Careers

Skills Analysis

Our Skills Analysis is a one day event that can happen online or on site. It was developed in partnership with researchers from the Freie Universität (Berlin) and a group of autistic stakeholders. It lasts one day and aims to assess the cognitive and technical strengths that we value in our consultants. Based on the results of the skills analysis, successful candidates are invited to participate in our recruitment seminar.

The Recruitment Seminar

The Recruitment Seminar lasts 3 days and brings together a small group of 4 to 6 candidates, supervised by job coaches. It includes workshops, group exercises and individual exercises. This phase allows us not only to give tools to candidates facilitating their integration into a team in a company, but also to assess their level of adaptability to the world of work in an ordinary environment (with our clients), their strengths and possible difficulties in terms of stress management, fatigability, communication and their coaching needs.

The beginner

Stefan was diagnosed as autistic as a child and received a lot of support from his parents. He went to an inclusive elementary school, and even though there was some teasing, there was a cohesion among the kids. Stefan has not experienced the bullying that some colleagues at auticon experienced during their school years. He only had negative experiences at high school: there were often misunderstandings and he had difficulties because of the loud, sometimes very aggressive teenagers in his class. During his education and later in job interviews he often felt unfair and badly evaluated, but he didn’t know what the problem was and how to change it. Then he read about auticon in a magazine and applied there. He started only four weeks ago and was assigned to a tandem project with a mentor who is also autistic. He can contribute his expertise well and learns something new every day.

“At auticon, I don’t have to constantly explain what I can do and why I am the way I am. Working in a team at the client is pleasant, because everyone knows that we are autistic, and my job coach supports me in my development. This gives me a lot of peace of mind and security and is simply a very good start to my career.”

The Senior Consultant

Tina is 46 years old and a real autodidact when it comes to programming. Therefore, she became an independent software developer right away after he dropped out of his studies in physics. Before she came to auticon, Tina was 15 years self-employed. During this time, she got to know a lot of different companies and people. However, she also was working till he was very exhausted and suffered from several burnouts. About 2 years ago, Tina was diagnosed as autistic. This diagnosis made her overthink different aspects of her life, also including her profession. Together with her husband she decided to quit self-employment and apply for a position at auticon. Tina has a trustful relationship with her Job Coach and appreciates his help in structuring her working day.

“Since my first contact during the application process, I really feel comfortable in working at auticon. At the beginning it was unfamiliar for me to work in a real company. Meanwhile, I was introduced to everything, and I highly appreciate the working environment. In my current project I am also taking on the role of a mentor and so I am sharing my knowledge with a new colleague.”

The mentor

Andrew is fascinated by puzzles, read detective stories as a child and is now writing his own thriller. The protagonist is a detective who – like Andrew himself – was diagnosed with autism at the age of 30 and who thinks particularly logically and analytically. Andrew is proud to be autistic and to be able to do things better than others. The idea behind auticon to put autistic people on an equal footing professionally is exactly in line with his attitude, and that’s why he wants to support auticon, even though he could achieve more professionally. He is an excellent solution architect who worked in IT companies for 12 years before auticon and got along there because he “masked” himself. It is important to him that he does not have to do that at auticon and with the customers and that he can pass on his experience to younger autistic people, which is why he stays at auticon. He also enjoys the projects and the internal workshops and discussions with management, through which he can also contribute to auticon’s further development.

“auticon is important for society and a lifeline for many autistic people. I support that. And I am a solution architect with heart and soul. Although I already have a very broad technical know-how and a lot of experience, I can still develop further in my customer projects at auticon.”

Before joining auticonsult’s team in France, IT Consultant Laura R. worked for 15 years in many different fields, including banks, finance companies, and even a craft shop. She struggled to stay with a company for more than a year, which caused her stress and confusion. “I had issues with my colleagues and management but didn’t understand why,” she says. “Sometimes I got fired without warning or got bored and resigned because I didn’t feel challenged anymore.” 

Two years ago, she was diagnosed as autistic. 

Today, she works on software and data projects, applying her skills in solving problems and improving processes for clients. “What I really love in my job at auticonsult is that I finally feel safe at work,” she says, indicating that she feels less tired and can focus better on her job, without the social stresses that challenged her in previous roles. “For the first time in my career, I feel trusted and supported, and it helps a lot.”