Hi,
I've been searching for a role for well over 2 years now. During my search, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 1 which allowed me to get professional help and narrowed what I need in a workplace to be healthy. I moved out of my previous state (reason was personal). I'm out of all money I've saved up from my previous jobs and survive off of contract work I sell locally (usually basic IT work).
I'm a quick learner, am very good at reading body language, contribute to open source, and attend meetings.
I dropped out of college and am almost through with an online program but am unable to pay tuition currently. I can do loans but am struggling with bills (especially health) so I'd rather establish stability first.
I feel extremely agitated at the majority of conversations in interviews (I prefer genuine connection) and refuse to do another damn coding assignment.
All I want is a role that will accommodate my mental disorder, provide growth, operate ethically, and pay market rate. Feedback (if any) is usually I don't go with the flow (I'm stubborn), lots of passion but lacks experience (I have a diverse background), or "skills/qualification doesn't match".
I'm not willing to compromise on what I need in a workplace as I don't want my disorder to impact my physical health as it has in the past with hostile environments.
Stories? Advice?
Looking for feedback that is helpful for advancing the status quo besides roll over and deal with it.
EDIT: I have 5-10 years of experience, go to conferences, and present when I can (public speaking <3).
Advice: Don't sweat the coding questions if they exist, just do the best you can, try to explain the way you think, and realize that they don't count for 100% of the hire/no-hire decision at all of the companies that give them...
Also, I like to point potential employers to Joel Spolsky's "The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing" https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2006/10/25/the-guerrilla-guid...
If they read it but disagree with it, I don't count it against them.
If they read it and agree with it, that's a huge positive. I might be able to overlook other flaws in their software development process and take the job...
If they don't read it, BIG RED FLAG!!! What else are they not going to listen to if/when you propose it? A job should be a two-way street with employees doing what they are told, but at the same time constantly proposing ways to improve their employers' processes! Even if employers do not accept those proposals (totally OK, they are the employer after all), they should at least have the common courtesy to READ anything reasonable, and RESPOND to those things, with the EXACT REASONS as to WHY those proposals are unacceptable!!!
If a potential employer, pre-hire, won't read a web page you send them, and won't comment on it in such a way as to provide actionable intelligence one way, or the exact reason WHY on the other... that's a BIG RED FLAG!!!
Also... for an alternative viewpoint on Mental Illness, you might wish to read "The Myth Of Mental Illness" by Dr. Thomas Szasz, M.D. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Mental_Illness
"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results" -Albert Einstein