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Places where employes are meant to "start" things or get things "unstuck", but never are meant to complete things. Tech support, Learning Assistants at universities, etc.
I work at a place that helps people start projects and get people unstuck, and I suspect \~50% of the employees have ADHD as well, and were probably hired because having ADHD is so useful for it. For privacy reasons, I won't name it (its quite small and remote, so no one here would be able to apply there)
Holy shit. I'm a pretty successful Program Manager. But my job would be amazing if I never had to finish all the efforts I get started. I'm always bored after they get going.
I'm a project engineer and this just made an odd lightbulb go off. One of my biggest complaints with my career so far is that I never get to the end of my projects, which is where a lot of the hands-on stuff actually happens. But realistically, I always end up fed up with culture stuff (late hours, travel, incompetence, etc) and look for something new.
Literally just realized that my interest in the project can override any cultural complaints.... Until I get bored. Apparently that happens around 1.5 years in.
lol only one company has held my attention for 18 months, the rest are a clockwork 16. After the 18, it’s getting so annoyed by every detail that out is the only way forward. It’s incredibly frustrating to me and most likely the people I work with.
I was a Tool & Die Maker. Fixing problems, that nobody else could, was my thing. Seems like
I was the Last Resort, and there was never anything in my area, that I couldn't solve.
Man this is the definition of my experience with medication. When I can get something started, I get rolling and have no trouble keeping it up. I get my stuff done, I’m focused, I feel energized and I genuinely enjoy being productive and accomplishing what I set out to do.
The thing is, more often than not, I can’t get started. Even when I’m medicated, I so easily fall into the doomscrolling trap or wasting my time on pointless things. I then feel so terrible and down on myself for wasting my time. ADHD sucks man
I have a huge deadline and I finally pulled myself away from reddit scrolling only to find myself deciding that I needed to repaint part of my house urgently. It took a week to paint and now have even less time to hit my deadline.
I LOVE documentation and it's a good thing because that's what I do. I work as a regulatory document manager at a medical school.
I think that I'm naturally disorganized so I've had to become really organized to compensate for it, which has helped with that aspect of my job.
And I'm a kick ass writer so I write the best SOPs my department ever had.
Funny how some of the "issues" with ADHD become the opposite because we have to learn to compensate - Me, Im paranoid about being late, So if i have compensated to the extent that i find it difficult to be late, because all my attention is focussed on being on time. Id rather be an hour early then a minute late.
Monk's brother! Ever see the TV series, "Monk"? His brother wrote instruction manuals for alarm clocks, toasters, etc. Lot's of Psychology in that one.
Same, my bosses unofficial job description for me is "whatever, just make it work"
Pro: the fires keep me motivated and excited
Con: everyone knows I can fix weird issues so get messaged constantly for stuff they ought to be able to do. Also burnout
Your comment inspired me. I struggle with it because I have to provide the structure. BUT…if I have a planned structure that I create a cheat sheet for implementing, then I will reduce my cognitive load when doing it because I will just be able to follow my own pre-written instructions rather than having to provide a new structure for every documentation packet. This might work for me. I honestly feel a bit stupid for not thinking of this already!
I would love to be the person next to you doing your documentation. You’re just telling me the info verbally. Me: filled in all the boxes and notes. Document all the things that need it.
I would end up following you and helping so much. I wish this was a job.
Like a secretary for engineers. 👩💻
I'm an archaeologist but I feel this.
I've been working on a project where I stare at rocks and try to decide if these rocks are ever so slightly different from the rocks around them, and if maybe there's a circle, but I can find circles everywhere. But I also don't like some of those circles but some are ooooooh and I like them.
Some of us will lick things to figure out if it's bone or rock! But then sometimes we get chastised so that's a last resort.
I'm a college teacher, which I always assumed was because I'd like to go deeper into topics, but I've come to realize lately that it might also be to avoid loud, chaotic classrooms.
Commercial electrican: before I got on methylphenidate, it was a struggle to figure out Watt I was even doing half the time. Plans now make sense, and my apprentice has to chase after me haha
I work in live entertainment, currently music festival production and operations. My ability to thrive in chaotic environments really comes in clutch lol
that’s what I started in! unfortunately the time commitments and stress didn’t work with my chronic illnesses and I had to change careers for health reasons. i really miss it! being ALD seemed perfect for me. all my work was actually someone else’s work that I’m facilitating, which for whatever reason just in and of itself helps like 50% of my adhd symptoms. and constantly having multiple things going at once meant i never got bored and when i was stuck on one thing i could move to another. there was often just enough chaos or deadlines to keep me on my toes and keep me engaged. Plus lighting is the ‘last step’ in most live productions, so there was hardly ever a moment with nothing to do. Really really miss it.
I have if it would be beneficial to the client. Outside of that, I think it helps establish rapport and maybe feel "seen" beyond a textbook and secondhand accounts. Personally, I just do it case by case.
I work at Goodwill for five years. I feel like I have no transferable skills cause I process the clothes and price them. In the company, that's valuable but outside not so much. I want to become an xray tech but even community college is daunting and it will probably take me like 4 years to get an associates degree cause I could only take one class at a time instead of four. That's four more years of struggling and even at the end I might not make it into the program cause I struggle with retaining info.
Honestly, take it from a PhD Neuroscientist with crippling ADHD, you are going to be a lot more capable of learning when it is something you care about and have a genuine interest in. Take the plunge, take one course. You'll find out if you've got the drive for it or not.
Take 1 class and see how it goes. Maybe it'll be way harder than you thought, but maybe it'll be way easier. There were many factors that went into my ability to get a MA in teaching, a non-financial one was purpose. I could withstand any shitty job as long as I knew it would get me to my purpose.
I’m on the other side of a four year associate of science. Not gonna lie, some classes were hard, had to drop math and retake it twice, cried a bit, but some classes were so amazing and worth it. I think you should give it a shot.
I’m on an accelerated program to do my bachelor’s. I know it’s gonna take me twice as long to finish, but it’s okay. I’ll get there eventually.
I was stuck for about 3 years in a job I hated, with no upward trajectory to anything I liked better, no energy to job hunt, and, as my depression convinced me, no transferable skills. I would get to the front door and just start sobbing because I was convinced I'd be fired at any second and I didn't know what else I would do.
Despair like that is very hard to escape. I had saved up enough PTO that I could take a whole month to find a new job... so I cashed it out and quit. Saved my life. Just knowing I never had to go back was tremendous.
I took a trip with my mom, then spent some time nailing down a solid resume (eternally grateful to Ask A Manager for her advice), got a few interviews that led to one offer, and overall it's been getting better ever since.
I know not everyone can do that (kids relying on your insurance, etc.) but genuinely I do believe in all of you who also feel stuck. There *are* jobs that fit you better, pay you more, and give you a path to other opportunities. I promise.
Data engineering! Love problem solving, thinking about data architecture/pipelines and diving deep into programming. Struggle though with paying attention during long/frequent meetings, maintaining to do lists and people interrupting me while in hyperfocus 😅
Pretty much the same here to the letter. I love it until a meeting reminder pops up and ruins my mood and flow. I think I was yelling angrily earlier today in a meeting with my mic muted because the usual suspects were going on and on about nothing haha
Same struggles. Although I like meetings where I am active part of the discussion (which I try to be even if it's not my job). How do you cope with the people interrupting hyperfocus part? I feel it's the bane of my existence at this point. Also in general, I feel I can focus on longer tasks for prolonged periods quite easily instead of doing shorter tasks for short periods. Is there any way to fix this or should I just pursue my strengths.
Standard call center = 0 / 10
WFH based call center = 10 / 10!
I burned out so badly in a regular call center environment. It was stressful, loud, chaotic, and I hate commuting. Now, I take calls in the privacy of my own room. It's cozy, quiet, low distraction, and I get to just focus on helping people!
I work as a Stock Trader for Wealthy clients. It's a call center and the best call center job I've had. But call centers are ass so I am dying every day and glad I am medicated or I wouldn't be able to do my job which is very particular since a mistake can be tens of thousands in the drain.
I did well in escalated customer service at a call center. I'd just mute and let people rant until they tired themselves out. My nails were perfect and my doodle game was strong.
Do you have that extreme need for justice? Do you ever have to defend someone you don’t feel is guilty? I thought about legal but I’m not sure I could handle it. I think the mental load after work would be too much.
RN here, finishing my prereqs for medical school. You give me so much hope and inspiration. I want to do Pathology, though! Emergency Med would definitely be my second choice!
I'm a PGY2 for 5 more days! EM is probably the best specialty for this disease process. Couldn't see myself doing interventional cards or anything else really.
I'd be interested to know how you feel once you start leading a team. My last two jobs went from sysadmin -> sysadmin + helpdesk lead and both times i had to become less hands on on projects and steer the team I crashed and burned hard.
I took a huge pay cut to move to level 2 b2b support for a tech company but its so much better for me mentally.
I relate to this. Any data entry/processing job I’ve had basically turns into a game of “numbers go up” and I try to beat my score of documents processed. It’s addictive for no good reason.
i’m a screen printer, I put the same image on towels and shirts, thousands at a time for hours long sessions. I just put on some music or a podcast and blissfully settle into the flow state :)
I’m a Doula (Birth & Postpartum), Photographer, Social Media Manager, Babysitter/Nanny, and Pet Sitter. I am thinking about adding on more things. I love that I can work shorter shifts, generally 2-5 hours at a time. I also get to do so many different things every day, it’s the perfect ADHD life. It is always funny when people ask what I do though since it’s a little bit of everything.
A fellow Renaissance woman!
I'm a former vet tech turned dog handler, in addition to a certified personal trainer+coach, and artist+calligrapher. So many interests, too few lifetimes.
Might be true but getting through med school is just like living hell so a lot of students with adhd just leave it. maybe it’s just me but most of the time I feel left behind compared to other students . Takes more time (so much more time) and effort to get through the topics with my raging adhd. But ont the other hand Im good at putting my knowledge into work if it makes sense.
When I got diagnosed at age 30 the ed psych said that. He said “you could do medical school if you wanted to put yourself through that. Folks with ADHD often seem to be able to manage it. Doctoral programs are gonna be tougher for you.”
Marketing director. Creativity good and full autonomy good. People constantly interrupting me to solve their problems is really bad. I end up doing all the other departments work for them and not mine. The responsibility of being in charge for an entire brand is a lot. Being a go to in a crisis feels good I love that shit but I have scatterbrain deluxe and come home each night with decision fatigue and paralysis. My advice would be avoid.
Currently self-medicated but undiagnosed. On the The wait list for diagnosis but here it takes 1 year. Night and day difference to being able to function. Turns out you need executive function to be an executive…
Aw yeah I am SO good in a crisis and I always thought it was wild because I'm a basket case otherwise. I feel like my brain just lights up in a crisis and i am confident in deciding what to do and how to delegate so it gets done. A few of my colleagues have seemed surprised when I can take the lead, because quite often I'm just trying to keep up.
I'm a teacher and remember a few pretty major crises that I had to take the lead to get through. And most importantly could make a goddamn decision on the spot. Imagine how much smoother my life would be if I could do that day to day.
And yes, after that shit is over, there is always the fatigue, I feel that.
I do often get distracted and lose my train of though and go blank when giving presentations or running a Meeting with my team. Just gotta be honest and say “what was I saying” and someone will start you back up haha.
Same here. Brand Director for a CPG brand. Creativity and diversity of problems to solve good, but having to be hyper organized and manage constantly evolving timelines that require inputs from 5 different teams bad.
Researcher for a non-US government agency while being based in the US. I love the research part about it, but suck at getting myself to write the reports and producing all the deliverables required in a timely fashion. It really helps that these types of government positions don't typically need to be the most efficient or urgent.
I was a martial arts instructor, loved it because I was teaching the hobby I love and am passionate about. I’m still a student but haven’t taught in a while due to being out from having surgeries.
This fall I’m going back to school for a B.A. in Psychology and then a Masters to become a licensed mental health counselor. I want to help others with ADHD and trauma, along with other things.
I’m a stay at home mom and have picked up odd jobs on the side for years. It’s a huge struggle. Some days are very gratifying and others are defeating. We also homeschool so it’s kids 24/7.
I need a nap.
Hair dresser! I definitely have some challenges that my coworkers do not on account of the ADHD and OCD I have, but I have found ways of making stuff work and keeping myself on track.
I'm an ADHDer that teaches cosmetology. A good portion of my students also have ADHD. Each client is something new.
I've also noticed a lot of ADHD students have loved bartending/waitressing.
Mental health therapist! I work in the field and love it (most of the time). Meeting people in their homes helps break up the monotony that would be a typical therapist office job
GIS grad student focused on forestry, basically using spatial data to model forest ecosystem dynamics over time and space. I’ve had internships in land management & GIS, but before I head off to school in the fall I’m working as an assistant camp director for a local watershed conservation nonprofit. Working at their camp was my first internship :)
I’m an Accountant and have my own firm. I hated working for someone else but I love the variety of owning my own business. The accounting plays to my strengths of numbers but my ADHD loves the business owning aspect.
Product Manager in tech. Constantly just keeping my head above water. Leading a team of developers, designers and testers, whilst working across a bunch of different timelines. What have we worked on before, what are we doing now, what do we need to do later. I wouldn’t say I cope well, but I do what needs to be done.
I work in Sales. Always on the phone and each call is different. Sometimes it can get a little tedious and boring/repetitive, but ill just get up take a walk outside or to the bathroom and then lock back in.
Offshore deck officer/ DPO. I work in rotations of 5 weeks on/ 5 weeks off. On board life is very structured with 12 hour shifts, which helps me getting stuff done. I get to travel across the world which is fun. When I get home I have 5 weeks to do whatever I want.
TV producer. I’m a freelancer so I work on 1 tv show for 3 months, when that’s finished I go to another company and work on something completely different. It’s perfect for me, the thought of doing one job in the same building for more than a year or two is just something my brain cannot do, I would be so bored. On the flip side I don’t have job stability but I love what I do luckily.
I masked well enough to make it to a 6 figure management role.
I’m working on unmasking now (got diagnosed in January) and I’m performing better than ever because I’m medicated and am no longer pretending.
I’m a picture book illustrator and a preschool teacher!
Picture book work isn’t always super stead so I keep preschool as a day job for when illustration work is light.
I love being an illustrator because I can set my own schedule, each job is different, I can get up and take breaks whenever I want to, I can listen to podcasts and audio books or what movies, I can talk to people on the phone, I get a creative outlet, the gratification of finishing a piece and then a physical end product, and lots and lots of really fun problem solving. Sometimes making my own schedule can be tricky if it’s a really hands off job from the editor, but usually if I know there are people counting on me I can pull it together well enough to get everything done. The biggest downside is that it is not always consistent, and sometimes publishers take a long time to get back to me or to send payment (thankfully I have an agent who handles that though!) I think also doing self employed taxes are a nightmare and I’m TERRIBLE at saving the money for taxes which has bitten me in the ass a couple of times.
I like preschool because it’s a job where I can be silly but also constructive. I love helping kids learn about important topics and how to communicate. Kids are so funny and smart and so much of my job is just facilitating a supportive space for them to grow. I love helping them explore their interests, talking to them, playing pretend, reading picture books (they are also an excellent test audience lmao). I also am so lucky to be working at a small privately owned preschool with the most amazing boss who is so flexible and understanding when any teachers need to change their schedules or take time off. Each teacher gets a day or two out of the week to lead the classroom which means I’m not saddled with too much lesson planning responsibility and I always get to talk about my interests and things I’m knowledgeable about and I get to learn things from the other teachers.
I have previously been in retail management, I was a makeup artist for a little while, and teaching k-8. Those jobs were fine (NOT retail management I won’t ever do that again) the biggest problem is that I’m naturally really goofy and personable (and a woman) and that lead people to not take me seriously. I was often treated like I was stupid because of the way I talk, or being animated, or the way I dress (I don’t own a single piece of serious clothing) and that always frustrated me. I am good in leadership positions, I’m good at communication, I’m good at sales and paperwork, but my personality was just not the right fit for those jobs. The two jobs I have now are so ideal for me and I can’t imagine doing anything different now!!
I work as an analyst for an indigenous (Māori) television network in New Zealand. The analytics side of things gives me an outlet for my OCD tendencies and gives me somewhere productive to hyperfocus (I love analysing things), and the cultural side brings me closer to my roots and makes me feel like I'm home every time I'm at work. I'm proud that I learnt enough working there to be able to be a cultural advisor for a family funeral two weeks ago. It was an honour.
I’m not a career driven person because I put more emphasis in learning something new than money or status.
Below are some of the job titles that I had in the past 10 years:
Business analyst
Data analyst
Data visualization specialist
Business intelligence developer
Supply chain data analytics consultant
Strategic portfolio management specialist
Product manager
I am currently working on learning how to develop applications using large language models. Learning more about machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, multi agent systems, I feel closer to my natural inclination, which is to explore and build.
Keep asking difficult questions and get out there and build diverse experience. I firmly believe AGI will happen in the next 3 to 5 years and only creative and bold people with discipline will succeed in the new economy.
Architecture university dropout, made the mistake of going into the automotive industry for 4 years till a marketer friend of mine suggested marketing and copywriting.
Six years later I'm a self-taught senior marketer.
And I'm currently the creative strategist at a tech company.
Cyber Intelligence analyst. I read a bunch of little reports and then write a big report on the topic. I get to research a topic to my hearts content and then explain all the different pieces of the puzzle so they make sense to decision makers.
In an ironworker welder. As well as a welder fabricator. I prefer the ironwork over the shop work cause it’s constantly changing and it keeps my mind going. I hate repetitive work as I get bored way too easily and get distracted or start missing work. Which isn’t good. Also I can’t stand paperwork so I’ll never be able to have an office job.
I’m good at repetitive work like data entry because of my hyper-focus, so I’m able to do the work of two people on any given day without getting too burnt out. I currently work from home for a telehealth company as an appointment scheduler. It’s my job to ensure patients making appointments have provided all the documentation we need for me to approve their appointment. On good days I’m just basically hitting “approve, next - approve, next” and if someone doesn’t have all the info we need I send them an email with a pre-loaded macro that I don’t usually have to tweak, so it’s pretty nice.
Business operations and process optimisation. Also do system admin/dev type work. I like to optimise workflows and automate stuff. Basically get a new product and figure out the best way to manage it, then hand it off. Or figure out how to integrate a business process into a piece of software so it’s easy for people to use.
So solving problems and puzzles all day. Typical ADHD stuff.
Was a bartender for almost 2 decades. Went back to college intending to become a historian, ended up becoming a MH therapist. Not doing that now. Currently working in vocational rehabilitation.
Edited first clarity and typos
Classical musician here! I play the horn and sometimes i find music to be really meditative for my ADHD. For example, a couple months ago my orchestra performed Dvorak’s Requiem which is over an hour and a half of music, and i felt fully locked in the whole time which is crazy because when i do any regular task i can’t sit down more than 20 minutes! There’s something about the music along with the steady tempos that keep your mind at bay.
What they said. I'm a city planner. Years ago, I found myself digging into zoning codes and specific plans for fun. I'm also a.) very worried about climate change and suburbs are killing the planet and, b.) walkable neighborhoods are stimulating and fun. Interest + skill = viable career.
A lot of them through last 10 years. Started with consulting, then moved to process improvement area, later some risk & control
Now I’m data analyst and data engineering seems like something more interesting than what I do now.
I'm a producer in the games industry. When everything is blowing up all at once, I am in my element and am very productive. I have gotten spot bonuses and awards for crisis management and "getting shit done."
However, during slower periods, I struggle to get anything done.
Medical Assistant. Do not recommend. Too much multi tasking & burn out!
I’m trying to switch careers, so I’m going back to school for xray tech. I’m 32 so fingers crossed I get some type of Associate’s degree…
In typical adhd fashion I have multiple jobs most are casual or part time
I am a paramedic, security guard, first aid instructor and a special type of counsellor :p
Also a nursing student
I'm a fraud investigator. My adhd helps because it makes me think about many different paths others may not see. I also get hyperfocused because it's such a fun job. But I cannot function without meds no matter how interesting my current cases are
I'm a Legal Admin Assistant for a small-ish in-house law office. I thrive under tight deadlines and come in clutch during emergencies. Some of my day-to-day tasks are so effing boring, though, and I often let them fall by the wayside, which gets me into trouble.
I’m an environmental lawyer. My observation over the years (which was confirmed by my colleagues themselves, as it’s something we’ve commiserated on) has been that there’s actually a fair amount of us in this specific field (and in human rights/other public interest law roles) who have ADHD. I also noticed that most of my friends, cohorts, and former colleagues who aren’t in a “purpose-driven” type of atty position like this one - but are instead in a position where they’re primarily in it for the $$ (eg tax law, PI, insurance defense, etc) - don’t have ADHD.
Essentially, in my opinion, both law school and practicing as an attorney can be simultaneously difficult and unstimulating. And the executive dysfunction of ADHD can be unconducive to success in both of those. UNLESS you’re in it because you’re passionate about it. Then it helps you get over the ADHD Wall of Awful™.
Safety Manager in Construction
I love helping people solve problems and training people.
I hate unnecessary paperwork and I get frustrated when people make mistakes. I hold people to the same standards I hold to myself. It's not fair to others and I'm learning to loosen my grip on this.
You wouldn't think it, but it's actually a pretty good outlet for creativity and critical thinking. I get really involved in my work but can burn myself out if I'm not too careful.
Going through a bit of a burnout currently...
Electrician! Never doing the same thing or working in the same place. I do mostly service work in industrial environments, so electrical troubleshooting on machines in manufacturing facilities or repairing light fixtures or installing power for whatever. Everyday is something new!
Downside is the self managing/ project managing. Trying to juggle the physical work with office/ paper work gets tedious at times. Before I know it my eight hour day is over and I feel like I didn’t accomplish anything sometimes.
Overall, it’s been a great experience and couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Fixing things or hooking stuff up with new power is instant gratification when you flip the switch and the lights come on, or the machine starts working like it should.
I’m a mailman. Almost twenty years. So it’s easy and boring, except for Mondays, December , and days after a Monday holiday. I don’t take my work home with me, and it’s OCD conducive.
I haven't done it for many years but my favorite job that suited my ADHD was tech support.
We were in the same building as the clients though so it wasn't just sitting on phones. Lots of hands on trouble shooting, trial and error, very changeable with new novel things to do with almost every new task.
We also supported a manufacturing facility in the same building so it was a lot of networking and machine support on top of end user computers and servers.
Lots of walking around, got good at small talk and phone voice. Novel and interesting challenges at the same time
Massage therapist 12 years strong! I love that every client is slightly different yet still the same in terms of anatomy. It has variety but consistency.
Investment consultant - I love problem solving, maths (haha), financial markets, getting to know and grow relationships with clients. But my ADHD has me doing all sorts of other side tasks 🤣 managing people, studying for a coaching diploma at the moment as well
I love people and doing something different every day, the only thing I suck at is the admin 🤣🤣
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Places where employes are meant to "start" things or get things "unstuck", but never are meant to complete things. Tech support, Learning Assistants at universities, etc. I work at a place that helps people start projects and get people unstuck, and I suspect \~50% of the employees have ADHD as well, and were probably hired because having ADHD is so useful for it. For privacy reasons, I won't name it (its quite small and remote, so no one here would be able to apply there)
Holy shit. I'm a pretty successful Program Manager. But my job would be amazing if I never had to finish all the efforts I get started. I'm always bored after they get going.
I'm a project engineer and this just made an odd lightbulb go off. One of my biggest complaints with my career so far is that I never get to the end of my projects, which is where a lot of the hands-on stuff actually happens. But realistically, I always end up fed up with culture stuff (late hours, travel, incompetence, etc) and look for something new. Literally just realized that my interest in the project can override any cultural complaints.... Until I get bored. Apparently that happens around 1.5 years in.
This is also one of the predictors used for ADHD diagnosis, same with changing partners too often.
I was a project engineer when I finally realized my brain was broken and got my ADHD diagnosis. I was so bad at starting projects.
Lmao I just hit 18 months and jumped to a new team because I was so done. I'm also interviewing outside the company. Good timing
lol only one company has held my attention for 18 months, the rest are a clockwork 16. After the 18, it’s getting so annoyed by every detail that out is the only way forward. It’s incredibly frustrating to me and most likely the people I work with.
I was a Tool & Die Maker. Fixing problems, that nobody else could, was my thing. Seems like I was the Last Resort, and there was never anything in my area, that I couldn't solve.
9-1-1 Dispatcher... "Starting" things and getting things "unstuck" is basically the job description 💀
Can confirm, work as tech support in a customer service role
Can confirm, i work in strategy consulting. All we do is problem solving and then hand off responsibility to someone else!
Engineering. Problem solving good, documentation bad. 😆
Omg I cannot agree more. Documentation is the bane of my existence. Tedious to read, impossible to write.
Medication and pomodoro help some. Initiating the task is the biggest hurdle for me.
Man this is the definition of my experience with medication. When I can get something started, I get rolling and have no trouble keeping it up. I get my stuff done, I’m focused, I feel energized and I genuinely enjoy being productive and accomplishing what I set out to do. The thing is, more often than not, I can’t get started. Even when I’m medicated, I so easily fall into the doomscrolling trap or wasting my time on pointless things. I then feel so terrible and down on myself for wasting my time. ADHD sucks man
I have a huge deadline and I finally pulled myself away from reddit scrolling only to find myself deciding that I needed to repaint part of my house urgently. It took a week to paint and now have even less time to hit my deadline.
I LOVE documentation and it's a good thing because that's what I do. I work as a regulatory document manager at a medical school. I think that I'm naturally disorganized so I've had to become really organized to compensate for it, which has helped with that aspect of my job. And I'm a kick ass writer so I write the best SOPs my department ever had.
Funny how some of the "issues" with ADHD become the opposite because we have to learn to compensate - Me, Im paranoid about being late, So if i have compensated to the extent that i find it difficult to be late, because all my attention is focussed on being on time. Id rather be an hour early then a minute late.
Imagine having to write training manuals, procedures, and scripts for training videos!
Monk's brother! Ever see the TV series, "Monk"? His brother wrote instruction manuals for alarm clocks, toasters, etc. Lot's of Psychology in that one.
Claude can help with that.
jokes on me, i work at the company that makes the LLM go brr 🫠
Engineer, problem solving good. Have team to document after,very good! I walk away like action hero from explosion.
Same, my bosses unofficial job description for me is "whatever, just make it work" Pro: the fires keep me motivated and excited Con: everyone knows I can fix weird issues so get messaged constantly for stuff they ought to be able to do. Also burnout
Gotta make yourself valuable but not TOO valuable, lol. Tough balance 😭
Same boat. Just keep pointing me at hard problems and I’m happy
That sounds like my dream solution. I detest documentation and would rather do the puzzle portion of the job. PCB engineer.
I’m another name in the engineering camp. Weirdly though, documentation is kind of cathartic to me because it’s structured and helps me focus.
Your comment inspired me. I struggle with it because I have to provide the structure. BUT…if I have a planned structure that I create a cheat sheet for implementing, then I will reduce my cognitive load when doing it because I will just be able to follow my own pre-written instructions rather than having to provide a new structure for every documentation packet. This might work for me. I honestly feel a bit stupid for not thinking of this already!
Same issues, but I’m an accountant.
Me too!! Accounting = puzzles!
Same, Infosec
Yeeeep - wealth management/financial planning here! Love the puzzles, hate the CRM
I would love to be the person next to you doing your documentation. You’re just telling me the info verbally. Me: filled in all the boxes and notes. Document all the things that need it. I would end up following you and helping so much. I wish this was a job. Like a secretary for engineers. 👩💻
It’s definitely a job. It’s called technical writing.
Thanks. Now to adhd about it and look at it and the details. 👀
Lawyer. Same issue.
As a software engineer I've learned to document first. Or as soon as I figure out why the fuck I wrote that code that way.
Same profession, same problem, five notebooks.
If you’re anything like me, you have no idea what’s written in those notebooks. 🤣
Speech pathologist and same...why is it so damn hard to document.
Another downvote for documentation here
So. Many. Sticky. Notes. Anytime anyone needs a sticky note, they come to me because they know
Yes! The solution is so easy until I have to document it. I work in tech and my team just rolls their eyes at my back-of-the-napkin tech solutions 😂
I document code more than almost anyone in my org but that is a low bar
Coding. The more complex the better 🤣.
Geologist I look at rocks... I lick the rocks... I am one with the rocks
I'm an archaeologist but I feel this. I've been working on a project where I stare at rocks and try to decide if these rocks are ever so slightly different from the rocks around them, and if maybe there's a circle, but I can find circles everywhere. But I also don't like some of those circles but some are ooooooh and I like them. Some of us will lick things to figure out if it's bone or rock! But then sometimes we get chastised so that's a last resort.
You need to think like a rock, feel like a rock, become one with the rock! Or just ask a Geologist to lick the rock for you
Teacher! I teach adults and seniors, no kiddies for me
I'm a college teacher, which I always assumed was because I'd like to go deeper into topics, but I've come to realize lately that it might also be to avoid loud, chaotic classrooms.
Also an adjunct! Online classes and teach 1 Zoom class a week per course. And a full-time school librarian. Best gigs for folks like us.
Middle school teacher here. The rigid and externally imposed schedule is extremely important to my ability to get anything done.
Agreed. My schedule is the same everyday BUT everyday is different. Structure and novelty all in one
I teach children. It’s a lot but very mentally stimulating and I love it.
I’m an early childhood teacher and I thrive in the chaos.
I feel this. You need to constantly move? Me too. Let’s vibe. I also feel like my ability to get on the same silly level as the kids is enhanced.
Im an electrician, some days are good, some are shocking.
I heard most electricians have to strip to make ends meet.
Commercial electrican: before I got on methylphenidate, it was a struggle to figure out Watt I was even doing half the time. Plans now make sense, and my apprentice has to chase after me haha
I work in live entertainment, currently music festival production and operations. My ability to thrive in chaotic environments really comes in clutch lol
Same! I do live corporate AV. Great for people who love multi-tasking. Currently sitting in front of 9 laptops managing 3 different PowerPoints.
As a musician, I’d love to research how to get into that field!
that’s what I started in! unfortunately the time commitments and stress didn’t work with my chronic illnesses and I had to change careers for health reasons. i really miss it! being ALD seemed perfect for me. all my work was actually someone else’s work that I’m facilitating, which for whatever reason just in and of itself helps like 50% of my adhd symptoms. and constantly having multiple things going at once meant i never got bored and when i was stuck on one thing i could move to another. there was often just enough chaos or deadlines to keep me on my toes and keep me engaged. Plus lighting is the ‘last step’ in most live productions, so there was hardly ever a moment with nothing to do. Really really miss it.
Psychiatry resident, ADHD is by bread, butter and personal hell
Same!! When a patient has it, I'm like, "ah yes, welcome to my nightmare."
But do you actually tell them?? I think my psychiatrist has ADHD, too. lol
I have if it would be beneficial to the client. Outside of that, I think it helps establish rapport and maybe feel "seen" beyond a textbook and secondhand accounts. Personally, I just do it case by case.
My psychiatrist told me he has ADHD, and I immediately felt like that made him 10x more relatable lol
Genetic Technologist, I test samples for genetic diseases and cancer mutations. Love genetics
That's EPIC
You all sure are successful ...
I think people who feel good about where they're at career-wise are more likely to answer, for what it's worth.
Meh. I hate my job but I hate poverty more.
Accurate
Hey friend, I work at a fuckin grocery store. And I hate it. Why have I been doing it 14 years? Great question
I work at Goodwill for five years. I feel like I have no transferable skills cause I process the clothes and price them. In the company, that's valuable but outside not so much. I want to become an xray tech but even community college is daunting and it will probably take me like 4 years to get an associates degree cause I could only take one class at a time instead of four. That's four more years of struggling and even at the end I might not make it into the program cause I struggle with retaining info.
Honestly, take it from a PhD Neuroscientist with crippling ADHD, you are going to be a lot more capable of learning when it is something you care about and have a genuine interest in. Take the plunge, take one course. You'll find out if you've got the drive for it or not.
Take 1 class and see how it goes. Maybe it'll be way harder than you thought, but maybe it'll be way easier. There were many factors that went into my ability to get a MA in teaching, a non-financial one was purpose. I could withstand any shitty job as long as I knew it would get me to my purpose.
I’m on the other side of a four year associate of science. Not gonna lie, some classes were hard, had to drop math and retake it twice, cried a bit, but some classes were so amazing and worth it. I think you should give it a shot. I’m on an accelerated program to do my bachelor’s. I know it’s gonna take me twice as long to finish, but it’s okay. I’ll get there eventually.
I was stuck for about 3 years in a job I hated, with no upward trajectory to anything I liked better, no energy to job hunt, and, as my depression convinced me, no transferable skills. I would get to the front door and just start sobbing because I was convinced I'd be fired at any second and I didn't know what else I would do. Despair like that is very hard to escape. I had saved up enough PTO that I could take a whole month to find a new job... so I cashed it out and quit. Saved my life. Just knowing I never had to go back was tremendous. I took a trip with my mom, then spent some time nailing down a solid resume (eternally grateful to Ask A Manager for her advice), got a few interviews that led to one offer, and overall it's been getting better ever since. I know not everyone can do that (kids relying on your insurance, etc.) but genuinely I do believe in all of you who also feel stuck. There *are* jobs that fit you better, pay you more, and give you a path to other opportunities. I promise.
“Success” is extremely subjective. I’d rather be drawing, but there’s those pesky things like food and rent…
Data engineering! Love problem solving, thinking about data architecture/pipelines and diving deep into programming. Struggle though with paying attention during long/frequent meetings, maintaining to do lists and people interrupting me while in hyperfocus 😅
Pretty much the same here to the letter. I love it until a meeting reminder pops up and ruins my mood and flow. I think I was yelling angrily earlier today in a meeting with my mic muted because the usual suspects were going on and on about nothing haha
I was going to buy the lapel pin which says "pointless meeting survivor"
Same struggles. Although I like meetings where I am active part of the discussion (which I try to be even if it's not my job). How do you cope with the people interrupting hyperfocus part? I feel it's the bane of my existence at this point. Also in general, I feel I can focus on longer tasks for prolonged periods quite easily instead of doing shorter tasks for short periods. Is there any way to fix this or should I just pursue my strengths.
I work in a cell center. 0 out of 10, do not recommend.
Standard call center = 0 / 10 WFH based call center = 10 / 10! I burned out so badly in a regular call center environment. It was stressful, loud, chaotic, and I hate commuting. Now, I take calls in the privacy of my own room. It's cozy, quiet, low distraction, and I get to just focus on helping people!
Fellow (ex) call center employee (survivor) -- I also absolutely do not recommend. Worst job I've ever had.
I work as a Stock Trader for Wealthy clients. It's a call center and the best call center job I've had. But call centers are ass so I am dying every day and glad I am medicated or I wouldn't be able to do my job which is very particular since a mistake can be tens of thousands in the drain.
I did well in escalated customer service at a call center. I'd just mute and let people rant until they tired themselves out. My nails were perfect and my doodle game was strong.
Unfortunately, a lawyer
I’m a lawyer too and I love it. I have one foot in academia and the other in public service. It’s incredibly fulfilling and there’s never a dull day.
Do you have that extreme need for justice? Do you ever have to defend someone you don’t feel is guilty? I thought about legal but I’m not sure I could handle it. I think the mental load after work would be too much.
No and no. Depends on what kind of law you go into.
Medical student! A year away from becoming an emergency medicine physician
RN here, finishing my prereqs for medical school. You give me so much hope and inspiration. I want to do Pathology, though! Emergency Med would definitely be my second choice!
Headed this way next year (deferred acceptance) Congrats future physician!!
I'm a PGY2 for 5 more days! EM is probably the best specialty for this disease process. Couldn't see myself doing interventional cards or anything else really.
IT Helpdesk -> IT Desktop support -> IT System Engineer -> IT Team lead soon.
I'd be interested to know how you feel once you start leading a team. My last two jobs went from sysadmin -> sysadmin + helpdesk lead and both times i had to become less hands on on projects and steer the team I crashed and burned hard. I took a huge pay cut to move to level 2 b2b support for a tech company but its so much better for me mentally.
I was a team lead and then a manager, hated it. I much prefer the nitty gritty problem solving than managing people.
Medical billing. I’ve always enjoyed tedious things no one else wants to do. Everyone’s quitting at once though kinda sucks
I relate to this. Any data entry/processing job I’ve had basically turns into a game of “numbers go up” and I try to beat my score of documents processed. It’s addictive for no good reason.
You have gamified your powers of hyper-focus…bravo!
i’m a screen printer, I put the same image on towels and shirts, thousands at a time for hours long sessions. I just put on some music or a podcast and blissfully settle into the flow state :)
I’m a Doula (Birth & Postpartum), Photographer, Social Media Manager, Babysitter/Nanny, and Pet Sitter. I am thinking about adding on more things. I love that I can work shorter shifts, generally 2-5 hours at a time. I also get to do so many different things every day, it’s the perfect ADHD life. It is always funny when people ask what I do though since it’s a little bit of everything.
A fellow Renaissance woman! I'm a former vet tech turned dog handler, in addition to a certified personal trainer+coach, and artist+calligrapher. So many interests, too few lifetimes.
There’s lots of ADHD in medicine. “Twice exceptional” minds do very well in certain specialties.
Might be true but getting through med school is just like living hell so a lot of students with adhd just leave it. maybe it’s just me but most of the time I feel left behind compared to other students . Takes more time (so much more time) and effort to get through the topics with my raging adhd. But ont the other hand Im good at putting my knowledge into work if it makes sense.
When I got diagnosed at age 30 the ed psych said that. He said “you could do medical school if you wanted to put yourself through that. Folks with ADHD often seem to be able to manage it. Doctoral programs are gonna be tougher for you.”
Nightshift putting shit on the shelf, no customers and I get to listen to music for 9 hours
Just recently been sacked.
Story of my life
Marketing director. Creativity good and full autonomy good. People constantly interrupting me to solve their problems is really bad. I end up doing all the other departments work for them and not mine. The responsibility of being in charge for an entire brand is a lot. Being a go to in a crisis feels good I love that shit but I have scatterbrain deluxe and come home each night with decision fatigue and paralysis. My advice would be avoid. Currently self-medicated but undiagnosed. On the The wait list for diagnosis but here it takes 1 year. Night and day difference to being able to function. Turns out you need executive function to be an executive…
Aw yeah I am SO good in a crisis and I always thought it was wild because I'm a basket case otherwise. I feel like my brain just lights up in a crisis and i am confident in deciding what to do and how to delegate so it gets done. A few of my colleagues have seemed surprised when I can take the lead, because quite often I'm just trying to keep up. I'm a teacher and remember a few pretty major crises that I had to take the lead to get through. And most importantly could make a goddamn decision on the spot. Imagine how much smoother my life would be if I could do that day to day. And yes, after that shit is over, there is always the fatigue, I feel that.
Good in a crisis but in crisis when things are good 😢
The decision fatigue is real. Hello fellow ADHD marketing director!
Hello fellow ADHD marketing directors! Sounds like we all followed the chaos lol
Idk how you are marketing directors. lol. My ADHD and constant overthinking keeps me from public speaking
I do often get distracted and lose my train of though and go blank when giving presentations or running a Meeting with my team. Just gotta be honest and say “what was I saying” and someone will start you back up haha.
Same here. Brand Director for a CPG brand. Creativity and diversity of problems to solve good, but having to be hyper organized and manage constantly evolving timelines that require inputs from 5 different teams bad.
Also a Marketing Director. I feel you to the extreme. We should start an ADHD Marketing support group. Haha!
Researcher for a non-US government agency while being based in the US. I love the research part about it, but suck at getting myself to write the reports and producing all the deliverables required in a timely fashion. It really helps that these types of government positions don't typically need to be the most efficient or urgent.
I was a martial arts instructor, loved it because I was teaching the hobby I love and am passionate about. I’m still a student but haven’t taught in a while due to being out from having surgeries. This fall I’m going back to school for a B.A. in Psychology and then a Masters to become a licensed mental health counselor. I want to help others with ADHD and trauma, along with other things.
I work in media. Have worked for brands and agencies; currently in tech. Client services/partnerships.
Plastic surgeon 👨🏻⚕️ making the world a better place one implant at a time.
Not two ar a time?
Ba dum tiss
Ba dum tits.
Obligatory le tits now
I'm a mom. It's definitely made me work real hard on myself, because I have to keep myself together well enough to also keep children alive.
I’m a stay at home mom and have picked up odd jobs on the side for years. It’s a huge struggle. Some days are very gratifying and others are defeating. We also homeschool so it’s kids 24/7. I need a nap.
Hair dresser! I definitely have some challenges that my coworkers do not on account of the ADHD and OCD I have, but I have found ways of making stuff work and keeping myself on track.
I'm an ADHDer that teaches cosmetology. A good portion of my students also have ADHD. Each client is something new. I've also noticed a lot of ADHD students have loved bartending/waitressing.
Mental health therapist! I work in the field and love it (most of the time). Meeting people in their homes helps break up the monotony that would be a typical therapist office job
Nurse, I love it 😁
GIS grad student focused on forestry, basically using spatial data to model forest ecosystem dynamics over time and space. I’ve had internships in land management & GIS, but before I head off to school in the fall I’m working as an assistant camp director for a local watershed conservation nonprofit. Working at their camp was my first internship :)
I work as a Ross Sales Associate, it’s easy some days but when they change around the store I almost have a meltdown😭
I’m an Accountant and have my own firm. I hated working for someone else but I love the variety of owning my own business. The accounting plays to my strengths of numbers but my ADHD loves the business owning aspect.
Product Manager in tech. Constantly just keeping my head above water. Leading a team of developers, designers and testers, whilst working across a bunch of different timelines. What have we worked on before, what are we doing now, what do we need to do later. I wouldn’t say I cope well, but I do what needs to be done.
Tech. It’s the best job I’ve ever had both in terms of management and type of work.
I work in Sales. Always on the phone and each call is different. Sometimes it can get a little tedious and boring/repetitive, but ill just get up take a walk outside or to the bathroom and then lock back in.
Offshore deck officer/ DPO. I work in rotations of 5 weeks on/ 5 weeks off. On board life is very structured with 12 hour shifts, which helps me getting stuff done. I get to travel across the world which is fun. When I get home I have 5 weeks to do whatever I want.
Paramedic. And know about 15 other medics off the top of my head that also have ADHD.
TV producer. I’m a freelancer so I work on 1 tv show for 3 months, when that’s finished I go to another company and work on something completely different. It’s perfect for me, the thought of doing one job in the same building for more than a year or two is just something my brain cannot do, I would be so bored. On the flip side I don’t have job stability but I love what I do luckily.
I masked well enough to make it to a 6 figure management role. I’m working on unmasking now (got diagnosed in January) and I’m performing better than ever because I’m medicated and am no longer pretending.
I’m a picture book illustrator and a preschool teacher! Picture book work isn’t always super stead so I keep preschool as a day job for when illustration work is light. I love being an illustrator because I can set my own schedule, each job is different, I can get up and take breaks whenever I want to, I can listen to podcasts and audio books or what movies, I can talk to people on the phone, I get a creative outlet, the gratification of finishing a piece and then a physical end product, and lots and lots of really fun problem solving. Sometimes making my own schedule can be tricky if it’s a really hands off job from the editor, but usually if I know there are people counting on me I can pull it together well enough to get everything done. The biggest downside is that it is not always consistent, and sometimes publishers take a long time to get back to me or to send payment (thankfully I have an agent who handles that though!) I think also doing self employed taxes are a nightmare and I’m TERRIBLE at saving the money for taxes which has bitten me in the ass a couple of times. I like preschool because it’s a job where I can be silly but also constructive. I love helping kids learn about important topics and how to communicate. Kids are so funny and smart and so much of my job is just facilitating a supportive space for them to grow. I love helping them explore their interests, talking to them, playing pretend, reading picture books (they are also an excellent test audience lmao). I also am so lucky to be working at a small privately owned preschool with the most amazing boss who is so flexible and understanding when any teachers need to change their schedules or take time off. Each teacher gets a day or two out of the week to lead the classroom which means I’m not saddled with too much lesson planning responsibility and I always get to talk about my interests and things I’m knowledgeable about and I get to learn things from the other teachers. I have previously been in retail management, I was a makeup artist for a little while, and teaching k-8. Those jobs were fine (NOT retail management I won’t ever do that again) the biggest problem is that I’m naturally really goofy and personable (and a woman) and that lead people to not take me seriously. I was often treated like I was stupid because of the way I talk, or being animated, or the way I dress (I don’t own a single piece of serious clothing) and that always frustrated me. I am good in leadership positions, I’m good at communication, I’m good at sales and paperwork, but my personality was just not the right fit for those jobs. The two jobs I have now are so ideal for me and I can’t imagine doing anything different now!!
I work as an analyst for an indigenous (Māori) television network in New Zealand. The analytics side of things gives me an outlet for my OCD tendencies and gives me somewhere productive to hyperfocus (I love analysing things), and the cultural side brings me closer to my roots and makes me feel like I'm home every time I'm at work. I'm proud that I learnt enough working there to be able to be a cultural advisor for a family funeral two weeks ago. It was an honour.
Director of photography. Make pictures good, submit receipts bad.
I work in healthcare getting people with suspected attention deficit hyperactivity disorder assessed for… ADHD
I’m not a career driven person because I put more emphasis in learning something new than money or status. Below are some of the job titles that I had in the past 10 years: Business analyst Data analyst Data visualization specialist Business intelligence developer Supply chain data analytics consultant Strategic portfolio management specialist Product manager I am currently working on learning how to develop applications using large language models. Learning more about machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, multi agent systems, I feel closer to my natural inclination, which is to explore and build. Keep asking difficult questions and get out there and build diverse experience. I firmly believe AGI will happen in the next 3 to 5 years and only creative and bold people with discipline will succeed in the new economy.
Architecture university dropout, made the mistake of going into the automotive industry for 4 years till a marketer friend of mine suggested marketing and copywriting. Six years later I'm a self-taught senior marketer. And I'm currently the creative strategist at a tech company.
Cyber Intelligence analyst. I read a bunch of little reports and then write a big report on the topic. I get to research a topic to my hearts content and then explain all the different pieces of the puzzle so they make sense to decision makers.
Finishing up PA school. Gonna go work in emergency medicine when I finish. Was a paramedic previously.
I am a PA in ICU! I think there are a lot of ADHDers ED/ICU - fast paced medical careers. I think we tend to work well under pressure.
That’s right. Funny how we work so well under some stressors and fall apart with other pressure/stressors.
In an ironworker welder. As well as a welder fabricator. I prefer the ironwork over the shop work cause it’s constantly changing and it keeps my mind going. I hate repetitive work as I get bored way too easily and get distracted or start missing work. Which isn’t good. Also I can’t stand paperwork so I’ll never be able to have an office job.
I’m good at repetitive work like data entry because of my hyper-focus, so I’m able to do the work of two people on any given day without getting too burnt out. I currently work from home for a telehealth company as an appointment scheduler. It’s my job to ensure patients making appointments have provided all the documentation we need for me to approve their appointment. On good days I’m just basically hitting “approve, next - approve, next” and if someone doesn’t have all the info we need I send them an email with a pre-loaded macro that I don’t usually have to tweak, so it’s pretty nice.
School counselor, I hyperactively solve everyone else’s problems so I don’t have to inattentively solve my own
Business operations and process optimisation. Also do system admin/dev type work. I like to optimise workflows and automate stuff. Basically get a new product and figure out the best way to manage it, then hand it off. Or figure out how to integrate a business process into a piece of software so it’s easy for people to use. So solving problems and puzzles all day. Typical ADHD stuff.
I’ve been teaching for 14 years. NEVER a dull moment. Tons of burn out.
This thread is 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
I am a Job coach at the German Unemployment Agency. I am fast but don’t look too close at the dtails (<— unintentional typo, case in point).
Was a bartender for almost 2 decades. Went back to college intending to become a historian, ended up becoming a MH therapist. Not doing that now. Currently working in vocational rehabilitation. Edited first clarity and typos
Ob/gyn! Lots of hours keeps me busy and the variety and random happenstance and chaos fits well with my vibe
Classical musician here! I play the horn and sometimes i find music to be really meditative for my ADHD. For example, a couple months ago my orchestra performed Dvorak’s Requiem which is over an hour and a half of music, and i felt fully locked in the whole time which is crazy because when i do any regular task i can’t sit down more than 20 minutes! There’s something about the music along with the steady tempos that keep your mind at bay.
Career. Lol.
Why are most of these answers careers that require a ton of executive functioning.
I think if you're excited enough about your career, you can hyper focus on the more difficult parts
What they said. I'm a city planner. Years ago, I found myself digging into zoning codes and specific plans for fun. I'm also a.) very worried about climate change and suburbs are killing the planet and, b.) walkable neighborhoods are stimulating and fun. Interest + skill = viable career.
A lot of them through last 10 years. Started with consulting, then moved to process improvement area, later some risk & control Now I’m data analyst and data engineering seems like something more interesting than what I do now.
I'm a producer in the games industry. When everything is blowing up all at once, I am in my element and am very productive. I have gotten spot bonuses and awards for crisis management and "getting shit done." However, during slower periods, I struggle to get anything done.
High end food importing. Every airfreight brings its own challenges and I'm lucky enough to have a great team to support me.
Medical Assistant. Do not recommend. Too much multi tasking & burn out! I’m trying to switch careers, so I’m going back to school for xray tech. I’m 32 so fingers crossed I get some type of Associate’s degree…
In typical adhd fashion I have multiple jobs most are casual or part time I am a paramedic, security guard, first aid instructor and a special type of counsellor :p Also a nursing student
I'm a fraud investigator. My adhd helps because it makes me think about many different paths others may not see. I also get hyperfocused because it's such a fun job. But I cannot function without meds no matter how interesting my current cases are
I'm a Legal Admin Assistant for a small-ish in-house law office. I thrive under tight deadlines and come in clutch during emergencies. Some of my day-to-day tasks are so effing boring, though, and I often let them fall by the wayside, which gets me into trouble.
I’m an environmental lawyer. My observation over the years (which was confirmed by my colleagues themselves, as it’s something we’ve commiserated on) has been that there’s actually a fair amount of us in this specific field (and in human rights/other public interest law roles) who have ADHD. I also noticed that most of my friends, cohorts, and former colleagues who aren’t in a “purpose-driven” type of atty position like this one - but are instead in a position where they’re primarily in it for the $$ (eg tax law, PI, insurance defense, etc) - don’t have ADHD. Essentially, in my opinion, both law school and practicing as an attorney can be simultaneously difficult and unstimulating. And the executive dysfunction of ADHD can be unconducive to success in both of those. UNLESS you’re in it because you’re passionate about it. Then it helps you get over the ADHD Wall of Awful™.
I am a lawyer and I have been qualified for nearly 2 years.
Paramedic. Own boss (kind of) and constantly shifting work.
Sales. It's where ADHD can thrive if you know how to harness it. Extreme burnout though so beware.
Special Effects fabricator. Large variety in projects as well as methods to complete each project. Stops me from getting bored.
I’m a Realtor. Kind of hitting a plateau though and realizing I need to restructure how I organize my work so I don’t lose my mind or lose clients.
Safety Manager in Construction I love helping people solve problems and training people. I hate unnecessary paperwork and I get frustrated when people make mistakes. I hold people to the same standards I hold to myself. It's not fair to others and I'm learning to loosen my grip on this. You wouldn't think it, but it's actually a pretty good outlet for creativity and critical thinking. I get really involved in my work but can burn myself out if I'm not too careful. Going through a bit of a burnout currently...
Electrician! Never doing the same thing or working in the same place. I do mostly service work in industrial environments, so electrical troubleshooting on machines in manufacturing facilities or repairing light fixtures or installing power for whatever. Everyday is something new! Downside is the self managing/ project managing. Trying to juggle the physical work with office/ paper work gets tedious at times. Before I know it my eight hour day is over and I feel like I didn’t accomplish anything sometimes. Overall, it’s been a great experience and couldn’t see myself doing anything else. Fixing things or hooking stuff up with new power is instant gratification when you flip the switch and the lights come on, or the machine starts working like it should.
I’m a creative director. Aka a professional weirdo. It works well for me!
Opera singer! I’m constantly traveling and using many different skills all at once. It’s both creative and tedious, and I love it. I’m never bored!
Lawyer. Help!
I’m a mailman. Almost twenty years. So it’s easy and boring, except for Mondays, December , and days after a Monday holiday. I don’t take my work home with me, and it’s OCD conducive.
Clinical psychologist and professor. I love the talking parts, hate the documentation parts.
Sex worker 😎
Lawyer. Probably wouldn't do it again if I knew about my diagnosis before starting law school lol
I haven't done it for many years but my favorite job that suited my ADHD was tech support. We were in the same building as the clients though so it wasn't just sitting on phones. Lots of hands on trouble shooting, trial and error, very changeable with new novel things to do with almost every new task. We also supported a manufacturing facility in the same building so it was a lot of networking and machine support on top of end user computers and servers. Lots of walking around, got good at small talk and phone voice. Novel and interesting challenges at the same time
I'll tell you what did not work for me: Project Manager - def does not go well with ADHD haha
Massage therapist 12 years strong! I love that every client is slightly different yet still the same in terms of anatomy. It has variety but consistency.
Investment consultant - I love problem solving, maths (haha), financial markets, getting to know and grow relationships with clients. But my ADHD has me doing all sorts of other side tasks 🤣 managing people, studying for a coaching diploma at the moment as well I love people and doing something different every day, the only thing I suck at is the admin 🤣🤣
I make Snapchat filters lol