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trekster

Life after graduation

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hello all

 

I am due to graduate with a 2:1 in Autism on the 13th July. It has been hard but rewarding work, problem is I couldn't

have predicted that the NAS were going to downstream at just the wrong moment. I am on the look out for NAS jobs but

I was wondering where else I could use my autism degree?

 

Every Wednesday the Evening post arrives with a job section, I do read it and also 2 local papers but there aren't many

jobs that would have me worse off or risk loosing my house (income support tracker mortgage). I'm also a subscriber to

Prospects magazine (not to be confused with NAS prospects this is a graduate magazine) but the placements are either full

time or in an area I can't get to.

 

I completed anxiety and communication in the workplace courses via NAS Prospects which were invaluable to me. I am on 3 waiting

lists in the NAS, transitions (ie graduation), finding work and volunteer work (cant remember the names the NAS uses).

 

I've contacted the job centre after being directed there by the Avon Parents group. There are things in the pipeline in my

area so I'm holding out for something decent to come along. I am willing to try work experience with paid expenses which

works out better than permitted work.

 

I just dont want to be stuck in this cycle of being at home all day and not getting any experience. I would like office, IT,

autism related work but cant find those sorts of jobs well paid in my area.

 

So I am wondering do I try postgraduate certificate in Aspergers or shall I try something else? Have I tried what I can and

just need to knuckle down and keep looking and hoping for work?

 

Al (BPhil in Autism 2:1)

Edited by trekster

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I think you will have to look in more than one paper.

 

If I remember correctly, the Guardian has a different job section each day, relating to a different careers area. Also, the Times Ed. Supplement might have things if you are thinking about working with young people.

 

My uni also produced it's own postgrad. job bulletin each week.

 

Good luck!

 

Bid :)

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Thanks for your reply bid,

 

im checking out Prospects graduate magazine, 2 local papers and 1 Bristol paper but I hadn't thought of the guardian and have subscribed to a free online version. Thanks for the tip I will try that paper again. Ah TES also another place I hadn't considered.

 

I am also checking out Bath Spa Uni for jobs and will ask about postgrad job bulletins from them.

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Instead of taking postgraduate qualifications in the same field, it might be a good idea to broaden out into something like Psychology, Social Sciences or Social Work, which would fit in with your interests but give you more choice. Alternatively you could gain some IT qualifications. You might be able to find work in some other field, for a temporary period, while you study. The Open University is a good choice as the courses and part-time and taught through distance learning and you could gain credit for your previous study and get your qualification in a shorter time. Of course, there are many other institutions which may be suitable - just look around. You may even be able to get funding for some studies even though you already have a degree, for example, Social Work. See http://www.gscc.org.uk.

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I'm a qualified SW and my first thought was you'd suit childrens services. They often have SW assistant jobs which are advertised on council website, in community care or on a site hosting several authorities. If you took that route then there is much scope to do the SW degree, I'm sure what you have will give credits towards the SW one. Authorities second people every year as far as I know but yes i think your degree would put you in good stead in that field.

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Thanks for your replies. I decided in the end to try the distance education route again for the postgrad in autism.

As it happens I have strong IT skills including admin, AVCE and word processing etc type qualifications.

 

There is a possibility of a job in the spring as one of my support workers is setting up his own business.

I'm a bit wary of the social worker type of route because I think it might be painfully triggering to my

CPTSD.

 

My current essay is about supporting autistic adults in social groups.

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hello all

 

I am due to graduate with a 2:1 in Autism on the 13th July. It has been hard but rewarding work, problem is I couldn't

have predicted that the NAS were going to downsize at just the wrong moment. I am on the look out for NAS jobs but

I was wondering where else I could use my autism degree?

 

Every Wednesday the Evening Post arrives with a job section, I do read it and also 2 local papers but there aren't many

jobs that would have me worse off or risk losing my house (income support tracker mortgage). I'm also a subscriber to

Prospects magazine (not to be confused with NAS Prospects this is a graduate magazine) but the placements are either full

time or in an area I can't get to.

 

I completed anxiety and communication in the workplace courses via NAS Prospects which were invaluable to me. I am on 3 waiting

lists in the NAS, transitions (i.e. graduation), finding work and volunteer work (cant remember the names the NAS uses).

How long did you have to wait to attend the anxiety & communication in the workplace courses? I was on the waiting list for NAS Prospects between May 2009 and June 2010 when I was living in Exeter, but I didn't get anything out of it during that time apart from a notification of a job at Ernst & Young* and an invitation to a presentation at Goldman Sachs in London, the latter coming at too short notice to attend. Presumably Exeter is classified as being in the same geographical region as Bristol? Assuming anyone knows where it is - back in '07 I made an enquiry to the NAS regarding social skills training in Exeter and got the reply "Where's Exeter, is it in South England?" It was all I could do to resist the temptation to write back "Get yourself a ###### atlas!"

 

Trekster - have you used this? Yet another Prospects

 

 

* As an aside, this was the job description. Just how Aspie-friendly is this??

Service Line: Centre for Business Knowledge' date=' Knowledge Platforms and Processes team.

Location: London.

 

Purpose (Overall Aim of role)

 

The KWeb is the firm's intranet and knowledge-sharing environment and provides a single, flexible and consistent platform for delivering knowledge and communications to Ernst & Young employees globally.

Community-enablement is a key area of focus through projects for sector, service-line and other communities to deliver tailored products and solutions to meet business and knowledge needs.

The primary role of the KWeb Project Co-ordinator is to manage day-to-day project activities, maintain project documentation and to act as the main KWeb representative for specific projects. The Project Co-ordinator will work closely with the KWeb Project Manager who will provide guidance and direction on strategic aspects.

The number of projects and their complexity will vary according to business priorities. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to gain varied project management experience across a broad range of KWeb products, both standard and bespoke.

This position reports directly to the KWeb Senior Manager and other KWeb Project Managers as required. Occasional travel may be required for this role.

 

Accountabilities

 

 Work simultaneously on multiple projects (typically 3-5)

 Work with project stakeholders, including project sponsors and project team members to identify and gather business requirements

 Facilitate project status meetings and design sessions as required

 Prepare and update project documentation including, but not limited to:

 Project and work plans

 Business model and requirements documents

 Test cases

 Meeting agendas and minutes

 Issues logs

 Project status reports

 Process charts and checklists

 Collaborate with technical development team during requirements review and analysis, system development and testing

 Management and co-ordination of testing processes (system, integration, user acceptance etc)

 Support the Usability Project Manager in planning and execution of usability testing as required

 Active contribution to relevant areas of the Global KWeb Programme.

 

Personal Qualities

 

Communication:

 Excellent written and verbal communication skills

 Demonstrable active listening skills

Analytical:

 Proven analytical and problem-solving skills

 Able to absorb and analyse business requirements and make recommendations about technical solutions whilst working within architectural guidelines

Relationship Management:

 Excellent teaming skills - local, global and virtual

 Cultural awareness - able to overcome geographical or cultural barriers to work with communities from all over the world

 Excellent customer service skills

 Able to inspire confidence and trust in both our products and our people

 Relationships - able to develop and grow excellent relationships with business sponsors and project teams

 Flexibility - able to work effectively in an environment where deadlines and priorities change frequently

 

Experience, Qualifications and Technical Skills

 

Education & Experience:

 Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Knowledge or related discipline desirable

 Prior experience in a project management role highly desirable

Technical Skills / Abilities

 Strong knowledge of Lotus Notes Domino and web technologies

 MS Office proficiency (Excel and PowerPoint in particular)

 Excellent MS Project skills

 Sound understanding of major principles of usability and web design

 Familiarity with all phases of the system development life-cycle

Project Management:

 Demonstrable project management skills and experience

 Proven ability to work simultaneously on several projects and manage priorities accordingly

 Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail

 Able to learn quickly and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

Knowledge:

 Demonstrable understanding of basic principles of knowledge management

 Understanding of main functions of a knowledge management infrastructure including search, navigation, retrieval and content storage

 Able to understand and articulate the specific knowledge and information needs of sectors, service lines and other communities. [/quote']

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There's actually not all that much in the way of paid employment in autism or AS unless it's heavily combined with something which you may or may not want to do - such as teaching or LA SEN officers. Social work is quite distant to working with people with autism in as much as working with blind people is.

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Social work is quite distant to working with people with autism in as much as working with blind people is.

I know of someone on the spectrum whose school's careers adviser suggested she work with blind people because then she wouldn't have to worry about them misinterpreting her body language. :angry:

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I wasn't aware that one could these days graduate "in" austism? trekster lol

 

(sorry.. just going by the word of the letter of what you said in your first post?)

 

it's ok.. i'm sure you just said that as a joke.

 

do you perhaps mean you've qualified in what they currently have decided is "the skills to relate to that sort of thing?"

 

what an aweful thing to qualify in?

 

you probably want to help, but who can? with stuff like, what an earth could they possible tell you.

 

it's not a very exact science.

 

it must be aweful to know there are people who have the condition who know more about it after two seconds, that you could after you've spent three/ five years? studying it?

 

I guess it shows you care though. nice one.

 

even though I still aint sure what qualifying in "autism means" lol

Edited by dotmarsdotcom

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I assume Trekster means this: Autism (Adults) BPhil. At the risk of asking the bleedin' obvious, can Birmingham University provide any information about what previous graduates of the course have gone on to do?

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Just reading that nightmarish job description is enough to send me into meltdown! I only read the first three on the list and my executive dysfunction bells began to ring loudly, triggering my sensory hyperstimulation neurones, which in turn triggered my OCD synapses and put my meltdown ganglions on red alert. :o

A strong health warning in BIG RED UNDERLINED BOLD ITALIC CAPITALS should have been posted at the top. :lol:

Edited by Mihaela

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The job description in #7 looks ok to me, then I have had to read these when I was looking for work. Aspie friendly it is not very, I have a small problem in that I have no 'degree', would still give it try though. :wallbash:

 

Small aside with Degree's, the issuing university is more important, and how the course was done. I have had to sift through these, so take it from me, a 'distant learning course' gets bin'ed, points normally to an older worker who companies don't want either. I am a old real UNIX computer programmer who knows just how easy it is to electronically sift CV's. Thats why I was on the scrap heap at 45 :angry:

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I am currently studying for a postgraduate qualification in public health.

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Trekster, no ill feelings.

Granted a somewhat annoyed at the time.

Me a great big 'irish wolf hound' of a man, fierce yet gentle. (Depends on your hound).

And theres me stuck in a wheelchair, well almost.

X

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I happen to be a wheelchair user, since 2010 as my joints dislocate on a daily basis.

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The job description in #7 looks ok to me, then I have had to read these when I was looking for work. Aspie friendly it is not very, I have a small problem in that I have no 'degree', would still give it try though. :wallbash:

 

Small aside with degrees, the issuing university is more important, and how the course was done. I have had to sift through these, so take it from me, a 'distant learning course' gets binned, points normally to an older worker who companies don't want either. I am a old real UNIX computer programmer who knows just how easy it is to electronically sift CVs. That's why I was on the scrap heap at 45 :angry:

Ernst & Young have come over all inclusive now - they have scrapped the minimum entrance requirement of a II.i and they "prevent interviewers from asking about relevant experience", apparently. More from the Grauniad

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Completely forgot about this post. Wow now I'm running my own social group in bath hoping for it to become a community interest company. I won the disability studies prize at university and I'm up for entrepreneur of the year in the same place. I've got a meeting about it today at university.

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A friend has suggested that I contact the autism research peeps at Birmingham University on the offchance that one of their projects might help me find a way forward, i.e. to that ever-elusive proper job (see the latest twist in my tale of woes). I've had a look at the course website but I don't see any call for participants/volunteers. Is this a long shot?

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