Careers

Stage 2: Technical suitability

Entering this stage means that we have aligned your skills and experience with a project opportunity and would like to invite you to undertake the next stages of our recruitment process. At stage 2 we will:

• Ask you to complete the online technical assessment, if you’ve not completed it already, to provide you with an opportunity to showcase your technical skills in a practical way
• Invite you to have an informal conversation with our Technical Team held online via Microsoft Teams at a time suitable to you

The purpose of our informal conversations is to explore your suitability in more depth. We will provide you information about the topics covered in advance to allow you time to prepare.

Stage 3: Consulting suitability

Once we’re confident you have the technical skills required to be an auticon Consultant, we move on to gaining further evidence of strengths relevant to the role. We will:

• Invite you to complete an online cognitive assessment, in your own time, that demonstrates abilities in the areas of attention to detail, pattern recognition, error detection and sustained attention.
• Invite you to have an informal conversation with our Coaching Team held online via Microsoft Teams at a time suitable to you

This part is as much for you as it is for us. auticon can only be successful when our Consultants feel understood and supported. Our Coaching Team have many years of experience working with the autism community. Their goal is to learn who you are, the type of environment you need to thrive and how you would feel about scenarios that may arise in your role as a Consultant. We can start to discuss reasonable adjustments and what support you may benefit from if you join our team. They are also ready to answer questions you may have about auticon and our support model.

Stage 4: In-person meeting

Most of our recruitment process is virtual, but we feel it’s important to meet in person. This is an opportunity to meet the broader auticon team at one of our office locations and discuss the first client project we have in mind for you, as well as another chance to talk about the role of auticon Consultant more generally. We can also discuss start dates and other technicalities in more detail before hopefully making you an offer of employment to become a permanent member of the auticon team.

auticon is more than a job – it’s a community!

Associate

Stefan was diagnosed as autistic as a child and received a lot of support from his parents. He went to a mainstream primary school, and even though there was some teasing, he mostly got along well with the other kids. Unlike some of his auticon colleagues, Stefan wasn’t bullied, but he did start to have more 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 unfairly 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. He started only four weeks ago and has found the initial support of his job coach invaluable as he settles into his first client project. 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 peace of mind and security and feels like a good start to my career. I’m proud to work for a company with a strong social mission to change things for the better.”

Consultant

Tina is 46 years old and a self-taught programmer. She became an independent software developer straight after completing her degree in physics. Before she came to auticon, Tina was self-employed for 15 years. During this time, she built up a lot of industry experience, however, she found managing her workload difficult, often over-working  until she was exhausted and experienced burnouts. About 2 years ago, Tina was diagnosed as autistic. This diagnosis made her reconsider different aspects of her life, including her profession. She decided to move away from self-employment and apply for a position at auticon. Tina has a trusting relationship with her Job Coach and appreciates his help in structuring her working day and regulating her workflow to avoid undue stress and burnout.

“Since my first contact during the application process, I feel really comfortable working with auticon. In the beginning, it was unfamiliar for me to work in a company and not be self-employed. Now, I really appreciate the working environment. In my current project, I am also taking on the role of a mentor, so I am sharing my knowledge with a new colleague.”

Senior Consultant

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 proud of his specialist skills. The idea behind auticon – to put autistic people on an equal footing professionally – is exactly in line with his own values.  Andrew has made good friends at auticon and he really likes working somewhere that he feels he can be fully himself. He is an excellent solution architect who worked in IT companies for 12 years before auticon but spent a lot of his energy masking. It is important to him that he does not have to mask now and that he can pass on his experience to younger autistic people. He also enjoys the projects, internal workshops and discussions with management, and that he can contribute to auticon’s training and advisory programme and business development.  

“auticon is important for society and a lifeline for many autistic people. I am very happy to support auticon in raising awareness and improving understanding of neurodivergent people at work. I work on challenging customer projects for auticon and feel my skills are being appreciated and put to good use.  Working for an organisation that understands autism has made me feel I can be authentic at work and improved my mental health as a result.”

At University, Sarah felt understood and supported. However, after finishing her Ph.D., she found it hard to find a job; “Much of it was down to not knowing how to transfer my skills from my degree into a workplace setting. Job adverts for entry-level jobs were often worded in a way that asked for several years of experience as a requirement.”

Her pre-diagnosis experience had been draining; “I was in a job which required me to mask all day long, learning a script to cope with all the communications and interactions, and suppressing my sensory needs. It eventually led to burnout and having to leave the job.”

The adjustments Sarah now has in the workplace greatly increased her energy levels and reduced her anxiety, allowing her to be happier, cope with daily life tasks, and enjoy her free time. Working with auticon’s job coaches has helped Sarah develop coping mechanisms and identify her anxiety and potential burnout behaviors. The accepting community at auticon is also a significant factor, as it frees her from having to mask.

“I would also add that working in this understanding and supportive climate has helped me with my confidence and assertiveness,” She adds.