Looking for Work - A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 2)

Looking for Work – A Guide for Autistic and AuDHD People (Part 2)

This guide is the second part of a five-part Yellow Ladybugs series created with our community to support autistic and AuDHD people to navigate work in a way that actually reflects our lived experience.

Part 2 moves into the job search itself. Job ads. Applications. Interviews. Rejection. And all the hidden expectations that sit inside that process that many autistic and AuDHD people find exhausting, confusing or overwhelming but rarely see acknowledged in typical work advice.

It explores why the job search can feel so hard, not because you are incapable, but because recruitment systems often rely on social performance, unpredictability and communication styles that don’t come naturally to many of us. It talks honestly about masking in interviews, the pressure to “sell yourself”, and the emotional impact of rejection, especially for those who experience rejection sensitive dysphoria.

Throughout the guide you’ll find small, practical insights shared by our community that made a big difference for them. Things like asking for questions beforehand, bringing notes into interviews, pacing applications to avoid burnout, and recognising that you are also interviewing the workplace.

This guide reframes job seeking away from shame and towards safety, energy and sustainability, helping you approach the process in ways that protect your nervous system rather than drain it.

This is a digital PDF download and is Part 2 of the Yellow Ladybugs Work Resource Series.