Job for an autistic goth?!

[AuDHDryHepburn]

My son is at uni. He’s AuDHD and very creative, studying music tech. He’s also a fairly committed goth - all in black, you know the look. He really needs a job. Partly for his own benefit and partly because we are struggling to financially support him in the holidays as well as term time. He has applied for millions of jobs and got nowhere. I appreciate the employment market is really tough at the moment, but I think he’ll also always struggle when up against more conventionally presenting and socially confident candidates. He has worked before at a summer camp for SEN children, but he found this very difficult as he has his own sensory issues and some of this children needed help with toileting etc. He can be chatty and is very bright, but can be v black and white in his thinking. Can anyone think of any employers who are likely to be more inclusive and just give him a chance?

Had he spoken to the Uni Career Service?

Kitchen work ? I read that that seems to attract auadhd people - presumably he’d start as dishwasher or something but can move up

Do they help with part time work? Have to admit I assumed it would just be for help with a ‘proper’ job after graduating. Great idea tho, I’ll mention that to him, thanks

Bar work? Music/instrument/record shops - he could try going in with a cv. Agree that pot wash job could work.

I think he’d be happy to do that. However he does struggle a bit with dealing with bins, and kitchens can be full of shouty chefs (maybe that’s my own experience coming through!) not sure how he’d deal with that. He has applied for that sort of role I think but gets no response at all

He would absolutely love to work in a music/record shop that’s his ideal but so few vacancies (& shops) these days sadly

My daughter was just like your son whilst at uni (but the female version). She got a job working at the Premier Inn, cleaning the rooms. She actually loved it!

The United States DC1 is at definitely does help with PT work and often advertise vacancies.

Supermarket for shelf stacking? Not too many people around, quiet time at night

Oh that’s great! I’m not sure how well he’d cope with cleaning… he likes things clean but not actually doing it himself 🤣

That would be perfect actually, he’s a total night owl too. Are any supermarkets good at more inclusive hiring? I’ve heard the Tesco assessment process is really tough

It’s worth speaking to the careers service. The actual university may also have jobs, like helping with summer schools, new students, open evenings or in their cafes etc.

Brilliant, thanks so much. I’ll pass that on. He definitely hasn’t tried that yet

the thing about shouty chefs etc - is that a lot of them will be neurodiverse themselves & the bluntness and emotional outpourings are part of that … so there’s potential for real bromance supportive environments in kitchens - if the underlying personalities are a good fit & manage to tune into each other. So like - chefs are full on - but also: you generally know where you stand with them & they respect hard graft over ‘appearancess’

The garden centres near me seem to be very inclusive in their hiring. There seems to be a varied day with work in the retail outlets, restaurants and plant sections.

I’m AuDHD and reception at a leisure centre was great for me whilst at uni. Obviously lots of social interaction but it was usually quite scripted and predictable, so not too draining. Got to meet lots of interesting people, could chat to other staff and customers when I felt like it, plenty of quiet time for doodling, reading or whatever.

I started off as a lifeguard. Not ideal for someone whose brain runs at a million miles an hour tbh, plus yellow wouldn’t be the ideal goth uniform 😂

What is he studying? I’m just thinking that this is where he might need to learn somehow how to work to “fit in” before work becomes … well essential?

if it’s any help, my brother is the same and is now really quite high up in the civil service and still goth… he did struggle through uni but then found his groove and is a very happy, approaching middle age, man.

Oh yes! That’s an idea. Not sure how many are near him but I’ll look

There is a job at university called "student ambassador" and certainly the ones I've met have been paid. He would obviously be a great guide for neurodiverse students of a Goth persuasion!

My other suggestion (although I don't know about their hiring processes) is Wagamama as AuDHD DD, DH and I pretty much live there and the staff all seem pretty relatable. As the kitchens are open it discourages excessive chef shouting.

Ha! Yes yellow could be a challenge! Tho his summer camp uni was a pink t shirt which actually worked quite well with the giant black trousers 😁

Music tech. So a field which should be fairly focused on his skills, but obviously also riddled with AI now which is worrying

That’s an interesting viewpoint. The thing is he’s also non-binary and so the ‘bro’ bit is quite difficult for him. Yes, I know.

Ah, I assumed voluntary. Worth looking at if paid. And he would love Wagamama. He had a trial shift when at college but it seemed a bit of a scam where they got about 100 kids to do 4 hr shifts for free and then employed barely any of them. Sadly

Lush appear to employ only non binary goths if he can stand the soap stench...

A lot of jobs will have a "uniform" so his gothness shouldn't really be an issue, and he would just wear something job appropriate for interviews.

As a quirky audhd person I'd recommend these as young people jobs while studying....

I've done most of them myself in my younger years as I liked earning my own money and spending it as I wished.....

Bar work, shop work, kitchen/pot washer, re-stocker, hotel housekeeping, garden centre.

Places I didn't enjoy: factory work, and fast food work.

Places that are accepting of alternative dress styles that I've observed: hmv, cex, forbidden planet, damaged society, etc.

Most unis have an advisor not just for career jobs post grad but also for part time work while earning. Big companies like wetherspoons, McDs, b&m etc are often happy to take on students.