Want a more challenging job/career but I don't know what

AJ90

I work in retail, which is easy but I'm bored and frustrated. I'm desperate for more of a mental challenge and the opportunity to learn something and progress. In the past, I've worked in customer service and basic admin and I found both of those jobs difficult because I'm autistic. I struggle to explain myself verbally and I panic a bit about unpredictable things like answering phones. I've also been told that I come across as immature, too laid-back and just unprofessional.

I've got a decent memory for tasks and I'm good at learning new software/procedures/etc. I'm logical and I have excellent attention to detail. I think my written English is pretty good, in my admin job, I had a reputation for quick and accurate data entry and I'm quite creative.

I did two years of a comp sci degree. I loved the problem solving aspect and got good marks for programming modules but I struggled with terminology and explaining things. Ultimately, I freaked out when it came to choosing a final year project. I stopped attending and refused to talk about it until I was so far behind that I was forced to defer and I never went back.

My self-confidence is low and I've gone from struggling to make decisions to being almost scared of deciding to do the wrong thing. If I found £50k down the back of my sofa, I think I'd give university another try now I've grown up a bit but I haven't done any coding for over five years so then I think that I can't really be that interested in it. I haven't got the money to go back anyway. I just don't know what to do with myself and I'm conscious that I'm getting older and I'd like to be in a better position financially before I try to have children and... It's overwhelming.

I'd really appreciate any advice/ideas/potential paths/anything anybody can give me.

ACG

Do some self learning and then jump on freelancer etc and do some programming to get some real life experience. Then try to get a job once you have a portfolio?

Programming is not an easy skill, I can do html/css and some very basic php, I struggle beyond that.

System

OK so I think we can deduce from that that you'd like to work in IT which is actually a quite natural direction to go for for people with autism (my son is autistic too).

IT is an extremely wide field, not just coding. I configure, install on site and provide support for custom systems my company creates for the casino sector for example and can't code other than doing some in BASIC and 6502 Assembler back in the 1980s. You might actually still like coding but been put off by the situation that happened in your final year. Why not spend £25 on a Raspberry Pi and play with it for a while and see where it takes you?

I don't know where you live but there are a lot of software companies that recognise the massive advantages autism brings to the field. You could for example get a job with a software house as a software tester, testing for bugs etc.

beluga

Just an idea, but if you completed two years of a degree could you transfer the credits with the Open University and do the last year? That way you could work alongside to keep costs down.

AJ90

Thanks all. You've given me some things to think about. Maybe I do want to work in IT. Maybe it's just because I'm not sure what else is an option.

It's been five years since I left university and in that time, I've done nothing so I'd be starting from scratch. I have a raspberry pi and there are so many MOOCs around that I feel like I would've done something by now if I really wanted to work in IT.

Maybe I should but I don't tell employers (or anybody really) that I'm autistic. I find that even people who are aware and don't see it as a negative thing have a really poor understanding of how it affects women differently to men. It's easier to just not get into it.