Right career for adhd and how to initiate a job

[Loshvi]

Hi I'm loshvi . I was diagnosed with adhd in my 29 . At first I thought it's a stereotype but later I realized all the super powers like (last min pre for exam and getting high score) , learning hard stuffs so easily if I'm intrested and learning stuff like organizing which is easy for many is extremely harder for me. I beleive we all got super powers but many like me doesn't know how to utilize that super power in a productive way. As I'm with adhd I can't even initiate a career which I Don like . I'm struggling with picking a right career for me..

[STEM_Dad]

Welcome!I've been through the career hunt. I tried different things before I stumbled into my career in my mid 30s.

It can be tricky. Some people seem like they've always known what they want to do for a career. Many people have to try several things to find the best fit.

I like helping people, but I had a lot of interests, so I kept changing majors in college (didn't graduate), and changed career fields a few times. First retail sales, then education support (office aide and then tutor), then security, then retail management, then tech support.

I'm now 11 years into my IT career, which I started at 36 (after studying computers, but running out of financial aid for school).

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What do you like to do? What motivates you? What interests do you have?

As for me, I like helping people, solving problems motivates me, and I like... Technology/psychology/space/physics/faith/history/entrepreneurship/education...all the many things I've always liked! 😆

I found out quite accidentally that I have a better understanding of computer user technology than the average person...and that I get a lot of work satisfaction out of helping people with their tech.

[Findmyway in reply to STEM_Dad]

This is a great post. It can be quite demoralising when you know you are smart and motivated but unfortunately don’t necessarily find it easy to flourish or utilise your full potential in many regular employment situations (or else find your way of doing things is misjudged or not accepted by your managers). It really can be finding the right environment and field that suits the way your brain tends to work and that you find rewarding and hence motivating. In order for this to be possible you need to first understand how your brain functions best and what truly motivates and interests you.

I, unfortunately, wasn’t diagnosed until my 50’s and while I try not to dwell on it I do sometimes wonder what I might have achieved if I had been diagnosed earlier.

While medication has definitely helped a bit the biggest thing has been finally realising I’m not a “terrible or hopeless” person rather I just process information and function differently and rather than constantly beating myself up for “failing” I am now focused on working with the skills I have and putting things in place to help in areas where I struggle. I am also working on my mental health through meditation and exercise. This site has really helped me feel more accepting of myself as well as ways forward. I won’t lie things are often still challenging but rather than feel overwhelmed and defeated I can usually look for ways to overcome them. It’s a slow process to learn new skills at my age but still worth it.

[lemonspeaks]

hey loshvi! I can empathize with this for sure. I ended up going the psychology route after realizing those were the only classes in college I cared about. At first it was hard to find my niche, but now I make my adhd work for me. I own my private practice and work for myself, and I also only work with certain diagnoses and problems, because I’ve learned what stimulates me enough. It’s taken time. I’m 37 and still trying to sort it out because it’s not a perfect science. I often day dream about being a florist or owning a cafe. Who knows if I’d do well in it, so on the side I write short stories about other jobs and lives I’d have. It helps as an outlet so I don’t impulsively jump ship on the career I’ve made to work for me. Tattoo artist would also be cool but I’m not great at drawing. Give yourself time and grace to sort it out.

[Loveleigh1]

I am completely there right now! I am 33 and was diagnosed a few years ago. I quit my job of 6 years a few months ago due to burnout. I have worked with a couple career coaches, which has helped, but now that I am searching and applying to jobs, everything feels more chaotic and up in the air than ever. Sitting down to apply to jobs feels like my skin is crawling because I just don't like doing it. I feel like a failure and like a never launched-I didn't apply my degree of apparel design when I graduated and a decade later, it's really no longer relevant. I am now exploring anything that allows me to use my interpersonal skills, and my ability to think outside the box. If I could be a professional brainstormer that would be amazing...probably doesnt exist. I highly recommend David Goodenough from Seattle. He is a trained trauma therapist, but has done career coaching for 47 years. He is AMAZING. He takes all the info you relay and distills it down, so what feels complicated in your mind, crystalizes in front of you. He then recommends certain fields and how to go about exploring those options. Nothing abstract, which is SO helpful. He typically only meets once for a 90 min session, and though I was skeptical of this, it was absolutely the perfect amount of time. It was only $280 for the session. It may seem pricey, but the benefit is well, well worth it. goodenoughcompany.com/

[Loshvi]

Thankyou guys for all your responses. It means a lot for me..😃