After graduating from a high school in Leesburg, Virginia, 20-year-old Ryan Lowry was ready to take the next step in his life – get a full-time job. With the help of his father, he created a profile on LinkedIn and began searching for work near and far. In an effort to drum up interest in him as an employee, Lowry handwrote a cover letter explaining why potential employers should take a chance with him and give him a shot on the team.
Lowry was diagnosed with autism when he was young. Although the mental disability has affected him throughout his life, Lowry can still function well and is ready to get into the workforce. With the help of his dad, he was able to get started on LinkedIn, where he is making new connections and hunting for work in the IT industry or as an animator.
However, it is Lowry’s handwritten letter that has gone viral across the internet. Now that six million people have seen it (and counting), companies like Amazon and Microsoft have connected with Lowry about a possible job opportunity.
“My name is Ryan Lowry. I am nineteen-years-old, live in Leesburg, Virginia, and I have autism,” Lowry wrote in his now-viral letter. “I also have a unique sense of humor, am gifted at math, really good with technology, and a really quick learner.
“I am interested in a job in animation or in IT. I realize that someone like you will have to take a chance on me. I don’t learn as typical people do. I would need a mentor to teach me, but I learn quickly. Once you explain it, I get it. I promise that if you hire me and teach me, you’ll be glad that you did. I will show up every day, do what you tell me to do, and work really hard.
“Please let me know if you would like to talk about this with me. Thank you.”
Lowry shared the image of his cover letter on LinkedIn along with a caption that stated: “Please see my letter to future employers.”
Parents Rob and Tracy Lowry are happy to report that there is some interest in companies hiring their son. The family said that Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft had approached the family because they have neurodiversity recruitment programs, which would suit Lowry very well.
“There have been a lot of people who want to talk with him,” Tracy told WJLA. “I’m very proud of him. Every mom wants their children to grow up and have a life and support themselves and be independent, and just the fact that he put himself out there and he’s handling it, and we are hearing from people, and it’s just amazing.”
His dad Ryan told TODAY, “Ryan is capable of so much. The goal here for Ryan is independence. He can live in our basement for the rest of his life. We’d love it. But Tracy and I are going to die someday, and he needs to be able to live independently. We’re cautiously optimistic.”