Considering joining - hoping to chat with current/former female and/or autistic members
Hey folks, I've never used Reddit before, but I was told this is the best place to ask.
First of all, I'd like to ask you to be kind and avoid the "how can you possibly be considering this..." types of comments, my family already has those covered. 😅
To give a bit of context, I've admired the military and first responders since I was a small kid, but never considered a career because, well, my parents wouldn't even let me train in martial arts ("you're a girl, you're going to get hurt").
I'm also autistic (late-diagnosed at 29). My diagnosis helped me understand myself a lot better, and thanks to that, I managed to seek proper help, come up with strong coping strategies, and nowadays I'm able to do a lot of things I couldn't picture myself doing a few years ago (I'm in my mid 30s now).
Still, my family and friends think I'm being a bit too ambitious with this one. I've worked in tech for most of my life, and I'm quite petite (160cm).
I haven't fully decided yet, but I'm currently looking into either Comms/CIS or the Air Corps.
I would really like to hear from other women or autistic folks about their experience applying to or working in either area. (If you prefer to DM me rather than reply publicly, that's ok too)
My biggest concerns are:
- Gender discrimination: I've been in tech for more than a decade so I'm used to a male-dominated field, but I imagine defence might be 10x tougher on that front. Did you face a lot of this?
- Navigating the process: Is there anything you think could particularly "trip up" an autistic person during the application process or training? I know it is impossible to plan for every possible scenario, but I'm trying my best to prepare for as many as I can.
- Being naturalised: How are foreigners viewed in the Defence Forces? I'm Irish by naturalisation, not by birth. So I worry a bit about how that would be viewed.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can share. 🙏