Silicon Valley Dreams Meet Reality: The (Supposedly) Perfect Job for an Aspie

When thinking about the best job for an autistic person, it’s usually the tech industry that comes to mind. The geeky and eccentric Silicon Valley programmer archetype maps well onto stereotypes about autistic people. We’re often portrayed in media as latent mathematicians or computer whisperers, but many of us aren’t particularly good at math nor moderate debates between calculators.

I worked in IT having thought it was the most fitting career for me. And, in many ways, the job was fitting. However, office politics exasperated me.

In 2017, I was finally hired for the sort job I’d always hoped for. I was contracted to do mid-level cybersecurity work at a Fortune 100 company, and, if I performed well, there was a good chance of a steady, full-time spot on the team. I was ecstatic.

Then, a couple of months into the job, I realized how awful corporate life is. The quarterly performance evaluations made me and coworkers anxious about job security, which made the office feel competitive rather than cooperative. And most of the managers were callous and cutthroat because they would face repercussions if their team’s performance slipped.

The stress of masking combined with the company’s cutthroat work culture grew to be too much for me, so I left what I thought was my ideal job.

After that experience in IT, I felt drained but inspired to explore my other talents. I started taking writing more seriously and also worked as a professional tutor. Betraying the autistic archetype, I enjoyed writing and tutoring significantly more than any job I’d had in the three years I was working in the tech field.

Tutoring was refreshing for an autistic extravert like me, and it pays well for a side gig. Now, I’m working at a startup company called Embrace ASD, a research-based autism blog, and tutoring on the side. I discovered my niche and finally found work I'm passionate about doing with people I enjoy.

Rather than a perfect job for autistic people, it’s more about finding a work environment and culture that dissuades strict social rules and hierarchies; frankly, I believe that these changes would make the workplace more enjoyable not just for autistics, but for everyone.

So keep searching for your niche because we ought to at least be entitled to enjoying the work we do.