Sher’s story

Sher reflects on her journey finding employment while living with autism and anxiety, and how support from Into Work helped her build confidence.

"With the right support, you can build your confidence over time and move towards work in a way that feels right for you"

Navigating health and self- belief

I live with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and have a lot of anxiety around work, maintaining stability and my physical health. Unfortunately, for a long time, I didn’t feel listened to by medical professionals, which has really impacted my confidence and self-belief.

Support when I wasn’t ready to work

With everything going on with my health, I wasn’t ready to work yet, so my local Jobcentre referred me to the Into Work programme. An Employment Specialist sat with me to look at developing my CV and confidence. They also helped me when I was emotionally distressed and needed to speak to clinical teams about my health.

At one point, I remember my Employment Specialist contacted my doctor on my behalf to request a medication review. This led to my neurologist finally taking me seriously. I was so grateful and really felt that my Employment Specialist was going the extra mile to support me.

Building towards employment

It took a while to feel ready to start finding employment, but Into Work were really supportive when I said I wanted to focus on my wellbeing. I didn’t feel pressured to find a job; instead, my Employment Engagement Officer found two accountancy courses I could take in the meantime. I felt more confident and ready after this and attended an interview for a part-time finance role with a local charity.

Into Work offered me support for the first six months whilst I was settling in. I had weekly wellbeing check-ins; emotional reassurance; and support with routines, workload and managing adjustments. I noticed my medication was working, and I felt more stable and comfortable in the workplace, up to the point where I wanted to take on a full-time role.

I’m still working full-time as a Finance Administrator and have managed to enrol on a one-year software training course that I’ve paid for all by myself.

This journey has shown me that you don’t have to be ready straight away. With the right support, you can build your confidence over time and move towards work in a way that feels right for you.

Sher