Supporting my autistic son with job interviews for data analyst roles

[RachelSheiling]

24 year old son with autism still looking for a job as a data analyst, finding interviews really hard... and dont know how to help him. Have had support from a few autism charities but it is really difficult,

Hi, I'm a business analyst.
Does he have any experience being a BA / DA? What platforms has he used before and is he advanced in excel?

I can't comment on the interviews as every employer is different. What industry is he hoping to be a DA in? There's only so much you can do to help him as you can't be in the interview but perhaps role play some questions to him so he can polish his answers. I had a few which which ill list.
-how would you find X on excel' or 'how would you do X on excel' along with
-how would you measure and analyse growth and revenue
-how do you work out returns of investment
-explain correlation vs causation
-what KPIs would I track for the company
-problem solving questions

lots and lots of excel questions.

I'll come back later when I have more time

Things like daily active users or comms dropped by 20% yesterday. How would you investigate and analyse? How would you document process changes and advice for the board?

Thank you so much Smoothporridgeoats. He has had a job as a DA for a water company, but was very much left to his own devices, with a boss who often did not get back to him for up to 2 weeks... so it was a difficult first job post graduation experience. Interviews are definitely not a strength. He has used excel a great deal

I would say that data analyst roles are very varied so it is really important to research the organisation and focus on the job description. I have worked as and hired DAs for example but we don’t use Excel much and definitely don’t ask about it in interviews so the advice above wouldn’t help (my team codes in R but other DA roles in my organisation use power BI, Python or SQL).

A chat with the hiring manager to find out more about the role and what they’re looking for can be really valuable so maybe you can help DS with some questions to ask in those conversations.

Using excel a lot doesn't mean he's an expert. Certificates will help, especially if his interview skills aren't great, he needs to built evidence to support his application.Coursera has lots of options.
Use AI tools to practice interviews, both answers for questions and getting feedback on his posture and presentation.

Does he feel like he is struggling during technical interviews or on soft skills?

That must be so tough to watch as a parent. A close friend's son is autistic and had a similar experience. His technical skills were excellent, but interviews were the biggest hurdle. What really helped him was practising common interview questions over and over in a low-pressure setting and getting feedback from professionals. They also had a consultation with Autism Detect, which helped them better understand how autism was affecting the interview process and what strategies might help. I really hope your son finds an employer who sees his strengths, not just how he comes across in an interview.

What is it your DS is struggling with?

If it's about coming up with answers without any time to reflect, he could request the questions in advance as a reasonable adjustment.

Can you do mock interviews? Maybe get a friend to interview him? Do it away from home, even to the pointing getting them sitting outside a room waiting to be called in.

Prepare a lust if questions he could get asked so he has answers prepared. If you do a quick google search, you should be able to find relevant questions.

The Civil Service employ DAs and they will allow him to have questions beforehand to prepare because of his autism. Best of luck.

Have sent you a pm😉

Sometimes the county councils have apprenticeship schemes for data analysts. They are very supportive around autism. Reach out.

But the questions would then have to be given to every candidate.

My team give out the questions in advance these days. I would rather employ the correct person not someone who is just good at winging interviews.

Hi I have experience coaching people with autism for job interviews. Happy to provide some coaching. Weirdly, I also used to work for a water company. Private message me if useful.

I was also going to suggest civil service or a local council who are more amenable and progressive with their hiring policies for diversity. I have a son with autism so I often think about how getting a job will be challenging for him despite being so capable. Good luck

Exactly