and other bits and pieces. However, once it's been accomplished, it can be use again and again for an example of a time when the person completed the cycle and reaped the benefits of the effort, and as a building block for getting better at the completion skills that are sometimes elusive but so needed!
I have seen too many crumpled homework assignments pulled from the depths of backpacks or incorrectly-saved/misfiled/mislabeled work products suddenly unearthed when using a computer or checking a memory stick for something else, along with the requisite "Oh, there that is!" Yeah, there it is, 99% of the way done, with time and effort having been devoted to it weeks ago, only to have it languish somewhere and the TASK NOT BE DONE. Bosses and teachers have blank spaces for the work, or perhaps the person had to half-bake a replacement and turn it in late with the usual sturm und drang and frenzy that has come to often characterize their work or academic life.
Getting rid of that unneeded frenzy and smoothing things out is a beneficial side-effect to perfecting the entire cycle of EXECUTE-ive function, and a calmness that once it becomes noticed is something that clients like and can work towards. Having examples of getting tasks all the way done and the positive effects it has on life, work results, grades, interpersonal relationships, extra time reserves, etc., is a feeling that is pretty positive and one that I can mention in retrospect as "let's head for the way you did the work and got it turned in on time like the FULLY DONE WORK NAME HERE from last month, okay?"
That concrete example of something that THEY DID is crucial, and to get it you may have to really dig in on an assignment and be involved and re-emphasize chunk deadlines and assembly and other bits and pieces. However, once it's been accomplished, it can be use again and again for an example of a time when the person completed the cycle and reaped the benefits of the effort, and as a building block for getting better at the completion skills that are sometimes elusive but so needed!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
"Effective speed" The more you do it, the better you get at it = the more you'll say "YES" to doing it!
There is a remarkable guy in the Bay Area, Hans Florine,( http://hansflorine.com/indexredirect.html ) and a theme that he speaks about has really resonated with me over the years after just reading it once in a magazine. In my way of saying it, the more we wholeheartedly do something, the better we get at it, and thus, the more we'll say "YES!" to doing it. This approach is useful for any person, but especially helpful for folks who are sometimes set in their ways and not enthused about trying something new, avoiding the new for any number of reasons. That sucks, it won't work, I don't do it that way, I don't have time, I do things this way only, I've never done it...the list goes on.
However, explaining to a client that something that is new can soon be something that is tried and true can sometimes weaken that resolve, and occasionally going "all in" and picking a need as "a hill to die on" to get them to try it is worthwhile. When doing that, make sure the skill and the client are indeed well-suited to each other, and provide support that perhaps goes above and beyond in order to make this experience work. Getting real buy in is key, the wholeheartedly thing, because half-baked work and then "See, it didn't work" will stunt the message and growth and the willingness to try other new things. As always, pointing out even small advances and improved abilities is crucial, giving the client "props" for doing something new and getting better at it, and generally boosting self-confidence and self-awareness with things they have done and have control over is a important tool.
Reading about what colleges to apply to can be boring and intimidating, working on improving job skills while away from work can require extra effort and concentration, searching out possible jobs and crafting cover letters and targeted resumes can be a drag, and asking people to write letters of recommendation or serve as references can take time and effort and be a bit embarrassing, but these are tasks that probably MUST be undertaken sooner than later if people want to keep positive inertia in their lives. That said, the mental acceptance approach that Hans writes and speaks about and frankly embodies (the guy is a world-class mountain speed climber, among other things) is worth keeping aware of, and perhaps mentioning to clients or people that are struggling with new ways of doing things. It's pretty simple, but very true, as the best teaching moments often are!
However, explaining to a client that something that is new can soon be something that is tried and true can sometimes weaken that resolve, and occasionally going "all in" and picking a need as "a hill to die on" to get them to try it is worthwhile. When doing that, make sure the skill and the client are indeed well-suited to each other, and provide support that perhaps goes above and beyond in order to make this experience work. Getting real buy in is key, the wholeheartedly thing, because half-baked work and then "See, it didn't work" will stunt the message and growth and the willingness to try other new things. As always, pointing out even small advances and improved abilities is crucial, giving the client "props" for doing something new and getting better at it, and generally boosting self-confidence and self-awareness with things they have done and have control over is a important tool.
Reading about what colleges to apply to can be boring and intimidating, working on improving job skills while away from work can require extra effort and concentration, searching out possible jobs and crafting cover letters and targeted resumes can be a drag, and asking people to write letters of recommendation or serve as references can take time and effort and be a bit embarrassing, but these are tasks that probably MUST be undertaken sooner than later if people want to keep positive inertia in their lives. That said, the mental acceptance approach that Hans writes and speaks about and frankly embodies (the guy is a world-class mountain speed climber, among other things) is worth keeping aware of, and perhaps mentioning to clients or people that are struggling with new ways of doing things. It's pretty simple, but very true, as the best teaching moments often are!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Easy to uncover TREASURE TROVES of helpful information are right there for you!
For cover letters, inquiry emails, informational interviews, or preparing for interviews (in person or over the phone), few things can provide as much pertinent information as reading a company's "news," "press releases," or "information"website sections, or doing an internet search with the company's name or name of some of the company leaders. This kind of "intel" can really open up great lines of communication and conversation, and show that you are putting in the kind of effort and thought that would be worthwhile having as part of the company.
That said, just tossing out facts and figures with no context is a pretty unsubtle move. What you want to do is connect your talents, experience, and interests with things that are current and happening with the company. Working this into a cover letter or conversation by communicating something like "I noticed that your company is starting to expand into new markets via an online club membership effort, and I have three years of experience setting up and maintaining loyalty club outreach work, as you may have seen on my resume." Or, "I read that (the company) is trying to expand the territory that salespeople will cover, and that reminds of the work that I did introducing (your old company) to new potential clients via cold-calling and targeted outreach to individuals and companies that I researched and put into a detailed data base." Linking what's coming up or important to the company that you would like to be hired by with your own experience and demonstrated talents slowing edges you away from "unknown commodity" status toward the "worth hiring" category. Enough of these nudges and you'll be talking to HR and filling out new hire paperwork...isn't that a nice moment to imagine?
Read the press releases the company puts out, search what newspapers or bloggers might have to say, know industry trends that might affect the company and bring these details out when the moment presents itself. If nothing else, in an interview, using this info during the "So, do you have any questions for me?" time is worthwhile. Better still is doing that linking of you and their needs when they start with the reliable "Tell me a little bit about yourself" interview gambit, and doing it then will give you momentum and confidence as the interview picks up speed.
Knowing the history of the company, some information about the person you might be speaking to in an interview, and the most up to date news on the company is information that you can process and think about and deploy when the time is right...and the right time is always sooner than later!
That said, just tossing out facts and figures with no context is a pretty unsubtle move. What you want to do is connect your talents, experience, and interests with things that are current and happening with the company. Working this into a cover letter or conversation by communicating something like "I noticed that your company is starting to expand into new markets via an online club membership effort, and I have three years of experience setting up and maintaining loyalty club outreach work, as you may have seen on my resume." Or, "I read that (the company) is trying to expand the territory that salespeople will cover, and that reminds of the work that I did introducing (your old company) to new potential clients via cold-calling and targeted outreach to individuals and companies that I researched and put into a detailed data base." Linking what's coming up or important to the company that you would like to be hired by with your own experience and demonstrated talents slowing edges you away from "unknown commodity" status toward the "worth hiring" category. Enough of these nudges and you'll be talking to HR and filling out new hire paperwork...isn't that a nice moment to imagine?
Read the press releases the company puts out, search what newspapers or bloggers might have to say, know industry trends that might affect the company and bring these details out when the moment presents itself. If nothing else, in an interview, using this info during the "So, do you have any questions for me?" time is worthwhile. Better still is doing that linking of you and their needs when they start with the reliable "Tell me a little bit about yourself" interview gambit, and doing it then will give you momentum and confidence as the interview picks up speed.
Knowing the history of the company, some information about the person you might be speaking to in an interview, and the most up to date news on the company is information that you can process and think about and deploy when the time is right...and the right time is always sooner than later!
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