I’m Thea Lewis and I am the Director of Professional Development at Weil, Gotshal and Manges, which is an international law firm head quartered in New York. I have worked in the London office for 25 years.
I have been recently diagnosed with autism. I’m 46 so it is a late diagnosis which came about following my daughter being diagnosed with autism last year. It wasn’t any great surprise to me as I’ve always known that there was ‘something’. I was actually diagnosed with bi-polar disorder back in 2014 however it is now clear that it was a misdiagnosis.
There is a huge amount of masking in my autism; huge, massive! Whether you look at masking within autism being a positive thing or not, I think I have had a really successful career despite the additional challenges of my autism.
In terms of my career journey, I certainly couldn’t have had the career I’ve had without the support and understanding of my organisation. I started at Weil 25 years ago, as an admin assistant. I then moved over to Human Resources where I did various roles, and I am now Director of Professional Development. I’m also a coach and am incredibly intuitive of the feelings and emotions of those I coach, to the extent of almost being hyper-sensitive. Hence, I believe my condition helps me in my role although there can also be pitfalls and downsides to it as well.
When I joined Weil, I didn’t have any degree level qualifications however since being here I have done my CIPD qualification to degree level and have achieved a masters in coaching. I did this studying part-time whilst working full-time.
An interview is something that puts the fear of God in me, and I remember very clearly all of the interviews I have ever done prior to Weil including the people who interviewed me, and the questions they asked. For me, the anxiety levels are enormous. I can clearly remember, sitting in our reception, waiting for someone to turn up, and physically sweating, shaking, and being desperately nervous. Once the interview had started and I was in my flow I would be okay, however the lead into it was excruciating and for days prior I would feel desperately nervous and sick.
Everything Weil has done for me isn’t because of my diagnosis because that is so recent; instead what they have done is supported me in a very humane way by just understanding who I am. I recognise that I can be a bit quirky sometimes, I can be a bit outspoken, and I often repeat myself; this has all been accepted as just who I am. From a neurodiverse perspective this is fabulous, it has enabled me to succeed.
In terms of seeking support and adjustments, we have a disability network, which I co-chair with our managing partner. The network is well publicised, and people are invited to join whenever they wish to. This is the place to go to ask questions or to be involved in what we are doing in the disability space.
In addition, our HR department are incredibly supportive. They are very approachable, and you can talk to them about disability and be open and honest with them knowing that no request or suggestion is too silly. I have also been diagnosed with dyslexia, and HR put all sorts of supports in place to make working easier for me.
There is practical support available such as apps, however the most important aspect is the support and understanding. I have a plan in place so that if anything goes wrong within the workplace, there is a guide showing who to contact. In addition, because I so heavily mask my autism, I get extraordinarily exhausted so, contractually I only have to do two days in the office and the rest of the time I can work from home. This is a massive relief since, although I will often work more days in the office, if I feel that I can’t do more than two days, I know I don’t have to.
I do believe that my autism brings great skills which are relevant to the workplace and to my coaching role including enhanced empathy and the skill to connect with people. I also think it gives me the ability to be really direct about things, which can be an advantage. Law firms can tend to over complicate things however my simplistic, straightforward approach is sometimes what is needed as I’m able to cut through some of the ‘nonsense’.
The key advice I would give to students and graduates going through the recruitment process is:
Own your disability and be proud of it.
Focus on the additional skills that your disability gives you and how can that benefit a role/organisation.
Understand what success looks like for you and be proud of what you have achieved.