Hey! I’m Harvey, I’m a second year marketing student at Kent who was diagnosed with Autism in 2019. Prior to coming to university at 21 I was in the world of work, unknowingly autistic so I thought I could share some tips with you about work and job hunting, whether you’re autistic or have another disability or condition that affects your work. 

Know yourself

Firstly, and for me since being diagnosed the most important tip, is knowing yourself. For me personally I know I can be overwhelmed by a lack of routine or lack of control, so I know that I can’t work in London because the idea of the tube and its loud crowded environment causes me anxiety and I can’t escape it easily. Therefore, for my year in industry I deliberately chose a scheme that was not in London, although I was very lucky my dream scheme wasn’t there anyway! 

The moral of this story for me is to know what you can and can’t do. There is a lot of media today that will tell you you’re unlimited and can do anything, which is true in principle, but it doesn’t mean you should be upset if you make the choice to do or not do something because it wouldn’t work for you. The quicker I reconciled with myself what I wanted and that it was OK the better I felt about myself.

Reasonable adjustments

When It comes to applying you have a right by law to reasonable adjustments, which means throughout the application, interview and in your job your employer must make reasonable adjustments to your work and workspace to ensure you are not discriminated against. You also have the right to disclose or not your disability. Personally for me I always disclose because legally it cannot affect your application. 

The things I normally say is “I am Autistic and sometimes I can’t make eye contact with you, I might go off on a little tangent as well so try and be precise with your questions!”. Or perhaps there is a chance you could slowly get used to the environment if that is something you need? Being able to spend a couple of hours getting to know the layout, people and space might increase your confidence and help to settle you in!

A word of warning!

If the employer does not or cannot accommodate your disability, they might not be the right one for you. Sadly, even today a lot of employers do not understand disability. Personally, I have had a lot of people not quite understand the way my mind works, not maliciously but perhaps a manager may get annoyed by how literally I word things, or I want very detailed instructions. It is up to you to judge on a case-by-case basis but be wary and don’t be afraid to raise the question and have suggestions how they can use your skills best! But don’t feel it is your fault if you encounter issues, I was very hard on myself for a while before I knew I had autism and instead of chastising myself I reflected on what I could have done better, but also accepted when it wasn’t my fault.

Have self-confidence

Another tip that I have is, just because you don’t fit one criteria doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply! Any reasonable employer should know that the perfect candidate doesn’t exist and so as long as you think you’re able to do the job and can show them what have you got to lose by applying? I personally have applied to and even got jobs that I didn’t think I was qualified for or didn’t meet every criteria on the description, so my best tip here is to have confidence in yourself! 

Like anything at University of Kent, there is so many resources available to help you. Never be afraid to reach out to the Student Support and Wellbeing Team or the Careers Team where you can get dedicated one-to-one support on any questions or issues you might have around disability and employment.

Photo by Lukas Blazek on unsplash.

Hi! I’m Harvey, I’m a second year University of Kent student studying Marketing. I came to university a little later at 21 so I’ve worked in a few places before and during uni so far.

So, I thought I’d share my tips for finding experience and making the most of it at university.

Where to look?

For placements such as a Year in Industry I’d recommend sites like Target jobs, the University website, RateMyPlacement, Indeed or other job hunting websites.

If you’re like me and are doing a placement as part of your degree, or even would just like something like a summer internship there are loads of experiences available on these sites. My advice would be if you want to work with a big company then you need to look early in the academic year between September and December, but a lot of opportunities will be available throughout the year. It is important to check at least once every couple of days, as sometimes being in there early is what might get you to the next stage, especially if the company gets a lot of applications!

Although COVID-19 is affecting the part-time job market, currently a lot of food retailers are crying out for staff. During the first peak I was able to secure a driving job at Tesco without an interview. Especially if you’re willing to be a picker at supermarkets (which unfortunately can mean a 4am start!) there is plenty of experience. Although currently a lot of retail outlets are closed you may be able to get experience if you think outside the box. Perhaps being a COVID tester may work for you?

Another great resource we have at the university is the Careers and Employability Service. This is how I got my job as a project officer. I have the opportunity to gain professional skills and enhance my confidence in a controlled environment where it is fine to ask questions and be unsure! The team are really friendly and willing to answer any of your questions so why not have a look at TargetConnect (and look regularly because there’s always new experiences appearing!).

Finally, Send an email! Why not contact local companies offering to do some work for free? They might appreciate the extra help and you can gain insight into a field of interest as well as adding to your CV!

Don’t rule out SMEs!

Placements at big firms are great but smaller companies or (SMEs) may offer you a greater amount of responsibility. Whereas at large companies you may be responsible for your own little slice of the business, often working with SMEs can mean you are responsible for the entire department such as marketing or finance for the time you are there. For example, Aiden, a Kent student who did an internship at Medway Council during the summer in 2019 through the Employability Points Scheme, was given responsibility for a national project on rough sleeping in the UK. Not only is that great to put on a CV but is a really worthwhile experience too!

I want to highlight the Employability Points Scheme we have here at the university. This is a great place to bank up points and redeem them for potential rewards including internships and summer placements! Having engaged with the scheme myself I can attest that they’re really supportive and friendly and will endeavour for you to get the best reward possible! There’s loads of things on offer from small day-long courses on interviewing and assessment centres, to work experience and all the way up to 3 month summer internships at a variety of different companies like the one I just mentioned!

Do your prep work and ask for help!

Once you’ve found that dream job and sent off a blinding application you hopefully will get a request to interview. But first you need to prepare! Here is a few tips to make sure you walk in with the best chance possible.

1. If you know the person who is interviewing/reading the application search them up! If you can find a common connection (or even better what they’re passionate about) then remember it and bring it up in a way that seems like a coincidence! 
2. It seems obvious but make sure you research the company, what do they do? What makes them unique? Knowing this information will make you stand out in interview as someone who is serious about the job and you will feel more confident going into an interview.
3. Create a network. Today it may not matter but by the end of university you may be able to call on connections for work, and hey knowing more people can’t hurt right? When I was asked to interview for my placement year at a large car maker I found someone who had been there the year before and talked to them, asking about the assessment process and the type of things they might want to hear at interview. In the end this increased my confidence massively going into the assessment centre and I got the job!
4. As always, it never hurts to make a careers appointment if you want your CV or covering letter for a job checked, or any other advice related to careers. The team really have helped me to get where I want, and they couldn’t be more helpful! Visit the Careers and Employability Service website to book appointments, find events and links to their social media.

Interviewing

Interviews are scary for everyone! Whether it is a good or a bad thing I have done many since I started looking for work in 2017 so I have a few tips for making sure you show your best!

1. Be yourself! They’re hiring the person not the CV, if you judge the situation well and are able to be personable and friendly it will make you more memorable than if you’re frowning and being monosyllabic!
2. Remember, read the job description, know the company and what they might want to ask you about, have examples!
3. Everything is an experience, even if you don’t get it, it doesn’t mean you wont get something and you’ll be able to learn from it for next time!
4. If you’re nervous, at this level remember everyone will be, they’re not looking for perfect just a willingness to learn and maybe some evidence to back it up (like maybe a uni project you’re proud of) they want to learn about you as much as you about them

Every experience is valid

Whether it is volunteering to pick up litter or working for an international bank, any experience you can gain is good experience! Don’t write off an internship because it is at a small company or unpaid because at the least you’ll learn the soft skills classrooms can’t teach and if you make a good enough impression, who knows, you may even be offered a permanent role! Some companies, especially evident on the Employability Points scheme, have been known to take on interns permanently, Including Reflect Digital and TMLEP who have both taken on multiple interns from Employability Points full time! Again check out the Employability Points Scheme. 

To be anecdotal: I think of experiences like building a pyramid out of blocks… The first experiences form your foundations and a solid base to add more blocks onto. Likewise you can’t start at the top of the pyramid because there is nothing to support it!