I have posted on numerous occasions here in the past about the significant difficulties experienced in advancing in HR and have fully taken onboard all the good advice given.
However, and despite of all of that, 'I simply can't get the job.' I do and try my very best yet the door remains fully, resolutely and firmly locked, off limits and blocked.
In such a scenario, I look to see if I can identify any certain or hidden patterns, trends and clues to see if there is any underlying common denominator either indirectly causing and / or directly contributing to this.
To cut to the very chase here, I have a combination of very mild Autism, slight Asperger's Syndrome and light Dyspraxia which essentially affects me in the following ways:
Difficulties with Social Communication:
* Difficulty imagining what others may be thinking or feeling;
* Difficulty adapting my communication style to take into account who I am talking to and the social expectations of the situation;
* Difficulty 'reading' other people and working out their motivations and intentions;
* Difficulty understanding humour and sarcasm;
* Difficulty using language to talk about my feelings;
* Taking things literally;
* A tendency to dominate the conversation with what interests me;
* Logical and truthful to an extent that may inadvertently to hurtful/irritating to others;
Difficulties with Social Interaction:
* Difficulty managing social boundaries e.g. identifying 'safe' topics of conversation for different levels of friendship;
* Acutely aware of my 'difference' from others and a feeling of 'being on the periphery'
* Difficulty developing relationships from acquaintance to friend;
* A logical and unemotional approach to social interaction and social relationships.
Whether or not it is considered to be a type of disability under the Equality Act 2010 or a hidden difference in overall style and approach, I have it and I am what I am. You cannot alter your personality nor who and what you are.
Therefore, in all of your professional opinions here, could this well be 'one' of the key factors which is contributing to difficulties in getting jobs in HR?
I fully accept and have come to terms with the fact that I am not 'normal' in the very strictest sense of the word and can also differ significantly from the vast majority of ordinary and average people across the whole spectrum of society and walks of life, but how does this go or people find, view or take it in a profession such as HR?
In closing, I feel that it is not so much a case of what people think, say or feel, but what they don't think, say or feel once you have left the interview room.
