disclosing NLD at work

<p>I was diagnosed with NLD, general anxiety disorder and seasonal affective disorder when I was 16. I'm now 26 and have been working at the local library for the last seven and a half years. Over the past year I have applied for several jobs to supplement my income. That includes two different positions within the library system for which I was interviewed and was not successful. I am well qualified and have lots of experience so I'm sure my poor interview skills are the reason why I was not hired. I have not asked for feedback because I feel embarrassed but I realize I probably should. My most recent interview was June 13 and I was informed of the decision last Wednesday. </p>

<p>I've known my boss for perhaps five years and over time I have become much more comfortable around her. She knows I have been having difficulty applying for jobs and she is willing to help me. I have never disclosed my NLD to anyone at work and am wondering if should discuss it with her. </p>

<p>While I love my current position, it is not enough hours and I don't want to be stuck doing it forever. At the same time, I'm afraid of leaving it completely because it is comfortable and familiar and yet I'm bored and want challenges and new responsibilities. </p>

<p>Educationally, I have one more course to complete to finish my AA-Transfer which I hope to do in the fall. Ideally I'd transfer to a four year school next summer or fall. In the meantime I'm not sure what to do regarding my job search. </p>

<p>I own the book Employment for Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome or Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities. I'll read it again and I've also placed holds on similar books at the library. </p>

<p>Any suggestions would be appreciated.</p>

<p>Why don’t you talk with your supervisor about how the interviews went. She may be able to give you some feedback that will help you perform better in a future interview. If she knows the people who were hiring earlier, she may be able to get some information from them. It is possible that your problem wasn’t with the interviews at all!</p>

<p>“I’m sure my poor interview skills are the reason why I was not hired” - Maybe yes, maybe no. If there is a glut of librarian candidates in your area with degrees (like around here), it may be that they are getting preference.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t tell your current supervisor about your issues. If she is going to act as a reference, she may accidentally tell a prospective employer about them, and if the new employer knows about them, they may desire not to hire you. </p>

<p>She’s not likely to get any information from a company that you interviewed with about how well you interviewed, unless she knows them intimately. Few companies are permitted to tell someone besides the person who was interviewed anything, and even fewer are going to give out information even if they are allowed to.</p>

<p>Don’t by any means assume that sinply because you didn’t get hired that it means that you blew the interviews. There could be any of a thousand different reasons that you didn’t get hired. They may have hired their next door neighbor. Or someone’s cousin. Or someone who has completed their Associate’s Degree (or Bachelor’s Degree). Or someone with significantly better experience than you.</p>

<p>Lots of people are going on lots of interviews these days and not getting hired. Sometimes it’s because they interview poorly, but more likely it’s because of one of the reasons mentioned above.</p>

<p>I interview people for a living. My recommendation to you is to keep looking for other jobs. At the same time, it can’t hurt for you to work at improving your interviewing skills. You can often get free help from the unemployment office, as a start.</p>

<p>I would definitely keep your current job until you have another one. This is not the economy for taking chances.</p>

<p>A problem with interview skills is good news, because it is so easy to fix. Actual job performance is way more complicated, but interview skills can be learned. There are books on the topic, and you could also find some trusted people in your private life (family members, for example) to role play with you. This would hopefully be folks with experience hiring people themselves. Practice this stuff because it makes a world of difference.</p>

<p>Lastly, don’t take rejection too personally. While you may have some things you can improve on, changing jobs today is difficult.</p>