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Harnessing your interests

Harnessing your interests

Key points

  • Some people turn their deep interests into a career path. 

  • Depending on their interests, transforming a passion into a career can be easier for some people than others.

  • If you need help, there are a number of things you can do: talk to a trusted friend or family member, talk to your workplace supervisor or seek professional help, including contacting a confidential support helpline. 

 

Turning interests into a career

Some people turn their interests into a career. This way, they can make money from following their passions! 

Here are some examples of autistic people who have turned their strengths and interests into successful job and career opportunities.

  • Isaac Doman is a young South Australian filmmaker whose eye for detail contributes to his artistry. 

  • Rosie King, a young writer, and public speaker has an amazing imagination thanks to her autism. Hear her story in this TED Talk.

  • Hamish Finlayson is a young entrepreneur who is combining his skills in coding and app development with his passion to make the world a better place.

Depending on their interests, transforming a passion into a career can be easier for some people than others. For instance, a person with in-depth knowledge of sea creatures may be attracted to further study and job opportunities in the marine biology field. Alternatively, someone with a deep love of Harry Potter books might need to think more broadly with their career path – perhaps as a librarian, a bookseller, or a creative writer. There are plenty of university lecturers who specialise in fantasy literature – so don’t ever count yourself out! Some people even ‘invent’ their own job positions that didn’t previously exist and work for themselves providing a service to others!

Remember that not everyone necessarily wants (or is able) to adapt their deep interest into a job, and that’s perfectly acceptable too. Some people prefer to keep their deep interest as a hobby that brings them a personal source of joy, without the pressure of having to earn money from it.

AutismCRC

myWAY Employability is an initiative of Autism CRC, the independent national source of evidence for best practice in relation to autism.

myWAY Employability was developed with funding from the Australian Government.

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