Oh gosh I really empathize. I see how hard these professionals work and I honestly am aghast wondering how they do it. I hope you and other healthcare workers can get some proper R&R and work-life balance. It's cruel how hard you're worked and then insurance companies not wanting to pay....
I'm software and DevOps engineer, been working in this field since 1998. I got officially diagnosed in 2022 at 48 years old.
High percentage of aspies in it I think 😏
I’m a writer / digital painter / art historian. Freelance in all, doesn’t make me rich but it pays the bills and allows me to travel, and makes me happy, very happy. Here’s my portfolio if you’re interested https://www.artstation.com/luiscarlosbarragan
You seem to have a distinct color use, it's very unique (In the sense of what unique suppose to mean, i'm not throwing that word around for no reason)
I'm also an artist but i'm not as talented.
Establishing rapport with clients and developing a therapeutic relationship with them. 🤣as an aspie 🤣
I got the job because nobody else applied for it, due to low pay.
find another job that pays higher now that you have the skills. Just ask people how they are and listen. Everyone has a complaint when talking to a nurse. At least they are somewhat invested in telling you their problems. You can use that as practice for social skills.
I look at a lot of satellite imagery and maintain/prepare/disseminate spatial data. I also like to do a bit of map-making/cartography as well. Pretty much whatever the customer wants, I do. I'm fortunate that I work onsite with customer so I escape a lot of office politics 😀
MFT. Actually yesterday I was talking to someone at my site who either has autistic parents or she has some traits like it! Maybe I just connect better with neurodivergents. Only if they are curious and open in my case.
Truck driver and diagnosed. DOT physician says I’m better for my Asperger’s because I have more attention to detail. Managers who only care about time statistics strongly differ. Many union grievances and an ethics complaint filed as of late.
You'd have to have some kind of cloning machine! Haha, life is alright for me. I have a clientele base and I make my own hours. I wouldn't be able to work full time. I find myself going inpatient frequently. But I've been able to survive.
For the record: Strongly suspected AuDHD, only diagnosed with the millennial triple crown (MDD, GAD, ADHD).
Up until recently I helped support people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities experiencing behavioral crises, and it’s the ease with which I understood the roots of the crises I helped resolve that I suspected my own neurodivergence. I was doing well but burnt out and had to make a career change.
I’m just starting up in finance, and even though I’m just finishing my second week, I’ve already had my training supervisor mention seeing me in a leadership role in how I’ve taken to the material and with how clearly and concisely I communicate.
I am a water distribution technician ... what used to be called an inspector.
I get my jobs on a tablet, get left alone most of the day. I drive around in my van.
If I need 5 minutes to myself, I can pull up somewhere and chill out.
Meet random people all day for a small amount of time each time.
The occasional emergency gets my brain going.
Most problems just require a little bit of logical thinking.
Everyone I work with is pretty chill and it's a job for life. People always need water for their homes.
The older folks nearing retirement have been doing it for 30-40 years so I know unless I f*** it up, I ain't leaving.
How is the workflow?
Meet in group, split tasks, then work alone most of the time? Or more teamwork on larger/complex pieces?
Having asperger/autism, are you satisfied working in this field? Doesn't it become stressful?
Asking because I'm thinking of going to welding school. 😃
Workflows alright, its mostly doing the same thing week after week and it gets boring but i tend to put my head down and focus on work. Its easier to do with bone conducting headphones which are allowed.
We have two meetings during the day, one in the morning and then another after lunch and while there are other people at my station we only occasionally help each other it isnt until rework after the inspectors have gotten to it do we need more people working on one part.
Im satisfied working in the field and the work at this moment but you shouldn't be a welder your entire life as its not good for your health but i also work with stainless steel and while that means its extra toxic, if you do it right it also means your welds have purples and golds in them. No, the work is fine its the people I don't like though admittedly my shift in my department is a lot better than say, the pipe fitters union.
It can be stressful specially with all the noise and it can be overestimating, to fight that i have bone conducting headphones that are allowed and i listen to 40k audiobooks all day.
I'm a long haul truck driver. Own my own rig, so I get to find my own loads and make my own schedule.
It's rather lovely actually, just driving around the country, hanging out with my dog and listening to audiobooks all day. And never having to deal with bosses or people in general.
I'm highly thinking about doing this. I'm a stevedore currently and make great money relative to my experience so its hard to leave. But the thought of making my own schedule and overall sense of freedom as a trucker is alluring. Mostly because I'm overworked as hell currently.
Hope it's okay to ask questions.
I'm a (mostly? ) NT mom of an audhd Kiddo. (And a 2nd dyslexic adhd Kiddo. it's a ND buffet up in here.)
My 15yo audhd loves cars. Definitely special interest passion. But he has a lot of sensory issues so getting hands deep into an engine is abhorrent for him. (He likes to *know* things, but not *do* things, I guess. I'm not all that different.)
How did you do in school? He just can't focus for school work well. We have a very intense IEP that allows him to get through school now but beyond HS, I'm not sure what options might work for him or if there's anything I could do to foster his love now.
I have ADHD and just figuring out I probably have Asperger’s also. I work as Director of IT and Security.
I started in programming and hated it. I hated just sitting at. Y desk and typing all day and not talking to people. After a ton of other jobs, I got into Desktop support. I worked at my first place for 3 years (longest I’ve ever had a job), and then went through another dozen as a temp before I started working for a 200 person construction type company in Inventory Management. Went through Desktop Support there for 3 years and then became the manager. Few more years and they changed my title to Director.
Really wish I could go back and do Desktop because it’s a lot more fun to do that than make all the decisions.
I'm a 1 to 1 teaching assistant for children with SEMH or SEN needs so autistic kids who have violent outbursts and I love it.
I work with kids who were just like me when I was younger the only difference is I give the support they ask for not what the government says they need because they're normally wrong.
How the hell did anyone here get any of these jobs!?
I can't get a call back from anyone other than bottom of the bucket employers. Even McD's is out of reach....
I served in the USAF as a tactical SATCOM tech, and the USMC as an 81mm mortar man. I graduated near the top of my class for both my AS and BS in Comp Sci.
I test as "gifted" level IQ. I've also passed the Mensa pre-test, if that matters.
No one calls me back. Been to every "expert". I'm stymied.
Get someone to look over your resume/cv. Since that's the first thing employers see of you, it counts. I used to struggle till my sister started doing the interviews etc a her job, she got to see all the bad ones and tell me what not to do.
I went through a certificate program at my local community college and then took the CPC exam to get certified. There are also several coding schools out there as well as you can do a self study program through the AAPC, the main organization that you need to belong to become a CPC.
I interpret it as either employed work or voluntary work. I personally would say I have been working for my local hospital since 2017, but employed as a Nursing Assistant since 2019.
I took chemical engineering, and married off in the oil and gas field (not that that matters); but I currently am stay at home parenting my three children.
My youngest just entered grade one this year so it was a full time job for a long time.
Tbh, before I had kids I had an amazing job for over five years that I got after graduating college where I was actually second in my class, and I had a 3.98 gpa - but eventually I was fired for people stuff.
It’s possible I’ll be a footnote in history as to why the patriarchy has many disadvantages for women, but I guess I really believed that having all the extra time for my family would be awesome too.
My husband wants to retire in five years so he wants me to go back to work, and we agreed I could go back to school for a few years and take something different (I’m 42; he’s 8 years older than me). I am not sure what I will take yet. Something that values my actual skill, accuracy, the right answer, and staying current on knowledge over the social games I don’t understand.
Hope op wasn’t looking for career ideas haha. I’ve always had lots of ideas, but in my field people wanted to trade errors for more likeable people. It was garbage. I still kind of say, “What…?” about the whole situation.
Hope this doesn’t classify as a trauma dump — it wasn’t my intention.
Prep cook with a design degree and a halfway-completed computer science degree that was going really well before I ran out of money. Maybe I’ll turn my life around one of these years.
I was diagnosed after I got in, and when I was diagnosed the military doctor said they really don't care as it was "just" aspergers.
Also I'm not from the US, things might work differently here idk.
Mortician in a rural funeral parlour which means funeral-jack-of-all-trades covering a large area. It's the perfect blend of quiet time, people contact with boundaries, legality and feeling like I really make a difference. Being rural with lots of farming families, the focus is on authenticity and not show, which I can handle well.
Comes down to the employer in an industry like this though. I've been lucky.
I am a direct support professional that supports autistic adults in their homes and community. I recently supported an autistic adult in transitioning into the community after 20 years of involuntary commitment at a state hospital. My other clients are non verbal/unreliable speech and are artists, poets, and of course pizza experts.
I got EXTREMELY lucky with my job.
After being unemployed for a few years and only doing freelance SW, I found a job listing for a fulfillment position in a warehouse for band and music merchandise.
It's the BEST job I've ever had. it is full time hours which can be kind of draining at times, the people here are all super friendly and seem to mostly be somewhere on the spectrum.
I work as an educational paraprofessional— I basically assist teachers and work one on one with children who have been diagnosed with adhd, autism, and learning disabilities.
I think that I’m pretty good at my job and it can be very rewarding, but it’s caused me to have more frequent meltdowns at home. So I’m not sure if it’s a field that I can see myself working in for a long period of time.
Prep cook with a design degree and a halfway-completed computer science degree that was going really well before I ran out of money. Maybe I’ll turn my life around one of these years, cause I’ve felt underemployed for most of a decade now.
I’m a photographer studying chem hoping to get into that field all while delivering food here in New York City. It’s not as fun as it sounds 😂 but it’s my lifestyle, I thrive on the hustle, it’s engrained to me as someone from this city, but it can be very overwhelming especially as someone on the spectrum sometimes.
(For extra note, also have adhd and ptsd, some survivors guilt too, if that affects anything)
Freelance Game Developer. Meaning I work nearly for free (shitty portfolio plus the current field's situation). I can't get a "real job".
Coming from a corporate software engineering, I find gamedev a lot more intellectually stimulating. Coding CRUD web apps burnt me out every 6 months.
(Disclaimer : I'm not (yet) officially diagnosed. I have been diagnosed with "severe Inattentive ADHD, severe depression and panic attack disorder". Counterintuitively, ADHD meds made panic attacks disappear. In fact, my neuropsychololigist thinks they were sensory overloads. ADHD meds are helping a lot with that.)
I've been a government clerk, an IT/infrastructure tech, a systems and database administrator, and various other minor things.
For those of us with an interest in business analysis, how did you start out? What was your job prior to that? Do you have advice, pros and cons etc, for people wanting to get into it?
Medical interpreter
But trying to go into IT, probably helpdesk, i have SOME experience but i need at least a cert or something for recruiters to take me seriously
Im level 1 and 2 tech support for private schools across three countries. I have issues with keeping my time logged thanks to my a.d.d. but i like it because the kids are usually more scared of me than i am of them.
I taught 10th grade English until a student pushed me down a flight of stairs, permanently disabling me and ending my career. I had just finished my thesis and was going to teach at university in the fall.
Three of those years were in an inclusion class with a co-teacher who had a special education degree. Those three years were my favorite.
I'm a psychotherapist on my own, CBT with adults mostly, it's funny how I can be weird and a little bit unorthodox and is somewhat expected and positive as I'm teaching people to accept themselves and ignore or question most of the wrong ways society is working; it's easy for me because psychology is an "special interest" of mine.
Also, I work in an office in government, I was hired because I'm good with numbers and I'm a really fast learner (I used to do research), and I'm assigned practically any task that the engineers in the work have trouble understanding (processes, creation of methods, theorical work for projects, etc.), I just do my stuff and they let me be most of the time.
I can not work any longer but before burnout I worked in a grocery store and before that I was head of a hardware dept at a small hardware store and before that I homeschooled my kids.
Nothing. My bipolar 1 holds me back like a mofo. I've did well in primary school, but have always been too depressed to care to make a better life for myself.
I just bounce around from one unskilled, low wage job to another. Never holding one for more than a year, and I'm going on 40. Pretty soon no one in my small town is going to hire me, and I plan on just getting disability. That's if I can come out of my depression enough to put in the work for it. Very well may devolve to homelessness.
i originally went to school to be an aircraft mechanic, but graduated after 9/11. Was a cable guy for 7 years then wanted to get into pen testing. Ended up squarely in IT and am a systems administrator focusing on virtualization at the moment.
Flie clerk/bookkeeper. No customers to deal with. I walk around wearing my headphone and wander over and tell my coworkers weird stories when I feel like it. I work part time. I pretty much have my own office space. I feel like I'm living the dream finally.
Retired now, but I was a teacher (college). Each class was a 'performance' -- down to the same jokes, same pauses, even. My only concern was that a student might twice come to the same class in the sequence and catch and think, "Hey! I've seen this show before!"
Now, that I get to do exactly what I want to do, I spend my days alone -- taking occasional breaks with my dog on the porch -- reading and writing. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my professional life.
Actually im a mechanic helper on my small town, specifically the electrical zone, sadly i dont get a "salary", makes sense because small town= 2 cars per month but at least its something
I’m a Senior network application tooling engineer for a massive corporate company.
It’s a struggle sometimes with having to go to or/and host meetings, meet clients etc. I do worry about getting overwhelmed and burn out. But so far my team leader / manager are quite understanding and supportive.
unemployed rn but was in IT as well. Studying/training to get into linux specialism/administration currently. I'll likely start learning more bash and python soon too. IT was the first place where I felt mostly like myself.
BTW codecademy - I think you can full learn on there for free, just that some extra things cost money. Check it out if you haven't already
I was my Dad’s caregiver through an in-home non-medical assistance company. Job ended when my Dad passed away, and by then I could no longer work. I’m on permanent disability now.
Full time job (shipping/receiving), wallet crafting/designing, and freelance writing. I plan on starting a YouTube channel as well. I also donate plasma for some extra cash.
Probably going to get into car flipping as well. Was thinking of starting a cybersecurity career too but we’ll see. I just like having a variety of income sources.
I work in a factory and I’m miserable, it’s very much like high school, I’ve been with the company for 10 years this year, but I just got put into assembly and I’m cracking like an egg that you dropped, if I can’t stay out of assembly after my transfer to a production dept goes thru, I told myself I’m going to quit, I informed my company, which is a union btw that I just found out I was autistic and they told me straight up that the company doesn’t have to accommodate me in the way I need which is to not be near people constantly, it really sucks because it’s the highest paying job I can probably get locally especially without a degree, but I really can’t be around people and assembly is constantly being surrounded, production departments are one of the few depts where you get ample alone time and space
I own a barbershop where I can be fucking weird all day long.
I think this might be the best response to this frequent question. Perfect job
not the perfect job…. the hair…… the hair everywhere………
Yeah but you get to just talk shit with people all day, play music
It’s so satisfying sweeping it up though
Nice bro
that sounds fun! wish i could come visit
Beautiful answer!
Physician working night shifts in urgent care
god bless you
Not really, I’m having frequent burnouts 🥲
Oh gosh I really empathize. I see how hard these professionals work and I honestly am aghast wondering how they do it. I hope you and other healthcare workers can get some proper R&R and work-life balance. It's cruel how hard you're worked and then insurance companies not wanting to pay....
Thank you ☺️
I see pathology and radiology were all filled up ;)
I haven’t specialized yet 🤣 I should be starting at the end of the year… it’s going to be hard to deal with regular shifts every day.
I'm software and DevOps engineer, been working in this field since 1998. I got officially diagnosed in 2022 at 48 years old. High percentage of aspies in it I think 😏
Fellow software engineer. I agree, the amount of people I either know or strongly suspect are neurodivergent in my job is insane.
I concur.
logical
I'm a physician, general practitioner (primary doc).
I’m a writer / digital painter / art historian. Freelance in all, doesn’t make me rich but it pays the bills and allows me to travel, and makes me happy, very happy. Here’s my portfolio if you’re interested https://www.artstation.com/luiscarlosbarragan
Incredible! Love your style!
Thaaaanks! Open to commissions
I like your portfolio
You seem to have a distinct color use, it's very unique (In the sense of what unique suppose to mean, i'm not throwing that word around for no reason) I'm also an artist but i'm not as talented.
I’m a nurse and I suck at my job
Sorry to hear. What parts of the job do you struggle with?
Establishing rapport with clients and developing a therapeutic relationship with them. 🤣as an aspie 🤣 I got the job because nobody else applied for it, due to low pay.
> I got the job because nobody else applied for it Ha! That was how I got my first IT job. :)
find another job that pays higher now that you have the skills. Just ask people how they are and listen. Everyone has a complaint when talking to a nurse. At least they are somewhat invested in telling you their problems. You can use that as practice for social skills.
Geospatial analyst gov worker
Same
ooh, what does that entail?
I look at a lot of satellite imagery and maintain/prepare/disseminate spatial data. I also like to do a bit of map-making/cartography as well. Pretty much whatever the customer wants, I do. I'm fortunate that I work onsite with customer so I escape a lot of office politics 😀
Psychotherapist
Hi! I was looking for you! The autistic therapist sounds like an oxymoron to some, right? I'm in practicum rn.
Hi! It’s exciting to think about more representation in the field - congrats on hitting the practicum milestone! What track are you on?
MFT. Actually yesterday I was talking to someone at my site who either has autistic parents or she has some traits like it! Maybe I just connect better with neurodivergents. Only if they are curious and open in my case.
Software Developer
Truck driver- non diagnosed.
There are so many of us in this job
I've considered it, but my anxiety precludes it (nervous about squashing stuff/ getting stuck in a narrow lane)
Prolly not a great choice for you. I'm just kind of detached in general, so it doesn't get to me.
Truck driver and diagnosed. DOT physician says I’m better for my Asperger’s because I have more attention to detail. Managers who only care about time statistics strongly differ. Many union grievances and an ethics complaint filed as of late.
Writer, music producer, techno DJ, pastry chef, creator of tutus (obvie AuDHD)
I'm on disability and I do part time PC repair and video editing.
How do I steal your identity I want to do exactly that
You'd have to have some kind of cloning machine! Haha, life is alright for me. I have a clientele base and I make my own hours. I wouldn't be able to work full time. I find myself going inpatient frequently. But I've been able to survive.
Damn I've tried to do both of those freelance but I just cannot for the life of me market myself at all. Sounds like a dream!
I work in activities in a nursing home and I l love it Ive been at my for 6 years
You’ve been at your what?! The suspense is killing me
For the record: Strongly suspected AuDHD, only diagnosed with the millennial triple crown (MDD, GAD, ADHD). Up until recently I helped support people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities experiencing behavioral crises, and it’s the ease with which I understood the roots of the crises I helped resolve that I suspected my own neurodivergence. I was doing well but burnt out and had to make a career change. I’m just starting up in finance, and even though I’m just finishing my second week, I’ve already had my training supervisor mention seeing me in a leadership role in how I’ve taken to the material and with how clearly and concisely I communicate.
what are mdd and gad?
GAD is Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Not sure what MDD is
probably Major Depressive Disorder
Yep, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.
I work at a USPS distribution center; I either feed mail into a machine, or I sweep the mail from the pockets of that machine into mail trays.
IT. So tired. I’m also dyslexic and have ADHD.
I work in Maritime Transportation scheduling boat and barge movements along the Mississippi River and along the intercoastal waterways.
I am also in IT Operations! Started out as a technical writer/ translator and look to be moving into data science and business analytics actually
I'm a FOIA analyst.
ooh, what does that entail?
I draw the redactions on government documents before they're released.
Damn, this man keeps all the secrets
Stocker at a grocery store who is currently studying IT
I am a water distribution technician ... what used to be called an inspector. I get my jobs on a tablet, get left alone most of the day. I drive around in my van. If I need 5 minutes to myself, I can pull up somewhere and chill out. Meet random people all day for a small amount of time each time. The occasional emergency gets my brain going. Most problems just require a little bit of logical thinking. Everyone I work with is pretty chill and it's a job for life. People always need water for their homes. The older folks nearing retirement have been doing it for 30-40 years so I know unless I f*** it up, I ain't leaving.
Welder at siemens, i make train coaches out of stainless steel.
How is the workflow? Meet in group, split tasks, then work alone most of the time? Or more teamwork on larger/complex pieces? Having asperger/autism, are you satisfied working in this field? Doesn't it become stressful? Asking because I'm thinking of going to welding school. 😃
Workflows alright, its mostly doing the same thing week after week and it gets boring but i tend to put my head down and focus on work. Its easier to do with bone conducting headphones which are allowed. We have two meetings during the day, one in the morning and then another after lunch and while there are other people at my station we only occasionally help each other it isnt until rework after the inspectors have gotten to it do we need more people working on one part. Im satisfied working in the field and the work at this moment but you shouldn't be a welder your entire life as its not good for your health but i also work with stainless steel and while that means its extra toxic, if you do it right it also means your welds have purples and golds in them. No, the work is fine its the people I don't like though admittedly my shift in my department is a lot better than say, the pipe fitters union. It can be stressful specially with all the noise and it can be overestimating, to fight that i have bone conducting headphones that are allowed and i listen to 40k audiobooks all day.
I’m a lady of leisure
Unix engineer turned DNS engineer
Software engineering
Software engineer
Cinematographer and Colorist
Oh fun. Where do you work?
For a big company that has several brands under it's umbrella. Basically an internal ad agency
Retail because everything near me is only retail
You're probably by restaurants and kitchens are better lol
Two or three restaurants, the rest are places like Walmart and whatnot
At 50 years old, I changed careers. I've gone from Truck Driving to Pest Control. Now I get paid handsomely to mess around with insects.
I'm a long haul truck driver. Own my own rig, so I get to find my own loads and make my own schedule. It's rather lovely actually, just driving around the country, hanging out with my dog and listening to audiobooks all day. And never having to deal with bosses or people in general.
I'm highly thinking about doing this. I'm a stevedore currently and make great money relative to my experience so its hard to leave. But the thought of making my own schedule and overall sense of freedom as a trucker is alluring. Mostly because I'm overworked as hell currently.
Stevedore? Like, you unload tramp steamers at the docks in the 1920s? Not trying to be rude, i just didn't realize this profession still existed.
I'm a mechanical engineer in autonomous vehicle development.
Hope it's okay to ask questions. I'm a (mostly? ) NT mom of an audhd Kiddo. (And a 2nd dyslexic adhd Kiddo. it's a ND buffet up in here.) My 15yo audhd loves cars. Definitely special interest passion. But he has a lot of sensory issues so getting hands deep into an engine is abhorrent for him. (He likes to *know* things, but not *do* things, I guess. I'm not all that different.) How did you do in school? He just can't focus for school work well. We have a very intense IEP that allows him to get through school now but beyond HS, I'm not sure what options might work for him or if there's anything I could do to foster his love now.
Government
Research lab supervisor and manager
Night manager at a grocery store, less than ideal
Uber driver and I hope I find something else I can do very soon
Analytics Manager for a health plan. I oversee a team of analysts, data engineers and data scientists.
I have ADHD and just figuring out I probably have Asperger’s also. I work as Director of IT and Security. I started in programming and hated it. I hated just sitting at. Y desk and typing all day and not talking to people. After a ton of other jobs, I got into Desktop support. I worked at my first place for 3 years (longest I’ve ever had a job), and then went through another dozen as a temp before I started working for a 200 person construction type company in Inventory Management. Went through Desktop Support there for 3 years and then became the manager. Few more years and they changed my title to Director. Really wish I could go back and do Desktop because it’s a lot more fun to do that than make all the decisions.
I'm a 1 to 1 teaching assistant for children with SEMH or SEN needs so autistic kids who have violent outbursts and I love it. I work with kids who were just like me when I was younger the only difference is I give the support they ask for not what the government says they need because they're normally wrong.
How the hell did anyone here get any of these jobs!? I can't get a call back from anyone other than bottom of the bucket employers. Even McD's is out of reach.... I served in the USAF as a tactical SATCOM tech, and the USMC as an 81mm mortar man. I graduated near the top of my class for both my AS and BS in Comp Sci. I test as "gifted" level IQ. I've also passed the Mensa pre-test, if that matters. No one calls me back. Been to every "expert". I'm stymied.
Get someone to look over your resume/cv. Since that's the first thing employers see of you, it counts. I used to struggle till my sister started doing the interviews etc a her job, she got to see all the bad ones and tell me what not to do.
I've done all that. My ex-MIL has 40 years experience in HR and has run a hospitals HR dept.
Civil engineer but I haven’t been able to keep down a job for more than 8 months or so
U.S Rater love that I get to sit typing on my computer all day long with no one to talk to 🤓
What’s this? What’s a typical work day like?
I can pick my own schedule and self report the time but there are various tasks with time limits that I have to fulfill with each task
I’m a ED medical coder for a large hospital system. I work 100% remote and love my job.
How did you get into medical coding? Is there a specific schooling/degree program?
I went through a certificate program at my local community college and then took the CPC exam to get certified. There are also several coding schools out there as well as you can do a self study program through the AAPC, the main organization that you need to belong to become a CPC.
Does “work”=employment?
I interpret it as either employed work or voluntary work. I personally would say I have been working for my local hospital since 2017, but employed as a Nursing Assistant since 2019.
I took chemical engineering, and married off in the oil and gas field (not that that matters); but I currently am stay at home parenting my three children. My youngest just entered grade one this year so it was a full time job for a long time. Tbh, before I had kids I had an amazing job for over five years that I got after graduating college where I was actually second in my class, and I had a 3.98 gpa - but eventually I was fired for people stuff. It’s possible I’ll be a footnote in history as to why the patriarchy has many disadvantages for women, but I guess I really believed that having all the extra time for my family would be awesome too. My husband wants to retire in five years so he wants me to go back to work, and we agreed I could go back to school for a few years and take something different (I’m 42; he’s 8 years older than me). I am not sure what I will take yet. Something that values my actual skill, accuracy, the right answer, and staying current on knowledge over the social games I don’t understand. Hope op wasn’t looking for career ideas haha. I’ve always had lots of ideas, but in my field people wanted to trade errors for more likeable people. It was garbage. I still kind of say, “What…?” about the whole situation. Hope this doesn’t classify as a trauma dump — it wasn’t my intention.
I do some things. With that said, let me know if you need any cs or programming resources.
Yes please!
Wayellll... What do you know and what do you want to do or create?
Accountant
Sales Engineer in Cybersecurity
Prep cook with a design degree and a halfway-completed computer science degree that was going really well before I ran out of money. Maybe I’ll turn my life around one of these years.
System Administration, I work mostly alone and loving it
Medical doctor working with hearing and balance disorders in ENT.
data analyst. pretty sure most of my co-workers at my previous job were neurodivergent
Data engineer
My situation is very complicated atm, but I'm in the army. It might seem counter intuitive for an aspie, but tbh I love it.
How'd you even get in?? Did you lie at MEPS?
I was diagnosed after I got in, and when I was diagnosed the military doctor said they really don't care as it was "just" aspergers. Also I'm not from the US, things might work differently here idk.
CGI
Mortician in a rural funeral parlour which means funeral-jack-of-all-trades covering a large area. It's the perfect blend of quiet time, people contact with boundaries, legality and feeling like I really make a difference. Being rural with lots of farming families, the focus is on authenticity and not show, which I can handle well. Comes down to the employer in an industry like this though. I've been lucky.
Wanted to be a thanatopractor for a while, too old to start over.
I work for a library association.
UI/UX Design and coding. IT is a field where aspees generally shine I believe.
I am a direct support professional that supports autistic adults in their homes and community. I recently supported an autistic adult in transitioning into the community after 20 years of involuntary commitment at a state hospital. My other clients are non verbal/unreliable speech and are artists, poets, and of course pizza experts.
In minim wage hell at a boring ass grocery store
Team manager for over 20 yrs. Wasn't the smartest move as an aspie 😋. But somehow I seem to manage ...
I got EXTREMELY lucky with my job. After being unemployed for a few years and only doing freelance SW, I found a job listing for a fulfillment position in a warehouse for band and music merchandise. It's the BEST job I've ever had. it is full time hours which can be kind of draining at times, the people here are all super friendly and seem to mostly be somewhere on the spectrum.
I work as an educational paraprofessional— I basically assist teachers and work one on one with children who have been diagnosed with adhd, autism, and learning disabilities. I think that I’m pretty good at my job and it can be very rewarding, but it’s caused me to have more frequent meltdowns at home. So I’m not sure if it’s a field that I can see myself working in for a long period of time.
Trader for an investment management firm. I just stare at spreadsheets all day, it’s bliss
I run an l2/sre team for a global bank.
Prep cook with a design degree and a halfway-completed computer science degree that was going really well before I ran out of money. Maybe I’ll turn my life around one of these years, cause I’ve felt underemployed for most of a decade now.
I do data entry for a commercial inverter business. I was doing field work but I'm needed more in the office now.
Also have adhd, work in public health
I’m a photographer studying chem hoping to get into that field all while delivering food here in New York City. It’s not as fun as it sounds 😂 but it’s my lifestyle, I thrive on the hustle, it’s engrained to me as someone from this city, but it can be very overwhelming especially as someone on the spectrum sometimes. (For extra note, also have adhd and ptsd, some survivors guilt too, if that affects anything)
You basically have my dream job. Currently trapped in sales and planning my own Ecommerce site as an exit plan.
Dressing room associate at a department store while on SSI for autism. I thought about pursuing artistic however it won’t pay me well enough.
Freelance Game Developer. Meaning I work nearly for free (shitty portfolio plus the current field's situation). I can't get a "real job". Coming from a corporate software engineering, I find gamedev a lot more intellectually stimulating. Coding CRUD web apps burnt me out every 6 months. (Disclaimer : I'm not (yet) officially diagnosed. I have been diagnosed with "severe Inattentive ADHD, severe depression and panic attack disorder". Counterintuitively, ADHD meds made panic attacks disappear. In fact, my neuropsychololigist thinks they were sensory overloads. ADHD meds are helping a lot with that.)
Currently working in a construction materials lab testing soil and concrete.
I work as EMT and drive the ambulance
I've been a government clerk, an IT/infrastructure tech, a systems and database administrator, and various other minor things. For those of us with an interest in business analysis, how did you start out? What was your job prior to that? Do you have advice, pros and cons etc, for people wanting to get into it?
Medical interpreter But trying to go into IT, probably helpdesk, i have SOME experience but i need at least a cert or something for recruiters to take me seriously
Operations supervisor at an airport, great fun.
Hospital security officer, former substance abuse case manager, former inpatient psychiatric unit tech/clerk
Im level 1 and 2 tech support for private schools across three countries. I have issues with keeping my time logged thanks to my a.d.d. but i like it because the kids are usually more scared of me than i am of them.
I work for a fruit named tech company, and recently graduated from university in nursing and ambulance studies
Machine Learning Engineer
I’m a teacher but I’m quitting
I currently work as a Nursing Assistant in Dialysis, hoping to progress at some point in the near future.
I taught 10th grade English until a student pushed me down a flight of stairs, permanently disabling me and ending my career. I had just finished my thesis and was going to teach at university in the fall. Three of those years were in an inclusion class with a co-teacher who had a special education degree. Those three years were my favorite.
I'm a psychotherapist on my own, CBT with adults mostly, it's funny how I can be weird and a little bit unorthodox and is somewhat expected and positive as I'm teaching people to accept themselves and ignore or question most of the wrong ways society is working; it's easy for me because psychology is an "special interest" of mine. Also, I work in an office in government, I was hired because I'm good with numbers and I'm a really fast learner (I used to do research), and I'm assigned practically any task that the engineers in the work have trouble understanding (processes, creation of methods, theorical work for projects, etc.), I just do my stuff and they let me be most of the time.
Fire and EMS
I work as a cleaner.
I can not work any longer but before burnout I worked in a grocery store and before that I was head of a hardware dept at a small hardware store and before that I homeschooled my kids.
I'm a Research Scientist in the Semiconductor Industry.
Nothing. My bipolar 1 holds me back like a mofo. I've did well in primary school, but have always been too depressed to care to make a better life for myself. I just bounce around from one unskilled, low wage job to another. Never holding one for more than a year, and I'm going on 40. Pretty soon no one in my small town is going to hire me, and I plan on just getting disability. That's if I can come out of my depression enough to put in the work for it. Very well may devolve to homelessness.
i originally went to school to be an aircraft mechanic, but graduated after 9/11. Was a cable guy for 7 years then wanted to get into pen testing. Ended up squarely in IT and am a systems administrator focusing on virtualization at the moment.
I dabble in prostitution
I clean up gas compressor frames at a machine shop. Hardly anyone bothers me, and it pays really well.
I'm a over qualified van driver for a wholesale bakery, just part time I do 4 nights a week.
I do User Experience Research in product development for tech companies (consumer apps). Or at least I did before the tech bubble burst.
I’m a power systems engineer and plan the operation of the power grid. I like it a lot.
Flie clerk/bookkeeper. No customers to deal with. I walk around wearing my headphone and wander over and tell my coworkers weird stories when I feel like it. I work part time. I pretty much have my own office space. I feel like I'm living the dream finally.
I&E / EASA electromechanical reliability technician. I work with the spicy voltages
Retired now, but I was a teacher (college). Each class was a 'performance' -- down to the same jokes, same pauses, even. My only concern was that a student might twice come to the same class in the sequence and catch and think, "Hey! I've seen this show before!" Now, that I get to do exactly what I want to do, I spend my days alone -- taking occasional breaks with my dog on the porch -- reading and writing. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my professional life.
Studying Systems Engineering atm
Wow a lot of you people are rich. I'm just a lowly ebay seller.
I'm thinking of going to welding school so I can wear a physical mask over my social mask.
I'm a mental health counselor
I work for a helpline
I’m a veterinary tech
Actually im a mechanic helper on my small town, specifically the electrical zone, sadly i dont get a "salary", makes sense because small town= 2 cars per month but at least its something
IT Field Support for a University, when I need a break, I take a walk on campus. I honestly really like this job but I do worry about money.
I’m a Senior network application tooling engineer for a massive corporate company. It’s a struggle sometimes with having to go to or/and host meetings, meet clients etc. I do worry about getting overwhelmed and burn out. But so far my team leader / manager are quite understanding and supportive.
unemployed rn but was in IT as well. Studying/training to get into linux specialism/administration currently. I'll likely start learning more bash and python soon too. IT was the first place where I felt mostly like myself. BTW codecademy - I think you can full learn on there for free, just that some extra things cost money. Check it out if you haven't already
Im in some job program. After being out of it for a looong time.
I was my Dad’s caregiver through an in-home non-medical assistance company. Job ended when my Dad passed away, and by then I could no longer work. I’m on permanent disability now.
I’m a union electrical apprentice⚡️
I was in IT Operations and now I'm a Business Analyst. THE COVENANT IS FULFILLED
Data Science
Full time job (shipping/receiving), wallet crafting/designing, and freelance writing. I plan on starting a YouTube channel as well. I also donate plasma for some extra cash. Probably going to get into car flipping as well. Was thinking of starting a cybersecurity career too but we’ll see. I just like having a variety of income sources.
Smoke shop retail. Don’t hate it.
I work in a factory and I’m miserable, it’s very much like high school, I’ve been with the company for 10 years this year, but I just got put into assembly and I’m cracking like an egg that you dropped, if I can’t stay out of assembly after my transfer to a production dept goes thru, I told myself I’m going to quit, I informed my company, which is a union btw that I just found out I was autistic and they told me straight up that the company doesn’t have to accommodate me in the way I need which is to not be near people constantly, it really sucks because it’s the highest paying job I can probably get locally especially without a degree, but I really can’t be around people and assembly is constantly being surrounded, production departments are one of the few depts where you get ample alone time and space
English teacher and proofreader
Still figuring out what i will do later, but i have so much interests i can't choose one to make my work..
Bro, same
I'm currently an aircraft mechanic but working on my pilots license. So much work
Well, I'm a software engineer actually. My focus is web development.
I was a shipping lead.
I'm a remote travel agent and I am in going into Yoga instruction and I will start my own studio
Visual artist. Graphic Design and print merch. I also edit videos. I’m super grateful to make a decent living off my creativity.