My Thoughts on Working at a fast pace job with a disability

My Thoughts on working at a fast pace job with a disability The job experience working with a disability have been very difficult. I can say this first hand because I have overcome the ups and downs of working in a fast pace job environment. It is very competitive and very demanding. I can say it has been very hard after 2 jobs in almost 2 or 3 in a half years. The jobs didn’t cater to human beings with disabilities. I have as a person with Autism and mental illness, I have been overlooked what kind of job(s) I can do. I feel that working like I have been have kept me from being accepted in this world. It is sad and complicated that I know I do not feel accepted with my mental illness. These 2 or 3 in a half years of working really changed my life. I was not fully prepared what work was on my own. In my life, I consider working with my dad as a job, which he sold incenses and cut lawns. That was a business he had. It still has me wondering what work would be like without working with someone. My dad taught me the important lesson of working for myself. I took it as that I don’t work for just anyone, but find my work to do. I always was amazed how much my dad worked half of his life before he gave up working for the “white man” he called it. He really wanted me to work for myself and feel proud of my hard work. My dad is still my inspiration to this day from me working hard. I felt like all my life, I did not let Autism or any mental illness keep me from anything. I try so hard to not be hard on myself working when I do. I like to feel a sense of pride that all I can do is my very best. That is what I always have lived by…my very best. It helps me to ask questions when I need it and perform my duties at work. Autism sometimes kept me hidden for a long time when I finally accepted myself. It is very hard to battle a disorder that you cannot help. The challenges of working with a disability is rough for me. There were days that I did not know how I was going to get through with work. It got me through each day as a new start to complete my work. I can truly say that I have made it over jobs that kept me from giving up in the beginning. Now, looking back, I should have more time to really understand the real deal of work. It does take the dedication and effort doing the work. My first job experience happened for an interview, back in October 2015. I first applied at Taco Bell. I went in confident and knew I would get the job. I didn’t realize it would be very fast paced and emulous with the work. There were employees there that I never met and started to get to know. There was an orientation, which included tests and I had to pass them. I had the help with a job coach. I had passed the quizzes and exams to be a “food champion.” My job as a “food champion” was preparing food items, thermalize food ingredients (cold and hot). I thermalize the nacho cheese and beef. It was all packed and ready to be cooked at a certain degree. I clean, wash dishes and that was about it. Oh, I also took out the garbage for my shift. All of that made the time go fast at work. Mind you, this was my first job and I was being trained what I had to do. I was working twenty-twenty-five hours a week at Taco Bell and had to make sure I was not going over the amount of hours to work. It was part time, the job and it was working out for a few months. I started work officially, November 16, 2015. I had been working the Taco Bell close by my apartment, in Canterbury Green, for six or seven months. I did felt the pressure to work on days where the work got to me. I felt that I was the only one working that dealt with my mental illness. Luckily, I had a team of employees that helped me get along with work. Some of the employees or workers were not able to always help me. We had to work at a pace where food had to be sold fast. We had to get the orders made right and there was no mess ups. We were all humans and got orders wrong sometimes. I know I was capable to mess up. My job was in the back, working to make the food taste and look great. The days I worked was in the beginning early afternoons to late evenings. I could not work mornings or late nights because of my benefits. That was my downfall as the reason for me working now. I cannot work over certain amount of hours or my benefits will be deducted. It is very important that I continue to work at 15-20 hours a week. It would be terrible for me to lose my benefits. So, I continue to work at Taco Bell and after a while, I just did not get supported entirely. I found that job on my own and soon, I received help from a company with Benchmark and a job coach. I was deeply disappointed and let down. I had enough and finally quit after sometime. I felt that I was not praised for my hard work. I had every right to walk away from the job and quit. It took me a while to let the job go but I can say that it was well worth it. It took me about six months to regroup and work again. I caution myself to be warned what I was getting into working. It became so much for me to learn so much work at Taco Bell over six months. I started working again in January 2017, now this recent job I had worked me twenty hours or varies. I was working twenty hours a week; six hours a day on two or four days a week. This job was at the Memorial Coliseum. I was a utility worker which I was a dishwasher. I hand wash the dishes and put them away. Usually, I would be in more than one space making sure the kitchen was neat. This job was the most stressful because it was a company…a million-dollar company at that. The pay is good and raises every week. The first couple of days I got lost in the Coliseum. It is a big place and many entrances. Again, the job is lasting a couple of months or less weeks. I just tried it to see if I wanted to work. I have many regrets, there was also a position which I applied but was not available at the time. I had regrets taking the position, but at the same time, I gone far because I went through it. God helped me get through it but I step out of my comfort zone. I know when I get to apply for jobs…I know that my experiences working will matter. It will be more job experience for me. Next time, I will be more open to finding a job that will work with my hours, my talents, my goals, and creativity. God helped me through it all and I can say that I will not be rushed finding a job. I will take my time and really evaluate the job with the right energy, commitment, and being engaged (or that means the same thing.) Anyone reading this, if you have a disabilit(es) or mental illness, don’t let work or anything stop you. It just means WE must fight a little bit harder to be apart of the growing work population. WE, with mental illness matter in the work society. WE have a voice that can change how our boss and employers’ minds see how we work. WE can’t work less than other workers or we will feel less comfortable on the job. I say this because WE all with mental illness are not alone!!!