Aspergers & ASD Careers

I found this article on careers for introverts. A lot of the usual suspects on there but two were a bit surprising... civil engineers and HVAC repair people. If you are looking for ideas check out the list here: http://encarta.degreesandtraining.com/articles.jsp?article=featured_top_jobs_for_introverts

Jobs for Autism

Here is a site that introduced themselves to me today: Jobs for Autism

Check them out! http://www.jobsforautism.com/

Potential ASD job: Kennel Attendent

With the flooding of our house we needed to find a long term home for our kitties so I we made reservations at a boarding place. While there I noticed one of the attendants in the dog run and had some suspicions about him. During the lengthy check-in process I started talking with him and indeed, he is on the ASD spectrum.

I asked him how he liked his job and he loves it. Only a few humans to interact with and all the dogs he can pet. He mentioned a couple of others in the place that also are on the spectrum and how much they enjoy their jobs. Thankfully none of them have to answer phones or work the front desk. Their only real issue is that a barking or meowing explosion can be difficult at times but they have the ability to step away for a moment and regroup.

The downside is the pay is not that great but it is better than zero (and better than minimum wage too).

Make your own job: public exploits gain private jobs

While I would not suggest doing anything illegal to prove your worth take into consideration what exposure these scofflaws received for their exploits. If you do something well that becomes public people will notice and want to hire you... just please stay on the right side of the law: Hired for hacking

Sister site to Specialisterne

The Specialist People Foundation is a sister organization to Specialisterne and "is a not-for-profit foundation with the vision to create one million jobs for specialist people around the world. These are people with a business potential that can be realized with special understanding and management, like people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder."

Jobs for Aspies - Grant Writer

Matt at Dude, I'm an Aspie has a post about a suitable job for people with Aspergers: Grant Writing. Check it out: http://www.dudeimanaspie.com/2011/05/jobs-for-people-with-aspergers-grant.html

Autistic Advancement

I just found this site: Autistic Advancement

The founder, Eric, just attended a Specialisterne Conference in Copenhagen this May.

Sample Cover Letter on ASD Job Sink

I posted an example of a cover letter that I have had success with on Job Sink. It is designed to make it by the recruiters & HR people that screen resumes for the hiring manager.

Finding craters from home - a job for ASD folk

Many people with Aspergers or other ASD diagnosis want to find work that they can do from home in peace and quiet. With the advent of Google Earth you too can find meteor craters. While the pay is variable you have to admit, the investment is low except for time. And if geological structures, meteor impacts or astrophysics are one of your obsessions then this is right up your alley. All you need to do is grab Google Earth and go to town. Here are some examples of others who did the same thing:

Inconclusive find - http://blog.bahneman.com/content/discovering-meteor-impacts-my-contribution
Confirmed find - http://www.universetoday.com/48962/dreamtime-meteor-impact-found-with-google-earth-2/
Confirmed find - http://www.physorg.com/news199331930.html
Slash Dot article talking about Emilio Gonzalez who found 4 in a line - http://slashdot.org/story/06/03/11/1357219/How-to-Discover-Impact-Craters-with-Google-Earth

ASAN Calls for Resumes

Lifted from the Wrong Planet message forums:

Edit: link to ASAN's post: Call for resume's

ASAN Calls for Resumes from Autistics

Greetings!

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) is calling for resumes from Autistic adults. Several large American corporations have contacted ASAN expressing interest in creating internships or hiring college-educated Autistic people in order to create a more diverse atmosphere at their workplaces. In addition, ASAN is frequently sent openings for jobs in the government, non-profit, advocacy and public policy sectors for which we would like to recommend adults on the spectrum. As a result, we are reaching out to the broader community for resumes of interested Autistic applicants who are seeking employment.

While Autistic adults from all backgrounds are invited to send their resumes, ASAN is especially but not exclusively interested in resumes from Autistic adults in the Washington, D.C. Metro area with college educations and/or backgrounds in information technology, computer science, biology, finance, economics, political science, marketing, and other professional fields. ASAN is considering various possibilities for enhancing employment opportunities for Autistic people who do not have a college education as well as for those working in non-professional fields. We hope to offer additional calls for resumes towards those ends later in the year.

ASAN plans to keep these resumes on file and will make them available to employers upon request. If successful, this will enable ASAN to keep a database of qualified Autistic people who are looking for employment in specific areas, and those resumes may be submitted to companies interested in employing Autistic adults. With low employment rates among both college graduates and Autistic adults, we hope that this will help to level the playing field for Autistic people searching for jobs.

By submitting a resume to ASAN, an individual is agreeing to allow ASAN to share their resume and any information they provide with potential employers, including their status as a person on the autism spectrum. Individuals should only submit resumes if they are comfortable having this information shared. For privacy reasons ASAN will not make the database itself publicly searchable or available.

While ASAN hopes that this will help more Autistic people gain employment, we are unable to take full responsibility for finding employment for Autistic people and ask that those who submit resumes continue their own searches for jobs. Please do not direct follow-up inquiries to ASAN. Those wishing to submit their resumes may do so by emailing them as attachments to resumes@autisticadvocacy.org . Please ensure that resumes include contact information, educational and employment experience (including internships), volunteer experience, types and areas of work the applicant is seeking and any other information you hope to make available to an employer.

Regards,

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network

The Daniel Jordan Fiddle foundation

The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation is the first 501(c) (3) national organization in the United States with the mission to develop and award grants to programs that benefit adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We have developed and supported many employment projects for young adults and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome throughout the United States.

Check out their programs at: http://www.djfiddlefoundation.org/index.cfm

Flexjobs

If you are looking for a job or want ideas on how to customize employment check out Flex Jobs. It is an attempt to group non-traditional jobs into one place. Warning though, scammers abound on the site so beware of the jobs that sound too good to be true.

AutismNow Job section

I have not looked through the site yet but I figured I would pass it on. AutismNow has a job site: http://autismnow.org/on-the-job/