My name is Jayne, I’m 31 years old and only recently diagnosed autistic at the age of 31. I am an illustrator who graduated in 2015 with a First-Class Honours in Illustration and Design.
The first thing I was told about working life at the age of 20, by a job centre coach was: “You need to be more realistic, you may have a degree in art and design, but let’s start with customer service.”
I had many different jobs throughout my 20s, and I had to leave quite a lot of them because of my anxiety and depression. One employer let me go after a week because I wasn’t working fast enough.
I have had 7 different jobs, all of which never seemed to fit. I wanted to find somewhere that made me feel safe, where I could improve my skills at my own pace.
Then I found Sea Change! During the interview for the role of front of house, I was asked “what did I need support with?” I couldn’t believe it! I went through countless interviews pretending to be someone I wasn’t, telling employers I thrived in pressured environments because I was desperate for a job. I once even lied about my sexuality on a job application, saying I was straight because I was worried I wouldn’t get the job if I stated I was queer and part of the LBGTQ+ community. I had to hide a lot of who I was to make sure I was employable.
Sea Change employed me for who I am and even encouraged me to be myself! At Sea Change I have been able to learn at my own pace, make friends with neurodivergent people like me, learn new skills and gain the confidence I never had.
