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Macgumerait
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Jun 20, 2007
Posts: 27
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 Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:30 am Post subject: Interviews: Revealing your AS? |
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I was at an interview very recently where I made the conscious decision to let the employers know of my condition when asked if I had any 'weaknesses'.
As soon as I mentioned my AS, the focus for the next 10 minutes was on that subject - wanting to know exactly how I would affect the company if I got the job.
For years in unemployment, Ive wrestled and experimented with telling/not telling about the AS to people at interviews....with mixed results.
What would others do in this scenario? What response(s) do/did you get with telling them about your AS? Do you feel confessing your AS goes against you? Do you feel guilty if you decide to not comment on your AS at interview stage? |
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Lateralus
Snowy Owl
Joined: May 01, 2007
Age: 23
Posts: 150
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:43 am Post subject: Re: Interviews: Revealing your AS? |
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| Macgumerait wrote: | I was at an interview very recently where I made the conscious decision to let the employers know of my condition when asked if I had any 'weaknesses'.
As soon as I mentioned my AS, the focus for the next 10 minutes was on that subject - wanting to know exactly how I would affect the company if I got the job.
For years in unemployment, Ive wrestled and experimented with telling/not telling about the AS to people at interviews....with mixed results.
What would others do in this scenario? What response(s) do/did you get with telling them about your AS? Do you feel confessing your AS goes against you? Do you feel guilty if you decide to not comment on your AS at interview stage? |
I know someone who said in one interview they had Asperger's and the women said how bad is the brain damage. She also went to another interview and the person who did it was really nice about it and taiked about what they couid do to help. I suppose it depends on the person doing the interview in charge wither they are close minded or not. |
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agmoie
Supporting Member
Joined: Aug 09, 2005
Posts: 250
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:11 am Post subject: |
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I was fired for failing to reveal my Asperger`s Syndrome on my medical questionaire.I have not been medically diagnosed yet so I did not think I could put it on there even if I wanted to.
They realised that there was something different about me and they just wanted to get rid of me.Neurotypicals don`t you just love them!  |
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Lateralus
Snowy Owl
Joined: May 01, 2007
Age: 23
Posts: 150
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:26 am Post subject: |
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| agmoie wrote: | I was fired for failing to reveal my Asperger`s Syndrome on my medical questionaire.I have not been medically diagnosed yet so I did not think I could put it on there even if I wanted to.
They realised that there was something different about me and they just wanted to get rid of me.Neurotypicals don`t you just love them! |
Where was you working wouid it have been a problem with a job if you had? |
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Tequila
Bigot Extraordinare
Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 6519
Location: Lancashire, UK
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 9:23 am Post subject: |
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| agmoie wrote: | I was fired for failing to reveal my Asperger`s Syndrome on my medical questionaire.I have not been medically diagnosed yet so I did not think I could put it on there even if I wanted to.
They realised that there was something different about me and they just wanted to get rid of me.Neurotypicals don`t you just love them! |
Was this for the PSNI? |
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girl7000
Majestic Eagle Owl
Joined: Mar 11, 2007
Posts: 1263
Location: Somewhere in the Atlantic
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:02 am Post subject: Re: Interviews: Revealing your AS? |
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| Macgumerait wrote: | I was at an interview very recently where I made the conscious decision to let the employers know of my condition when asked if I had any 'weaknesses'.
As soon as I mentioned my AS, the focus for the next 10 minutes was on that subject - wanting to know exactly how I would affect the company if I got the job.
For years in unemployment, Ive wrestled and experimented with telling/not telling about the AS to people at interviews....with mixed results.
What would others do in this scenario? What response(s) do/did you get with telling them about your AS? Do you feel confessing your AS goes against you? Do you feel guilty if you decide to not comment on your AS at interview stage? |
I choose to reveal my AS. I get mixed results too but legally here in the UK we are entitled to have 'reasonable adjustments' made under the DDA and we are entitled not to be discriminated against.
If the company has a bad attitude - it is their loss, and believe me, you don't want to work for an employer who has a bad attitude towards those who are different. |
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girl7000
Majestic Eagle Owl
Joined: Mar 11, 2007
Posts: 1263
Location: Somewhere in the Atlantic
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 10:17 am Post subject: |
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Some stuff I have written in posts here on similar topics:
"Are there any employment support organisations in your area?
Here in the UK there are organisations that specialise in helping people with AS or mental health issues or whatever, to get jobs.
They help you with interview skills, and they will speak to your employer for you to make sure they understand and don't discriminate. Also, when employers know that there is a 'third party' involved, they are much more likely to comply with disability legislation!
I have found that the best organisations are those which are part of existing AS / mental health charities.
I think it depends on to what extent AS affects you.
If you have it not-all-that-mildly, you can't 'fake normal' - I just can't, it doesn't work! Also, I shouldn't have to hide what I am - that has just created more work and stress for me - I constantly feel afraid of being 'found out'.
I now have a really good job (having been discriminated against and bullied in previous jobs) and they know about my AS and they don't care! They don't mind that I sometimes put my hands over my ears or that I stim sometimes or that I don't understand their non-verbal communications and idioms - they care that I am good at my job and that is all that matters - as you pointed out in one of your posts.
I am well aware that some places have not and will not employ me if they know I have AS - but I wouldn't want to work for such places. The frustration and stress this creates is too much.
Here in the UK, if you tell employers you have a disability, they have to make reasonable adjustments - so in your case, this could include not judging you by your tone of voice as people with ASDs generally don't have the same tonal variation as NTs, so judging us by NT standards is unfair.
Are there any organisations where you are that provide employment support to people with disabilities? I have used an organisation like this, after experienceing huge problems in the workplace, to do with people not understanding AS, and they have been immensely helpful. They have given me great advice and constructive feedback on interview technique etc. and are also good at negotiating 'reasonable adjustments' - although I only need very minor adjustments anyway.
Another thing they suggest, if interviews are very difficult for someone or if they do not allow a person to represent themselves fairly, is that instead of an interview you have a work trial - so you work for them for free for a few days and they can judge you on how good you are at the job rather than your interview skills. After all, there are people out there who are great at interviews but uselsess at their jobs!"
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=474
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/Helpfordisabledpeople/Workstep/index.html
http://www.scope.org.uk/work/index.shtml
http://www.skill.org.uk/
http://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk/ |
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juliekitty
Running dog
Joined: Jun 26, 2006
Posts: 1732
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:08 am Post subject: |
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I fake normality as well as I can. Always.
I don't see how a law can help. They can always refuse to hire you and claim it was for other reasons. |
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girl7000
Majestic Eagle Owl
Joined: Mar 11, 2007
Posts: 1263
Location: Somewhere in the Atlantic
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| juliekitty wrote: | I fake normality as well as I can. Always.
I don't see how a law can help. They can always refuse to hire you and claim it was for other reasons. |
That can certainly happen, but not all employer are like that, especially public sector and charities - they tend to have a better ethos. |
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ADoyle
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 17, 2005
Age: 33
Posts: 673
Location: Southern California, USA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:38 pm Post subject: |
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| juliekitty wrote: | I fake normality as well as I can. Always.
I don't see how a law can help. They can always refuse to hire you and claim it was for other reasons. |
That's been my experience as well, the only times I've been hired is by interviewing with a company who had experience with the supported employment in the past, or when I've signed up at a temp agency where I didn't disclose. I had a few assignments with them, and things went really well, and I hope that I get a temp-to-hire job because that would be the best way to get a permanent job.
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"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason,
and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
- Galileo Galilei |
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kornik
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: May 26, 2007
Posts: 47
Location: UK
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| Posted: Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:30 pm Post subject: Non-Divulgence |
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I personally would never divulge my AS at interview stage. I think that the risk of sending a negative message that would be used as an excuse to reject me would be too great.
It depends, as always, on personally circumstance I suppose.If past experience is really bad then it may make someone feel more comfortable.
At the very least I would try and find out some more about the company's disability policy and also, if possible, about the hiring manager.
| ADoyle wrote: | | juliekitty wrote: | I fake normality as well as I can. Always.
I don't see how a law can help. They can always refuse to hire you and claim it was for other reasons. |
That's been my experience as well, the only times I've been hired is by interviewing with a company who had experience with the supported employment in the past, or when I've signed up at a temp agency where I didn't disclose. I had a few assignments with them, and things went really well, and I hope that I get a temp-to-hire job because that would be the best way to get a permanent job. |
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Pandora
Cat Lady
Joined: Jun 18, 2005
Age: 47
Posts: 4684
Location: Townsville
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| Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 5:48 am Post subject: |
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The only thing about bullshitting in interviews is that sooner or later you are found out... and in a BIG way. Karma has a way of biting you on the bum, and your employer will find out about your condition sooner or later. It doesn't matter if you are going for a factory job or a job in the public/civil service, once something happens (like a meltdown, for example) what will you do then? Under the Industrial Relatrions Legislation that we have in this country, it's even harder now to let alone get a job, much less keep one. You would be better off being up-front and honest during the interview, so if you eventually get the position, it's more than likely you'll get it on your merits, rather than a whole lot of waffle and crap that is eventually going to get you found out. That way, you'll have have a much better chance of succeeding in whatever you get, without being paranoid about someone 'dobbing you in'. If you don't get the job, however, at least you'll know that you tried.
_________________
Break out you Western girls,
Someday soon you're gonna rule the world.
Break out you Western girls,
Hold your heads up high.
"Western Girls" - Dragon
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Macgumerait
Tufted Titmouse
Joined: Jun 20, 2007
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 7:33 am Post subject: Work Trials |
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| Quote: | | Another thing they suggest, if interviews are very difficult for someone or if they do not allow a person to represent themselves fairly, is that instead of an interview you have a work trial - so you work for them for free for a few days and they can judge you on how good you are at the job rather than your interview skills. After all, there are people out there who are great at interviews but uselsess at their jobs!" |
I have done work trials in the past - but nothing has ever came from these due to no official jobs going with the employers at the time. The last work trial I was in was at an Education Sales company - working behind the scenes doing some office/filing work. It last 3 weeks, and on the penultimate day, I was told they would not be offering me a contract as they had no longterm work for me
The people there were pleasant enough - suprising really considering these are all extroverts and Im an introvert.
Work trials are great IF there is a real chance of a job at the end of it. Otherwise, its a waste of time, as far as Im concerned.
Anyone else had positive/negative experiences with Work Trials? |
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Pandora
Cat Lady
Joined: Jun 18, 2005
Age: 47
Posts: 4684
Location: Townsville
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| Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 8:31 am Post subject: |
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Work trials are probably a good idea but I think the person should be paid because otherwise what is there to stop an employer putting a succession of people on work trial and not hiring them?
_________________
Break out you Western girls,
Someday soon you're gonna rule the world.
Break out you Western girls,
Hold your heads up high.
"Western Girls" - Dragon
I am banned |
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juliekitty
Running dog
Joined: Jun 26, 2006
Posts: 1732
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| Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 11:04 am Post subject: |
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| ADoyle wrote: | | I hope that I get a temp-to-hire job because that would be the best way to get a permanent job. |
I have got jobs and job offers in the past that way.
Smart employers don't care if you're "weird", as long as you do the job well and are nice.
Last edited by juliekitty on Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:09 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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