Read a full transcript of this video.
Finding his first job
Facing the world of work is daunting for anyone when they finish school and look for their first job.
For Jarryd, and thousands of other young Australians every year, this next step in his life was made difficult due to challenges relating to his autism.
The process of deciding what would be a good job to search for, applying for work and how to act in an interview, all come with an increased pressure many of us are lucky enough not to experience.
Jarryd knew straight away he wanted to find a good job to start earning money and he was determined not to let his autism stop him from achieving his goals.
Getting the job
Eligible for support as a result of his autism, Jarryd registered with APM Employment Services for the Disability Employment Services program and quickly got to work on overcoming his challenges.
“It was a huge challenge to start with,” he said. “
The aspects of autism with the interviews and the process of trying to find jobs was just a bit overwhelming at the start. But APM helped me get through the initial shock of getting into the working world after I left school.”
Jarryd took part in activities with his dedicated employment consultant to help get used to the questions he would face and need to ask in an interview, as well as gaining support to address his anxiety about finding work.
Overcoming the anxiety of a job interview proved valuable for Jarryd when he was offered a role with secure document destruction firm Shred-X in Perth.
The weight of responsibility within his role doesn’t phase Jarryd as it might have before he made positive steps forward with APM and his new employer.
“I feel way more confident in myself and being able to do many more things that I wouldn’t have been able to do before I started working,” Jarryd said.
“This job has really helped me get over that confidence barrier and actually helped me have a happy life.”