Autistic person talks about job interviews

Hi everyone!

Earlier this month on Twitter, I asked my fellow Autistics people there what part of job hunting they found difficult.  The majority voted for "Interviews", so for this month, I'd like to share my experiences in interviews.  Hopefully you can find some solace or enlightenment from this post 😊

Content:

1. An overview of the job application process
2. Why do we need to have interviews anyway?
3. Types of interviews
4. When did I feel like the interview went well?
5. When did I feel like the interview went... not-so-well?
6. Did my feeling and the results match?
7. My overall thoughts on interviews
8. Dear fellow autistic people 
9. Final thoughts

An overview of the job application process

Interviewing is a common method of trying to find "the one" potential employee but it's still usually just one part of the job application process.  In most of the companies that I applied for, the application usually consisted of the following stages.

1) Preparing/Submitting application forms (CV, resume, portfolio, other documents)

2) Aptitute test (usually testing basic literacy, numeracy,  and "logical thinking")

3) Interviews (usually 2-3 rounds but it is possible to have more or less)

4) Offer (Hopefully 🤞)

There can also be take-home assignments, assessment centres, casual meetings with human resources (HR) or other employees depending on how competitive the role is and how much the company wants to assess "cultural fit." 

What does cultural fit mean?  Essentially it means that the person's presentation and core values align with the vision and values of the company.  The point of finding people who are a good cultural fit seems to stem from the idea that the company would have the manpower to realize their business plans and create their version of the ideal workplace, and keep their employees happy and keep working for the company.  (Sources:  Business News Daily, BBC) 

Due to the pandemic, most of the job application process (or at least for me) was online in the comfort of my own room, but I did have to go to the office in-person for a few occassions.

Why do we need to have interviews anyway?

From the company's perspective, I believe that interviews specifically would be considered a viable option to assess the following:

• Cultural fit
• Whether the applicant can present themselves as "professional" according to maintream corporate standards
• Whether the applicant can show that they have the skillset that the company wants (including communication skills)

It may seem like there's a power imbalance with the company having more power but I can see how the job seeker would have some use for interviews as well.  As much as the company wants to find someone that fits, so would the job seeker.  I understand that when you're seeking for a job, you can feel like any company would do but if you want to look for long-term employment, it would be desirable to be able to blend in with the working environment and build rapport with the people.  It's also a good opportunity to check whether the company... actually knows what kind of people they want to hire.... (Sometimes the job advertisement may present itself as something and the job itself being something else...)  

Types of interviews

Generally speaking, I experienced three types of interviews.

• HR 
• Usually the first interview
• Could also be a casual meeting
• Usually would look for basic back-and-forth verbal communication skills and whether you can dress and act "properly"
• Technical 
• Usually the mid-level interview
• The interviewer is an employee/manager that has a good understanding of the skills and experience required in the position
• May involve technical tests (e.g. coding tests for programmer roles)
• Would involve an in-depth assessment of the applicant's skillset
• Executive 
• Usually the final interview
• Most likely to assess cultural fit
• May ask the applicant what their career goals are

Not all companies involved all three types of interviews and in this exact order.  Some companies had more interviews and some had less, but broadly speaking these are the sort of interviews you would likely encounter.

When did I feel like the interview went well?

I would get a good feeling after an interview if I:

1) Managed to answer all the questions without getting stuck

2) If the interviewer was friendly 

3) If the interviewer wanted to present the company in a positive light when I asked questions at the end (e.g. good pay, good benefits, positive environment etc.)

When did I feel like the interview went... not-so-well?

I didn't feel so confident when:

1) I got stuck in the middle of the interview

2) If the interviewer seemed to either try to encourage (or rather console) me to "keep trying hard" or if the interviewer seemed less friendly as time went on

3) If the interviewer tried to present the company in a negative light when I asked questions at the end (e.g. too much overtime etc.)

Did my feeling and the results match?

For the most part I felt like the interview went as well as I thought it did (probably 8/10).  That being said, there were times when I was positively surprised and there were times when I thought I did well but ended up getting rejected.  There were also places that didn't even bother to send out a result (which mostly likely means a rejection but how annoying that they don't at least send out an email... lol...).  

My overall thoughts on interviews

Overall, although I felt like it took a while to land that job, I think interviews are here to stay.  It's such a mainstream method in the job application process that a lot of people have had a history of developing.  It seems to serve some purpose from both the interviewer and the interviewee, even if it feels like there is a power imbalance since one party would probably be more desperate than the other.  

My overall engagement and enjoyment of the interview largely depended on whether I could see myself getting along with the interviewer, and also whether the atmosphere of the interview made me more comfortable than nervous.  I tried not to think too much of the outcome when I was at the interview, because I thought it might make it harder to do my best.  The main parts of interviews that I disliked was that as much as I would prepare, it's almost impossible to know what kind of interviewer I would have, what kind of questions would carry more weight, or when I would ponder if I said or did the "wrong thing".  It also sucks if I can't answer all their questions regardless of whether I get the offer or not.

Each company gave me different reasons for their rejections, but it seemed like I generally struggled with showing my skillset in tech roles.  I wasn't that confident in my tech skills (programming, machine learning etc.) since I didn't have a strong computational background (No CS degree for example).  I think that being autistic meant that for me, it was even harder to make confident statements since I have a habit of spacing out mid-conversations and misinterpreting what people are saying. 

In the end though, I'd like to think that I'm going to be at a company that's right for me at present time, since I tried to be as honest as I can  (masking only the bare minimum like wearing a suit).  I got to ask my own questions for the company for over an hour after all haha!

Dear fellow autistic people

I understand that autism is a spectrum and thus there are all sorts of autistic people.  Some of you may struggle with interviews, some of you may thrive, and some may never have been interviewed yet.  Interviews can be tough for anyone, but since autistic people tend to be the minority in thought processes and communication patterns, it can be especially difficult to find that one company that will give you a chance, and one that seems like the right fit.  

From my own experience, I found that I got burnt out quite a bit since I felt like I had to mask more than usual.  I was fairly worn down towards the last couple of months.  I'm glad that I got an offer from a place where I masked the least because that gives me more confidence that I'll be okay there.  Although I suppose time will tell XD

There's no right answer I can give to "how to get a job" or "how to have the perfect interview" but my advice would be to handle job hunting as training/running a marathon.  Just keep thinking about how to present yourself, practice, do the interview, and try again.  When you've finished one interview, move on to the next one.  Take regular breaks, and maybe even longer breaks when feeling worn out.

Wherever you are, good luck!

Final thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this month's article.  There's still more that I could talk about, but I think I've written what's important.  Check out my previous posts!  My past autism related posts are:

• AUTISM AWARENESS (or ACCEPTANCE) MONTH 2021
• Is autism a disability?

What are your thoughts about job interviews?  What did you like or dislike?  Do you think being autistic has its advantages or disadvantages?  Let us know in the comments!

If you want to have a say in what I share next, look out for my Twitter!

See you next month!