I think that having a job is an extremely important part of anyone’s first steps to becoming an adult. This is especially important for someone with autism, for many different reasons. First of all, I think that it is a very good opportunity to be able to make friends outside of school and not only that, but also to interact with others, in a professional setting. For me personally, Like many people with autism, I have a very difficult time making friends on my own. Especially because I find first impressions very hard, or to understand personal boundaries.
When you have your first job, I think that it can create many new possibilities to find people with common interests. Since my own interests are usually very specific, not many people like the exact same things as me. When you are in a job setting, you might already have a few things in common, from where you work, to what you want to do professionally, as well as being similar ages. I think friendships can get stared much faster, if you already know a few common interests that you all might share.
Having a job is not only a good way to make friends, but also to learn how get along with people professionally, such as a boss, or other coworkers. We may not always like the people that we work with, but we are still going to see them Every day at work. Although this may be challenging, I think that through working with them, this may actually be helpful in the future when we have to interact with others in our everyday lives such as at school, at home, or even just random people we may encounter. I am still learning how to do these things myself, but having a job is definitely helping me with making friends and just working with people in general.
Yet another reason it’s so important for someone with autism to find a job, is to take the first step to eventually find your dream job. For me it’s not always easy to find things that I like doing job wise. My interests, such as my hobby of doll collecting, or the type of music that I listen to, are things that many others are either not interested in or have never even heard of. Throughout my different jobs that I have had, I have not only found a way to find jobs relating to some of my interests, but I also widened my previously limited variety of interests.
I think this can show not only me but also others with autism, that even if you have uncommon interests, it is still possible to find a job that you love, that not only combines your hobbies and interests, but also can help you find new things that you previously never even thought that you’d be interested in at all.
Having a job can also help you to be much more independent. I myself am nineteen, and I want to have a good balance of staying at home until I feel fully ready to move out, while still being able to earn money independently in the meantime. I think that having a job is a great way to be able to start leaning about earning money, and responsibility, and also how to manage your time between work and free time. For me I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment thinking back to all of my previous work experiences that I have have had. I feel that it’s extremely rewarding to know that you have earned something yourself, or to truly be appreciated for giving your best effort!
Overall, although finding a job that you truly love and maintaining it can be difficult, I think that it can be possible. Although it’s true that having autism can come with its own set of struggles, it also has its own set of advantages. For example using your unique interests to inspire and help others, as well as the sense of accomplishment that comes with finding a job that is unique to what you love and aspire to be.
