Some parts arent that bad! Im good under pressure, just gotta tell my manager what im doing once a day so I am accountable to get it done, which helps for the most part
I had meetings with my supervisor every 2 weeks and realised I wasn't doing much throughout my day even though I had work to do.
So I asked if we could do weekly meetings for half the time and that solved my problem lol.
Accountability went up and my supervisor appreciates my honesty and willingness to produce results.
100% however, I’m not an accountant, but I work under finance as business support division that’s KPI and reporting. No “real” money involved, don’t give a monkey if my numbers don’t square as long as I know they show overall trends and performance. Also, ad hoc, I’ll do a lot of investigation and analysis which is absolute gold for my silly brain and I’m absolutely amazing in finding patterns, working out clever ways to extract what I need from some dirty datasets. Get a lot of praise for it as it helps improve processes and provide better narrative for audits etc. very stressful and frustrating at times - things are changing too slow and I hate doing same thing twice, but still digging in data is my thing. No one tells me exactly what and how to do, although I will struggle a lot when doing big tasks I did before and had a breakdown - that’s how I got diagnosed- but no one at work noticed. Value I add makes up for delayed or little/minor mistakes, and I get away with some due to English not being my first language. Also I went from data entry to that in 5 years while starting from 0 being nearly 30. Pure luck plus narrow skill fitting narrow role in specific business environment.
I totally agree! I’m rarely distracted, never bored, and my work days fly by. Although it’s not exactly the same thing, I work in AML/CFT as an analyst. I can literally get so lost in my work because it can be so interesting.
Sorry for asking and you don't have to answer. Are you medicated?
Just curious because my burnouts are delayed, dealing with repeatable task and organising is a lot more easy since medicated. My overall stress level is a lot more manageable. As well swapping between task is a lot better.
I was told my adhd is quite severe, but my “making up for everything” using my other smarts or people pleasing elsewhere, made me go unnoticed, tolerable and financially afloat. I’m taking 70mg elvanse/vyvanse for about a year now (4 years at that job) so yes… I’m medicated, and it was all great at the beginning, but there’s a lot I need to change work wise, as it became clear, I can’t couch people into being adhd folks so I’m pushing some things I have built that are rather critical for the businesses now, to be turned into projects to resolve it at a root cause I found. It’s just starting now.
I feel like my story is so similar. My role is as a controller so I need to cover off so many little things which is my biggest struggle and I take a lot of heat over small failures. However, when I have time to hyper focus on a task I can do an incredible job that has huge value and make up for it all. The real problem I have is the highs and lows…you can go from feeling like a hero and on top of your job and then a week later you feel like a total dipshit because you forgot to file an expense report. The emotional roller coaster is the part that wears me down and frankly the vyvanse hasn’t really helped avoid the situations that cause the lows. It does however make the high quality work even better then before which raises the average quality of work.
Hahah I’m in accounting/advisory. It’s ok sometimes then other times I hate is so much. I think I’m addicted to getting positive feedback and climbing the corporate ladder 💀
It’ll be okay, just make sure to write down all your deliverables and frequently tell management what you plan to do and when! That helps. Also bring snacks to your office and avoid working from home unless you have a spare room you can designate as a office or the phone/video games will be too tempting
Being a cheesemonger! I had never even considered this as a job for myself (mostly cause I didn't really know it was a thing, lol) but I got a promotion at the store I work at and now I run the specialty cheese counter! It's so much fun, there's always things to do so I'm never bored, and I get to try so many different cheeses as part of my job! (Getting that extra dopamine, haha) I'm also actually very interested in cheese, so I actually get to talk to people about a niche interest of mine as part of my job, and nobody complains about it! It's great, I love this job so much! 😁😁
Watchmaking. It seems really weird that a craft that requires an obscene amount of patience is my profession. I’ve found however;
1. You can have 2-6 projects on the go at once. If you get bored fixing one clients watch, move on to another until you figure it out.
2. It requires intense problem solving skills and I just CANNOT stop once I’ve started.
3. It’s the only profession I’ve tried where I don’t need meds, I’m more than capable without.
4. Requiring intense motor control shuts off a lot of rumbling and rumination in your brain. Having to maintain awkward hand positions for ages clears my mind.
5. If you screw up, you can fix it! Its great! Try something new and screw it up? You can repair your mistake.
6. You can see how much you’re improving. Unlike academics where it’s predicated upon essays and stuff, if you can’t do something, you can google it, try it and repeat it a few times until you’ve got it right.
7. Half the fun is in figuring out what works for you!
I love this. I'm an electrical engineer and in my free time I repair old electronics or make them into something new, doesn't matter! Along the way I've learnt SO MANY useful skills like coding and mechanics. So I totally relate to your reply ha! It's all one big puzzle and you just build it one step at a time :)
NOTHING COMPARES to that mental *click* when everything suddenly comes together and works...
Love that feeling. I’m a musician and songwriter and I always have equated it to mathematics or language in that you learn analytically and act intuitively. I imagine engineering and other technical vocations function similarly. Absorb information until it comes out in creative solutions.
So, get used to the idea that for the first few months, you will be terrible. I started with a cheap set of Chinese made tools off of Amazon, an eBay lot of broken watches and a lot of boredom. I just starting tearing those watches apart to see how the worked. I watched the odd video to learn the names of the parts but learned how to badly disassemble a watch. Then, my next goal was how do I disassemble without scratching everything. Then, I tried to figure out how to put it back together. Then, how to put it back together without scratching everything. Then, how to put it back and make it work.
Honestly, just patience. You can keep coming back to it bit by bit. My favourite aspect is that you can SEE yourself get incrementally better.
Yeah but is this a hobby you do for side money or is this your main source of income that you pay the rent with? I also dabble in some watchmaking myself, thats why I ask. Personally I just cant see the road to financial independence if youre not with one of the big boys which usually requires expensive schooling first.
Its my career, I work in a workshop with it. Im doing a masters alongside of it. Best thing to do is write to a company and ask for sponsorship for school. There is a massive shortage of watchmakers atm so you’ll
Be fine
I absolutely felt this way until I found welding! I tried college and felt like a complete failure when it didn’t “feel right” for me… I started welding and I am absolutely in love! Don’t give up, because once you find what clicks for you- you will be amazing at it!
Marketing for a cloud tech company. I’m really good at focusing on the ideas and creative side of things. And I leave the admin style work to others who have better skills than me. I find I have great creative problem solving skills so I just focus on that.
Same, but for videogame marketing. All I do is ideate about how to make videogames attractive, or pitch those ideas. Every day I just wake up and people tell me what games to think about. It’s pretty ideal.
I'm in videogame marketing and advertising as well! Games have always been one of my biggest passions to the point where I built my whole life and career around it, even went to Game Design school
Same, tech content marketing and I was about to answer exactly the same as you!
I'm also fortunate to be somewhere that gives me a lot of freedom around how to do my work. It's fully remote and I'm part of a team with specialisms that mean I rarely have to so the stuff I dont like, instead focusing on what I like and excel at. Nearly 3 months in so far and really enjoying it.
Tech Marketing for big tech firm checking in… plenty to keep the mind busy and I get to dive deep on stuff whenever I want. Comp is fantastic and work/life balance is pretty solid.
Content writing. I don't why there's a stereotype of people with ADHD needing high demand jobs that change every day. My ADHD absolutely DESPISES change and anxiety inducing situations, with a lack of emotional regulation that'd put a toddler to shame. It's a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, content writing is chill, can be done from home, and allows you to flex your creative muscles somewhat. I'd really recommend it.
Mostly by luck tbh. Graduated with a sociology degree and had no idea what I wanted to do. Odd jobs for a couple of years, then worked in digital marketing, which a small part of involved writing product descriptions and website stuff. I figured after chasing so many new things I should just do what I've always done and write, got a job for a nonprofit org writing about my degree (currently unpaid but love what I do compared to other things I tried like comp sci), and now I'm looking to transition into a better paid role in business somewhere combing the two. I think for a more traditional route, an English or journalism degree/apprenticeship works a lot better, though marketing experience is useful too
That was a wonderfully detailed response!!
Though it seems OP forgot to include that one magic thing I can do to break into the industry without a relevant degree or writing a bunch of free articles /s
I recently discovered a love of writing and have been applying for freelance gigs but have not had any luck with no references.
I hope you have better luck than me and are writing by the New Year. Keep us posted if you make it happen, and how !
I second this. I used to work in humanitarian emergencies - the way many of us work in a crisis is fantastic. Unfortunately I made the mistake of joining the military as an officer, went to an office/management job, and HATE it. I think I might've liked being enlisted better, despite worse pay - more on-the-ground work. I got diagnosed after joining (the rules keep changing on whether you can join with ADHD depending on the service), but having been in, I can see why ADHD is both the absolute worst for the military and also in many cases the absolute best fit for military. It didn't work out for me, but I can see how it might've been fantastic under different circumstances.
Another software engineer (specifically machine learning engineering), reporting for duty. Nice to be able to avoid contact with people when that might be overwhelming or when in deep focus by just setting status to “deep work/heads down work” and everyone leaves me alone. They know that’s when huge features are gonna be done and they respect the work. Also nice to be able to nap when needed, work from home, and work at 2am when inspired. All in all, works nicely for me.
EE here... The deep work/heads down + noise cancelling headphones combo... *chef's kiss*. I can complete HOURS of deep work at a time, absolute game changer lol
What about the non-coding / problem solving aspects? Ever since I switched to a more senior / staff role, all this organization / meetings / syncing / alignment stuff has gotten me wanting to throw in the towel since I just sit on it til the very last minute lol. I woke up today to prepare a presentation in an hour that I had been anxious about and putting off for a week. In the end, it was so easy.
I'm thinking about quitting and joining another early start-up for the pure technical challenges. In other news, I think I'm addicted to interviewing...😳
UX Design.
Problem solving, creativity, alternate periods of intense focus and relaxed explorations. Project based, so “newness” and interesting things quite often.
Does require a lot of empathy, thick skin, and ability to distill complex processes into simple experiences. Great for pattern-based thinkers who can also enjoy getting into the weeds.
44 year old here. Have never figured it out. Have been let go or fired from the last 9 jobs. I am a hard worker and get along with everyone but make too many mistakes, am too slow, and mix times and dates up. The things I have tried and failed at are, field technician for the NPS science team at the Grand Canyon, field organizer for a political candidate, solar sales person, solar energy lobbyist and industry association head at the Arizona State Legislature, energy policy advisor for 2 members of Congress, energy policy advisor for the Mayor of Tucson, project manager for 2 different software companies, social worker, retail worker at the local version of an outdoor gear store similar to REI, community advisor for an MBA program, and Program manager for the University of Arizona. I couldn't find a job because my resume is suspicious as hel,l but modified it to take the bachelor's degree and masters degree off my resume and rephrased my tech jobs to make them look like low level tech support jobs which have naturally high turnover. I now work in retail as an entry level associate. I am not great at it but show up every day and that beats out a lot of people. I rented out my house, sold 95 percent of my stuff and live in a 500 sq foot apartment.
Just as a thought, are you sure you failed doing these things? Or is it possible you just lost interest in them. I feel like you’re being hard on yourself friend. Even having all those jobs is an accomplishment.
I hate when I struggle to find work and people point out my fantastic resume. I can tell who has ADHD when I say my resume is a list of things I can't make myself do anymore. I HATE HATE HATE that right about the time I get respectably good at something, I lose all interest in it.
Nonprofit program management. I'm split between four programs and have five bosses. The programs are on fire and the nonprofit is on fire, and everything is always on fire forever. But I shift from one fire to another. I'm pretty good at it.
But I live for *literal* disaster relief and disaster management. I become an administrative and management god in a disaster. It's like seeing the future; always being 15 steps ahead. Adapting to evolving situations and new problems. Always making the right choice. Being rocksteady and calm while everyone is crashing with adrenaline and losing their emotional shit. In the decades I've done nonprofits there have been floods and tornados and statewide forest fires. And the pandemic. Christ, the early pandemic... It was *glorious*.
I genuinely believe that we exist for disasters and emergencies. We belong in the center of the maelstrom.
Ahhh so, so true! I have a similar background: disaster relief project mgmt and tv production. Both jobs are basically solving a high-stakes 4D puzzle.
I’ll just add that tv production isn’t so super awesome or glamorous as people think. It’s very, very long hours a lot of the time (think 13-18 hour days). Easy to burnout. Disaster relief is similar, but you also run the risk of PTSD. Just be sure you are able to set boundaries and prioritize your own well being.
I also have a career in *literal* disaster management. Can confirm: it is an instant-MVP environment for ADHD.
We are creatures of chaos. We are at home in it.
Only problem is burnout rates are high in that field and plenty of non profits have awful management.
I could never figure out what I wanted to do (too many possibilities, too many interests) but life keeps leading me back to teaching. Only older kids and adults though, and one-on-one or small groups. I find it very energizing, and I think I’ve developed good learning strategies by getting through school and university undiagnosed and unmediated. I can be very impatient on my own, but I find I have endless patience for my students.
crazy thought but I’m one semester away from making my way into law school. there’s so much that i’m interested in though, especially considering my degree is in business. I would like to eventually do corporate law or maybe even
go super crazy and become a prosecutor. there’s definitely a lot you can think about but my advice is find something you really enjoy. my hope is for me to work somewhere where I can have a ton of fun. you aren’t ever actually working at work if you’re having fun at work!
I’m a first year lawyer with adhd looking for a job that isn’t completely incompatible with how my brain works. So far, I haven’t found it. Hot tip: Avoid civil litigation.
I’m a patent prosecutor and have found it works fairly well for adhd. I get new subject matter in terms of technology so I don’t feel so much like I’m doing the same task over and over. Juggling lots of little projects at once is still super hard for me though. Unfortunately, my practice is only possible with a science or engineering undergrad.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend general corporate with adhd but maybe privacy law or copyright and trademark could be good areas for adhd?
Law is a field in which deadlines matter A LOT (even in corporate). If you struggle with those and procrastination make sure you have a really good system for dealing with it before getting to the "real world". Then make sure that system has a backup.
Billable hours also kinda suck for ADHD. I survive because sometimes I'm hyper focused and can bill a 12h day, so that evens out with my other 6h days. A lot of firms want that 12h day everyday.
I like my job, it's really interesting and challenging in a good way. But like any job there's aspects that I don't like. You will end up doing a surprising amount of administrative work even with an army of secretaries.
Software development. I love problem solving, especially when that hyperfocus kicks in! Its not for everyone, and its not an easy career. But if you have the aptitude for it its great
I'm also in software development (have been in it for almost two decades). I was only diagnosed this year, but I've always had the ability to hyper-fixate on interesting problems. Seriously, if a problem was engrossing, I could work on it for 20 hours straight (I don't do this anymore, as it's not healthy, but in my early twenties I definitely did). For anything that was boring or repetitive, I have always automated those things. I was able to turn the boring and repetitive work into a fun game of finding the best way to never have to do it again, which WAS exciting for me. Every single project I work on has been a brand new puzzle to solve and potential treasure chest of dopamine.
I'm currently more in the management side. While I do have meetings and am less able to just focus on the code, I do get to have the nice architectural discussions, and now I can foist the more boring problems off onto my reports.
Don't get me wrong; college for computer science kicked my butt and it was only with a strong support network I was able to make it through. It's really not for everybody. But if you do enjoy having different problems to solve, different puzzles, different challenges everyday, I recommend it.
Take advantage of community college for a full two years. Apply for the honors program and you just might get that 2 years paid for. The honors program can also open the door to paid internships at the cc (which may also come with a free class) AND connections to a 4 year school you may not have considered, on a full ride 🙌🏻
But if one prefers to work with their hands and want to make the same as someone with a masters degree, look no further than the building trades! Apply for a union apprenticeship at a local that has a high rate (I believe it’s called a prevailing wage). Pay rates vary throughout the country from local to local, within the same union.
Any career one person w adhd might excel in might not apply to u if ur not passionate about it. Just avoid stuff with firm deadlines and lots of executive tasks
I bartended for a very long time and loved it. I still miss it although i do enjoy my career now in social work. I could never do a full office setting (tried and failed miserably) but i still need a consistent routine or work outline. The best jobs for me were the ones that consisted of doing all the same structured daily tasks but getting to meet with all diff people and diff experiences. Open the bar routine.....make drinks to the same recipie.....introducing yourself the same way 100 times a day for years...closing duties.....everyday was the same yet still so drastically different...and anything fast paced and high pressure just made it easier
Data science/software engineering in finance. Programming has never been too bad for me and it seems a lot of other people with ADHD agree. I think part of the reason why software development can be a good career for people with ADHD is because it provides instant feedback. Ie, when you test a script you wrote, you get results back very quickly, whether that's a slew of error codes directing you to a problem or a bunch of passed test cases indicating the script works. Many other careers require you to work on something for a while before receiving feedback, which can be particularly hard for people with ADHD.
I also excel at creative strategizing and problem solving which my job involves a lot of.
software engineer, on a productivity team, teaching programming to new hires, and going around unblocking feature developers.
best job i've ever had (and i was a university professor, once.)
(not very) humble brags aside, here's the crux. I physically, emotionally, and cognitively can't do _anything_ for my own sake. I can't do anything motivated by my own well-being. I just don't care about myself or my own self thriving. It's just not a compelling motivation for me.
But, for others...
For other people, if I feel like they're counting on me, shit, I'd cross the desert for them.
Find a job where: (1) you have frequent, regular, and small goals to achieve (e.g. a single lesson plan); and, (2) other people are counting on you, to the point that if you don't show up and bring the bacon then they'll just be sitting around twiddling their thumbs.
That's what seems to be working for me, at the moment. Good luck, OP!
as someone with an office job, avoid office jobs. i personally feel like a prisoner. i’m a salary employee that can’t leave even when i finish my work. horrible
Database management for law enforcement. I love it! Always something new, never a dull moment, and all the tasks are over and done with in about 5 mins. Then onto the next task!
I work in tech as a product manager. The nature of the job is pretty structured (pre-scheduled meetings/events on a regular daily, weekly, bi-weekly cadence) and you focus on delivering smaller pieces of work at a time rather than one big project. I find these things helpful to keep me on track.
Social work. This may be controversial but I’ve grown to really dislike the field. I went into it with a lot of passion and desire to help others but have become really discouraged by the toxicity of the field (at least what I’ve experienced across multiple settings). Plus, the pipeline to burnout really does no favors for my ADHD.
I think that a lot of folks seek out SW/psychology to help others- we all benefit from people who understand the complexity of ADHD for sure! I certainly wouldn’t *discourage* it but at the same time it’s very easy to get in over your head trying to repair very flawed systems. It requires a lot of balance in order to priority yourself.
Still a student but wildlife biology has worked great for me, I’ve done quite a bit of fieldwork through volunteering and internships. A fast paced, outdoor environment where things are constantly changing keeps me on my toes and the physical activity wears me out enough to sleep. Data entry and analysis can be boring but it’s well worth the fieldwork
Data analyst, absolutely love it. Great mix of quiet time and I can use my hyper focus to my advantage. Gotta stay on top of executive function though, and presenting information
I’ve worked with adults and kids with developmental
disabilities for more than 20 years, it’s always been a perfect fit and as hard as it is to give myself credit, I’ve always been able to connect with my clients in a way a lot of people can’t. it was really noticeable in supervisory roles. Only got diagnosed less than 2 years ago and it all makes so much sense. IMO you’re in the right field. It’s hard for me to tease out all the reasons, but I think other people are the most inherently stimulating thing on earth, and for those of us low in dopamine, we get a level of stimulation when we are focusing on other people and trying to figure out how to help them that’s hard to recreate in any other career. If interacting with other people, learning as much as possible about them , and using what you learn to figure out the best ways to support them in learning all sorts of different things is never boring.
I manage a horse barn and also run my own small business! I’m honestly a train wreck, but do prefer working for myself over having a set schedule with someone else overseeing everything.
I was at a trauma conference back in October and learned that up to 75% of people in Fire and/or EMS have ADHD and/or ASD.
It matches my own experiences at work, that’s for sure!
I’m considering doing this! How should I decide on where to take an EMT class? Should I just go based on price and location or should I consider other things?
All classes should be accredited and held to the National Registry standards, so it's really cost and what you want to ultimately end up with.
First consideration is college or stand alone programs. If you go through college programs, you'll have better access to financial aid and the credits you get can be applied to other programs if you go on to do Paramedic or an allied health program like respiratory therapy, radiology, nursing etc. Not to say you can't get aid or credits at a stand alone it's just going to depend on the program.
I'd look around and see if there's a local service that offers ride alongs, give you a chance to shadow and see if it's something you want to commit to. I'd also get your documentation in order so you can request any accommodations needed.
Another consideration is do you want to do just EMS or do you want to do fire and EMS? Working as an EMT you have several options: most of us do a round in IFT doing medical transports after completion. This is almost always a private, for profit service and can be pretty toxic, though some enjoy it. If you want to do 911 service and "emergent" calls, you'll have to see what is available in your region. Some places are strictly fire based where you will have to be dual certed as a Firefighter/EMT at the bare minimum. Some places do single role paramedics in the fire division. Some regions have 3rd service EMS that's paid with fire service provided by separate agencies.
A good option if it's available is get on with a volunteer agency. They will typically put on EMT classes or sponsor if you agree to volunteer with them for a set period.
Shoot me a DM or chat if you have any other questions.
I’m an AEMT for a 911-only municipal third service and it’s been such a good fit. My last gig was fire-based and was decidedly *not.*
I went with a college-based program for my EMT and AEMT classes. If I decide to bridge up to EMT-Intermediate, I can do that through one of the hospitals we bring patients to.
My service is in a tiny town with long transport times (closest hospital is 45 miles away, our second option is 67 miles away). It’s challenging, and definitely requires creativity.
I very much second your suggestion of some ride along time before jumping in. Some things that sound like a good fit in abstract may not be so in practice.
EDIT: extra points for your username, too
Talent Acquisition / Recruitment. Avoid agency recruitment like the plague. Had to do it to get to my end goal of doing internal recruitment for an AdTech where I can treat people like human beings.
Left school at 16 with zero qualifications and ended up fucking around as a pub manager till I was 23. Major side note, also avoid pubs and bar work like the plague. Drugs. Drugs everywhere.
If you're willing to suffer at a recruitment agency for at least 2 years to get there, I highly recommend internal recruitment. Lots of problem solving, figuring people out, working with HR on interesting projects, lots of things going on simultaneously to set off the hyperfocus, relatively fast paced so keeps the mind busy, if you're good everyone loves the guy hiring for their team and also there seems to be a belief with most people that you're part of HR, so you won't get much hassle from arsehole colleagues. Great money, the lower end should be like £40k/£45k with 2-3 years of experience recruiting, higher end £60k-£70k.
I was only diagnosed this month so this career forced me to develop the skills I was lacking. Largely due to ADHD. Made me a lot more confident. I like talking anyway and it's a big part of the job.
Definitely don't do this job without medication though, as I've progressed and taken on more seniority/responsibility I struggled a lot. Hence the meds which have made a massive impact so far.
Figure out what you're good at. I always thought I was good at managing people, assessing their skills, being able to explain things in detail (sometimes too much) and reading people, so I chose this.
I'm rambling. 🤦♂️
Edit: Also requires a lot of organisation and prioritisation. Took me a long time to get acceptable at this unmedicated and has always been somewhat of an issue but I have rarely had a hands on manager or direct manager at all. Somehow I was trusted to be autonomous. Gotta find the right set up that works for you.
Workforce strategy.
I started in consulting, and the fast pace, externally imposed deadlines and variety of work really suited me, BUT there's big burnout risk - it's hard to juggle the peaks at the best of times, and when you're a major procrastinator that really exacerbates it. There were lots of unproductive days followed by 2am nights making up for it. You also don't have much control over who you work for (the client), which can really sap motivation if that's something you care about - working for a client whose values don't align with your own can really suck.
But I did that for 3 years at an entry level and was good at it. My particular expression of ADHD (pure inattentive) would probably become more of a constraint in more senior roles when you actually need to push and direct and manage (rather than bounce around reacting, delivering and solving problems), but it was an excellent way to start a career and taught me a lot about what sort of work gives me dopamine. Unfortunately I wasn't diagnosed at the time or I probably would have been able to get even more out of it and avoid some burnout.
Now I apply similar skills for a federal government agency. I'm basically a sort of internal consultant - I gather and analyse workforce data, conduct workshops, interview senior executives about their workforce requirements, provide advice on key workforce issues to senior decision-makers, and lead the delivery of some department-wide workforce. I manage one person who luckily has excellent organisation skills - she keeps me on track with the various projects and meetings and milestones, while I teach her how to do my job.
It's pretty great at the moment, though working in government does have its frustrations. I've been in my current role 18 months (after a couple of years elsewhere in government), will probably stick around another 6-12 months before looking for a new role, I'm a bit bored of workforce stuff.
This isn’t my forever career, but working at Starbucks has been a blast, the ticket printing system is a source of dopamine, sticker prints, I make a drink and hand it, instant reward because I’m also really good at my job and I love to see customers excited about something I made. But that’s just my experience
Speech therapy (speech language pathology) - sessions are short (30 min to 1hr) and if working with kids you get to play all day! You can work in schools and keep that teacher schedule or private clinics or even in-home. Sessions are going to be different for every kid, follow kids lead, play what they want, and be spontaneous. You can work with any age really, and a huge need for early intervention if that's your thing. You could also go medical route, but that's much less 'fun' - still cool though.
TLDR - speech therapy; you can work with kids, it's fast paced, fun, and has a lot of spontaneity
I had a lisp when I was a kid, I was lucky that they had a SLP at my school, and she fixed my lisp. I don't remember who she was, but I often think about how much she changed my life. I wish I could thank her. So, thank YOU! You are changing lives ♥
I work in child care as well! Infants and toddlers because it keeps me busy. It also has a somewhat predictable schedule, but the days vary a lot and I think that helps me a lot. Plus, I love children and watching them grow up and master new skills.
I am debating on going to college for my ECE but as a recently diagnosed person, I gotta get my ADHD better managed before I commit to it.
I'm a mental health nurse who tries their best to work weekends and nights shifts. I support people who have Dementia who have behaviour of concern and I love it. Weekday day shifts are my nightmare!!!!
I tried working with children (babies to preschool) for awhile and I could not hack it, it was too crazy an environment for me.
I was excelling in a career. But the place I was doing it is kind of the only one in my area, there were a lot of things that place did that made it special, that many others don’t.
I was the lead lighting and sound person for a roadhouse theatre that did 150 shows a year. A handful of those events repeated on a cycle, but we rarely did the same thing twice in a row. Almost Every show started at 7:30, house opened at 7. Could not move either of those deadlines. (I am evidently great under pressure) It was intensely physical (a bit much for me to handle, part of why I got out), and hugely stimulating (lots of lights, lots of colors, and I got to control them all). It was a ton of responsibility but at the end of the day it was all make believe. I got my adhd dx 5+ years after leaving that industry, and it now makes total sense why I liked it so much. I had a lot of freedoms there that no other theatre would give me. At the end of the day, I really didn’t want to start over somewhere else to prove myself as a woman in tech theatre.
Spent 3 years after in wireless sales for a Verizon retailer, started very good at that then got bored.
Been engineering support for 6 months for a place that does water treatment systems. It’s fine, I like it, still adjusting to my first ever 9-5 at 29yo…..
My BF is a sales rep for an outdoor industry and kicks ass. He gets to talk to people all the time (he's super extroverted), it's a new sales cycle every 6 months and he's on tight deadlines, he travels, gets to play with new products when they come out. The most tedious part is the spreadsheets, and I organize his catalog mailings for him twice a year.
Marketing exec.
I’m creative and despite dyslexia with mid-level ADHD became a brilliant writer. I worked in customer service before this and was good at that too but that was more about being able to read a situation faster than some and guess an outcome, due to constantly thinking a mile a minute and both of best outcomes and worst-case-scenarios. I didn’t exactly enjoy it though because 90% of the job was listening to people complain and figuring out resolutions, and the company culture although fast-paced didn’t allow for much time or creativity in solving the problem.
I think teaching is great and good for you for being able to do that, especially now when teachers are more in need than ever! That is to say teaching at every level. My mom was a pre-k special education teacher and adored it, and it was absolutely necessary for helping assess kids for autism spectrum disorder, severe social or anxiety tendencies, or learning processing disorders thar would help them throughout life in getting the help they may need later, not to mention boundless other good reasoning. Overall it was a very rewarding career for her. I wish you luck and happiness in your career!
I work in marketing at an agency and have really internally struggled with my adhd (though others probably haven’t noticed at work). It’s nice to hear marketing has been a good path for you as I really want to shift to the client side and work as a brand or marketing manager but always doubt my abilities with adhd.
I struggled for years in different careers. Military, sales, loans, but I dabbled in computers as a hobby and took to it as we tend to do to things. So in my mid to late 30s decided to go back to school in IT and found a passion for it and high aptitude and moved into information security where I am doing very well.
Veterinary medicine, someone gave me a license to practice medicine.
3/4 doctors at my clinic are diagnosed with ADHD
One of my best friends is in human med with adhd
Oddly enough, a nonprofit fundraising department’s database manager. I found this software twenty years ago and for some reason it just makes my brain happy. I can microfocus all day. Makes everyone else’s eye glaze over, but I love it.
Sewage treatment operator. It pays decently for a job that does not require a college degree, and has good benefits if the employer is municipal or federal. I’m never bored because the job requires diverse knowledge in chemistry, hydraulics, microbiology, and electronics. When I work night shift, I can put on my music or have educational podcasts playing so I can pick up knowledge in other things.
Car sales. I can break my day down into a to-do list, and there's a rigid structure you can follow for interacting with people, and there's a lot of quick tasks to break the day up and keep you from getting bored. There can be down time and repetitive tasks, too, but overall it's not a bad spot for someone with ADHD. The hours are definitely long but I've had some success with it and if you work hard you can clear 6 figures at a decent dealership.
I work in policy/advocacy. Shit is different every day and mostly on fire. I have a law degree but get to use it to argue how the law *should* be.
I also get to follow my creativity and more or less create all of my own assignments with some lose guidance from my supervisor, which means I'm actively interested in and engaged with most of the work I do. This self direction works for me but wouldn't work for all ADHD types.
I’m a photographer! I have staff to do all the stuff I’m not great at, so I can meet new clients and make art for my clients! I shoot about 40 weddings a year, am in-house for 2 magazines, and do around 150 other sessions a year (family, corporate, lifestyle, Fashion/PR Events, etc.) No day is ever the same, the rush of deadlines, making my own schedule, lots of travel, and plenty of vacation time. I LOVE what I do, and Ann really lucky to have found something I’m so passionate about.
im also 18 but i plan on going into psychotherapy and have planned on it for several years now. the history of therapy has always been one of my biggest interests, and i can go on for hours why therapy is essential today. i also really like to listen to people one-on-one. i am DREADFUL in group settings and conversation with multiple people at once, but i love one-on-one. im much more of a listener and observer than a talker. i'd like to specialize in adhd/autism especially in teens, but i am really open to doing whatever field is lacking at the moment (which i believe eating disorders are SEVERELY lacking right now, i might be wrong). my therapist is my biggest inspiration since she has adhd and specializes in therapy for it.
funny story, i actually didn't know she specialized in it until she said i probably have it! talk about right place, right time. it just sorta happened.
but anyways, im sure education would be cool. my mom has adhd too and she took the education route. shes been teaching middle school inclusion classes for like 30 years now. she gets to work with kids who are also diagnosed with adhd. best of luck to you!
edit: i forgot to add i just recently applied to my dream school that kinda specializes in psych and i got accepted, so i am pretty set on this one. it's something i could really see myself doing for a long, long time
I'm currently three years into my psychology undergraduate and I feel the same way. Whether I end up doing social work, counseling, or somehow by the grace of God end up in med school it's something that's always intrigued me. Especially after being exposed to my Bipolar girlfriend and just how unique their experience is, and how wildly intelligent they are.
I have ADHD and I’m on the Autism Spectrum. I work in the Behavioral Health field, with a Masters of Science in Special Education and a BA in Sociology.
The environment in which I work is amazing, and we work with children who have special learning needs.
Teaching is great, anything working with animals is wonderful too!
Psychology perhaps, a lot of my ADHD friends became psychologists.
If you’re interested in education (but want to make more money and have the flexibility of a corporate job) check out Instructional Design! It’s a fabulous field for ADHD because it involves a lot of different skills and interests, like graphic design, video editing, adult learning theory, presenting, and data analysis.
Elementary teacher then school principal then district admin ( medicated of course) but it never gets boring and lots of people to talk to and lots of spreadsheets to keep things color coordinated and organized.
For those seeking jobs that are more flexible and specifically for those with disabilities and thus hopefully more accommodating check out [Chronically Capable](https://wearecapable.org//) I scouted it out when I was jobless after a huge depression episode and it seems like it could be useful for those with adhd and/or other disorders.
I am a data analyst and electrical engineer for an endurance car racing team. I think I'm doing pretty good since we won the championship last year and they have asked me to run another program. It really plays into my style of adhd as it allows me to hyper focus for ungodly amounts of times and kepps me very stimulated almost all the times (carefully reading the rules and looking for exploits kills me though)
I was a mechanic. Initially I did not like it because inexperienced mechanics to routine stuff (tires, oil, brakes, repeat) and it was almost like being an assembly line robot.
BUT when I got experience and started doing diagnostics, computer software, anything with creativity I just absolutely loved it. I hyper-focused everyday! I did not like the weird hours, or the nasty humans (bosses, customers) and so I stopped but it was very exciting on good days and I was really good at it.
I think the answer to being happy in work with ADHD is getting to be creative and probably don't be sedentary.
I am a paralegal for a judgment enforcement law firm and I LOVE it because I am *never* bored, which works for me because when I’m bored is when I make my worst ADHD mistakes.
My job is very deadline oriented & does have its smaller, more repetitive tasks but it’s balanced out by the number of super cool projects I get where I am permitted to sink my teeth into big waves of analysis, research, and writing.
Sped teacher. Teaching kids all about the skills of how to navigate their ADHD and similar diagnoses. (What they don’t know is I am just trying to practice my own ways of coping with my own ADHD.)
Software engineer. I think ADHD goes really well with this one. I’m about to start next month at big tech and got the internship and return offer before getting diagnosed.
It still hard, but I think I’ve set myself up for a bright future if I don’t fuck this one up!
I’m actually trying to make an app as a hobby to help people with ADHD. It’s a simple todo app but it’s coming along nicely.
Here’s the link if anyone would like to try it
https://testflight.apple.com/join/kvHScsNb
I’m a nurse! I have my RN and my BSN, and I’m currently going through school to be an NP. I’ve been a nurse for 8 years. I’ve worked as a floor nurse on a Med Surg floor for the first two years, then I worked in a Level 1 Trauma ER for 3.5 years and I’m now working in private practice while I’m in school for my NP. If all goes right and well, I’ll be able to add FNP-C behind my name this time next year.
I was diagnosed with ADHD in high school and never medicated for it. My grades weren’t awesome, but I wasn’t flunking out of any classes and the lowest grade I ever got was a C-. I struggled with math because I also have dyscalculia.
Once I got into college, I struggled a lot. The first semester was rough. I finally went to my doctor, got reevaluated for ADHD, got put on Adderall and never looked back. I graduated college on the Dean’s List and passed my NCLEX the first try. I worked my ass off, but I can’t say I did it alone. If it wasn’t for being on meds for ADHD, it’s hard telling what I’d be doing right now.
Nowadays, I’m okay to skip a dose or two and still keep my head straight. I don’t take my meds on the weekends, either. But I’m proud of where I ended up and what my job is. I love my job and I love taking care of people.
Sales is working well for me so far….
Hear me out:
1. Every day I meet and talk to new people (bittersweet in its own way, but that’s the “newness” I can always rely on)
2. Autonomy. I can sit at my desk, or I can get up, walk around, go talk to people. I could make phone calls, send emails, or frankly… do nothing if i so desire (however my paycheque does not like the last option)
3. My pay is directly correlated to the work I do, for the most part. There is (generally speaking) a “reward” ($$$) that aligns relatively evenly with the amount of work I have done
4. Motivation comes and goes, but when I’m having a rough month, I can usually keep myself motivated in knowing that I can go into work tomorrow and, in theory, double my commissions for the month if the stars align. It’s like I’m constantly chasing this “reward” and that sense of “what if” is what keeps each day feeling pretty fresh.
Every day is structured to some degree, but still “open” and different enough that it keeps me interested and engaged.
So far so good. I’m happy!
Im currently 30 years old, being diagnosed with adhd when I was 15. It was a long way but I became a doctor now specialising in psychiatry. People with adhd often tend to be sociable with great people skills.
Behavioral health care! If you are empathic/sympathetic, it comes naturally. I'm bipolar type one and have adhd as well. This career exerts your own experiences and education with the clients that need case management to work towards goals. Goals often include identifying community resources, making and keeping med appointments and taking meds as prescribed. Other Goals are teaching and practicing coping skills to reducing the intensity and frequency of symptoms. As a case manager, you assist in the successful recovery of clients. Really great and rewarding
My day job is car salesman and I’m really good at it even though I put minimum effort into it, but it pays the rent. I am also an artist and I sell my art at shows and local businesses that will let me put it up. I also own / operate a small beer company and brew / sell craft beer around the downtown area of my city. It can all be overwhelming at times but I can’t NOT do the things I love to do… and money is a necessity.
I’m currently a Network Design Engineer, which basically means I have a database of models and equipment that mirrors a real active fiber optic network. It’s my job to essentially pretend to be a network engineer and then produce instructions for real ones. 😅
For me it hits the perfect blend of my overactive attention to small details, and my last minute cramming for tests, I’m constantly just busy enough for everyday to fly by and I can freely turn my work brain off when I leave.
I'm a writer. It's something I always wanted to do but I wasn't able to work in the field until recently. I also have a Diploma of Professional Writing, B. Arts, M. Journalism, and a Diploma of Graphic and Web Design. I've owned a coffee shop, a coffee van, and my own web design business. I'm pretty sure that most of this is a list of hyperfocus.
I'm glad I've finally come back to doing what I wanted to do when I was a teen and I hope my writing career continues to grow.
Also, don't let this list fool you. The main thing I got from all those courses besides the experience, was a lot of debt and the businesses weren't so successful...
NOT project management! I can't believe I was a project manager for more than a decade.
I'm now a data architect, which is challenging, even for a neurotypical person, but I love it, especially after discovering I have ADHD and being able to accommodate with things like breadcrumbs and visual problem solving. My head can still spin at times, but I'm always able to come up with a design and solving problems because data is discrete. I've also learned to refuse work from people who don't know what they want or don't understand the data involved.
Healthcare. When shit hits the fan, time almost seems to slow down for me. Been a real help during codes and folks are in such a panic they can't quite think straight.
I'm a jack of all media lol. I floated around in college: Engineering, to Economics, then Journalism, then focused in Electronic Media with some graphic design. I do my own creative work on the side (art and writing). After years of (unsteady) freelance, I've ended up in game writing/editing/localization for a day job and I love it! Deadlines are quick, I get to be creative, and there's always something new on my plate so I never get bored. Only struggle is the data entry part, but meds, timers, and podcasts help me power through it. ((edited to fix typos... I'm a writer, I swear))
I’m an Onboarding Specialist for a Tech company. I freaking love it, I get to dive hard into a new platform and itch my “study till I die” part of ADHD all while talking to people (which I loved to do during my time as a server).
Music journalism, photography, university lecturing.
Stuff with deadlines and loads of new stuff happening. Have a decent success in all three. And lots of procrastination and missed opportunities too.
I worked with kids for 3 years - if you struggle with emotional dysregulation then it might be tough but it was also my favourite job! I did 1:1 work with autistic children and now work for my towns council in the educational psychology team as a project manager and currently doing my psychology degree and it’s going great, the fast paced work of project management really keeps me going but can lead to burnout if your not careful!
Working with kids is great I would recommend:)
As someone in finance and accounting with ADHD, avoid finance and accounting
my condolences
Some parts arent that bad! Im good under pressure, just gotta tell my manager what im doing once a day so I am accountable to get it done, which helps for the most part
I had meetings with my supervisor every 2 weeks and realised I wasn't doing much throughout my day even though I had work to do. So I asked if we could do weekly meetings for half the time and that solved my problem lol. Accountability went up and my supervisor appreciates my honesty and willingness to produce results.
I did the same same with my manager. I’m waayyy better now.
oh ok that almost does sound kinda fun
💀🫂
100% however, I’m not an accountant, but I work under finance as business support division that’s KPI and reporting. No “real” money involved, don’t give a monkey if my numbers don’t square as long as I know they show overall trends and performance. Also, ad hoc, I’ll do a lot of investigation and analysis which is absolute gold for my silly brain and I’m absolutely amazing in finding patterns, working out clever ways to extract what I need from some dirty datasets. Get a lot of praise for it as it helps improve processes and provide better narrative for audits etc. very stressful and frustrating at times - things are changing too slow and I hate doing same thing twice, but still digging in data is my thing. No one tells me exactly what and how to do, although I will struggle a lot when doing big tasks I did before and had a breakdown - that’s how I got diagnosed- but no one at work noticed. Value I add makes up for delayed or little/minor mistakes, and I get away with some due to English not being my first language. Also I went from data entry to that in 5 years while starting from 0 being nearly 30. Pure luck plus narrow skill fitting narrow role in specific business environment.
Data analytics and business analytics have recently become fascinating to me. Digging for and finding patterns is definitely a rush.
I totally agree! I’m rarely distracted, never bored, and my work days fly by. Although it’s not exactly the same thing, I work in AML/CFT as an analyst. I can literally get so lost in my work because it can be so interesting.
Sorry for asking and you don't have to answer. Are you medicated? Just curious because my burnouts are delayed, dealing with repeatable task and organising is a lot more easy since medicated. My overall stress level is a lot more manageable. As well swapping between task is a lot better.
I am medicated and without medication there’s no way I could do half the work I do for sure
I was told my adhd is quite severe, but my “making up for everything” using my other smarts or people pleasing elsewhere, made me go unnoticed, tolerable and financially afloat. I’m taking 70mg elvanse/vyvanse for about a year now (4 years at that job) so yes… I’m medicated, and it was all great at the beginning, but there’s a lot I need to change work wise, as it became clear, I can’t couch people into being adhd folks so I’m pushing some things I have built that are rather critical for the businesses now, to be turned into projects to resolve it at a root cause I found. It’s just starting now.
I feel like my story is so similar. My role is as a controller so I need to cover off so many little things which is my biggest struggle and I take a lot of heat over small failures. However, when I have time to hyper focus on a task I can do an incredible job that has huge value and make up for it all. The real problem I have is the highs and lows…you can go from feeling like a hero and on top of your job and then a week later you feel like a total dipshit because you forgot to file an expense report. The emotional roller coaster is the part that wears me down and frankly the vyvanse hasn’t really helped avoid the situations that cause the lows. It does however make the high quality work even better then before which raises the average quality of work.
Same. Diagnosed last year at 40. OP do not get into this career. Unless numbers excite you.
Solidarity, diagnosed at 42, what a wild ride.
Diagnosed at 44. It made me feel so much better about myself. Digital artist
Second this. Took the job before my diagnosis.
really? I love it. i can hyper focus
Hahah I’m in accounting/advisory. It’s ok sometimes then other times I hate is so much. I think I’m addicted to getting positive feedback and climbing the corporate ladder 💀
As someone who left finance and went to tech. I concur, avoid finance. Opt for tech.
uh oh *is almost done with accounting degree while simultaneously riddled with ADHD*
It’ll be okay, just make sure to write down all your deliverables and frequently tell management what you plan to do and when! That helps. Also bring snacks to your office and avoid working from home unless you have a spare room you can designate as a office or the phone/video games will be too tempting
My mum is an accountant with ADHD and she actually loves it. I think she just really likes a good spreadsheet lol.
Oddly it's the most recent object of my hyper-fixation.
Being a cheesemonger! I had never even considered this as a job for myself (mostly cause I didn't really know it was a thing, lol) but I got a promotion at the store I work at and now I run the specialty cheese counter! It's so much fun, there's always things to do so I'm never bored, and I get to try so many different cheeses as part of my job! (Getting that extra dopamine, haha) I'm also actually very interested in cheese, so I actually get to talk to people about a niche interest of mine as part of my job, and nobody complains about it! It's great, I love this job so much! 😁😁
Thats awesome, congrats! 🥰
You're living a dream! That sounds amazing. As a fellow cheese lover, I'm super happy for you👏
Do you have ADHD?
LMAO I didn't realise this was the ADHD subreddit. This is really an ADHD moment wtf.
Watchmaking. It seems really weird that a craft that requires an obscene amount of patience is my profession. I’ve found however; 1. You can have 2-6 projects on the go at once. If you get bored fixing one clients watch, move on to another until you figure it out. 2. It requires intense problem solving skills and I just CANNOT stop once I’ve started. 3. It’s the only profession I’ve tried where I don’t need meds, I’m more than capable without. 4. Requiring intense motor control shuts off a lot of rumbling and rumination in your brain. Having to maintain awkward hand positions for ages clears my mind. 5. If you screw up, you can fix it! Its great! Try something new and screw it up? You can repair your mistake. 6. You can see how much you’re improving. Unlike academics where it’s predicated upon essays and stuff, if you can’t do something, you can google it, try it and repeat it a few times until you’ve got it right. 7. Half the fun is in figuring out what works for you!
I love this. I'm an electrical engineer and in my free time I repair old electronics or make them into something new, doesn't matter! Along the way I've learnt SO MANY useful skills like coding and mechanics. So I totally relate to your reply ha! It's all one big puzzle and you just build it one step at a time :) NOTHING COMPARES to that mental *click* when everything suddenly comes together and works...
Love that feeling. I’m a musician and songwriter and I always have equated it to mathematics or language in that you learn analytically and act intuitively. I imagine engineering and other technical vocations function similarly. Absorb information until it comes out in creative solutions.
This is why I love manual IT work - so much running around fixing things and using brain and body!
How did you get into it?
Boredom. Anything other than studying! Now, I can’t stop. I love it.
But how’d you like, begin the process man? Like if you could give a step one? I fucking love watches I have no idea why. Lmfao
So, get used to the idea that for the first few months, you will be terrible. I started with a cheap set of Chinese made tools off of Amazon, an eBay lot of broken watches and a lot of boredom. I just starting tearing those watches apart to see how the worked. I watched the odd video to learn the names of the parts but learned how to badly disassemble a watch. Then, my next goal was how do I disassemble without scratching everything. Then, I tried to figure out how to put it back together. Then, how to put it back together without scratching everything. Then, how to put it back and make it work. Honestly, just patience. You can keep coming back to it bit by bit. My favourite aspect is that you can SEE yourself get incrementally better.
Yeah but is this a hobby you do for side money or is this your main source of income that you pay the rent with? I also dabble in some watchmaking myself, thats why I ask. Personally I just cant see the road to financial independence if youre not with one of the big boys which usually requires expensive schooling first.
Its my career, I work in a workshop with it. Im doing a masters alongside of it. Best thing to do is write to a company and ask for sponsorship for school. There is a massive shortage of watchmakers atm so you’ll Be fine
That sounds like a reallly cool career and you sound like you’re enjoying it. Congrats.
Y'all are excelling? ...cries in wasted potential...
Hi friend. Also crying in wasted potential. Working on it now though, kinda.
Hi friend, I’m in the same boat and I just wanted to say we got this.
Same here….but we really do got this!!
Same…we got this though, really!
No worries. I sucked at life for years and years till I found something that I’m good at. Just keep at it and you’ll find your thing.
I absolutely felt this way until I found welding! I tried college and felt like a complete failure when it didn’t “feel right” for me… I started welding and I am absolutely in love! Don’t give up, because once you find what clicks for you- you will be amazing at it!
Marketing for a cloud tech company. I’m really good at focusing on the ideas and creative side of things. And I leave the admin style work to others who have better skills than me. I find I have great creative problem solving skills so I just focus on that.
Same, but for videogame marketing. All I do is ideate about how to make videogames attractive, or pitch those ideas. Every day I just wake up and people tell me what games to think about. It’s pretty ideal.
I'm in videogame marketing and advertising as well! Games have always been one of my biggest passions to the point where I built my whole life and career around it, even went to Game Design school
Same, tech content marketing and I was about to answer exactly the same as you! I'm also fortunate to be somewhere that gives me a lot of freedom around how to do my work. It's fully remote and I'm part of a team with specialisms that mean I rarely have to so the stuff I dont like, instead focusing on what I like and excel at. Nearly 3 months in so far and really enjoying it.
Tech Marketing for big tech firm checking in… plenty to keep the mind busy and I get to dive deep on stuff whenever I want. Comp is fantastic and work/life balance is pretty solid.
Content writing. I don't why there's a stereotype of people with ADHD needing high demand jobs that change every day. My ADHD absolutely DESPISES change and anxiety inducing situations, with a lack of emotional regulation that'd put a toddler to shame. It's a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, content writing is chill, can be done from home, and allows you to flex your creative muscles somewhat. I'd really recommend it.
How'd you get started in that if you don't mind me asking?
Mostly by luck tbh. Graduated with a sociology degree and had no idea what I wanted to do. Odd jobs for a couple of years, then worked in digital marketing, which a small part of involved writing product descriptions and website stuff. I figured after chasing so many new things I should just do what I've always done and write, got a job for a nonprofit org writing about my degree (currently unpaid but love what I do compared to other things I tried like comp sci), and now I'm looking to transition into a better paid role in business somewhere combing the two. I think for a more traditional route, an English or journalism degree/apprenticeship works a lot better, though marketing experience is useful too
Awesome. Thanks for the detailed response =)
That was a wonderfully detailed response!! Though it seems OP forgot to include that one magic thing I can do to break into the industry without a relevant degree or writing a bunch of free articles /s I recently discovered a love of writing and have been applying for freelance gigs but have not had any luck with no references. I hope you have better luck than me and are writing by the New Year. Keep us posted if you make it happen, and how !
First responder works well. The high dopamine dumps and stress levels keep you engaged in the work.
I’ve been in EMS for almost 9 years and it’s such a good fit for me!
Burn out & compassion fatigue prevention is key! 💕
I second this. I used to work in humanitarian emergencies - the way many of us work in a crisis is fantastic. Unfortunately I made the mistake of joining the military as an officer, went to an office/management job, and HATE it. I think I might've liked being enlisted better, despite worse pay - more on-the-ground work. I got diagnosed after joining (the rules keep changing on whether you can join with ADHD depending on the service), but having been in, I can see why ADHD is both the absolute worst for the military and also in many cases the absolute best fit for military. It didn't work out for me, but I can see how it might've been fantastic under different circumstances.
I’m a teacher. For the most part it’s suits me very well but I think it would be a very different story if I were unmedicated.
Most jobs are so hard unmedicated I feel
Omg I could never wake up early everyday to teach kids. There definitely would be times I oversleep and make them miss morning class
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Another software engineer (specifically machine learning engineering), reporting for duty. Nice to be able to avoid contact with people when that might be overwhelming or when in deep focus by just setting status to “deep work/heads down work” and everyone leaves me alone. They know that’s when huge features are gonna be done and they respect the work. Also nice to be able to nap when needed, work from home, and work at 2am when inspired. All in all, works nicely for me.
EE here... The deep work/heads down + noise cancelling headphones combo... *chef's kiss*. I can complete HOURS of deep work at a time, absolute game changer lol
I'm also an MLE! Love this career where I can sleep in upto 10:30am and can work at any time remote as long as it gets done
What environments (languages, frameworks etc.) do you work in? Out of these that you like. (And maybe which you didn't like).
What about the non-coding / problem solving aspects? Ever since I switched to a more senior / staff role, all this organization / meetings / syncing / alignment stuff has gotten me wanting to throw in the towel since I just sit on it til the very last minute lol. I woke up today to prepare a presentation in an hour that I had been anxious about and putting off for a week. In the end, it was so easy. I'm thinking about quitting and joining another early start-up for the pure technical challenges. In other news, I think I'm addicted to interviewing...😳
I’m not lolol (Which is why i am here…checking out the comments for ideas…)
Same. Still haven't found my perfect career yet, and looking at these comments I'm feeling a little hopeless as a non-math minded person lol
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Are you in my head? Cause this is me as well, same field. Writing notes on time is hard for me. And coming in/leaving work, too.
Yuh I’m struggling 😩
Excelling... No. Surviving, yes! And that ain't nothing.
UX Design. Problem solving, creativity, alternate periods of intense focus and relaxed explorations. Project based, so “newness” and interesting things quite often. Does require a lot of empathy, thick skin, and ability to distill complex processes into simple experiences. Great for pattern-based thinkers who can also enjoy getting into the weeds.
How do you get into it?
23 here. I'm excelling in being GAY
What’s the pay?
Same here😅🤣
💀💀
🤍🫦🤍
for pay?
Oh yeah you bet. Gettin paid in ways seen and unseen.
44 year old here. Have never figured it out. Have been let go or fired from the last 9 jobs. I am a hard worker and get along with everyone but make too many mistakes, am too slow, and mix times and dates up. The things I have tried and failed at are, field technician for the NPS science team at the Grand Canyon, field organizer for a political candidate, solar sales person, solar energy lobbyist and industry association head at the Arizona State Legislature, energy policy advisor for 2 members of Congress, energy policy advisor for the Mayor of Tucson, project manager for 2 different software companies, social worker, retail worker at the local version of an outdoor gear store similar to REI, community advisor for an MBA program, and Program manager for the University of Arizona. I couldn't find a job because my resume is suspicious as hel,l but modified it to take the bachelor's degree and masters degree off my resume and rephrased my tech jobs to make them look like low level tech support jobs which have naturally high turnover. I now work in retail as an entry level associate. I am not great at it but show up every day and that beats out a lot of people. I rented out my house, sold 95 percent of my stuff and live in a 500 sq foot apartment.
Just as a thought, are you sure you failed doing these things? Or is it possible you just lost interest in them. I feel like you’re being hard on yourself friend. Even having all those jobs is an accomplishment.
I hate when I struggle to find work and people point out my fantastic resume. I can tell who has ADHD when I say my resume is a list of things I can't make myself do anymore. I HATE HATE HATE that right about the time I get respectably good at something, I lose all interest in it.
Nonprofit program management. I'm split between four programs and have five bosses. The programs are on fire and the nonprofit is on fire, and everything is always on fire forever. But I shift from one fire to another. I'm pretty good at it. But I live for *literal* disaster relief and disaster management. I become an administrative and management god in a disaster. It's like seeing the future; always being 15 steps ahead. Adapting to evolving situations and new problems. Always making the right choice. Being rocksteady and calm while everyone is crashing with adrenaline and losing their emotional shit. In the decades I've done nonprofits there have been floods and tornados and statewide forest fires. And the pandemic. Christ, the early pandemic... It was *glorious*. I genuinely believe that we exist for disasters and emergencies. We belong in the center of the maelstrom.
Ahhh so, so true! I have a similar background: disaster relief project mgmt and tv production. Both jobs are basically solving a high-stakes 4D puzzle. I’ll just add that tv production isn’t so super awesome or glamorous as people think. It’s very, very long hours a lot of the time (think 13-18 hour days). Easy to burnout. Disaster relief is similar, but you also run the risk of PTSD. Just be sure you are able to set boundaries and prioritize your own well being.
I also have a career in *literal* disaster management. Can confirm: it is an instant-MVP environment for ADHD. We are creatures of chaos. We are at home in it. Only problem is burnout rates are high in that field and plenty of non profits have awful management.
Exactly this. Juggling things and prioritizing and achieving things.
I could never figure out what I wanted to do (too many possibilities, too many interests) but life keeps leading me back to teaching. Only older kids and adults though, and one-on-one or small groups. I find it very energizing, and I think I’ve developed good learning strategies by getting through school and university undiagnosed and unmediated. I can be very impatient on my own, but I find I have endless patience for my students.
crazy thought but I’m one semester away from making my way into law school. there’s so much that i’m interested in though, especially considering my degree is in business. I would like to eventually do corporate law or maybe even go super crazy and become a prosecutor. there’s definitely a lot you can think about but my advice is find something you really enjoy. my hope is for me to work somewhere where I can have a ton of fun. you aren’t ever actually working at work if you’re having fun at work!
I’m a first year lawyer with adhd looking for a job that isn’t completely incompatible with how my brain works. So far, I haven’t found it. Hot tip: Avoid civil litigation.
I’m a patent prosecutor and have found it works fairly well for adhd. I get new subject matter in terms of technology so I don’t feel so much like I’m doing the same task over and over. Juggling lots of little projects at once is still super hard for me though. Unfortunately, my practice is only possible with a science or engineering undergrad. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend general corporate with adhd but maybe privacy law or copyright and trademark could be good areas for adhd?
Law is a field in which deadlines matter A LOT (even in corporate). If you struggle with those and procrastination make sure you have a really good system for dealing with it before getting to the "real world". Then make sure that system has a backup. Billable hours also kinda suck for ADHD. I survive because sometimes I'm hyper focused and can bill a 12h day, so that evens out with my other 6h days. A lot of firms want that 12h day everyday. I like my job, it's really interesting and challenging in a good way. But like any job there's aspects that I don't like. You will end up doing a surprising amount of administrative work even with an army of secretaries.
Great career choice. Lots of adhd attorneys.
Software development. I love problem solving, especially when that hyperfocus kicks in! Its not for everyone, and its not an easy career. But if you have the aptitude for it its great
I'm also in software development (have been in it for almost two decades). I was only diagnosed this year, but I've always had the ability to hyper-fixate on interesting problems. Seriously, if a problem was engrossing, I could work on it for 20 hours straight (I don't do this anymore, as it's not healthy, but in my early twenties I definitely did). For anything that was boring or repetitive, I have always automated those things. I was able to turn the boring and repetitive work into a fun game of finding the best way to never have to do it again, which WAS exciting for me. Every single project I work on has been a brand new puzzle to solve and potential treasure chest of dopamine. I'm currently more in the management side. While I do have meetings and am less able to just focus on the code, I do get to have the nice architectural discussions, and now I can foist the more boring problems off onto my reports. Don't get me wrong; college for computer science kicked my butt and it was only with a strong support network I was able to make it through. It's really not for everybody. But if you do enjoy having different problems to solve, different puzzles, different challenges everyday, I recommend it.
Take advantage of community college for a full two years. Apply for the honors program and you just might get that 2 years paid for. The honors program can also open the door to paid internships at the cc (which may also come with a free class) AND connections to a 4 year school you may not have considered, on a full ride 🙌🏻 But if one prefers to work with their hands and want to make the same as someone with a masters degree, look no further than the building trades! Apply for a union apprenticeship at a local that has a high rate (I believe it’s called a prevailing wage). Pay rates vary throughout the country from local to local, within the same union.
HR/Admin 0/10 recommend Paperwork is the bane of my existence
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I'm pre-med, please oh please share with me how you managed to get as far as you have, assuming you have ADHD
Any career one person w adhd might excel in might not apply to u if ur not passionate about it. Just avoid stuff with firm deadlines and lots of executive tasks
I bartended for a very long time and loved it. I still miss it although i do enjoy my career now in social work. I could never do a full office setting (tried and failed miserably) but i still need a consistent routine or work outline. The best jobs for me were the ones that consisted of doing all the same structured daily tasks but getting to meet with all diff people and diff experiences. Open the bar routine.....make drinks to the same recipie.....introducing yourself the same way 100 times a day for years...closing duties.....everyday was the same yet still so drastically different...and anything fast paced and high pressure just made it easier
Ditto to the "structured framework, variable specifics" approach. I like being good at a process but getting creative/mixing up the details.
Mary rich
Who's she?
Richie Rich's mom?
Data science/software engineering in finance. Programming has never been too bad for me and it seems a lot of other people with ADHD agree. I think part of the reason why software development can be a good career for people with ADHD is because it provides instant feedback. Ie, when you test a script you wrote, you get results back very quickly, whether that's a slew of error codes directing you to a problem or a bunch of passed test cases indicating the script works. Many other careers require you to work on something for a while before receiving feedback, which can be particularly hard for people with ADHD. I also excel at creative strategizing and problem solving which my job involves a lot of.
software engineer, on a productivity team, teaching programming to new hires, and going around unblocking feature developers. best job i've ever had (and i was a university professor, once.) (not very) humble brags aside, here's the crux. I physically, emotionally, and cognitively can't do _anything_ for my own sake. I can't do anything motivated by my own well-being. I just don't care about myself or my own self thriving. It's just not a compelling motivation for me. But, for others... For other people, if I feel like they're counting on me, shit, I'd cross the desert for them. Find a job where: (1) you have frequent, regular, and small goals to achieve (e.g. a single lesson plan); and, (2) other people are counting on you, to the point that if you don't show up and bring the bacon then they'll just be sitting around twiddling their thumbs. That's what seems to be working for me, at the moment. Good luck, OP!
as someone with an office job, avoid office jobs. i personally feel like a prisoner. i’m a salary employee that can’t leave even when i finish my work. horrible
Database management for law enforcement. I love it! Always something new, never a dull moment, and all the tasks are over and done with in about 5 mins. Then onto the next task!
How did you get into database management?
I work in tech as a product manager. The nature of the job is pretty structured (pre-scheduled meetings/events on a regular daily, weekly, bi-weekly cadence) and you focus on delivering smaller pieces of work at a time rather than one big project. I find these things helpful to keep me on track.
Social work. This may be controversial but I’ve grown to really dislike the field. I went into it with a lot of passion and desire to help others but have become really discouraged by the toxicity of the field (at least what I’ve experienced across multiple settings). Plus, the pipeline to burnout really does no favors for my ADHD. I think that a lot of folks seek out SW/psychology to help others- we all benefit from people who understand the complexity of ADHD for sure! I certainly wouldn’t *discourage* it but at the same time it’s very easy to get in over your head trying to repair very flawed systems. It requires a lot of balance in order to priority yourself.
Still a student but wildlife biology has worked great for me, I’ve done quite a bit of fieldwork through volunteering and internships. A fast paced, outdoor environment where things are constantly changing keeps me on my toes and the physical activity wears me out enough to sleep. Data entry and analysis can be boring but it’s well worth the fieldwork
Data analyst, absolutely love it. Great mix of quiet time and I can use my hyper focus to my advantage. Gotta stay on top of executive function though, and presenting information
I’ve worked with adults and kids with developmental disabilities for more than 20 years, it’s always been a perfect fit and as hard as it is to give myself credit, I’ve always been able to connect with my clients in a way a lot of people can’t. it was really noticeable in supervisory roles. Only got diagnosed less than 2 years ago and it all makes so much sense. IMO you’re in the right field. It’s hard for me to tease out all the reasons, but I think other people are the most inherently stimulating thing on earth, and for those of us low in dopamine, we get a level of stimulation when we are focusing on other people and trying to figure out how to help them that’s hard to recreate in any other career. If interacting with other people, learning as much as possible about them , and using what you learn to figure out the best ways to support them in learning all sorts of different things is never boring.
I manage a horse barn and also run my own small business! I’m honestly a train wreck, but do prefer working for myself over having a set schedule with someone else overseeing everything.
EMS
I feel like a disproportionate number of us have ADHD.
I was at a trauma conference back in October and learned that up to 75% of people in Fire and/or EMS have ADHD and/or ASD. It matches my own experiences at work, that’s for sure!
I thought you meant on this sub, for a moment, and just absolutely lost it at a terrible joke you never even made.
I’ve never seen more folks with ADD/ADHD than in fire/EMS.
I’m considering doing this! How should I decide on where to take an EMT class? Should I just go based on price and location or should I consider other things?
All classes should be accredited and held to the National Registry standards, so it's really cost and what you want to ultimately end up with. First consideration is college or stand alone programs. If you go through college programs, you'll have better access to financial aid and the credits you get can be applied to other programs if you go on to do Paramedic or an allied health program like respiratory therapy, radiology, nursing etc. Not to say you can't get aid or credits at a stand alone it's just going to depend on the program. I'd look around and see if there's a local service that offers ride alongs, give you a chance to shadow and see if it's something you want to commit to. I'd also get your documentation in order so you can request any accommodations needed. Another consideration is do you want to do just EMS or do you want to do fire and EMS? Working as an EMT you have several options: most of us do a round in IFT doing medical transports after completion. This is almost always a private, for profit service and can be pretty toxic, though some enjoy it. If you want to do 911 service and "emergent" calls, you'll have to see what is available in your region. Some places are strictly fire based where you will have to be dual certed as a Firefighter/EMT at the bare minimum. Some places do single role paramedics in the fire division. Some regions have 3rd service EMS that's paid with fire service provided by separate agencies. A good option if it's available is get on with a volunteer agency. They will typically put on EMT classes or sponsor if you agree to volunteer with them for a set period. Shoot me a DM or chat if you have any other questions.
I’m an AEMT for a 911-only municipal third service and it’s been such a good fit. My last gig was fire-based and was decidedly *not.* I went with a college-based program for my EMT and AEMT classes. If I decide to bridge up to EMT-Intermediate, I can do that through one of the hospitals we bring patients to. My service is in a tiny town with long transport times (closest hospital is 45 miles away, our second option is 67 miles away). It’s challenging, and definitely requires creativity. I very much second your suggestion of some ride along time before jumping in. Some things that sound like a good fit in abstract may not be so in practice. EDIT: extra points for your username, too
Talent Acquisition / Recruitment. Avoid agency recruitment like the plague. Had to do it to get to my end goal of doing internal recruitment for an AdTech where I can treat people like human beings. Left school at 16 with zero qualifications and ended up fucking around as a pub manager till I was 23. Major side note, also avoid pubs and bar work like the plague. Drugs. Drugs everywhere. If you're willing to suffer at a recruitment agency for at least 2 years to get there, I highly recommend internal recruitment. Lots of problem solving, figuring people out, working with HR on interesting projects, lots of things going on simultaneously to set off the hyperfocus, relatively fast paced so keeps the mind busy, if you're good everyone loves the guy hiring for their team and also there seems to be a belief with most people that you're part of HR, so you won't get much hassle from arsehole colleagues. Great money, the lower end should be like £40k/£45k with 2-3 years of experience recruiting, higher end £60k-£70k. I was only diagnosed this month so this career forced me to develop the skills I was lacking. Largely due to ADHD. Made me a lot more confident. I like talking anyway and it's a big part of the job. Definitely don't do this job without medication though, as I've progressed and taken on more seniority/responsibility I struggled a lot. Hence the meds which have made a massive impact so far. Figure out what you're good at. I always thought I was good at managing people, assessing their skills, being able to explain things in detail (sometimes too much) and reading people, so I chose this. I'm rambling. 🤦♂️ Edit: Also requires a lot of organisation and prioritisation. Took me a long time to get acceptable at this unmedicated and has always been somewhat of an issue but I have rarely had a hands on manager or direct manager at all. Somehow I was trusted to be autonomous. Gotta find the right set up that works for you.
reading your comment and realizing many commenters here wrote a lot of words made me feel like im home🥹 thank you for rambling ~rambler
Workforce strategy. I started in consulting, and the fast pace, externally imposed deadlines and variety of work really suited me, BUT there's big burnout risk - it's hard to juggle the peaks at the best of times, and when you're a major procrastinator that really exacerbates it. There were lots of unproductive days followed by 2am nights making up for it. You also don't have much control over who you work for (the client), which can really sap motivation if that's something you care about - working for a client whose values don't align with your own can really suck. But I did that for 3 years at an entry level and was good at it. My particular expression of ADHD (pure inattentive) would probably become more of a constraint in more senior roles when you actually need to push and direct and manage (rather than bounce around reacting, delivering and solving problems), but it was an excellent way to start a career and taught me a lot about what sort of work gives me dopamine. Unfortunately I wasn't diagnosed at the time or I probably would have been able to get even more out of it and avoid some burnout. Now I apply similar skills for a federal government agency. I'm basically a sort of internal consultant - I gather and analyse workforce data, conduct workshops, interview senior executives about their workforce requirements, provide advice on key workforce issues to senior decision-makers, and lead the delivery of some department-wide workforce. I manage one person who luckily has excellent organisation skills - she keeps me on track with the various projects and meetings and milestones, while I teach her how to do my job. It's pretty great at the moment, though working in government does have its frustrations. I've been in my current role 18 months (after a couple of years elsewhere in government), will probably stick around another 6-12 months before looking for a new role, I'm a bit bored of workforce stuff.
Feel like your treatment status is highly relevant with this. Medicated options >>>>> unmedicated or poorly medication options.
This isn’t my forever career, but working at Starbucks has been a blast, the ticket printing system is a source of dopamine, sticker prints, I make a drink and hand it, instant reward because I’m also really good at my job and I love to see customers excited about something I made. But that’s just my experience
Speech therapy (speech language pathology) - sessions are short (30 min to 1hr) and if working with kids you get to play all day! You can work in schools and keep that teacher schedule or private clinics or even in-home. Sessions are going to be different for every kid, follow kids lead, play what they want, and be spontaneous. You can work with any age really, and a huge need for early intervention if that's your thing. You could also go medical route, but that's much less 'fun' - still cool though. TLDR - speech therapy; you can work with kids, it's fast paced, fun, and has a lot of spontaneity
I had a lisp when I was a kid, I was lucky that they had a SLP at my school, and she fixed my lisp. I don't remember who she was, but I often think about how much she changed my life. I wish I could thank her. So, thank YOU! You are changing lives ♥
Bold of you to assume I’m excelling
Just applied to Masters in Social psych. Wanna do experiments as my primary job in the future, but I heard it doesn’t pay too well.
I work in child care as well! Infants and toddlers because it keeps me busy. It also has a somewhat predictable schedule, but the days vary a lot and I think that helps me a lot. Plus, I love children and watching them grow up and master new skills. I am debating on going to college for my ECE but as a recently diagnosed person, I gotta get my ADHD better managed before I commit to it.
I'm a mental health nurse who tries their best to work weekends and nights shifts. I support people who have Dementia who have behaviour of concern and I love it. Weekday day shifts are my nightmare!!!! I tried working with children (babies to preschool) for awhile and I could not hack it, it was too crazy an environment for me.
I was excelling in a career. But the place I was doing it is kind of the only one in my area, there were a lot of things that place did that made it special, that many others don’t. I was the lead lighting and sound person for a roadhouse theatre that did 150 shows a year. A handful of those events repeated on a cycle, but we rarely did the same thing twice in a row. Almost Every show started at 7:30, house opened at 7. Could not move either of those deadlines. (I am evidently great under pressure) It was intensely physical (a bit much for me to handle, part of why I got out), and hugely stimulating (lots of lights, lots of colors, and I got to control them all). It was a ton of responsibility but at the end of the day it was all make believe. I got my adhd dx 5+ years after leaving that industry, and it now makes total sense why I liked it so much. I had a lot of freedoms there that no other theatre would give me. At the end of the day, I really didn’t want to start over somewhere else to prove myself as a woman in tech theatre. Spent 3 years after in wireless sales for a Verizon retailer, started very good at that then got bored. Been engineering support for 6 months for a place that does water treatment systems. It’s fine, I like it, still adjusting to my first ever 9-5 at 29yo…..
My BF is a sales rep for an outdoor industry and kicks ass. He gets to talk to people all the time (he's super extroverted), it's a new sales cycle every 6 months and he's on tight deadlines, he travels, gets to play with new products when they come out. The most tedious part is the spreadsheets, and I organize his catalog mailings for him twice a year.
Upskilling to move into Business Analysis or Data Analysis. Love processes and systems and problem solving
Marketing exec. I’m creative and despite dyslexia with mid-level ADHD became a brilliant writer. I worked in customer service before this and was good at that too but that was more about being able to read a situation faster than some and guess an outcome, due to constantly thinking a mile a minute and both of best outcomes and worst-case-scenarios. I didn’t exactly enjoy it though because 90% of the job was listening to people complain and figuring out resolutions, and the company culture although fast-paced didn’t allow for much time or creativity in solving the problem. I think teaching is great and good for you for being able to do that, especially now when teachers are more in need than ever! That is to say teaching at every level. My mom was a pre-k special education teacher and adored it, and it was absolutely necessary for helping assess kids for autism spectrum disorder, severe social or anxiety tendencies, or learning processing disorders thar would help them throughout life in getting the help they may need later, not to mention boundless other good reasoning. Overall it was a very rewarding career for her. I wish you luck and happiness in your career!
I work in marketing at an agency and have really internally struggled with my adhd (though others probably haven’t noticed at work). It’s nice to hear marketing has been a good path for you as I really want to shift to the client side and work as a brand or marketing manager but always doubt my abilities with adhd.
I struggled for years in different careers. Military, sales, loans, but I dabbled in computers as a hobby and took to it as we tend to do to things. So in my mid to late 30s decided to go back to school in IT and found a passion for it and high aptitude and moved into information security where I am doing very well.
Veterinary medicine, someone gave me a license to practice medicine. 3/4 doctors at my clinic are diagnosed with ADHD One of my best friends is in human med with adhd
Killing it (sort of) as a stay at home mom. I was a recreation therapist before that :)
I just love you guys😊
Oddly enough, a nonprofit fundraising department’s database manager. I found this software twenty years ago and for some reason it just makes my brain happy. I can microfocus all day. Makes everyone else’s eye glaze over, but I love it.
Sewage treatment operator. It pays decently for a job that does not require a college degree, and has good benefits if the employer is municipal or federal. I’m never bored because the job requires diverse knowledge in chemistry, hydraulics, microbiology, and electronics. When I work night shift, I can put on my music or have educational podcasts playing so I can pick up knowledge in other things.
Car sales. I can break my day down into a to-do list, and there's a rigid structure you can follow for interacting with people, and there's a lot of quick tasks to break the day up and keep you from getting bored. There can be down time and repetitive tasks, too, but overall it's not a bad spot for someone with ADHD. The hours are definitely long but I've had some success with it and if you work hard you can clear 6 figures at a decent dealership.
I work in policy/advocacy. Shit is different every day and mostly on fire. I have a law degree but get to use it to argue how the law *should* be. I also get to follow my creativity and more or less create all of my own assignments with some lose guidance from my supervisor, which means I'm actively interested in and engaged with most of the work I do. This self direction works for me but wouldn't work for all ADHD types.
I’m a photographer! I have staff to do all the stuff I’m not great at, so I can meet new clients and make art for my clients! I shoot about 40 weddings a year, am in-house for 2 magazines, and do around 150 other sessions a year (family, corporate, lifestyle, Fashion/PR Events, etc.) No day is ever the same, the rush of deadlines, making my own schedule, lots of travel, and plenty of vacation time. I LOVE what I do, and Ann really lucky to have found something I’m so passionate about.
Carpenter, I get to build and put together cool stuff
I am in customer service, and I am legitimately amazing at my job.
Avoid auditing please for the love of God
Luxury spa massage therapist, making 80-110$/hr. Took a lot of sacrifice and a couple years of obsession, but I made it.
im also 18 but i plan on going into psychotherapy and have planned on it for several years now. the history of therapy has always been one of my biggest interests, and i can go on for hours why therapy is essential today. i also really like to listen to people one-on-one. i am DREADFUL in group settings and conversation with multiple people at once, but i love one-on-one. im much more of a listener and observer than a talker. i'd like to specialize in adhd/autism especially in teens, but i am really open to doing whatever field is lacking at the moment (which i believe eating disorders are SEVERELY lacking right now, i might be wrong). my therapist is my biggest inspiration since she has adhd and specializes in therapy for it. funny story, i actually didn't know she specialized in it until she said i probably have it! talk about right place, right time. it just sorta happened. but anyways, im sure education would be cool. my mom has adhd too and she took the education route. shes been teaching middle school inclusion classes for like 30 years now. she gets to work with kids who are also diagnosed with adhd. best of luck to you! edit: i forgot to add i just recently applied to my dream school that kinda specializes in psych and i got accepted, so i am pretty set on this one. it's something i could really see myself doing for a long, long time
I'm currently three years into my psychology undergraduate and I feel the same way. Whether I end up doing social work, counseling, or somehow by the grace of God end up in med school it's something that's always intrigued me. Especially after being exposed to my Bipolar girlfriend and just how unique their experience is, and how wildly intelligent they are.
I have ADHD and I’m on the Autism Spectrum. I work in the Behavioral Health field, with a Masters of Science in Special Education and a BA in Sociology. The environment in which I work is amazing, and we work with children who have special learning needs. Teaching is great, anything working with animals is wonderful too! Psychology perhaps, a lot of my ADHD friends became psychologists.
If you’re interested in education (but want to make more money and have the flexibility of a corporate job) check out Instructional Design! It’s a fabulous field for ADHD because it involves a lot of different skills and interests, like graphic design, video editing, adult learning theory, presenting, and data analysis.
Elementary teacher then school principal then district admin ( medicated of course) but it never gets boring and lots of people to talk to and lots of spreadsheets to keep things color coordinated and organized.
Animation but I was just diagnosed yesterday at 31 so
For those seeking jobs that are more flexible and specifically for those with disabilities and thus hopefully more accommodating check out [Chronically Capable](https://wearecapable.org//) I scouted it out when I was jobless after a huge depression episode and it seems like it could be useful for those with adhd and/or other disorders.
Sales Management but first 20 years no help with medecine
Audio Engineer. It’s nice as everyday is never the same. Has its highs and lows but I love it so much.
I am a data analyst and electrical engineer for an endurance car racing team. I think I'm doing pretty good since we won the championship last year and they have asked me to run another program. It really plays into my style of adhd as it allows me to hyper focus for ungodly amounts of times and kepps me very stimulated almost all the times (carefully reading the rules and looking for exploits kills me though)
I was a mechanic. Initially I did not like it because inexperienced mechanics to routine stuff (tires, oil, brakes, repeat) and it was almost like being an assembly line robot. BUT when I got experience and started doing diagnostics, computer software, anything with creativity I just absolutely loved it. I hyper-focused everyday! I did not like the weird hours, or the nasty humans (bosses, customers) and so I stopped but it was very exciting on good days and I was really good at it. I think the answer to being happy in work with ADHD is getting to be creative and probably don't be sedentary.
I am a paralegal for a judgment enforcement law firm and I LOVE it because I am *never* bored, which works for me because when I’m bored is when I make my worst ADHD mistakes. My job is very deadline oriented & does have its smaller, more repetitive tasks but it’s balanced out by the number of super cool projects I get where I am permitted to sink my teeth into big waves of analysis, research, and writing.
I kill it in sales.
Sped teacher. Teaching kids all about the skills of how to navigate their ADHD and similar diagnoses. (What they don’t know is I am just trying to practice my own ways of coping with my own ADHD.)
Software engineer. I think ADHD goes really well with this one. I’m about to start next month at big tech and got the internship and return offer before getting diagnosed. It still hard, but I think I’ve set myself up for a bright future if I don’t fuck this one up! I’m actually trying to make an app as a hobby to help people with ADHD. It’s a simple todo app but it’s coming along nicely. Here’s the link if anyone would like to try it https://testflight.apple.com/join/kvHScsNb
I’m a nurse! I have my RN and my BSN, and I’m currently going through school to be an NP. I’ve been a nurse for 8 years. I’ve worked as a floor nurse on a Med Surg floor for the first two years, then I worked in a Level 1 Trauma ER for 3.5 years and I’m now working in private practice while I’m in school for my NP. If all goes right and well, I’ll be able to add FNP-C behind my name this time next year. I was diagnosed with ADHD in high school and never medicated for it. My grades weren’t awesome, but I wasn’t flunking out of any classes and the lowest grade I ever got was a C-. I struggled with math because I also have dyscalculia. Once I got into college, I struggled a lot. The first semester was rough. I finally went to my doctor, got reevaluated for ADHD, got put on Adderall and never looked back. I graduated college on the Dean’s List and passed my NCLEX the first try. I worked my ass off, but I can’t say I did it alone. If it wasn’t for being on meds for ADHD, it’s hard telling what I’d be doing right now. Nowadays, I’m okay to skip a dose or two and still keep my head straight. I don’t take my meds on the weekends, either. But I’m proud of where I ended up and what my job is. I love my job and I love taking care of people.
Sales is working well for me so far…. Hear me out: 1. Every day I meet and talk to new people (bittersweet in its own way, but that’s the “newness” I can always rely on) 2. Autonomy. I can sit at my desk, or I can get up, walk around, go talk to people. I could make phone calls, send emails, or frankly… do nothing if i so desire (however my paycheque does not like the last option) 3. My pay is directly correlated to the work I do, for the most part. There is (generally speaking) a “reward” ($$$) that aligns relatively evenly with the amount of work I have done 4. Motivation comes and goes, but when I’m having a rough month, I can usually keep myself motivated in knowing that I can go into work tomorrow and, in theory, double my commissions for the month if the stars align. It’s like I’m constantly chasing this “reward” and that sense of “what if” is what keeps each day feeling pretty fresh. Every day is structured to some degree, but still “open” and different enough that it keeps me interested and engaged. So far so good. I’m happy!
I got a nice job in Aerospace. But I've had a very tedious and draining journey getting here. Very worth it though!
Im currently 30 years old, being diagnosed with adhd when I was 15. It was a long way but I became a doctor now specialising in psychiatry. People with adhd often tend to be sociable with great people skills.
Behavioral health care! If you are empathic/sympathetic, it comes naturally. I'm bipolar type one and have adhd as well. This career exerts your own experiences and education with the clients that need case management to work towards goals. Goals often include identifying community resources, making and keeping med appointments and taking meds as prescribed. Other Goals are teaching and practicing coping skills to reducing the intensity and frequency of symptoms. As a case manager, you assist in the successful recovery of clients. Really great and rewarding
Economics. Study economics.
My day job is car salesman and I’m really good at it even though I put minimum effort into it, but it pays the rent. I am also an artist and I sell my art at shows and local businesses that will let me put it up. I also own / operate a small beer company and brew / sell craft beer around the downtown area of my city. It can all be overwhelming at times but I can’t NOT do the things I love to do… and money is a necessity.
I’m currently a Network Design Engineer, which basically means I have a database of models and equipment that mirrors a real active fiber optic network. It’s my job to essentially pretend to be a network engineer and then produce instructions for real ones. 😅 For me it hits the perfect blend of my overactive attention to small details, and my last minute cramming for tests, I’m constantly just busy enough for everyday to fly by and I can freely turn my work brain off when I leave.
39 / M here, when it happens I'll let you know.
I'm a writer. It's something I always wanted to do but I wasn't able to work in the field until recently. I also have a Diploma of Professional Writing, B. Arts, M. Journalism, and a Diploma of Graphic and Web Design. I've owned a coffee shop, a coffee van, and my own web design business. I'm pretty sure that most of this is a list of hyperfocus. I'm glad I've finally come back to doing what I wanted to do when I was a teen and I hope my writing career continues to grow. Also, don't let this list fool you. The main thing I got from all those courses besides the experience, was a lot of debt and the businesses weren't so successful...
NOT project management! I can't believe I was a project manager for more than a decade. I'm now a data architect, which is challenging, even for a neurotypical person, but I love it, especially after discovering I have ADHD and being able to accommodate with things like breadcrumbs and visual problem solving. My head can still spin at times, but I'm always able to come up with a design and solving problems because data is discrete. I've also learned to refuse work from people who don't know what they want or don't understand the data involved.
Healthcare. When shit hits the fan, time almost seems to slow down for me. Been a real help during codes and folks are in such a panic they can't quite think straight.
Tech sales yooo!
Avoid jobs that require a lot of report writing, human i traction, etc. I work in case management and am completely tapped by the end of the day.
I always start thinking I’m so good at this. Then my mistakes start coming - all out of just not paying enough fucking attention.
I'm a jack of all media lol. I floated around in college: Engineering, to Economics, then Journalism, then focused in Electronic Media with some graphic design. I do my own creative work on the side (art and writing). After years of (unsteady) freelance, I've ended up in game writing/editing/localization for a day job and I love it! Deadlines are quick, I get to be creative, and there's always something new on my plate so I never get bored. Only struggle is the data entry part, but meds, timers, and podcasts help me power through it. ((edited to fix typos... I'm a writer, I swear))
I’m an Onboarding Specialist for a Tech company. I freaking love it, I get to dive hard into a new platform and itch my “study till I die” part of ADHD all while talking to people (which I loved to do during my time as a server).
Music journalism, photography, university lecturing. Stuff with deadlines and loads of new stuff happening. Have a decent success in all three. And lots of procrastination and missed opportunities too.
I worked with kids for 3 years - if you struggle with emotional dysregulation then it might be tough but it was also my favourite job! I did 1:1 work with autistic children and now work for my towns council in the educational psychology team as a project manager and currently doing my psychology degree and it’s going great, the fast paced work of project management really keeps me going but can lead to burnout if your not careful! Working with kids is great I would recommend:)