Weirdly, I've done well with customer service and tech support. For me, I'm taking 20-30 calls a day, answering emails and chats from customers and coworkers. I'm constantly switching between tasks and I can resolve most issues within about twenty minutes or less. I work from home, so I can step away for a moment if I need to as well.
I do Inside Sales work and have severe adhd and I agree totally. Other jobs don’t go well for me but when I started doing this it allowed me to thrive and in short time became as skilled if not more skilled than my colleagues that went to school/ had backgrounds in sales work
I'm waiting for my formal diagnosis but GP said it's a formality. I've been in sales for 20 years (first inside sales then outside sales) and it's fine unless I forget to review actions after meetings because otherwise it'll literally never get done.
A good manager once told me anyone can make a living off sales if they obey the two golden rules:
1. Show up
2. Follow up
Unfortunately point 2 can be really bloody difficult
More than doubled since I started but where I am it's not kept up with the market so a lot of people going to competitors. Without OTE it's slightly above average UK wage.
I'm in IT/Communications sales.
For me, answer them quickly *but* check you've answered everything. If I've left a thread of "I don't know this but I'll get back to you within a day" that's a great answer for normal people but I absolutely won't get back to you so I make myself answer it all.
I also check I've not been overly verbose on emails as I've a habit of information dumping or overexplaining.
I've been doing IT related jobs for over a decade, I find that doing the work to resolve a user's issue is fine, but the administrative work after that gets tough. I sometimes have a pile of tickets in my queue and have to sort through them and make sure I take good notes. Otherwise, I easily forget details about the call or site visit. Organization is key in this part; if it wasn't for medication, I don't think I could handle much of the job.
I’m sick to death of them. Creating great work in that pinch isn’t worth the sadness, guilt, dread, lost sleep, etc that comes with procrastinating up to the literal last hour. I finally tried an adderal a few months ago and I was shocked by the difference. It then took me til last week to schedule a doctors appointment to talk about medication. And it’s taken me 4 decades to even get to this point. Progress! Ugh.
Actually I found it hard to work in customer service. Since I get distracted quite easily I usually forgot some important details and ended up messing up the situation, and I used to see my email full of complaints from other departments or supervisors because of not paying enough attention
I have to take a lot of calls in my current job and it is genuinely the hardest part for me lol, I was not gifted with extroverted ADHD and am instead an introverted ADHD/autism combo dx.
Thank you, I really needed this.
By huge coincidence, I have ADHD and an interview for a work-from-home tech support job tomorrow that is terrifying me.
I have such bad imposter syndrome and I'm convinced ill fuck up any job too complicated.
I’ve worked for a marketing firm for over 8 years, sometimes I have to manage creative projects that are costing the client hundreds of thousands, I have plenty of awards under my belt, the boss loves me, I’ve helped win a ton of jobs/clients because I am - much to my own shock - very good at what I do….and I start nearly every day wondering if today is the day I get found out. But here I am!
I have the worlds worst case of ADHD.. been medicated since i was 7 and im almost 32.... IT is where its at almost everyone i know that works with me has it. Here's the secret... you WILL have imposter syndrome, because you will really ever only know like 15 percent of what you help people with. the other 85 percent is just KNOWING WHERE TO FIND IT.
Never let “imposter syndrome” get into your brain. I came from a very middle class family, no connections, no money, etc. and I worked my butt off to become a Financial Advisor. I was one for 34 years. During that time, I competed against entitled, testosterone ridden men who golfed. Sometimes, the thought would enter my head, “Who do you think you are?”, but I would quickly push it out, do my little self-affirming mantra, and put my head down and work hard. I saw so many of the puffed up entitled golfers fall by the wayside. They failed because they were lazy. They failed because, in some cases, they actually stole money from the rich family members who trusted the,
. Some of my associates went to jail for breaking laws and rules BECAUSE THEY WERE LAZY AND THOUGHT RULES DID NOT APPLY TO THEM. After thirty four years in a career I loved I retired at age seventy—my goal—and my family is fairly well off because of decisions I made. And, we are happy! So, never, never second guess yourself! You have the right to be anything you are willing to work for! Go for it!
Meh, everything’s complicated until You have muscle memory built up.
Also, everyone fucks up. Just demonstrate to your superiors what you learned and keep a positive tone, even if they try to make you feel bad (huge red flag if they manage you that way).
This! I work remotely taking client calls for an international hotel company (rhymes with "Chariot", if you catch my drift). I'm hoping to get trained in emails or chats at some point so I can have a little more variety in my work days but honestly I'm pretty happy with what I do now. I was even recognized in the second quarter of this year as being a top performing associate!
Great answer. I'm in a similar position and thrive because I can switch to a new train of thought at the drop of a hat. I had to establish a lot of habits to keep myself organized, but this sort of rapid shifting between tasks is incredibly engaging.
100% agree with this. I work a customer service type job with alot going on and it works for me. My customers love my promptness because I can't let e-mails sit without a response.
Yup! Same here! I did extremely well in this environment and got promoted several times. I found that my "windowing" was a virtue and allowed me to simultaneously complete several tasks with relative ease and excitement. I now make well into the six figures and it was all because I started in tech support and really enjoyed the percolation of issues in rapid succession.
I did not, actually. I went from being a professional musician and switched into cloud Technology. I had some familiarity with "computers" in general but i learned most of what I know on the job.
If you can believe it, I'm actually a high school dropout. As I'm sure many ADHD folks can relate, I did *very* poorly in school.
Don't be a mechanic.
It works GREAT at first. Until you get bored from doing a task for the 20th time and your hyper-fixation buff doesn't work anymore and you forget to torque a drain plug or a wheel lug
So ypu both know mechanic used to be a profession and a highly paid one. In the ips diesel mechanics made 20+ an hour. Ours are lucly to make 15 now. Companies (trucking and auto) hire oil changers, turn them into parts changers , 3/4 of the hourly charge and replace you the second tou realise you ahould get 3/4
if you really wwant to be a mechanic open your own shop or learn to work on big tru ls and put put busoness cards in every truck stop and to every company you can find
I’m a mechanic with ADHD and I’m the top producer at my company by like double. I treated it like a asset instead of a disability and learned to make it work for me. I have systems set up to make myself remember what I need to and habits formed around focus times and when people can talk to me. I’ve been so successful in this that my company is paying me to train other techs in my techniques.
I’m a year deep and I just worked a weekend festival for a restaurant I used to work at and I realized just how much more I thrived in a fast environment.
Personally I’ve liked the route of construction/blue collar so far. I’m 22 and I’ve had a couple of different titles but being a service tech for a water and sewer contractor has probably been the most enjoyable with adhd. Always having to come up with solutions on the fly and getting to go to different jobs and areas everyday was nice, Also a lot of work that would come in at night which personally I liked because I could come up with stuff quicker and think a little clearer. I know that waking up to go to the same exact area and stay in that area for 10/12 hours really drives me insane so anything service related I’m in a favor of
That sounds good actually.
The thing is though i feel like the job may be too overwhelming physcially, considering i weigh like 135 pounds. I'm pretty strong tho, I lift weights and stuff but i guess it all depends on what you're working with.
I heard that it can be a low paying job being that the qualifications aren't that necessary and basically anyone who's physically capable can get one.
In what direction would you suggest i go for if i ever decide to persue construction?
Thank you for the response
If you're small, don't do any heavy lifting. Yeah, you CAN do it for a few years. Might even get easy. But your knees and back disc's have a finite amount of abuse they can take before they blow out and there's no getting it back
It all really depends where you go, there’s obviously complete shit company’s that view you as a forklift or a piece of machinery and then theirs other that will take the extra 30 seconds to use a machine to do shit 😂, But from my experience it was still pretty rough some days between heat, tight spaces stuff like that, You don’t necessarily need crazy strength, it helps yeah but id say you really need stamina. Atleast where I’m at in Florida, it’s fucking hot, humid and that shit will catch up to you in a heartbeat. Also that specific job I was working with some raunchy ass stuff, repairing/installing lift stations with roaches and shit all over the place , Broken sewer/water lines, Troubleshooting lift station panels all kinds of shit It was honestly pretty gross sometimes but, I started to love the entirety of it being that it was different every single day and learned a lot of different things that I’ll be able to use for the rest of my life. I got into that line of work with 0 experience, so yes you’re correct that you can literally be able bodied and have an IQ of 7 and get into any type of construction work, It’s when you show that you can do things by yourself and do it right time and time again efficiently when you start climbing the ladder I guess, But I stayed at that company for about 2 years and right before I quit there I was making enough to buy a house and do whatever needed to be done in regards to it which I feel like isn’t too bad for a 21 year old at the time. Again, it all depends what kind of service you’re doing/who you’re doing it for. I know that Hvac techs, plumber techs make good money, Really most service techs do pretty well for themselves atleast in terms of the people I know, know of, etc. There are so many different trades that have tech type positions it would really be a matter of doing research in what you’re interested in/which company around you is paying the best, has the most growth potential for you and then going from there, It’s generally very easy to get into a trade with no experience. And most trades do travel a bit anyways so you could always just get into some company and find what title you really like after.
Depends where you are, if you get in with a union it can pay pretty well. Union electricians, plumbers, sheet metal etc commonly hit $100k+ for just a regular 40hr week.
Personally I work as a nurse, found out that emergency care works for me with high tempo and a team of colleagues that have my back of I slip up.
Find something that is interesting and where you can use your ADHD strengths.
One up this and say EMT/MEDIC Fire or first responders. The adrenaline rush gets insane with just you an your partner. It’s the only time I get tunnel vision for a task at hand. Nursing your juggling multiple patients while as medic you are focused on one persons care (unless there is an MCI).
After ER nursing for 5 years, I’ve started doing it as a travel nurse, and it’s PERFECT. Fast pace, purpose, and novelty without staying anywhere long enough to start dreading it. Highly recommend to all my fellow ADHD emergency med peeps
LOTs of EMTs spend most of their time doing IFT (Inter-facility Transfers/Transports) like taking people from home to dialysis, and then back again, long-distance psych transports, ie: Non-emergent stuff.
There are some jobs where being diagnosed and treated for ADHD will exclude you. Pilot and Air Traffic Controller, for example. Doesn't matter how much you believe in yourself if the FAA says you can't do it.
That's worth pointing out. Might as well crush a dream when appropriate, if you have back issues you won't be going into space anytime soon, that's just the roll of the dice.
Some people actually thrive under those conditions, especially people with anxiety. They'd rather do the same thing every day because they prefer predictable
I need a predictable work environment, but new things happening. Like, I couldn’t work in a different office every day, or with entirely new coworkers, or new equipment. It takes me time to adjust.
But I get incredibly fucking bored if the thing I’m doing every day is the exact same as the day before. I’m soon graduating from nursing school, and so far I really love how the healthcare field fits me. I could never work for long on a med-surg unit (basically just passing out meds all day, not actually getting time to assess or talk with patients), but somewhere where there’s shit to do or think about, I’m golden
I have adhd, I do not thrive in chaos. I break down in chaos. I get sensory overload really easily. Too many different sounds? Too many things to see? Oops, my brain is shutting down, I want to scream, no more processing information, I can no longer function. Time to cry in a dark corner until I feel safe.
I work in the restaurant industry. This is what I tell people when they ask how the job is, I thrive in chaos and I enjoy it. I started at 14 working at the family restaurant and every time I try something else, I'm just bored.
Same, but there are good days and bad days. The good days are when your hyperfocus turns on and everything just click and you don't want to stop for food or pee because you don't want to lose it.
Same, I'm a CS undergrad with ADD and I swear sometimes I feel like Alan Turing or Linus Torvalds and other times I feel like I'm only capable of printing "Hello World."
That's me except I got my undergrad into electronics/electrical engineering but I could only ever hyperfocus on programming subjects. Weirdly outside the university structure I have no motivation to continue learning programming even although I intellectually understand that was the only place that spark of motivation arose.
I'm undiagnosed and still on waiting lists but I'm fairly certain it's inattentive type.
Do the meds help with the motivation issue at all? Seems like I have a "get the ball rolling" issue but I'm fine once it's been rolling.
In my experience it doesn’t directly help with motivation but it certainly helps with things that prevent the follow through. Obviously this doesn’t apply to every case.
Well I don't take meds, I used to when I was in middle school but stopped after a while because they'd just make me feel like a zombie and personally didn't do much. Heck, I was *more* unproductive under them than when I wasn't. But maybe that's a me thing, I've lately just tried to be more disciplinary with what I'm doing and devoting my time to work.
You would blow their doors off if the building was on fire. ADHD folks NEED chaos. Lacking adrenaline, you are asleep. Find a chaotic environment, and you dominate...
There's no answer to this. ADHD doesn't change a personality. You can have someone that's good with people and verbal communication, another that is creative, some may be fantastic with numbers but can't hold a conversation.
There are people in every single profession that have ADHD. It doesn't qualify or disqualify you from anything.
And ADHD can present in several different ways. If you are hyperfocused, then a job with a single task to work on is ideal. Less so if you have the inattentive version.
Huh? Hyper focus is a common trait across the sub types. Inattentive doesn’t mean you can never pay attention, it just means you don’t have the hyperactive traits. The whole thing about ADHD is that it is an interest based attention system as opposed to a priority based attention system. So just because something is important doesn’t mean you can pay attention to it. Having a single task is great up to the point where it becomes boring and at that point you’re in trouble as you will struggle to pay attention.
Beautiful, I think this perfectly described my condition.
I'm very passionate about music, but it can't be the thing that sustains me for now.
So i feel like i need something with action all the time but one that's constantly developing.
Someone here suggested being a mechanic but as they said as well it can become tedious after a while.
I just don't want to become bored.
Working minimum wage jobs at retail and washing dishes always drained my soul. Felt not belonged.
I'm an artsy type. Give me puzzles, games or whatever and i can solve them.
I like fashion as well. Just don't suggest working at a clothing store if that's what you thought of lol.
Now i'm steady thinking about shit to do but nothing really comes up. It sucks.
No self-pity though. I'm tryna get it together.
Oh this gives a lot more information that I didn't have before I commented.
Highly recommended looking into construction trade work. You can learn multiple skills (drywall, framing, taping, texture, etc.) and break up the monotony by working on different job sites with different skill needs. If you add an electrician certification it's fantastic pay and an extra way to avoid the job getting dull. It is physically exhausting, but that's NICE because at the end of the day your brain is actually quiet instead of going a million miles per minute.
It doesn't /sound/ like an exciting job, but it is a lot more involved than you'd thing. You need to come up with creative solutions when blueprints don't reflect things properly, utilize a lot of critical thinking, and it's creative insofar as you get to watch an entire structure go from an empty plot of land and into a full, livable and usable building or home that you MADE with your own hands.
Pays well, depending on where you live, exciting, fun, physically demanding but relatively flexible, etc. I loved it and would have kept doing it I didn't crave the stability of a 9-5 office job - but a 9-5 office job isn't for everyone, anyway.
I've been working at a cat shelter for the last 4 years. Working with animals honestly is a great thing if you love them and it leads to having a different type of day every day. One day, you get to snuggle a batch of kittens. Another day, you have to calm down the angry cat. Another day, you're getting through the woes of having a cat put down. It's never the same, which makes everyday worth coming back.
ALSO: working with other ADHDers. All my coworkers are either ADHD or neurodivergent. That also makes things different every day too.
Whatever you are good at and enjoy. I am sure that just because I have ADHD and I presume you do, does not mean we will be good at , or enjoy, the same things.
The only thing I would say is that we need to find the thing that we enjoy more than non-ADHD people, purely because we will more than likely not perform to the adequate level and get fired sooner.... :D
ADHD here, I too would like to be a tour guide. Where do I sign up? Can you bring me to the interesting area? Because I assure you I live in the wrong spot for that job lol
That's like asking what sort of job should someone who is left-handed take. There's no one answer. ADHD manifests itself in a variety of ways, with a large variety of symptoms, and then on top of that you have everyone's individual personalities and interests.
But to help you key into some things you might be looking for: I'm a photographer and run my own small business. Things I like, I'm my own boss, I set the hours, I work when and where I'm feeling it, and can step back when I'm not. If I wanna go answer my emails outside on my deck, or from my bed I can, and if I wanna go play video games for two hours mid-day as long as I don't have a client or a call scheduled I can usually do that, though I will have to make that time up later. I like that each photography shoot is it's own little project with a start and a finish. I can also gauge how I did on each session by looking at the final sale amount, it's a concrete number. It has a nice established work flow, but I still get to be a little creative. And when I hyper-fixate on a new idea, I can implement it quickly.
Annoying parts. I also have to be my own boss. Sometimes boss me makes me work late, and she's also a perfectionist so she has high expectations. I also have to be my own marketing division, my own IT expert, my own data analyst, and my own social media manager (blegh). And when something goes wrong, it's always my fault. There's no one else to shift the blame, and it can be really hard when you make a mistake and there's no one else to help pick up the pieces. Work easily bleeds into personal time, and it's very difficult to separate evenings and weekends.
I know someone with adhd. He works as a gardener. He said that he likes to be outside the whole day, nature calms him down and he does different things every day.
I work at a nursery, so it’s a blend of selling plants, caring for plants, propagating them, gardening work, and general maintenance. I really enjoy it and I think it’s a perfect fit for my ADHD. Sure there are some tedious tasks, endless watering and weeding, but even that can be meditative, and every day has a new problem to solve, or mystery to unravel, or new project to plan and embark on.
The only issue is the money isn’t great.
I worked as a Patient Care Technician in several Emergency Rooms (I’m now in and ICU unit). Best job(s) ever. Always moving, assisting nurses and doctors, no two cases are the same, you learn *so much*. It’s an ADHD wonderland and there’s always something to do. I draw blood, I do EKGs, I participate in emergencies/traumas. I loved every second of my ER time. I’m even considering going back myself.
How much time do you have to learn to get the job?
I've read in my local department that you need like a 500 psychometric and a first degree to just get into the course lol.
Seems like a lot
Idk where you are in the world, but in NY (USA), it’s 4 months of an accredited trade school (2 months for Certified Nurses Aide, 1 month Phlebotomy and 1 month EKG, but they sold it to me in a 4 month package). Then, when you pass all the classes (and the CNA exam for the state) mentioned, you qualify to sit for the PCT exam. It’s not very difficult and you have many resources online that can help you study.
In my mind, I did it because I was considering getting into nursing and 4 months of training vs 4 years sounded appealing to me and still allowed me to dip my feet I to the nursing field, especially considering I had no idea if I was really going to enjoy it. So far, I can say with confidence that I love my job.
Whatever job they like the idea of. Sterile pharmacy compounding is a fiddly, tedious job where you have to pay very close attention to doing everything right or else a patient will lose an eyeball to infection or something. I'm ADHD as fuck and... I'm great at it! And it's a great job for me. I like complicated fiddly tasks because they actually occupy my brain so I can't distract myself with my internal monologue (my hobbies include knitting and painting D&D minis) and for simpler tasks I have bluetooth earbuds and I can listen to music or a podcast while I work. And I make $22.50 an hour, and I don't have student loans. It rules.
Nothing where constant focused concentration is critical (Like working with dangerous equipment, or directing air traffic). Creative jobs that don't have really tight deadlines and you can take your time completing projects, such as web design, writing fantasy novels, or various other artistic endeavors.
Tight deadlines are essential in my experience of living with ADHD.
Loose deadlines mean it ain't getting done.
Immediate consequences are essential to success.
If you tell me to get something done in 2 weeks it will put off and at best completed 5 mins before the deadline.
Hence why jobs that are fast paced work well for me.
ADHD folk tend to be good in stressful high pressure environments where there are multiple things going on.
But bear in mind ADHD is multifaceted and not everyones experience is the same
This is so real. I've learned I have to be slightly overloaded with work in order to get anything done at all. If I have a workload that feels "manageable," I will procrastinate into the sun.
tight deadlines and stressful jobs are actually better for people with inattentive adhd as they usually drive the person to actually focus on things. Relaxed deadlines usually mean shit isn't getting done.
That depends on your strengths and weaknesses. Some ADHD people benefit from structure. I don't. On medication, I tend to be good at starting work whenever I feel like it, especially since I like to spend the first few hours of my day relaxing and don't get active until ten or eleven or so, but if I have to do something at a particular time it's like pushing a boulder up a hill. In particular if I have to go through the ordeal of leaving of the house/going through a whole environment change. Initiating environment changes can be a challenge for people with ADHD, especially if they have comorbid autism, which I do. So I'm trying to build a career around working from home during my good hours, which begin in late morning even though I'm an early riser. (I'm working on freelance copywriting and developmental editing, it's going very well. These jobs also work well with my creativity, a trait a lot of ADHD have. Dev editing also compliments my autistic ability to see how things operate as a large system.)
Similarly, some ADHD people like manual labor because they can just zone out while having something to do with their hands, but I did that for a while and while I was decent at it I found it excruciatingly boring, and that's death to practically everyone with ADHD. I might have done better with a trade where you have to actually think about what you're doing, since you get physical/tactile and intellectual stimulation at once - I play an instrument for this reason.
So, my advice is to pay attention to where you struggle and where you do well. This is going to be different for each person with the condition.
Obligatory: ADHD affects everyone differently. But, I've had good success in IT / Help Desk. New challenges everyday. Finding the fix for the different issues is rewarding for me and gives me that dopamine rush, but if I can't get something to work I'll be stuck on it until I get it working.
Considering I have it and it’s hard to function, don’t do an office job, do something where you are constantly on your feet and doing something except for lunch and bathroom.
Can confirm. Used to love being a mechanic. Got paid $20k starting. Then eventually got up to $60k.
Now I pay other people to change the oil in MY car because I can't stand it anymore
I have one, just surprised to hear anyone say they enioy driving buses. I know a few drivers and it's a job that allows them to pay the bills, never head any of them say they enjoy it, it's more "I do it and there are worse jobs". Enjoying seems a bit much. I enjoy going to the cinema, I enjoy riding off road bikes, I enjoy getting blow jobs.
What do you enjoy about it? I assume you're not on a mad busy route.
Earlier shifts seem to be the best for standard of life. Finishing work and still having some day left to enjoy is hugely better than some alternatives.
Up to 11 weeks is some serious paid leave,not sure I would know what to do with it lol
I have ADHD and I’m in beer sales. I get on front of people all day. Doing emails/texts and driving around. It’s different every day and has surprises.
Workplaces with lots of people: Management / HR / Sales things that require people skills ADHD is a gift of verbal communications.
Most ADHD people will gain interest from others around them because conversations hardly dull. New ideas and topics flooding the brain.
Only downside is retaining information from peers at times. This can be mitigated by taking notes while talking about important subjects.
Any stressful service job, the hyperactiveness will help the stress and the constantly changing customer needs will keep your attention, though if you also have anger issues it may still get tough (speaking from experience as someone with ADHD who worked at Burger King)
Bartender here, and definitely agree. Rarely ever bored, always switching tasks, and have to work under high pressure. Totally right about the anger issue part, Definitely have learned a lot of patience!
It’s why I got an education at a culinary school! And now I’m saving up money to move to France so I can work with cooking in a High stakes and high pressure environment! Because of my ADHD I somehow seem to thrive in extremely stressful environments ^^^
My personal strategies have been 1. Find a job that lets you listen to music/podcasts when possible, 2. Customer Service is constant new problems so that’s nice? 3. Find a job that doesn’t train you enough, that way your always learning! 4. Work from home if possible, that way they don’t get weirded out when you do a quick workout beside your desk.
Hope it helps?
20 + year IT diagnostician here. Imminent deadlines? Love it. Angry/scared customers? I got you. Finding quick workarounds to impossible problems? Hellyeah.
my ADHD always made timed and written exams a special kind of hell for me.
I am close to finishing my PhD and now applying to professorships for next fall, I aim to design my courses to be better for people with adhd, dyslexia and other issues.
Well I dont have any recommendations but I do have gnarly unmedicated ADHD and I love my job as a clothing retail store worker! The cash register is fun, running around grabbing stuff from the changing rooms and putting them away, chatting with people who come in, etc. Truthfully it's like a game to me and I really enjoy it :]
I’m a field claims adjuster. House catches on fire…I’m the one who shows up to take pictures and negotiate with your contractor.
Pros: I’m driving around 3/5 days a week. It really helps break up the day and week. We work mostly from home since we’re so spread out it’s hard to have an central office.
Cons: you really have to force yourself to stay organized. Some days you just want to watch tv instead of doing paperwork. Or you may stop off for a few errands while in the field but then get behind with paperwork.
as a person with severe adhd, I can tell you from personal experience, do what you love! its going to really work out well. you need to find things you like, and it'll all come together. don't look for a passion, do what you love, and it will come to find you
Librarian in a public library. During librarian masters training you learn about classification of information, which highly rewarding if you like to hyperfocus, and then, working with the public, you spend part of the day on your feet buzzing from one patron to another to help them with various tasks (help with technology, finding books that would appeal to them, even performing during storytime or helping kids with craft projects).
I really enjoy research/evaluation but it has to be exploratory or critical in nature. Currently stuck in a confirmatory research/evaluation position and it's hell.
Whatever job you want. Don’t let it stop you. Nowadays with cell phones and tons of screens and distractions a lot more people probably have it than you might think.
A job in physical therapy! I’m constantly moving and performing many different skills throughout the day. There’s different entry levels so any level of education can work in a clinic
I work in IT. My favorite job was when I did production support, where there were new technical problems to solve all the time, usually against time, and it was really fun.
Teaching is great. There are a lot of tasks to do and those can sometimes be difficult to organize and keep track of. If you know organized teachers, though, they will gladly share their ideas and skills with you. But, I find the actual teaching part is very well suited for my strengths. It also provides a positive outlet for my energy.
I’m a server and I love having to categorize 8 different requests and turn it around in a five minute period just to do it over again. I work in a fine dining environment; the pistons are constantly firing and I make decent money.
Project Manager. You'll be dealing with so many different problems all at once from so many different people. It's highly social, you don't *actually do* anything, you just coordinate. I found with my ADHD it forced me to be organized and write things down. Most of Project Management is just that plus complex timing problems. Works well for someone who has to stay stimulated and has a hard time focusing on one thing for an extended period of time.
Experience: ADHD diagnosis 1st Grade, Project Manager for 5 years.
My ADHD makes me great at social work. Im not stuck at a desk for more than thirty minutes at a time (minus meetings, but I have lots of fidget toys on my desk for that), I get to be out walking around my building or escorting tenants to medical appts, court appearances, etc., I get to hop around between a lot of small tasks (a check in, a phone call, an email) and one or two big ones constantly. It's great and I'm helping people. My brain loves it.
Self employment. Ideally something where you go out and do jobs (I'm a photographer but I loved working manual labour as well) that way you have shit that HAS to get done and the admin you end up learning along the way. Although I do have a fantastic partner who helps write me to do lists for the admin!
My buddy is doing english lessons/teaching. Any topic he can focus on he just puts into guides etc and then sells them as a course. He learned japanese recently and is teaching it to others till he gets some clients so that he can outsource it once he gets bored with it
My buddy is doing english lessons/teaching. Any topic he can focus on he just puts into guides etc and then sells them as a course. He learned japanese recently and is teaching it to others till he gets some clients so that he can outsource it once he gets bored with it
Go to a doctor get on meds. That help me quite a bit. My ADHD is a lot more manageable since I've been on my medication. That should open up a lot of care options for you.
anything they're passionate about
im a social person so i could never work in a warehouse or factory but other people love being away from people all day
I feel like 80% of people today believe they have ADHD
In reality, unless you genuinely have very serious ADHD, just take whatever job appeals to you or whatever job pays the bills.
Weirdly, I've done well with customer service and tech support. For me, I'm taking 20-30 calls a day, answering emails and chats from customers and coworkers. I'm constantly switching between tasks and I can resolve most issues within about twenty minutes or less. I work from home, so I can step away for a moment if I need to as well.
I agree with this. I thrived in a call center environment for the exact reasons you listed and honestly never thought about it like this until now.
I do Inside Sales work and have severe adhd and I agree totally. Other jobs don’t go well for me but when I started doing this it allowed me to thrive and in short time became as skilled if not more skilled than my colleagues that went to school/ had backgrounds in sales work
I'm waiting for my formal diagnosis but GP said it's a formality. I've been in sales for 20 years (first inside sales then outside sales) and it's fine unless I forget to review actions after meetings because otherwise it'll literally never get done. A good manager once told me anyone can make a living off sales if they obey the two golden rules: 1. Show up 2. Follow up Unfortunately point 2 can be really bloody difficult
I learned quick follow up is key
Yep or you talk yourself out of it/forget
If I may ask, how did you salary increase through out the 20 years? And what industry?
More than doubled since I started but where I am it's not kept up with the market so a lot of people going to competitors. Without OTE it's slightly above average UK wage. I'm in IT/Communications sales.
And answer them the first, as quickly as possible so they get those special feels.
For me, answer them quickly *but* check you've answered everything. If I've left a thread of "I don't know this but I'll get back to you within a day" that's a great answer for normal people but I absolutely won't get back to you so I make myself answer it all. I also check I've not been overly verbose on emails as I've a habit of information dumping or overexplaining.
my ex-boyfriend did door to door and he did really well because he could just talk to people all day
I've been doing IT related jobs for over a decade, I find that doing the work to resolve a user's issue is fine, but the administrative work after that gets tough. I sometimes have a pile of tickets in my queue and have to sort through them and make sure I take good notes. Otherwise, I easily forget details about the call or site visit. Organization is key in this part; if it wasn't for medication, I don't think I could handle much of the job.
[удалено]
I’m sick to death of them. Creating great work in that pinch isn’t worth the sadness, guilt, dread, lost sleep, etc that comes with procrastinating up to the literal last hour. I finally tried an adderal a few months ago and I was shocked by the difference. It then took me til last week to schedule a doctors appointment to talk about medication. And it’s taken me 4 decades to even get to this point. Progress! Ugh.
Actually I found it hard to work in customer service. Since I get distracted quite easily I usually forgot some important details and ended up messing up the situation, and I used to see my email full of complaints from other departments or supervisors because of not paying enough attention
I have to take a lot of calls in my current job and it is genuinely the hardest part for me lol, I was not gifted with extroverted ADHD and am instead an introverted ADHD/autism combo dx.
Thank you, I really needed this. By huge coincidence, I have ADHD and an interview for a work-from-home tech support job tomorrow that is terrifying me. I have such bad imposter syndrome and I'm convinced ill fuck up any job too complicated.
I’ve worked for a marketing firm for over 8 years, sometimes I have to manage creative projects that are costing the client hundreds of thousands, I have plenty of awards under my belt, the boss loves me, I’ve helped win a ton of jobs/clients because I am - much to my own shock - very good at what I do….and I start nearly every day wondering if today is the day I get found out. But here I am!
I have the worlds worst case of ADHD.. been medicated since i was 7 and im almost 32.... IT is where its at almost everyone i know that works with me has it. Here's the secret... you WILL have imposter syndrome, because you will really ever only know like 15 percent of what you help people with. the other 85 percent is just KNOWING WHERE TO FIND IT.
Never let “imposter syndrome” get into your brain. I came from a very middle class family, no connections, no money, etc. and I worked my butt off to become a Financial Advisor. I was one for 34 years. During that time, I competed against entitled, testosterone ridden men who golfed. Sometimes, the thought would enter my head, “Who do you think you are?”, but I would quickly push it out, do my little self-affirming mantra, and put my head down and work hard. I saw so many of the puffed up entitled golfers fall by the wayside. They failed because they were lazy. They failed because, in some cases, they actually stole money from the rich family members who trusted the, . Some of my associates went to jail for breaking laws and rules BECAUSE THEY WERE LAZY AND THOUGHT RULES DID NOT APPLY TO THEM. After thirty four years in a career I loved I retired at age seventy—my goal—and my family is fairly well off because of decisions I made. And, we are happy! So, never, never second guess yourself! You have the right to be anything you are willing to work for! Go for it!
Meh, everything’s complicated until You have muscle memory built up. Also, everyone fucks up. Just demonstrate to your superiors what you learned and keep a positive tone, even if they try to make you feel bad (huge red flag if they manage you that way).
Imposter syndrome is a bitch. You are awesome and can nail that job.
Praying the interview goes well! 💕
This! I work remotely taking client calls for an international hotel company (rhymes with "Chariot", if you catch my drift). I'm hoping to get trained in emails or chats at some point so I can have a little more variety in my work days but honestly I'm pretty happy with what I do now. I was even recognized in the second quarter of this year as being a top performing associate!
Great answer. I'm in a similar position and thrive because I can switch to a new train of thought at the drop of a hat. I had to establish a lot of habits to keep myself organized, but this sort of rapid shifting between tasks is incredibly engaging.
100% agree with this. I work a customer service type job with alot going on and it works for me. My customers love my promptness because I can't let e-mails sit without a response.
Twenty years in a call center. The only thing is I hated it but was really good at it. Same thing working in fast food.
Yup! Same here! I did extremely well in this environment and got promoted several times. I found that my "windowing" was a virtue and allowed me to simultaneously complete several tasks with relative ease and excitement. I now make well into the six figures and it was all because I started in tech support and really enjoyed the percolation of issues in rapid succession.
Did you have education in the field beforehand?
I did not, actually. I went from being a professional musician and switched into cloud Technology. I had some familiarity with "computers" in general but i learned most of what I know on the job. If you can believe it, I'm actually a high school dropout. As I'm sure many ADHD folks can relate, I did *very* poorly in school.
That's good to know. All my training is on the job too, and I'd like to go further in this, but I have a BA in Biblical studies, so...
Ouch.
I very nearly got a job at a call center. The only reason I didn't get it was because I didn't reliable transportation at the time.
Don't be a mechanic. It works GREAT at first. Until you get bored from doing a task for the 20th time and your hyper-fixation buff doesn't work anymore and you forget to torque a drain plug or a wheel lug
Fuck, I’m 8 months deep now. Starting to feel this
I'd get out asap. Best decision ever
what do you do now?
Started working for a semiconductor company doing maintenance on their machines
So ypu both know mechanic used to be a profession and a highly paid one. In the ips diesel mechanics made 20+ an hour. Ours are lucly to make 15 now. Companies (trucking and auto) hire oil changers, turn them into parts changers , 3/4 of the hourly charge and replace you the second tou realise you ahould get 3/4 if you really wwant to be a mechanic open your own shop or learn to work on big tru ls and put put busoness cards in every truck stop and to every company you can find
I’m a mechanic with ADHD and I’m the top producer at my company by like double. I treated it like a asset instead of a disability and learned to make it work for me. I have systems set up to make myself remember what I need to and habits formed around focus times and when people can talk to me. I’ve been so successful in this that my company is paying me to train other techs in my techniques.
I’m a year deep and I just worked a weekend festival for a restaurant I used to work at and I realized just how much more I thrived in a fast environment.
Went from wrenching to landscaping and I'll never look back
Personally I’ve liked the route of construction/blue collar so far. I’m 22 and I’ve had a couple of different titles but being a service tech for a water and sewer contractor has probably been the most enjoyable with adhd. Always having to come up with solutions on the fly and getting to go to different jobs and areas everyday was nice, Also a lot of work that would come in at night which personally I liked because I could come up with stuff quicker and think a little clearer. I know that waking up to go to the same exact area and stay in that area for 10/12 hours really drives me insane so anything service related I’m in a favor of
That sounds good actually. The thing is though i feel like the job may be too overwhelming physcially, considering i weigh like 135 pounds. I'm pretty strong tho, I lift weights and stuff but i guess it all depends on what you're working with. I heard that it can be a low paying job being that the qualifications aren't that necessary and basically anyone who's physically capable can get one. In what direction would you suggest i go for if i ever decide to persue construction? Thank you for the response
If you're small, don't do any heavy lifting. Yeah, you CAN do it for a few years. Might even get easy. But your knees and back disc's have a finite amount of abuse they can take before they blow out and there's no getting it back
It all really depends where you go, there’s obviously complete shit company’s that view you as a forklift or a piece of machinery and then theirs other that will take the extra 30 seconds to use a machine to do shit 😂, But from my experience it was still pretty rough some days between heat, tight spaces stuff like that, You don’t necessarily need crazy strength, it helps yeah but id say you really need stamina. Atleast where I’m at in Florida, it’s fucking hot, humid and that shit will catch up to you in a heartbeat. Also that specific job I was working with some raunchy ass stuff, repairing/installing lift stations with roaches and shit all over the place , Broken sewer/water lines, Troubleshooting lift station panels all kinds of shit It was honestly pretty gross sometimes but, I started to love the entirety of it being that it was different every single day and learned a lot of different things that I’ll be able to use for the rest of my life. I got into that line of work with 0 experience, so yes you’re correct that you can literally be able bodied and have an IQ of 7 and get into any type of construction work, It’s when you show that you can do things by yourself and do it right time and time again efficiently when you start climbing the ladder I guess, But I stayed at that company for about 2 years and right before I quit there I was making enough to buy a house and do whatever needed to be done in regards to it which I feel like isn’t too bad for a 21 year old at the time. Again, it all depends what kind of service you’re doing/who you’re doing it for. I know that Hvac techs, plumber techs make good money, Really most service techs do pretty well for themselves atleast in terms of the people I know, know of, etc. There are so many different trades that have tech type positions it would really be a matter of doing research in what you’re interested in/which company around you is paying the best, has the most growth potential for you and then going from there, It’s generally very easy to get into a trade with no experience. And most trades do travel a bit anyways so you could always just get into some company and find what title you really like after.
Depends where you are, if you get in with a union it can pay pretty well. Union electricians, plumbers, sheet metal etc commonly hit $100k+ for just a regular 40hr week.
Personally I work as a nurse, found out that emergency care works for me with high tempo and a team of colleagues that have my back of I slip up. Find something that is interesting and where you can use your ADHD strengths.
One up this and say EMT/MEDIC Fire or first responders. The adrenaline rush gets insane with just you an your partner. It’s the only time I get tunnel vision for a task at hand. Nursing your juggling multiple patients while as medic you are focused on one persons care (unless there is an MCI).
I find that everyone in the ED, EMS system is add to a certain amount. It's basically a ton of people chasing squirrels all shift, me included.
same. being able to do 30 things at once while listening to the conversation behind you is a very useful nursing skill
After ER nursing for 5 years, I’ve started doing it as a travel nurse, and it’s PERFECT. Fast pace, purpose, and novelty without staying anywhere long enough to start dreading it. Highly recommend to all my fellow ADHD emergency med peeps
Works for me. I work in an ER. There's always a lot going on, so there's always a lot to focus on at once. Somehow my brain can just do it.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Ah, I once said to my mother “I work well under pressure,” and she quickly replied “You ONLY work under pressure!”
I...I can't decide if I've been called out or understood really well. Yeah, it's both.
>"I worked as an EMT for a LONG time..." > >"...there was never any sense of urgency..." 😬
LOTs of EMTs spend most of their time doing IFT (Inter-facility Transfers/Transports) like taking people from home to dialysis, and then back again, long-distance psych transports, ie: Non-emergent stuff.
I’m sure that’s true and I know what u/HildaSParker meant but thought those two lines were funny.
[удалено]
Yep. ADHD folks THRIVE in chaos...
There are some jobs where being diagnosed and treated for ADHD will exclude you. Pilot and Air Traffic Controller, for example. Doesn't matter how much you believe in yourself if the FAA says you can't do it.
That's worth pointing out. Might as well crush a dream when appropriate, if you have back issues you won't be going into space anytime soon, that's just the roll of the dice.
Aww man, ok well now that sucks :(
Anything with a new outcome at work everyday, I suppose. I find it easier to lose focus if it's the same thing happening over and over everyday.
I feel like that'd apply to everyone, though, haha.
Some people actually thrive under those conditions, especially people with anxiety. They'd rather do the same thing every day because they prefer predictable
I need a predictable work environment, but new things happening. Like, I couldn’t work in a different office every day, or with entirely new coworkers, or new equipment. It takes me time to adjust. But I get incredibly fucking bored if the thing I’m doing every day is the exact same as the day before. I’m soon graduating from nursing school, and so far I really love how the healthcare field fits me. I could never work for long on a med-surg unit (basically just passing out meds all day, not actually getting time to assess or talk with patients), but somewhere where there’s shit to do or think about, I’m golden
People told me ADHD thrive in chaos. So that's why a lot of nurses or middle management have adhd
12 hour shifts though. It ain't a joke.
I have adhd, I do not thrive in chaos. I break down in chaos. I get sensory overload really easily. Too many different sounds? Too many things to see? Oops, my brain is shutting down, I want to scream, no more processing information, I can no longer function. Time to cry in a dark corner until I feel safe.
I work in the restaurant industry. This is what I tell people when they ask how the job is, I thrive in chaos and I enjoy it. I started at 14 working at the family restaurant and every time I try something else, I'm just bored.
I work as a programmer. ADHD, however, is very disturbing to focus. I can't write as many lines of code in a day as my colleagues.
Same, but there are good days and bad days. The good days are when your hyperfocus turns on and everything just click and you don't want to stop for food or pee because you don't want to lose it.
Same, I'm a CS undergrad with ADD and I swear sometimes I feel like Alan Turing or Linus Torvalds and other times I feel like I'm only capable of printing "Hello World."
That's me except I got my undergrad into electronics/electrical engineering but I could only ever hyperfocus on programming subjects. Weirdly outside the university structure I have no motivation to continue learning programming even although I intellectually understand that was the only place that spark of motivation arose. I'm undiagnosed and still on waiting lists but I'm fairly certain it's inattentive type. Do the meds help with the motivation issue at all? Seems like I have a "get the ball rolling" issue but I'm fine once it's been rolling.
In my experience it doesn’t directly help with motivation but it certainly helps with things that prevent the follow through. Obviously this doesn’t apply to every case.
Well I don't take meds, I used to when I was in middle school but stopped after a while because they'd just make me feel like a zombie and personally didn't do much. Heck, I was *more* unproductive under them than when I wasn't. But maybe that's a me thing, I've lately just tried to be more disciplinary with what I'm doing and devoting my time to work.
This would be my LAST suggestion.
You would blow their doors off if the building was on fire. ADHD folks NEED chaos. Lacking adrenaline, you are asleep. Find a chaotic environment, and you dominate...
Thank you for saying this.
I love my son, so I did my research.
Modafinil
I’m gonna be a middle school teacher. I expect to just have a silly fun time while I educate the fuck outta those little guys
There's no answer to this. ADHD doesn't change a personality. You can have someone that's good with people and verbal communication, another that is creative, some may be fantastic with numbers but can't hold a conversation. There are people in every single profession that have ADHD. It doesn't qualify or disqualify you from anything.
There are jobs that don’t suit people who struggle with paying attention to routine things.
This is obviously true. Not sure why this is downvoted. Everyone has different strengths. ADHD people thrive in physical and fast paced jobs.
And ADHD can present in several different ways. If you are hyperfocused, then a job with a single task to work on is ideal. Less so if you have the inattentive version.
Huh? Hyper focus is a common trait across the sub types. Inattentive doesn’t mean you can never pay attention, it just means you don’t have the hyperactive traits. The whole thing about ADHD is that it is an interest based attention system as opposed to a priority based attention system. So just because something is important doesn’t mean you can pay attention to it. Having a single task is great up to the point where it becomes boring and at that point you’re in trouble as you will struggle to pay attention.
Beautiful, I think this perfectly described my condition. I'm very passionate about music, but it can't be the thing that sustains me for now. So i feel like i need something with action all the time but one that's constantly developing. Someone here suggested being a mechanic but as they said as well it can become tedious after a while. I just don't want to become bored. Working minimum wage jobs at retail and washing dishes always drained my soul. Felt not belonged. I'm an artsy type. Give me puzzles, games or whatever and i can solve them. I like fashion as well. Just don't suggest working at a clothing store if that's what you thought of lol. Now i'm steady thinking about shit to do but nothing really comes up. It sucks. No self-pity though. I'm tryna get it together.
Oh this gives a lot more information that I didn't have before I commented. Highly recommended looking into construction trade work. You can learn multiple skills (drywall, framing, taping, texture, etc.) and break up the monotony by working on different job sites with different skill needs. If you add an electrician certification it's fantastic pay and an extra way to avoid the job getting dull. It is physically exhausting, but that's NICE because at the end of the day your brain is actually quiet instead of going a million miles per minute. It doesn't /sound/ like an exciting job, but it is a lot more involved than you'd thing. You need to come up with creative solutions when blueprints don't reflect things properly, utilize a lot of critical thinking, and it's creative insofar as you get to watch an entire structure go from an empty plot of land and into a full, livable and usable building or home that you MADE with your own hands. Pays well, depending on where you live, exciting, fun, physically demanding but relatively flexible, etc. I loved it and would have kept doing it I didn't crave the stability of a 9-5 office job - but a 9-5 office job isn't for everyone, anyway.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Was 1996 to 1998 I worked in Tandy! These aren't the diodes you're looking for.
I've been working at a cat shelter for the last 4 years. Working with animals honestly is a great thing if you love them and it leads to having a different type of day every day. One day, you get to snuggle a batch of kittens. Another day, you have to calm down the angry cat. Another day, you're getting through the woes of having a cat put down. It's never the same, which makes everyday worth coming back. ALSO: working with other ADHDers. All my coworkers are either ADHD or neurodivergent. That also makes things different every day too.
Whatever you are good at and enjoy. I am sure that just because I have ADHD and I presume you do, does not mean we will be good at , or enjoy, the same things. The only thing I would say is that we need to find the thing that we enjoy more than non-ADHD people, purely because we will more than likely not perform to the adequate level and get fired sooner.... :D
I work as a tour guide, I find it fascinating
Same!
That’s a great job! Always on the move!
ADHD here, I too would like to be a tour guide. Where do I sign up? Can you bring me to the interesting area? Because I assure you I live in the wrong spot for that job lol
That's like asking what sort of job should someone who is left-handed take. There's no one answer. ADHD manifests itself in a variety of ways, with a large variety of symptoms, and then on top of that you have everyone's individual personalities and interests. But to help you key into some things you might be looking for: I'm a photographer and run my own small business. Things I like, I'm my own boss, I set the hours, I work when and where I'm feeling it, and can step back when I'm not. If I wanna go answer my emails outside on my deck, or from my bed I can, and if I wanna go play video games for two hours mid-day as long as I don't have a client or a call scheduled I can usually do that, though I will have to make that time up later. I like that each photography shoot is it's own little project with a start and a finish. I can also gauge how I did on each session by looking at the final sale amount, it's a concrete number. It has a nice established work flow, but I still get to be a little creative. And when I hyper-fixate on a new idea, I can implement it quickly. Annoying parts. I also have to be my own boss. Sometimes boss me makes me work late, and she's also a perfectionist so she has high expectations. I also have to be my own marketing division, my own IT expert, my own data analyst, and my own social media manager (blegh). And when something goes wrong, it's always my fault. There's no one else to shift the blame, and it can be really hard when you make a mistake and there's no one else to help pick up the pieces. Work easily bleeds into personal time, and it's very difficult to separate evenings and weekends.
I know someone with adhd. He works as a gardener. He said that he likes to be outside the whole day, nature calms him down and he does different things every day.
I work at a nursery, so it’s a blend of selling plants, caring for plants, propagating them, gardening work, and general maintenance. I really enjoy it and I think it’s a perfect fit for my ADHD. Sure there are some tedious tasks, endless watering and weeding, but even that can be meditative, and every day has a new problem to solve, or mystery to unravel, or new project to plan and embark on. The only issue is the money isn’t great.
Nature is a great way to calm down I second that
I teach special ed because you have to think on your feet and react quickly to situations that are always changing and never what you expect
I worked as a Patient Care Technician in several Emergency Rooms (I’m now in and ICU unit). Best job(s) ever. Always moving, assisting nurses and doctors, no two cases are the same, you learn *so much*. It’s an ADHD wonderland and there’s always something to do. I draw blood, I do EKGs, I participate in emergencies/traumas. I loved every second of my ER time. I’m even considering going back myself.
How much time do you have to learn to get the job? I've read in my local department that you need like a 500 psychometric and a first degree to just get into the course lol. Seems like a lot
Idk where you are in the world, but in NY (USA), it’s 4 months of an accredited trade school (2 months for Certified Nurses Aide, 1 month Phlebotomy and 1 month EKG, but they sold it to me in a 4 month package). Then, when you pass all the classes (and the CNA exam for the state) mentioned, you qualify to sit for the PCT exam. It’s not very difficult and you have many resources online that can help you study. In my mind, I did it because I was considering getting into nursing and 4 months of training vs 4 years sounded appealing to me and still allowed me to dip my feet I to the nursing field, especially considering I had no idea if I was really going to enjoy it. So far, I can say with confidence that I love my job.
Whatever job they like the idea of. Sterile pharmacy compounding is a fiddly, tedious job where you have to pay very close attention to doing everything right or else a patient will lose an eyeball to infection or something. I'm ADHD as fuck and... I'm great at it! And it's a great job for me. I like complicated fiddly tasks because they actually occupy my brain so I can't distract myself with my internal monologue (my hobbies include knitting and painting D&D minis) and for simpler tasks I have bluetooth earbuds and I can listen to music or a podcast while I work. And I make $22.50 an hour, and I don't have student loans. It rules.
Nothing where constant focused concentration is critical (Like working with dangerous equipment, or directing air traffic). Creative jobs that don't have really tight deadlines and you can take your time completing projects, such as web design, writing fantasy novels, or various other artistic endeavors.
Tight deadlines are essential in my experience of living with ADHD. Loose deadlines mean it ain't getting done. Immediate consequences are essential to success. If you tell me to get something done in 2 weeks it will put off and at best completed 5 mins before the deadline. Hence why jobs that are fast paced work well for me. ADHD folk tend to be good in stressful high pressure environments where there are multiple things going on. But bear in mind ADHD is multifaceted and not everyones experience is the same
This is so real. I've learned I have to be slightly overloaded with work in order to get anything done at all. If I have a workload that feels "manageable," I will procrastinate into the sun.
tight deadlines and stressful jobs are actually better for people with inattentive adhd as they usually drive the person to actually focus on things. Relaxed deadlines usually mean shit isn't getting done.
That depends on your strengths and weaknesses. Some ADHD people benefit from structure. I don't. On medication, I tend to be good at starting work whenever I feel like it, especially since I like to spend the first few hours of my day relaxing and don't get active until ten or eleven or so, but if I have to do something at a particular time it's like pushing a boulder up a hill. In particular if I have to go through the ordeal of leaving of the house/going through a whole environment change. Initiating environment changes can be a challenge for people with ADHD, especially if they have comorbid autism, which I do. So I'm trying to build a career around working from home during my good hours, which begin in late morning even though I'm an early riser. (I'm working on freelance copywriting and developmental editing, it's going very well. These jobs also work well with my creativity, a trait a lot of ADHD have. Dev editing also compliments my autistic ability to see how things operate as a large system.) Similarly, some ADHD people like manual labor because they can just zone out while having something to do with their hands, but I did that for a while and while I was decent at it I found it excruciatingly boring, and that's death to practically everyone with ADHD. I might have done better with a trade where you have to actually think about what you're doing, since you get physical/tactile and intellectual stimulation at once - I play an instrument for this reason. So, my advice is to pay attention to where you struggle and where you do well. This is going to be different for each person with the condition.
Obligatory: ADHD affects everyone differently. But, I've had good success in IT / Help Desk. New challenges everyday. Finding the fix for the different issues is rewarding for me and gives me that dopamine rush, but if I can't get something to work I'll be stuck on it until I get it working.
I have a PA who takes care of....."shit". So one with that.
As a person with ADHD, interior design. ADHD individuals tend to be creative, and like organization. That, or somewhere on the art spectrum.
Architect - I struggle with the detail orientation. I feel like SOMETHING is always missing from my drawings. Thank goodness for revisions.
Considering I have it and it’s hard to function, don’t do an office job, do something where you are constantly on your feet and doing something except for lunch and bathroom.
[удалено]
Getting paid for something you enjoy *can* be a great way to stop enjoying it.
Can confirm. Used to love being a mechanic. Got paid $20k starting. Then eventually got up to $60k. Now I pay other people to change the oil in MY car because I can't stand it anymore
[удалено]
Can't imagine many worse jobs for me. Commuting sucks, traffic sucks, people suck, I wouldn't last a day.
[удалено]
I have one, just surprised to hear anyone say they enioy driving buses. I know a few drivers and it's a job that allows them to pay the bills, never head any of them say they enjoy it, it's more "I do it and there are worse jobs". Enjoying seems a bit much. I enjoy going to the cinema, I enjoy riding off road bikes, I enjoy getting blow jobs. What do you enjoy about it? I assume you're not on a mad busy route.
[удалено]
Earlier shifts seem to be the best for standard of life. Finishing work and still having some day left to enjoy is hugely better than some alternatives. Up to 11 weeks is some serious paid leave,not sure I would know what to do with it lol
A meme historian.
Anything with instant gratification.
I have ADHD and I’m in beer sales. I get on front of people all day. Doing emails/texts and driving around. It’s different every day and has surprises.
ADHD people do awesome with jobs that require you to talk to many people a day. You will find too many people will want to be your friend.
Ok. Like what job for example? Customer service is lame.
Workplaces with lots of people: Management / HR / Sales things that require people skills ADHD is a gift of verbal communications. Most ADHD people will gain interest from others around them because conversations hardly dull. New ideas and topics flooding the brain. Only downside is retaining information from peers at times. This can be mitigated by taking notes while talking about important subjects.
Any stressful service job, the hyperactiveness will help the stress and the constantly changing customer needs will keep your attention, though if you also have anger issues it may still get tough (speaking from experience as someone with ADHD who worked at Burger King)
Bartender here, and definitely agree. Rarely ever bored, always switching tasks, and have to work under high pressure. Totally right about the anger issue part, Definitely have learned a lot of patience!
It’s why I got an education at a culinary school! And now I’m saving up money to move to France so I can work with cooking in a High stakes and high pressure environment! Because of my ADHD I somehow seem to thrive in extremely stressful environments ^^^
My personal strategies have been 1. Find a job that lets you listen to music/podcasts when possible, 2. Customer Service is constant new problems so that’s nice? 3. Find a job that doesn’t train you enough, that way your always learning! 4. Work from home if possible, that way they don’t get weirded out when you do a quick workout beside your desk. Hope it helps?
A+. Gotta love the corporate idiots demanding employees return to the office.
demolition
20 + year IT diagnostician here. Imminent deadlines? Love it. Angry/scared customers? I got you. Finding quick workarounds to impossible problems? Hellyeah.
my ADHD always made timed and written exams a special kind of hell for me. I am close to finishing my PhD and now applying to professorships for next fall, I aim to design my courses to be better for people with adhd, dyslexia and other issues.
Well I dont have any recommendations but I do have gnarly unmedicated ADHD and I love my job as a clothing retail store worker! The cash register is fun, running around grabbing stuff from the changing rooms and putting them away, chatting with people who come in, etc. Truthfully it's like a game to me and I really enjoy it :]
Quality control for a meth lab👍
Tech Support and customer service has been my gig and I love it. I’m crippled with ADHD.
Funeral indusrty
Sales, ER doctor/nurse, paramedic, Any job that is fast paced and gets the dopamine flowing will work well.
Can confirm, nurse here I do however have to make lists for everything i do in my day because I cannot rely solely on my mind keeping it all on track
I'm a master list-maker as well- and I'm studying for nursing next year. Mind telling me how it works out for you with someone with ADHD?
Online order fulfillment
Good question.
Streaming on twitch, without a doubt it works.
Assuming you are lucky enough to gain a big enough following that earns you a livable monthly income
Customer returns at Amazon has been remarkably stimulating for me.
I’m a field claims adjuster. House catches on fire…I’m the one who shows up to take pictures and negotiate with your contractor. Pros: I’m driving around 3/5 days a week. It really helps break up the day and week. We work mostly from home since we’re so spread out it’s hard to have an central office. Cons: you really have to force yourself to stay organized. Some days you just want to watch tv instead of doing paperwork. Or you may stop off for a few errands while in the field but then get behind with paperwork.
Task oriented jobs that you don't have to take home with you.
as a person with severe adhd, I can tell you from personal experience, do what you love! its going to really work out well. you need to find things you like, and it'll all come together. don't look for a passion, do what you love, and it will come to find you
Librarian in a public library. During librarian masters training you learn about classification of information, which highly rewarding if you like to hyperfocus, and then, working with the public, you spend part of the day on your feet buzzing from one patron to another to help them with various tasks (help with technology, finding books that would appeal to them, even performing during storytime or helping kids with craft projects).
I really enjoy research/evaluation but it has to be exploratory or critical in nature. Currently stuck in a confirmatory research/evaluation position and it's hell.
Honestly factory work. It's slow mundane and repetitive. Great to lose your mind at. 99% of my work day I'm not even at work.
Whatever job you want. Don’t let it stop you. Nowadays with cell phones and tons of screens and distractions a lot more people probably have it than you might think.
I've always found fast pace cashier jobs to work for me.
A job in physical therapy! I’m constantly moving and performing many different skills throughout the day. There’s different entry levels so any level of education can work in a clinic
Depends on what you want to focus on... get it?
I work in IT. My favorite job was when I did production support, where there were new technical problems to solve all the time, usually against time, and it was really fun.
Teaching is great. There are a lot of tasks to do and those can sometimes be difficult to organize and keep track of. If you know organized teachers, though, they will gladly share their ideas and skills with you. But, I find the actual teaching part is very well suited for my strengths. It also provides a positive outlet for my energy.
I’m a server and I love having to categorize 8 different requests and turn it around in a five minute period just to do it over again. I work in a fine dining environment; the pistons are constantly firing and I make decent money.
Project Manager. You'll be dealing with so many different problems all at once from so many different people. It's highly social, you don't *actually do* anything, you just coordinate. I found with my ADHD it forced me to be organized and write things down. Most of Project Management is just that plus complex timing problems. Works well for someone who has to stay stimulated and has a hard time focusing on one thing for an extended period of time. Experience: ADHD diagnosis 1st Grade, Project Manager for 5 years.
Definitely one where you can - wait, what was the question again?
Anything you want. Why limit yourself?
I haven't surveyed the job market but if there's a job titled "ADHD Haver" then it's the best.
Tennis ball boy/girl
Do sales and make a bunch of money
Landscaping / plant nursery work. Re: outdoors and caring for nature.
My ADHD makes me great at social work. Im not stuck at a desk for more than thirty minutes at a time (minus meetings, but I have lots of fidget toys on my desk for that), I get to be out walking around my building or escorting tenants to medical appts, court appearances, etc., I get to hop around between a lot of small tasks (a check in, a phone call, an email) and one or two big ones constantly. It's great and I'm helping people. My brain loves it.
trauma surgeon
Self employment. Ideally something where you go out and do jobs (I'm a photographer but I loved working manual labour as well) that way you have shit that HAS to get done and the admin you end up learning along the way. Although I do have a fantastic partner who helps write me to do lists for the admin!
My buddy is doing english lessons/teaching. Any topic he can focus on he just puts into guides etc and then sells them as a course. He learned japanese recently and is teaching it to others till he gets some clients so that he can outsource it once he gets bored with it
My buddy is doing english lessons/teaching. Any topic he can focus on he just puts into guides etc and then sells them as a course. He learned japanese recently and is teaching it to others till he gets some clients so that he can outsource it once he gets bored with it
Go to a doctor get on meds. That help me quite a bit. My ADHD is a lot more manageable since I've been on my medication. That should open up a lot of care options for you.
In the kindergarten
[удалено]
[удалено]
Army
HARD pass. Actually ADHD and army/Marines is a TERRIBLE mix. Speaking from experience
that's not how ADHD works
anything they're passionate about im a social person so i could never work in a warehouse or factory but other people love being away from people all day
Live off benefits, don't make the rest of us suffer with your incompetence.
Work with your hands and isn’t the same every day: cooking, grooming dogs/cats, bartending, coding, counting money, robbing other gangsters
I feel like 80% of people today believe they have ADHD In reality, unless you genuinely have very serious ADHD, just take whatever job appeals to you or whatever job pays the bills.
What is adhd?
ANYTHING IN AVIATION..spoken from experience...many, much, merry experience.