Careers

1. Respond

3. Internal interview

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.”

When Priscilla still worked in an open-plan office at her old job, she was tired at the end of the day and often had a headache due to overstimulation. She therefore really enjoyed working from home during the Corona period. “I had a lot of fun with my colleagues, but being around people all the time often cost me so much energy that I had little energy left for my work. Towards the end of the working from home period, I came across an article online about auticon Netherlands that talked about a low-stimulus working environment.”

Priscilla’s interest was aroused and she has been working with us with great enthusiasm ever since. “I really like that I have the opportunity to work both at home and in the office. I have been a member of the Works Council for almost a year now, so I always come to the office for Works Council meetings. Then I can work from home again to de-stress and focus on analytical work. I really like this way of working.”