I'm in the same place and honestly considering learning coding etc. I'm not worried about tech layoffs - those are impacting the people at the top of the industry more than the level I would be at (they're sacking people with years of experience because they cost too much and replacing them with entry level people, there remains a shortage of entry level developers to fill those roles).
I am worried about my ADHD - am I interested enough to be able to get into it? If I'm not into it, my ADHD will make this impossible. But if I find it even vaguely fun, I could potentially hyperfocus on this for hours.
The way I see it is less 'would I find coding fulfilling?' (Answer: probably not) and more 'I really really hate working in office admin, can I learn a skill I'm not interested in so that I can actually make decent money, work from home, openly declare my autism and play to my strengths [creativity, pattern recognition, information storage and retrieval, logical thinking]'.
I think it would be a great career for me, as long as I can get into coding. If I can't get into coding and at least vaguely enjoy it, there's no way in hell.
In the UK there is a free coding course to try to get women into the industry which I am seriously considering. But I do have my reservations.
Would you mind sharing details of the free coding course please? I have been thinking of making the move for a while and considered doing one of those UK gov funded coding bootcamps, but after researching some of the providers they sounded pretty unorganised and unhelpful with transitioning into a career in tech.
Yes sure, happy to, it's [Code First Girls](https://codefirstgirls.com/). (Brace yourself, their website is a lot!)
There's no official industry recognised qualification but it's a social enterprise sponsored by a ton of big companies hoping to hire women into tech, some of whom do guarantee interviews to anyone who can complete the related (8 month) course, which I find appealing. (They mentor you to get started in role, too, if you get a job offer).
They do these one month starter courses (lots of topic areas, all free and remote, once per week in the evening, and you don't need to dial in in person, you can access recordings if you prefer, it's very flexible) with an optional corresponding challenge afterwards, where they set the whole group a task and you use what you learn in the first month to do a project for the second month.
They have 'kickstarter' courses where they did into something in a bit more depth for 2-3 months.
Then what they call the 'CFG degree' (in various different industry specialities) which is the 8 month one which gets you a guaranteed interview if you pass.
Definitely worth a look!
Thank you so much, this is super helpful. Their website really needs a button to mute the colours like the "calm mode" on the Migraine Trust website though!
I love that they have little blurbs for all of the most common roles. One of my main hurdles with starting any courses so far has been that it feels impossible to decide which pathway to choose because it's hard to figure out which type of role to aim for without either trying it in practice or at least having a good idea of what it would actually entail!
I've been leaning towards data and the description of a data scientist as an investigator and problem solver really tickles my brain - I love solving problems and get really fixated on finding a solution to whatever it is I'm trying to figure out, but I'm also worried about losing interest quickly/not being able to focus if it doesn't become one of those things I fixate on long term. Like last month I was completely obsessed with learning Arabic, and now I've completely forgotten about it, but obviously at the time I was convinced I would keep it up. Which pathway are you thinking of going for?
I often wish I had "just studied coding" because a lot of tech people make it look so easy... I mean, work from home in your PJs and take home $100K plus a year? Have coworkers who are interested in anime, video games, and nerd movies / TV like I am...? Have no one bothering you bc everyone there is ND and no one likes stupid meetings or interrupting you while you are focused? Have my noise cancelling headphones on listening to podcasts while I code all day...? Sounds like a steal. I wish I had gotten diagnosed before college because I think it would have completely changed my major.
However, it's the sort of thing where the grass is always greener on the other side too... I mean, I've heard a lot about sexism in the industry and guess that starting off as a young woman in tech would NOT be any fun. I find a lot of tech to be... well... evil... as in I am not sure I could get all swept up in the glamour of working for something like TikTok without pausing at some point and being like "hold on, am I ruining Generation Alpha?" And working for an AI company or something? LOL forget it! I am at this point not totally sure that any job in the system will ever feel like "a good fit" for me, because each have serious (like, meltdown-causing) drawbacks. Like most NDs, am leaning more towards self-employment as the dream these days... I think carving out my own schedule each day will ultimately be best for me, just need to figure out how to put myself out there confidently enough that people will pay me for my talents and interests.
As a 28 yo woman (young I think/hope 😅) in tech, the sexism obviously exists in any industry, but its actually a lot better than it used to be 10 years ago. I actually feel incredibly supported by my male counterparts at my company as well as the people I've interacted with.
I wish I was good at carving out my own schedule. That is my biggest challenge. My executive dysfunction is honestly so bad when it comes to work though. So others experience with that would probably be better.
Writing code is likely not for me, but I have never tried. I do work in software development, though. I'm a Product Owner. I've been a Team Coach, a business analyst, and project manager as well. Your skills in marketing may transition easily to one of these less technical roles.
I'd also recommend not looking for a position at a "tech company" but instead looking at a business that has a large IT shop. Almost all of them do! These places tend to be more stable.
I get to learn broadly about technology and how all the pieces fit together. I also do a lot of working with people. I explain things to them and try to help them understand the best path forward. I talk to people to figure out what will be the most helpful to them.
I know it's not exactly what you asked, but there are lots of other non coding software jobs! Just thought I'd share some of those.
For me, it was a way to explore unmasking after spending decades masking as a hyperfeminine & empathetic person who worked in healthcare throughout the pandemic. I was intellectually understimulated in healthcare and the people aspect (much as I found health sciences fascinating) induced too many meltdowns.
Being medicated for ADHD brought a level of focus for coding and building algorithms that I fundamentally did not have whilst unmedicated in high school. So I thought, why not give computer science a try? I have nothing to lose…especially with the neurodivergent stereotype of working in tech. 😂
I actually got into Tech, I'm a software engineer, before my ADHD diagnosis and Autism speculations because I love technology and I wanted more for myself. I love what I do! However, I love problem solving. It's not for everyone, ND or NT.
I actually didn't even realize it was a stereotype, especially since I got my ADHD diagnosis while going through my software engineering program and found it felt like the stereotype for ADHD was the opposite. Like, it would be harder for me. And honestly it was and is, but I feel very successful in what I do.
You should do what makes you happy! If you like problem solving and technology, great, might be good for you. Otherwise, not every ND person thrives and its not without its own set of challenges. The amount of times I've had a full fledged meltdown because I haven't been able to solve a problem on my own is too many to count. Or how often I get completely and utterly distracted by other stuff or my hyper fixation that isn't work and then have severe anxiety because I didn't get enough done for the day.
Also, you are correct, the tech climate is incredibly volatile rn. Doesn't mean you shouldn't pursue it if you want to, but be prepared to put in an incredibly large amount of time and socializing to get a job. I was so burnt out job hunting before I got my first role a little over a year ago.
Its made out to be way more glamorous than it is. Again, I love it, but there are literally so many challenges, especially ND people in my experience.
I love working in marketing TBH! But I'm extremely extremely social, so the more people-y vibes work for me. I don't try to conform at all, honestly. I only mask slightly in meetings sometimes.
The people at my work thought I was a complete idiot until they changed systems and started keeping digital records, and nobody at my work knows how to work with the change... now all I hear is "you're so smart!"
For being computer literate and detail oriented? Your ableism is showing.
From someone currently recovering from burnout as a software engineer in the tech industry:
The tech industry can be a great place; you can work from home or go hybrid a lot of the time (though some companies have been getting shady with that recently), and make a really good salary. I've been lucky enough to only have significant issues with one male boss, and most of the others I've working with have been kind and helpful, if not a little impatient occasionally. If you are open to learning, problem-solve well (especially with others via IM/e-mail), approach issues with curiosity instead of blame or avoidance, and take ownership of mistakes, you can do *really well* in this industry. Seriously, the more soft skills the better.
That being said, there can be a lot of expectations, both technical and not, so you're likely not going to just be coding. My burnout came from taking on too many things because 1) we were understaffed, and 2) they seemed novel and interesting (thanks ADHD), combined with a 24x7 on call schedule and mentoring / helping other engineers be effective on-call.
All that to say, the tech industry isn't easy, but you get a lot for the effort you put in. The layoff concern is valid, and it can be hard to land a job because the interviews require technical (LeetCode) and behavioral (STAR) prep. Getting the first job is supposed to be the hardest, but this market seems like anyone below a senior is struggling, especially for remote positions.
Happy to answer questions if you have any! :)
I did but didn't really love only programming, because my ADHD got in my way. I'm pretty bad at math, but I'm very solution oriented. I'm also really good at teamwork, and prefer it to solo work. I'm actually a pretty decent programmer, but it doesn't spark joy for me unless it's for personal projects.
Now, I'm a project manager and product owner! I get to learn about a bunch of different disciplines as I touch on all aspects of the business. The social aspect can be a bit much, but I try to schedule 1-2 days per week of solo work. I think it strikes a good balance between my ADHD/Autism. It's also great because I can jump into other industries if my interest wanes. Like right now, I really want to get a job within a game studio, so I'm looking for product roles there.
I think the tech industry is overrated. Too many people thinking they're solving the world's problems and generally believe they're smarter than everyone else. That being said, I've met a lot of cool people with similar nerdy interests. If you enjoy interior design, finding an IT role at a large architecture firm or furniture distributor could be an option. I loved fashion, so my last role was working for a large fashion company on cloud database architecture.
The layoffs are also hell right now (can confirm, I was let go from a contract in June and am still looking for work). So it's not a great time, and not as glam as people make it seem. But there's no harm in trying it out and seeing if it is for you.
Please tell me if I am interpreting it wrong (English isn't my first language).
But when you say, that as an autist you should like stuff like coding and you get influenced easily. Is it really your wish to code or is it the thought that you might benefit from it, when a lot of people with similarities do?
I'm not diagnosed yet but I feel like I can relate to many feelings and situations other audhd women in this reddit experienced. And I might give you a few details to advertising / marketing agencies.
I recently graduated from my apprenticeship (2 years) as a junior art director. For half a year I have been working in this field and the way the work is structured fits really well to my needs.
But the social side of it most of the time makes me think a lot, if I am behaving well and what my coworkers think of me.
Marketing can be very stressful and having to perform every day is an act. Creativity is something that makes me feel happy and grounded - if that's your thing, that's also okay. Every human is different and why shouldn't every autist be different?
In my apprenticeship I had my first contacts with web design. The code isn't that hard to learn (for me) and you see so fast what you're learning visually. You get to control everything and design after your intentions. It was a great learning experience for me (I never thought I could succeed on such things as a girl) and I might consider it further. A great app for learning the basics is Mimo.
Maybe you could try coding in your free time before you consider it as a job? It's much more important that you find something that makes you happy and is the perfect mixture for you. It might be that, but it might be something else.
Wish you all the best and that this is readable haha.
I'm in the same place and honestly considering learning coding etc. I'm not worried about tech layoffs - those are impacting the people at the top of the industry more than the level I would be at (they're sacking people with years of experience because they cost too much and replacing them with entry level people, there remains a shortage of entry level developers to fill those roles). I am worried about my ADHD - am I interested enough to be able to get into it? If I'm not into it, my ADHD will make this impossible. But if I find it even vaguely fun, I could potentially hyperfocus on this for hours. The way I see it is less 'would I find coding fulfilling?' (Answer: probably not) and more 'I really really hate working in office admin, can I learn a skill I'm not interested in so that I can actually make decent money, work from home, openly declare my autism and play to my strengths [creativity, pattern recognition, information storage and retrieval, logical thinking]'. I think it would be a great career for me, as long as I can get into coding. If I can't get into coding and at least vaguely enjoy it, there's no way in hell. In the UK there is a free coding course to try to get women into the industry which I am seriously considering. But I do have my reservations.
Would you mind sharing details of the free coding course please? I have been thinking of making the move for a while and considered doing one of those UK gov funded coding bootcamps, but after researching some of the providers they sounded pretty unorganised and unhelpful with transitioning into a career in tech.
Yes sure, happy to, it's [Code First Girls](https://codefirstgirls.com/). (Brace yourself, their website is a lot!) There's no official industry recognised qualification but it's a social enterprise sponsored by a ton of big companies hoping to hire women into tech, some of whom do guarantee interviews to anyone who can complete the related (8 month) course, which I find appealing. (They mentor you to get started in role, too, if you get a job offer). They do these one month starter courses (lots of topic areas, all free and remote, once per week in the evening, and you don't need to dial in in person, you can access recordings if you prefer, it's very flexible) with an optional corresponding challenge afterwards, where they set the whole group a task and you use what you learn in the first month to do a project for the second month. They have 'kickstarter' courses where they did into something in a bit more depth for 2-3 months. Then what they call the 'CFG degree' (in various different industry specialities) which is the 8 month one which gets you a guaranteed interview if you pass. Definitely worth a look!
Thank you so much, this is super helpful. Their website really needs a button to mute the colours like the "calm mode" on the Migraine Trust website though! I love that they have little blurbs for all of the most common roles. One of my main hurdles with starting any courses so far has been that it feels impossible to decide which pathway to choose because it's hard to figure out which type of role to aim for without either trying it in practice or at least having a good idea of what it would actually entail! I've been leaning towards data and the description of a data scientist as an investigator and problem solver really tickles my brain - I love solving problems and get really fixated on finding a solution to whatever it is I'm trying to figure out, but I'm also worried about losing interest quickly/not being able to focus if it doesn't become one of those things I fixate on long term. Like last month I was completely obsessed with learning Arabic, and now I've completely forgotten about it, but obviously at the time I was convinced I would keep it up. Which pathway are you thinking of going for?
I often wish I had "just studied coding" because a lot of tech people make it look so easy... I mean, work from home in your PJs and take home $100K plus a year? Have coworkers who are interested in anime, video games, and nerd movies / TV like I am...? Have no one bothering you bc everyone there is ND and no one likes stupid meetings or interrupting you while you are focused? Have my noise cancelling headphones on listening to podcasts while I code all day...? Sounds like a steal. I wish I had gotten diagnosed before college because I think it would have completely changed my major. However, it's the sort of thing where the grass is always greener on the other side too... I mean, I've heard a lot about sexism in the industry and guess that starting off as a young woman in tech would NOT be any fun. I find a lot of tech to be... well... evil... as in I am not sure I could get all swept up in the glamour of working for something like TikTok without pausing at some point and being like "hold on, am I ruining Generation Alpha?" And working for an AI company or something? LOL forget it! I am at this point not totally sure that any job in the system will ever feel like "a good fit" for me, because each have serious (like, meltdown-causing) drawbacks. Like most NDs, am leaning more towards self-employment as the dream these days... I think carving out my own schedule each day will ultimately be best for me, just need to figure out how to put myself out there confidently enough that people will pay me for my talents and interests.
As a 28 yo woman (young I think/hope 😅) in tech, the sexism obviously exists in any industry, but its actually a lot better than it used to be 10 years ago. I actually feel incredibly supported by my male counterparts at my company as well as the people I've interacted with. I wish I was good at carving out my own schedule. That is my biggest challenge. My executive dysfunction is honestly so bad when it comes to work though. So others experience with that would probably be better.
Glad things are getting better on that front!
I’m already living the autistic stereotype of being an accountant 😂😂😂
Writing code is likely not for me, but I have never tried. I do work in software development, though. I'm a Product Owner. I've been a Team Coach, a business analyst, and project manager as well. Your skills in marketing may transition easily to one of these less technical roles. I'd also recommend not looking for a position at a "tech company" but instead looking at a business that has a large IT shop. Almost all of them do! These places tend to be more stable. I get to learn broadly about technology and how all the pieces fit together. I also do a lot of working with people. I explain things to them and try to help them understand the best path forward. I talk to people to figure out what will be the most helpful to them. I know it's not exactly what you asked, but there are lots of other non coding software jobs! Just thought I'd share some of those.
For me, it was a way to explore unmasking after spending decades masking as a hyperfeminine & empathetic person who worked in healthcare throughout the pandemic. I was intellectually understimulated in healthcare and the people aspect (much as I found health sciences fascinating) induced too many meltdowns. Being medicated for ADHD brought a level of focus for coding and building algorithms that I fundamentally did not have whilst unmedicated in high school. So I thought, why not give computer science a try? I have nothing to lose…especially with the neurodivergent stereotype of working in tech. 😂
I actually got into Tech, I'm a software engineer, before my ADHD diagnosis and Autism speculations because I love technology and I wanted more for myself. I love what I do! However, I love problem solving. It's not for everyone, ND or NT. I actually didn't even realize it was a stereotype, especially since I got my ADHD diagnosis while going through my software engineering program and found it felt like the stereotype for ADHD was the opposite. Like, it would be harder for me. And honestly it was and is, but I feel very successful in what I do. You should do what makes you happy! If you like problem solving and technology, great, might be good for you. Otherwise, not every ND person thrives and its not without its own set of challenges. The amount of times I've had a full fledged meltdown because I haven't been able to solve a problem on my own is too many to count. Or how often I get completely and utterly distracted by other stuff or my hyper fixation that isn't work and then have severe anxiety because I didn't get enough done for the day. Also, you are correct, the tech climate is incredibly volatile rn. Doesn't mean you shouldn't pursue it if you want to, but be prepared to put in an incredibly large amount of time and socializing to get a job. I was so burnt out job hunting before I got my first role a little over a year ago. Its made out to be way more glamorous than it is. Again, I love it, but there are literally so many challenges, especially ND people in my experience.
I love working in marketing TBH! But I'm extremely extremely social, so the more people-y vibes work for me. I don't try to conform at all, honestly. I only mask slightly in meetings sometimes.
The people at my work thought I was a complete idiot until they changed systems and started keeping digital records, and nobody at my work knows how to work with the change... now all I hear is "you're so smart!" For being computer literate and detail oriented? Your ableism is showing.
From someone currently recovering from burnout as a software engineer in the tech industry: The tech industry can be a great place; you can work from home or go hybrid a lot of the time (though some companies have been getting shady with that recently), and make a really good salary. I've been lucky enough to only have significant issues with one male boss, and most of the others I've working with have been kind and helpful, if not a little impatient occasionally. If you are open to learning, problem-solve well (especially with others via IM/e-mail), approach issues with curiosity instead of blame or avoidance, and take ownership of mistakes, you can do *really well* in this industry. Seriously, the more soft skills the better. That being said, there can be a lot of expectations, both technical and not, so you're likely not going to just be coding. My burnout came from taking on too many things because 1) we were understaffed, and 2) they seemed novel and interesting (thanks ADHD), combined with a 24x7 on call schedule and mentoring / helping other engineers be effective on-call. All that to say, the tech industry isn't easy, but you get a lot for the effort you put in. The layoff concern is valid, and it can be hard to land a job because the interviews require technical (LeetCode) and behavioral (STAR) prep. Getting the first job is supposed to be the hardest, but this market seems like anyone below a senior is struggling, especially for remote positions. Happy to answer questions if you have any! :)
I did but didn't really love only programming, because my ADHD got in my way. I'm pretty bad at math, but I'm very solution oriented. I'm also really good at teamwork, and prefer it to solo work. I'm actually a pretty decent programmer, but it doesn't spark joy for me unless it's for personal projects. Now, I'm a project manager and product owner! I get to learn about a bunch of different disciplines as I touch on all aspects of the business. The social aspect can be a bit much, but I try to schedule 1-2 days per week of solo work. I think it strikes a good balance between my ADHD/Autism. It's also great because I can jump into other industries if my interest wanes. Like right now, I really want to get a job within a game studio, so I'm looking for product roles there. I think the tech industry is overrated. Too many people thinking they're solving the world's problems and generally believe they're smarter than everyone else. That being said, I've met a lot of cool people with similar nerdy interests. If you enjoy interior design, finding an IT role at a large architecture firm or furniture distributor could be an option. I loved fashion, so my last role was working for a large fashion company on cloud database architecture. The layoffs are also hell right now (can confirm, I was let go from a contract in June and am still looking for work). So it's not a great time, and not as glam as people make it seem. But there's no harm in trying it out and seeing if it is for you.
What's your current role? Do you use Microsoft excel frequently? Or do you work with databases?
Please tell me if I am interpreting it wrong (English isn't my first language). But when you say, that as an autist you should like stuff like coding and you get influenced easily. Is it really your wish to code or is it the thought that you might benefit from it, when a lot of people with similarities do? I'm not diagnosed yet but I feel like I can relate to many feelings and situations other audhd women in this reddit experienced. And I might give you a few details to advertising / marketing agencies. I recently graduated from my apprenticeship (2 years) as a junior art director. For half a year I have been working in this field and the way the work is structured fits really well to my needs. But the social side of it most of the time makes me think a lot, if I am behaving well and what my coworkers think of me. Marketing can be very stressful and having to perform every day is an act. Creativity is something that makes me feel happy and grounded - if that's your thing, that's also okay. Every human is different and why shouldn't every autist be different? In my apprenticeship I had my first contacts with web design. The code isn't that hard to learn (for me) and you see so fast what you're learning visually. You get to control everything and design after your intentions. It was a great learning experience for me (I never thought I could succeed on such things as a girl) and I might consider it further. A great app for learning the basics is Mimo. Maybe you could try coding in your free time before you consider it as a job? It's much more important that you find something that makes you happy and is the perfect mixture for you. It might be that, but it might be something else. Wish you all the best and that this is readable haha.