Many students have questions about the search process for their next internship or job after graduation. Neurodiverse students have shared that many aspects of the job search are challenging, from navigating a career fair to the interview. Many students also have concerns about requesting reasonable accommodations and whether or not to self-disclose a disability.
We appreciate that this is a complex and individualized decision informed by multiple factors. We invite you to view the following resources created by Duke Career Center.
2. Self-disclosure: Student-Guide-to-Disclosure-in-the-Job-Search.pdf
3. Legal information: Disabilities_Definitions_Laws.pdf
The Career Center’s website also includes further discussion about the pros and cons of disclosure.
Job Opportunities
A growing number of companies have made a commitment hiring Neurodiverse individuals, recognizing the many important contributions that can be made through innovation and “thinking differently.” Additionally, these companies recognize that the traditional hiring and on-boarding process may put a neurodiverse individual at a disadvantage. In order to level the playing field some companies have chosen to offer alternative interview and on-boarding processes that allow an individual to demonstrate his or her talents in a lower stress way.
While we do not plan to maintain a comprehensive list of companies engaged in this model, below are a few examples that may be of interest.
- The DXC Dandelion Project
- EY
- LiNC-IT: Linking North Carolina with Innovative Talent
- Microsoft Autism Hiring Program
- Neurodiversity Career Connector
- SAP Autism at Work
- Specialisterne USA
Other Resources:
- Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage, Harvard Business Review
