Tips for handling interview questions for people with Aspergers/ASD

For people on the spectrum interview questions can feel like traps or pointless. We will take them literally or answer in ways that do not promote our best value. Here are some tips to solving that problem.

When someone asks you "tell me about yourself" in an interview what do they mean? As someone with Aspergers I was always under the impression they meant "tell me about yourself". It turns out that even if they mean this the question is really a way for you to take over the conversation and direct it the way you want.

So, let's try this again... "tell me about yourself". Your response should be work oriented and specifically stressing areas at which you excel. You should start with a general comment tied to the position you are interviewing for like "I am an excellent pastry chef" [assuming you are applying for a pastry chef position] and then follow it with the single biggest achievement in your life related to the general comment. If they allow you to go further mention your second biggest accomplishment. After that ask a question that draws them into the conversation... something like "do you have need of someone who can do <biggest accomplishment>?"

Amazingly this same formula works for "what did you do at company x?" Lead with your biggest accomplishment at the company in question. Many of the general pithy sounding questions asked in interviews call for this response pattern. Even when asked "do you know y?", if you know it you talk about it in terms of your strongest accomplishment using y.

Practice this pattern at home. List out your accomplishments and role play your way through an interview answering with the accomplishments. Maybe even time yourself to make sure you do not drone on. These tips work and will make you stand out in an interview.