The most common job hunting mistake...and ways to correct it!

I have been mulling what the "most common mistake on the job search," is, and I keep coming back to the idea that people (spectrum and non) often treat looking for a job as a bunch of individual efforts rather than a synthesized, related process that really benefits from even a little bit of pre-planning and organization in advance. Of course, this can be a challenge to people of all ages, skills, and experience, not to mention those on the Spectrum who often are really challenged by a process that is both possibly new to them and also very involved and detailed even in the best of circumstances. Fortunately, there are ways for all people to set themselves up for success and make their efforts count, building on previous experiences in order to keep refining their process and thus be working both smart and hard! It is doable!

Basically, in my work, I have found that breaking down the job search into granular parts is the best approach, with the first break-down level being the parts of 1. where to apply, 2. outreach needs, and 3. follow up. Of course, all these parts have processes that work together to an extent, but they can also be separated and looked at as unique work, and maybe for some or all of these parts getting some outside help/feedback on the more challenging elements is worthwhile. 

Executive Function skills will be developed and/or bolstered with this approach, and when the time comes to do the job search again it won't be a novel situation, and doing it right will also teach work skills as far as "managing it like a project." 

I apologize in advance that this reply is long, but I hope it contains advice that is useful...I love this kind of work and could go on in deeper detail about anything I mention below, please just ask! Helping others helps me sharpen my skills! 

WHERE TO APPLY: Keep it simple...unless you are ready and willing to move or commute a goodly distance, what are some places where you'd like to work that are close to where you live? "Close" is pretty subjective, but getting to and from work with ease will make the other parts of a life a bit easier to navigate and lessen stress and anxiety, giving a person the best chance to perform the new job with greater confidence and not miss work due to commute hassles. Perhaps as you apply at more places your distance increases, but keep it as simple and close as possible, to start. 

Networking with people you know about your job hunt is also very valuable...if you mention you are looking for a job (be it entry level or all the way to executive level) and in what general type of work, even if someone has no ideas when you mention it, they will become a kind of ambassador for you and have your search in mind as they go about their day and see notices in windows, read online posts, or hear things from their contacts that might benefit you! It's a compliment to appropriately network with someone, not a hassle for them...check online for examples on how to do this or ask someone more experienced for advice, it's a "soft skill" that is scary if you have not done it before but it gets much easier with some practice!

Check the education and/or experiences of people who have the kind of job you are shooting for to see how you realistically compare to them, and adjust depending on what you find. It's KEY to make a list or spread sheet of places you think you could apply...please do not tap your forehead and say "It's all up here!" PROCESS and ORGANIZATION start here!

OUTREACH NEEDS: Here is where a person can REALLY be efficient and help themselves! Outreach email messages or cover letters, resumes, writing samples, references, Power Points that show your work, and various sorts of other materials may all come into play. Rather than "reinventing the wheel" each and every time (not time efficient, very discouraging, and not where you want to devote your focus), have a resume that you carefully tweak to promote strengths and experiences and abilities that relate to the job you are applying for, and cover letters/email messages that have some spots for personalization and again thoughtfully highlighting what you've done that prepares you for the gig. 

Keep copies of these letters/messages and resume drafts so that when the job calls you about your application, you can pull up what you sent them and be ready for the informal/formal interview...print them out before a phone call or before heading into an office, and have them with you for easy reference when you sit down with people. 

Remember that list or spread sheet of places to apply? Now add columns that list what you sent them and when, along with any comments on personalization that you did or info on the company...this step especially helpful for developing executive function skills for uniquely-abled folks, and for general organization understanding for anyone.

Keep the work on where to apply and outreach work going until the right job is accepted...NEVER say something like "Okay, I've applied at five places, I'll just wait and see what they say." New places and new outreach all the time, even if you have interviews scheduled and things look promising...until they offer the job and you accept, you don't have a job and you have to keep this process going. It's something of a volume game...better things tend to happen with more chances for them TO happen. "Keep the pipeline full!"

FOLLOW UP: Sometimes overlooked, this last part really closes the loop and develops the executive function piece: each job opportunity is not just discovered and applied for and then...nothing?! If you get no response on your application, after about two weeks, a brief email or pre-scripted call reminding the place of your candidacy and refreshing your interest and hoping to continue the contact is warranted. Same thing after about another two weeks if the silence continues. After that, this opportunity may "go on the back burner," but you'll have other things going all the time to occupy you until the right job is accepted...that "full pipeline" also pays benefits in staying optimistic and knowing you have other options out there, and were not just counting on a few applications to come through. 

Keep track of this with your list, so you don't have to guess if you did, in fact, check with Acme Corp about your application. If a place turns you down, you might consider a polite follow up to find out what you were lacking in their evaluation of your candidacy. This info might be hard to hear, but it'll help you SO MUCH in future work or in deciding what jobs to later realistically go after. You are not arguing with them, you are asking for feedback on your application and to benefit from the HR person's point of view. Maybe in five years of working elsewhere you'll have what they said they were interested in hiring, and perhaps come back for another opening (they likely won't remember or care about the previous application, and if they do, spin it as "I told you I wanted to work there, and I never have forgotten your company!").

If you get a phone or in-person interview, NEVER ignore a hand-written (or typed out and glued into a card) thank-you note, thanking them for their time and consideration, mentioning something about the interview that you liked or that really mattered to you (not just a generic "thanks"), and reiterating why you are right for the job and enthusiastic about the opportunity. Send this promptly (same day ideal!) after the interview, with the name of the person who was the primary interviewer CORRECTLY SPELLED and right mailing address..find this off the web or get a business card, please don't ask them during the interview. An email to them is okay, I guess, and a bit better than nothing, but a mailed note really cuts through the chatter...always has, always will. Don't send flowers or edible arrangements or anything like that to thank them :-) 

Whew! That's a lot, but I hope it helps and, as always, I am eager to expand on any of the above or any related topics. Thank you for reading!

For your abilities, "NAME IT, CLAIM IT, AIM IT!"

NAME IT, CLAIM IT, AIM IT!

I heard this approach to one's personal skills and abilities described as the title reads, and was immediately impressed by this approach.  To give credit where credit is due, I heard it from Dr. Jennifer Selke www.jennselke.com , who adapted it from a webinar by David Rock that can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeJSXfXep4M .

It all starts with a talent, and finishes with a strength!  

In general, this approach encourages people to do three things in order to know themselves and their talents and to be able to use these talents most effectively.  First, you have to recognize your talent or approach yourself, and this recognition could come from strength trainings, observations of others, your own realizations, student/colleague feedback, etc.  Giving your talents a specific identity and name will help you with the next step, and also lets you start thinking in a concrete way about yourself by separating this talent from the many things that make you up that are all stirred together in our minds and sometimes a bit murky because we have not strained out these talents separately and acknowledged them on their own.

Next, "claiming it," and seeing where this talent is used/applied and helpful to you is worthwhile, and always keep it positive.  For example, does this talent really show up when stressed, or when you plan on using it, or when you set up the needed conditions for it to emerge?  When are condition optimum for the talent to emerge and be best applied?  Once you know this, you can try and set up things for the talent to be deployed in a measured and logical way, and perhaps move yourself towards using it even at times when you might not have in the past.  If it is a strength, why not try and have it deployed as often as possible, even in new or unfamiliar circumstances?

Finally, "aiming" it, which I gave examples of at the end of the previous paragraph, which I define as dealing with getting the talent targeted and fully assimilated as part of your arsenal of talents to use at the right time.  This could be recognizing a time when using the talent makes the most sense, and maybe even trying to stretch the talent to meet a new use, which is where things really start to be multiply-useful and have sustained yield (recall the "MUSY" theory from a few blog entries back on here?). 

Your talents can become strengths, which are personally useful and highly marketable, and potential employers will LOVE that you know yourself well and can discuss the things you do well and when you do them...that'll make it easier for them to slot you in the right spot and in a position you can excel in! 

Know yourself, for fun and profit!

Volunteering for a political campaign for fun and advancement! WORK SKILLS GALORE

As I try and sort through the volunteering options aimed at me, it occurs to me that picking a candidate or issue that matters to you and getting involved with the effort to help is a dynamite idea, one that you need very little (if any) previous experience to get going with. 

No, they won't send you to the Sunday morning talk shows to represent the cause your first week, but they will welcome envelope-stuffers, phone callers, media outreach folks, helpers with food and drink, facilities assistance, list-makers, and many other things that relate to "getting the word out."  You can make neat contacts for the future, develop skills that can help you, be exposed to new things that might really grab your attention, and hang around with people that have similar views and interests as you, which is fun all by itself! 

It also strikes me that these sort of situations are spots where being VERY into the candidate or cause is more than just okay...it's helpful and encouraged!  The more you care and can talk about why you care, the more options you'll have as far as possible duties, and this will lead to more knowledge and greater options, the very definition of engaged work.  This is a spot where your granular understanding of the issue or person or opposition can come out appropriately and will be appreciated by those around you.

By getting going with this, you'll have new and pretty intriguing things to put on your resume, and you don't have to worry that places won't be interested in you because they might disagree with what you support...in reality, even if an individual might make a different selection personally, the fact that you got involved and cared enough to get active will impress them more than be dissuasive.  It might lead to some lively conversation when being interviewed for a position, but as long as you know how to allow other people to have their own opinions, it's all a positive that will certainly work in your favor! 

Writing, outreach, phone skills, teamwork, persuading people of your cause, "getting in there and getting your hands dirty," organizational skills...all things campaigns need and things that you can do for them, and are also skills that many jobs want.  What better way to get/enhance/exhibit these skills by working for something that you care about? 

'TIS THE SEASON...SEIZE THE MOMENT AND THE OPPORTUNITY!

Improved communication through ending statements with questions to others

Sometimes in conversation with clients, I notice that the bridges to great communication are not being built by them because they often end statements by just ending them, as if they have run out of information to convey.  If the conversation was a quick one that doesn't need to go further, that's one thing...but what if it's not?  What if there is more to say, or if the other person has not been allowed to speak their mind? At that point, it's up to me to figure a way to continue the conversation.  What would be helpful is for clients to develop the sense of ending their statement with a related question to me, such as "What do you think about (conversation topic)?" or "Has something similar ever happened to you, and how did you handle it?" or something along those lines.  Placing all the responsibility for continuing the conversation on the other person is tough for them, it's got to something that's shared in order for everyone to feel like they are "equally vested" in the communication.

Developing the ability to come up with these sentence bridges is key, and in a related way, knowing how to end a conversation with the implied mutual understanding that "if there is more, we can talk again" is also worthwhile.  After everyone has been able to give their viewpoint, being able to say "Okay for now, let's continue this later" is a nice way to sort of cap that part of the conversation, but allow for the chance of deeper talk later.  Just ending by finishing what YOU have to say and standing there quietly might be misinterpreted by the conversation partner, and in any case puts a new responsibility on them to bridge the gap or else just be done with the talk, perhaps before they are really ready to do so.

Asking for other people's input is normally welcome, and having some "soft" ways of ending the conversation on your part that allows other input right then or in the future gives the people also in the dynamic the chance to have some appropriate closure to the communication.  Envision it as not slamming a door, but rather putting your hand on the doorknob, which non-verbally clues someone else that perhaps the conversation is winding down...but the gentle had allows a few more moments of conversation and will enable them to come back later via speaking or email or text to revisit the conversation and continue things.  Listen to how others do it, or ask people for their ideas on how to perform this skill, and you'll have better conversations and more satisfied co-workers and friends as you develop a tough skill that really elevates you verbally and inter-personally!

Are you "OVER-COMMUNICATING?" Pick the right time and mode of communication

It's terrific if you like your job!  It's even better if you like your job and have ideas about how to work more efficiently, where to find new customers, how to market things, free places to get the word out on the company, possible partners, etc., but when sharing that information, you should consider how you are coming across to co-workers and supervisors.  Basically, picking the "right time and right way" to communicate ideas is crucial, and you want to sort of test out how best to do this as you go along rather than spend many hours putting together an idea email and then sending it to the wrong person or wording it in a less-than-thoughtful way.

First of all, don't think you have to share every idea you have the moment you have it.  If you are new somewhere, give yourself some weeks/months to get to learn the job before you start offering observations on how it could be done differently/better.  That said, there is nothing wrong with keeping a sort of personal journal of things you notice or ideas that come to you, even starting with your first day there...capture those thoughts, write them down, know that you have written them down so you can move on, and have them ready to polish and discuss/send WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. It can be tempting, but a meeting called to discuss a certain topic is not the right time to flood the folks around you with your unrefined thoughts on unrelated things, and people won't take kindly to you doing this.

Refining and polishing your ideas and trying to condense them to the essence of what matters is key.  An over-long email will lose the reader, perhaps even before she starts to read it.  Asking someone that you have some rapport with if you can send them some ideas you had is a reasonable request, and they'll probably reply "Yes, sure!"  When that happens, make sure these early emails are about topics that the person can understand (don't fire ideas about marketing to a person that is in human resources, or if you do, make sure you are actually asking them "Who should I send this to in marketing, in your view?"), and that they are not too long and involved and tangential...like I mentioned, refine and polish your thoughts.  Use bullet points, not long paragraphs, to make it easier to read and give a sense of organization when they open the email.

I'm mentioning email because it's a mode of communication that the person can open when the time is right, can come back to if they are interrupted, and they don't have to add the oddity of you watching their reaction to your ideas as they are formulating responses.  Give them the courtesy of letting your ideas percolate a bit before any response is given, they might have deeper reactions after thinking about it for a few days.  If you fire ideas at someone, they might have a hard time processing the various topics, get confused that things are separate ideas are merged when you really have not combined them, and generally lose the thread and specifics of what you are trying to say.  Let them get to know you via the written word, which is easier for the message to ring clearly in.

Perhaps after reading your message, they'll have ideas who else to send the email to: if so, that's excellent!  Or maybe they'll advise you to clean the email up even more or narrow it to one idea or another edit: take their advice to show you are really listening and are an appreciative person.  The ideas that are not being concentrated on are not gone, you can just save them for future use sometime.  Maybe they'll agree to forward it to someone else with their comment like "Hey Jim, take a look at the idea Mark had about advertising...possible way to save money?" and then you'll have to see what the next person has to say.  Whether or not the idea gets used, showing your co-workers that you have an active mind and know how to present your ideas will only pay dividends for you, and you'll lay a foundation for broader success as you go! 

Be open-minded about jobs that are related to "the perfect one" SEE THE UNIVERSE, NOT ONE PLANET

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!

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!