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As many of you know by now, I have been in retail/customer service for almost 20 years with a strong likely career change in the cards. But as I prepare to likely close the book on my retail industry, I often wonder to myself about the next generation of neurodivergent/physically different individuals seeking employment. Now, to be frank, I was only put into retail on account that there were plenty of retail jobs out there. Plus, I wasn’t fully self-aware of myself back when I first started working right out of high school in 2007.
The fact of the matter is that I see a lot of developmentally/physically different individuals in retail and it’s important to remember that there are plenty of jobs out there that are just not in retail. Sure, working in retail does have it’s advantages such as guaranteed human interaction at least for some people.
But the truth of the matter is that for some developmentally/physically different individuals, working in retail is a nightmare. Just the sensory issues, dealing with angry/impatient customers and colleagues as well as dealing with the unknown of the job is enough to drive up anyone’s anxiety level.
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Then there is the matter of the job placement agencies that often view retail and customer service as the only viable option when it’s really not. I get that some families want neurodivergent individuals to have that social contact, but that can be easier said than done. The mind is easily made to believe that you will get a lot out of working in retail and nothing more. When the revelation comes that it is not what you envisioned the job would be, you would want to demand a less than stressful job that better suits your needs.
In my presentation, “The Man Behind the Curtain,” one of the key points I discuss is for the fit to be found, not forced. We have seen plenty of neurodivergent job seekers that end up in a situation that is forced upon them. Now, I ask myself, was I forced into my day jobs rather than being naturally fit into them?
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My answer would be yes and no. Yes, on account that back in 2007, I never had the privilege to properly transition from high school to post secondary life. It was forced upon me rather than found and while there were some transitional classes offered in high school, particularly on the social skills level, it wasn’t enough.
In terms of no, working in retail allowed me to further develop my ability as a public speaker such as saying the same damn words over and over again at my first day job while also holding a stuffed bear named Beckett that I would have to constantly try and upsell.
Saying the same stuff over and over was in a sense, an introduction to what I do now as a public speaker because I do have to say the same spiel over and over again. I experienced that when I did my self-training on the Brony convention circuit where I attended the same panel over and over again and the same words would be said.
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However, for some developmentally/physically different people, being in the retail industry is in fact a life sentence because all they can do is work retail jobs because of the fact that they display behaviors or differences that would otherwise not work in other industries. Believe me, I have seen people at my current day job that can only function in retail and retail alone.
As for yours truly, I know that I am far above retail/customer service at this point in time. I am a business owner in running “Going the Distance” since 2021 and the only thing I can do is take what I learned from my nearly 20 years in retail and put it into my proprietorship. This is because every day, there are developmentally/physically different individuals looking for work and I will need to share my retail experience as a story that my audience can be inspired.
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Catch you all later!!
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