Math job for ND man with BS in Physics
A dear family friend is a neurodivergent 33-year-old man who is struggling to find a job.
He is pleasant, kind, likes to talk to people, has good personal hygiene, and has an excellent natural aptitude for math.
Apparently when he gets into job interview situations he freezes up and does not make a good impression.
He also hasn't been able to get his driver's license, due to anxiety. This limits his job options.
He is too high-functioning to have qualified for Regional Center services, so he is not eligible for some of their fine job placement agencies.
I advised him to return to tutoingr math for the time being, and to consider getting a teaching credential. He says he wants to have a job now and is not ready to go back to school.
He did well in undergrad physics at a Northern California private college. But it is difficult for someone with a BS in physics to compete with so many talented people who have a MS and above.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Parent Replies
Has he registered with the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR)? they offer educational and vocational support. They actually take on a wide range of clients than many people think. Another good resource could be Evolibri in Santa Clara - they offer job and career coaching for neurodivergent individuals. If he's interested in tutoring, try reaching out to TutorCorps, (a large local tutoring company) as they work with many students with learning differences, attention problems and other neurodiversities, so I'd imagine they might be more aware/sensitive to the need to accommodate people through the interview process.
Substitute teachers are always highly needed, especially if they can sub for math and actually teach/help the students with their work! It's a great way to see if he even likes teaching/being around kids and what ages he might prefer to work with.
Three thoughts. 1) Taaching math is as much about fostering relationships between the students and with the students as it is about the math -- you have to know the math, but the place I've seen new teachers struggle is the social relationships, and organization. Unless he's interested in that, probably teaching would not be a good fit. 2) He /you/ his parents might talk further with the regional center. A college grad in my family who had a LD would have been able to get services from them. If he had an IEP or a 504 in K-12, he is probably eligible. (The family member went on another path, back to grad school.) 3) A graduate degree is probably a good idea because you can enter the job market at a different place.
Look for companies that have a neurodivergent employee resource group. It's a promising sign that a company is at least not hostile and possibly welcoming/accommodating of neurodivergent applicants.
Specifically, he could look at DNV (https://jobs.dnv.com/) for analyst openings. I didn't see anything I though was appropriate when I looked just now (lots of senior or engineering postings), but junior analyst positions often come up that I think your friend would be a good fit for.
Maybe look into tthe California department of rehab? They help people with disabilities get into the workforce. I’m not sure exactly what they offer but it’s definitely worth checking into. Offices are local so he would call the office in the town where he lives. It’s great that you are helping him! It sounds like he could be successful in the right situation.
Have you tried Jewish Vocational Services (JVS)?