ADHD & a terrible employment history | ADHD Information

I have had so many jobs (temp and perm) in the past 10 years that I have lost count.

I am finally going to see a doctor about Adhd, after spending years denying that I had a problem. At the age of 30, it seems like my career is over even with a BA degree in Accounting & a MS degree in Finance.

Maybe an accounting career doesn't work well with ADHD where every detail counts..

Distractability & lack of focus seem to seal my fate at most jobs. I managed to hold two perm jobs from 2002-2005, but since Aug 2005, its been one disaster after another. With creativity & references to cover me, my resume looks better than my actual employment history with three jobs (two perm, one long term temp) from December 2001 - Present.

I just can never catch a break no matter how hard I try.

Just got dismissed from a temporary job because I 'Spent too much time on my Blackberry'. Even though I got the work done correctly and ahead of schedule, I felt so bored on this assignment that I was answering calls on my Blackberry. So, after completing the first two parts of my project, I get the prize of being told that they 'don't need me anymore' after only two weeks on this project.

Last year (or so) I started updating my resume and realized that since I've been old enough to work (16) I have worked at least 30+ different places. Started at least 3 business' that I failed miserably at due to follow-through. I'm 43 now. It was a wake-up call. I had just finished training in a new field (massage therapy) and wasn't all that convinced that I wasn't going to screw this one up too. I felt pretty certain that I was ADD but had to know for sure. I ended up getting diagnosed, put on meds, therapy and now feel (for once in my life) hopeful for my future. How does that song go? "The future's so bright I got to wear shades." I'm working for myself now and I'm getting more and more clients.

Go get evaluated and discuss your options. Trust me. There is hope on the other side.

Nick, nick, nick. Dead in the water at 30? No way! Now you are getting help - that's the first step. Get some therapy - preferable Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) if you can find a trained pro in it. And meds couldn't hurt - they can be an anchor for when you feel the drifting coming as it always does.

I've had a resume a mile long (I'm 38). I have done every job imaginable except accounting (I hate it SO much it drove my business into the ground). But now I've got a year of diagnosed ADHD behind me and I can do whatever I choose. There's always hope - especially now that you know why you do what you do.

They say that 40 is the new 20. I'll let you know if that's true - I am hoping!

Bummer.

I don't know what to tell you. I'm kind of in the same boat that you are. I am not doing well at my present job-- I've only had it for about 1 month and I'm bored and recently got in trouble.

Are you medicated? If not, maybe that would help you with your attention issues.
This is me. I am so unqualified for anything out their. It doesn't pay me to work at all. I need a trade school to be a sucess. College is just to hard. I only want alternative help not meds. holy crap. I have the same story but I am just 24. I got fired from my last auditing job because of lack of focus and not listening. Got a contract job now and almost got fired from that already but luckly the stuff i did for other people I did good at because I tried harder for focus. I just lost my focus for 1 time and it almost cost me my job. So far meds havent worked but I havent tried adderall yet. This whole week I thought I might get fired again and was suffering from anxiety. Now I am trying to get more sleep, drink coffee, and taking attend. Hopefully all of this will help me because I am scared right now for my job/future. In college i got by by studying at home but I just have trouble listening when beign given instructions. It seems with some success if I am not beign given instrucitons for to long I can really focus hard on focusing and it can help. And I try to make myself interested in the topic. That seems to work but it takes a lot of effort and one slip and i'm gone from the subject mentaly. jman0538780.3091087963Sarita - Most of your coping skills are like those I taught myself. They work.

For the hyper part I would save things to be copied for when I felt most restless and needed to move around. Since it actually took me longer to complete a task, to give the impression I worked fast I always did a fast walk through the office. That worked too. LOL I also practiced a lot on focusing my attention. I would pretend that what was being said was the most interesting thing in the world and hyperfocus. It didn't always work but I did improve.

As Sarita said don't give up.

I'm so sorry you're going through such a tough time. :( It's so tough for us ADDers to hold down a job. Being an employee with ADD is like trying to work in the middle of a 3-ring circus. Not easy to concentrate, memorize, or focus. Office jobs all require accuracy. I use a lot of coping mechanisms.

For example:

1) When given instructions, I either type them out while they're giving them, or ask for them to be sent via e-mail, or write them out on a paper notepad. I never rely on my memory for instructions. My memory is my worst enemy.

2) If my bosses are giving me instructions verbally, I repeat them back to them after they've been given, to see if I have them all.

3) If I'm checking for accuracy in a document, I print a draft, and go through it with a marker, and a ruler, as if I were a very careful teacher grading a paper.

4) I fog out a lot, so I purposely stand up to go to the bathroom constantly to snap out of it. (At work they must think I have the weakest bladder on earth). When I walk away from my work, I have to continue where I left off, so having things written down, marked with a marker, etc., helps me to pick up where I stopped.

5) I also write down sticky notes and tape them down to my desk in front of me. This is very aggravating (having sticky notes taped to the desk), so it forces me to look at them when trying to remove the tape. :-)

6) I use the Outlook calendar a lot because a window pops open to remind you of whatever. Even so, I tend to ignore the window pop ups, so I type out these messages in caps, and use exclamation points, so when the little window pops open, I will pay more attention than if they were written in regular font.

7) I use other people to remind me of stuff. For example, even if I have calendared to call someone, I tell that person to call me if they don't hear from me on such-and-such date. I have even asked my parents, sister, etc. to set a clock at home and call me to tell me to do some work task, if it's very important and my keeping a job depends on my doing it.

8) I always save one day's garbage just in case I've thrown something out that I shouldn't have, that way I can retrieve it.

9) I have lots more coping mechanisms.

Even with these coping mechanisms, I still screw up. I recently heard that meditation helps to rewire the brain properly, so I'm going to be starting it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Whatever you do, please don't give up hope.

Sarita38779.8571064815I was in the same boat as you are Nick. When I was hired around 6 months ago for the best job I've ever gotten in my life I went back to a shrink to get meds. These six months have been very productive and I'm going places with this company. It's a good feeling once you have the "kinks" of adhd worked out. Just "keep the faith"Hopefully meds and therapy will help you. You are too young to be done. Keep your hopes up. At your age things can change drastically.

Good luck and best wishes.
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[QUOTE=cynthiatweedle]Sarita - Most of your coping skills are like those I taught myself. They work.

For the hyper part I would save things to be copied for when I felt most restless and needed to move around. Since it actually took me longer to complete a task, to give the impression I worked fast I always did a fast walk through the office. That worked too. LOL I also practiced a lot on focusing my attention. I would pretend that what was being said was the most interesting thing in the world and hyperfocus. It didn't always work but I did improve.

As Sarita said don't give up.
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LOL I like that, walking around the office to give the impression that you work fast. I think I'll borrow that one.

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LOL I like that, walking around the office to give the impression that you work fast. I think I'll borrow that one.

I hope you wont give up. However, at the same time, I hope you don't feel trapped in a particular career. There's nothing wrong with moving away from one field (or even just taking a sabbatical from it) and moving into something else.

One of the hard parts is that sometimes doors in any field don't fly open when you want to try again, and sometimes real mentors are also hard to find, etc.

I once read a poster that said, "Luck is when preparation and opportunity meet."

I think one of the worst things I've ever done after losing a job several years ago was to become angry and stubbornly depressed. (I'm not suggesting you're doing this but it's an easy next step when things go wrong for a while.)

One of the things that helped me was that I did an interview for a job I wanted but thought I would never get (and I was interviewing like a depressed, angry person) but despite that, the person interviewing me asked for references - like he was considering me.

I didn't have the right kind of references at that time so I didn't get back to him. However, it gave me a kind of hope.

It helps to know that something good will happen - and that you just have to be ready when it happens.