I followed the advice in “interviewing with autism” and it worked! When I wrote that article I was speaking from a point of self-analysis, now I speak from experience. I followed my own advice and landed a new job!
I interviewed at 6 different companies and had 3 full-circuit interviews with 1 offer. 2 interviews did not make it past the hiring manager interview, 1 didn’t make it past the second level technical screener.
What made this last interview process different is that after all the previous interviews, I was relaxed and just went with the flow. The process taught me that I needed to be less critical of myself and do a better job of screening the roles I was interviewing for. I learned what is written in the job posting is not always what they are interviewing for and I shouldn’t be so critical of myself for not getting further in the process.
The process itself was like a whirlwind romance in a way, it left me with doubts and fears because I had very little time to digest what was happening. At the beginning of my job hunt I developed a salary target range and benefits list, so I was able to make a quick decision. From full-circuit interview to signed offer was 4 business days, then 2 weeks notice at my old job. It’s tough adapting to new things sometimes, especially if you have ASD.
I look forward to the new role, what’s even better is that my side-gig work is protected and allowed in the offer! I don’t think I’ll divulge my identity quite yet…
