THE AUDACIOUS ASPIE GOES ON A JOB HUNT!!

And we return to The Audacious Aspie! With your host, me!!...wow, tough crowd eh? Two can play at that game, because I am about to talk about a tough subject thats super tough to get into and perhaps even tougher to stay in, Employment! (subject to, as always, severity). Just how bad is the job market for those on the spectrum? How bleak is it, really? Well that's what I am here for, besides cracking jokes and making light of our cruel and increasingly darkening world with little employment opportunities, an increasing amount of conflict, terrorism across the world, and Donald Trump. I know, I know, I’m just an everyday hero.

 

First of all, what are the challenges those of us on the spectrum face when looking for and applying for a job? According to a University of Calgary paper, while whose numbers are based in America, has found that approximately 25% of living with Autism are unemployed, while only 6% are “competitively employed (page one, paragraph one)” sobering numbers to be sure. Of those employed, the paper notes, some have endured extended periods of joblessness and shuffling between positions. For reference on unemployment numbers, here is a link to a chart on StatCan (to be viewed only if reader does not feel depressed enough).

 

The article also urges governments to pay close attention to the employment situation, stating how an increasing amount of children are being diagnosed with autism. And as always, those children will become adults, and adults need jobs. Unless you believe in the counter-argument, that in the future (however far), robots will take over every position of every sector, maybe leaving the job of CEO, and other positions like it, to humans. Maybe. It would be a less interesting version of the Terminator franchise: SKyNet takes over by, what else, eliminating humans from work, replacing them with machines like the S-1000 (Server 1000), the C-2000 (clerk 2000) or the MC-3000 (mall-cop 3000).

 

 

SkyNet doesn't need to kill humans to take over, it just needs to help us get fatter and more lethargic. Almost like the obesity crises, but marketing eating more than we should and becoming literal couch-potatoes as stylish. Should we be afraid of this potential future? Forbes has a take on this, and this is what they have found out: Such a future could be a capitalist nightmare, but a communists paradise. A communist's paradise because such a society would have no need for human CEO’s. We would see an increase in “jobless growth and productivity” (page one, paragraph 8).

 

 

No CEO’s means no one would earn enough to live in a wealthy district, in fact there would be no wealthy districts at all, as everyone would receive the same amount of pay, enough only to afford “stagnant living standards” (page one, paragraph 8). But, as mentioned before, it is also a capitalist nightmare. For reasons that communists will want to pay attention to, as it takes away the shades of pink from your glasses and replaces them with a bleak gray view of the future.

 

Know why everyone will be living in the same kind of shelter, potentially cookie-cutter like in both building design and decoration? Thats right, the amount of money will be the same amount everyone receives, right across the board. You might be thinking “will, surely I’ll be able to buy stuff to spruce up the place right? Since it will be cheap, it won't cost that much, right?” Here’s the problem: you know why companies bother to sell and produce the goods they advertise? To make a profit.

 

 

Now, they can lower prices enough to allow as many people as possible afford to buy the company's product and earn a profit that way, but they can only lower it so much before they start to lose money. “That's fine”, you might be saying, “I’ll still be able to afford the items, if only in small amounts”. Will, in this future, Forbes says no, you won’t be able to afford them, cheap or not. And while the price of Items will be falling, so will the amount of money we’ll get, turning into a race to the bottom. Culminating into a “paradox of an exponentially growing number of products, manufactured more and more efficiently, but with rising unemployment and underemployment, falling wages and stagnant living conditions” (page one, paragraph 8).

 

But what if the future is actually brighter, and we are all just running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off in fear for no reason? Where, instead of us living in filth and squalor, we are living it up with the robots serving us hand and foot? Forbes has an idea of what that might look like as will, they even have a name for it: Fully Automated Luxury Communism (F.A.L.C) (page 2, paragraph one).

 

 

What is it? Forbes claims that it “describes an idea and ideology that in the (relatively near) future, machines could provide for all our basic needs. Humans would be required to do very little work on quality control and similar oversight, and have much of their time free to pursue other things. The result would be attainable luxury for everyone” (page 2, paragraph one).

 

Rather than create, or inflame, human inequalities, “Robots, AI, machine learning, big data, etc” (page 2, paragraph 2) could reduce, possibly even eliminate, human labour! Imagine, not having to work because robots will take of everything!! Maybe SkyNet is not so bad after all. In short: machines make everything and do all the hard work while we, the humans, can pursue any hobby we wish, be it: to paint, write, build or design.

 

That's all will and good, but how should a jobless society REALLY work? Forbes has a plan already outlined. To put to technology to work for the benefit of humanity, rather than the benefit of corporations, or profits. To bring governments and nonprofit organizations on the same level as for-profit corporations, possibly resulting in large improvements on living conditions, a huge decrease in crime, the seemingly-unattainable goal of ending poverty and many, many more.

 

The author of the article wishes to make a point that: while machines might take away all our jobs, they can also open up opportunities for us, new opportunities to replace the ones we lost. In the author's own words “the jobs will be pruned regardless, but it is up to us to create the opportunities.” (page 2, paragraph 5)

 

The author mentions an idea “that the next Mozart, or Einstein, or Edison may be waiting” (page 2, paragraph 6), but because of hunger, an inadequate education/housing and other inequalities, such people may not get the help and opportunities that they need. But, if technology can change all that, if it can give such people the opportunities that they need to become modern day Einsteins and Edison's, than we will be all the better for it.

 

Even if it takes over the whole job sector, including modern day mundane, monotonous jobs, than so be it. The author urges us to prepare the world for the new generation, and provide for them the tools that they need to make our world a better place, in the future.

 

In other words: if you have a hard time getting work either because of the experience or education you need even for the most basic of entry level employment or, if you're like me; the employers have turned you down simply because you let them know of your disabilities wondering if they have ways to help you succeed in the workplace, do not despair. We are already ahead of the curve. Unless the future is the dystopian one mentioned before in the article, then maybe despair a little bit.                     

 

Back to the previous source, the author of paper goes on to list some key factors that, the article claims, are a boon to our employment prospects. Factors like school, work and family as external supports can help regardless of the severity, it has examples like “Inclusive special education programs in high school (page 1, paragraph 3)” offering valuable work experiences, like “knowledgeable employers who can provide the right types of accommodation and leadership (page 1, paragraph 3).”

 

University of Calgary even performed the “literature review to identify factors that contribute to successful employment (page 1, paragraph 4)." Here's a bit on what was found, citing again the lack of Canadian research:

• current research is not good enough, more needs to be done.
• Findings that were made are underdeveloped and conflicting
• Employment might be a combination of factors interacting to either make or break one's employment chances.

 

 

Here might be another reason why we have a rough time looking for work, coming back to the social anxiety bit. Though it differs from person to person, trying to start, and continue a conversation, is a nightmare. So imagine how nervous you would be to have to hand in a resume (assuming you could not apply online, and assuming the application system does not treat you like a lion and have you jump through hoops like at a circus), then, if you're lucky to get an interview, have to meet AND speak to someone in person, knowing your livelihood is at stake? Fun times.

 

    If you are a disabled person looking at all this, you might be filled with despair. How, on God’s good earth, are you supposed to get a job, considering how far the cards are stacked against you? Why should you try? Ill tell you: 1) I’m sure you’ve heard this before, but volunteering, going to school, or just doing something, anything, that will help bolster your resume, does pay off. And it builds contacts which, I’m sure you’ve already been told by both friends, family and media personalities, it actually does work.

 

Helps also to have someone look over your resume and cover letter, just to make sure they look proper and professional, and not something a-kin to a novel or small book, like mine did. At least it matched my desire to become a writer. And why should you? Simple: to prove that we CAN get employed, we CAN earn a living, and we ARE an asset to our respective nations, to be a voice for those who are ignored by most of the world's companies. To be an advocate, to use your position to better the future for a higher purpose, much like what I use this blog for.

 

Now before reading this blog, you might have thought that you were one of the few who remained unemployed, perhaps the only one amongst you and your friends. Now you know that it’s not the case, and has been for years now. So do not feel discouraged and do not stop trying. We will get there in the end, and with your help, that end will come that much sooner. No man is an island.

 

I would like to take this opportunity to dispel a myth, or at least one that I have noticed, that those of us who get money from the government are somehow lazy, or unmotivated. This could not be farther from the truth. To be sure, their are those who have fallen into the trap of assuming they no longer need to look for work thanks to the government funds, the vast majority of us, myself included, are still trying to find ways to get employment be it secondary education, volunteering or other wise.

 

Not all of us are sitting on our butts, quickly spending whatever comes our way, which is not much. Rather, we are working feverishly to get a job but, as you’ve read above, there are many obstacles in our path. A helping hand never hurt anyone. And you should be careful with who you talk to about this, it might very will be that someone, a co-worker, or a friend, within earshot is listening to you, hearing about what you really think of them. Even though you thought they were “better” than the “them” somehow.

 

 

Of courser, same could be said for any group in society, popular or not. There is a reason the allies, during WW2, had a propaganda message “Careless Talk Costs Lives”, you never you never know who is listening.