ADHD and Career Planning

[Billy50]

Although I have a college degree, I find myself always ending up working in call centers. In the old days, I used to be able to do these jobs. We had enough resources available to be at least somewhat confident and knowledgeable. In the last several years, companies have become obsessed with their rules. If the rules were logical and cohesive, then at least I would have something to find grounding with. However, the jobs nowadays have so many rules, and they are way too numerous and scattered to follow. With ADHD, I already struggle with confusion. And I do not like always placing customers on hold to get help, because the software programs are all over the place, and the rules, too. I ended up quitting because I did not want to be their robot. Now, I am trying to career plan with ADHD. Any suggestions?

[RCJH8610]

Hello! Have you ever considered becoming a teacher?

[Clayfox]

For my partner with ADHD, there are a couple extra hurdles to career planning.

1) How do you choose from the infinitude of options. Prioritization, and knowing what's important to you can be really hard with ADHD.

2) Perfectionism/Imposter syndrome; two sides of the same coin. It is the belief that you have to already be an expert when you start, and since you're not an expert in the multitude of jobs you've never professionally done, those get rejected from the list.

3) Fear of boredom/overwhelm. My partner hasn't held the same type of job for more than 2 years at a time. The basic pattern is: get hired, perform well while feeling like an imposter, say yes to everything, get overwhelmed and quit.

For prioritization, work with a coach or a friend who is a good listener, and take notes. Do this successively until you know what your needs are (financial, work/life balance, accommodations, etc.).

For perfectionism, work with a therapist or on your own to develop a strong self-image and sepf worth. Visual reminders are a great way to help remember that you don't actually need to be perfect to succeed (and defining success for yourself helps in a big way as well).

Finally, that dread of getting bored/overwhelmed and the cycle starting all over again. Partly you just have to accept that it's going to happen and move forward from there. You may be able to find a work/life balance that has interest outside of work, and a work environment that is tolerable for a long time.

Tl;dr: careers and ADHD are hard, but by understanding the common pitfalls of prioritization, perfectionism, and boredom, and accepting that it's okay to change regularly, you can find careers that work for you.