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An estimated 85% of autistic adults are unemployed! There's nothing shameful about being unemployed, but employment income is often needed to survive. Paid work often connects us to community in a meaningful way and increases our sense of autonomy. Whatever you feel about employment, your employment status should be *your choice*.
As an ND coach, I’ve found barriers to employment generally happen in the hiring or employment maintenance phases. The first step to applying to most jobs is the resume and it's a step brings a lot of anxiety and confusion to many auties.
Here are some quick tips to help tidy up your resume before applying to your next job:
Check for spelling and grammar errors. You don't need to be a grammar whiz, but you should use a spell checker to catch any typos!
Tailor your resume to the job you're applying for. The point of a resume is to clearly illustrate to the hiring manager that you have the skills, experience, and interests they are looking for. Ensure your resume highlights how your previous experience relates to the job you're applying for.
Use the job description language to edit your resume by selecting components of the job posting that tie into your experience, education, skills, or interests. Ensure the relevant words from the job description are used in your resume.
Rethink your fancy resume template. Many employers are now using application systems that reformat or screen resumes before a person sees it. Uploading a simple resume will help the ATS correctly parse your resume, which helps ensure it makes it a real person.
Leverage your ND strengths. Being autistic, we have a unique way of processing information, which comes with unique strengths. List these strengths on your resume by incorporating them into your experience, education, or skills sections.
Example: I am an expert at noticing behavior patterns, so I make sure to list how this skill has aided in some of my past jobs or list it in my skills profile.
Think of what you are good at and why you know you will be good at the job you are applying for, and make sure to list those qualities on your resume somewhere!