career paths for adults with ADHD | ADHD Information

Help---
I am 30 years old and diagnosed with adhd as a
child. I struggled in college and graduated on the
third attempt (because of lousy grades).   After
graduation, I got help because I knew that
something was wrong and I couldn't live like that
anymore. I guess I didn't outgrow the adhd after all
because the doctor put me on methylphenidate and
my whole world turned around. Two months later
while working 25-30 hours per week I took evening
classes to pursue another degree. About a year and
a half later, I graduated with a 3.706 GPA. I moved to
another state and here I am two years after
graduation working a job requiring a high school
diploma and making less than I did when I was in
college. I don't know what to do. The job ads always
want people with relevant experience. I have job
experience; I worked retail while in college and I'm in
banking now. So here I am with two Bachelor's
degrees looking for my first real "professional" job. I
don't know what to do. I feel like a big loser and that
I'm never going to be successful and amount to
anything. Does anyone out there have any similar
stories or suggestions that would help me in my job
search? I guess I just need someone to tell me not
to give up. Sorry about the length, but I needed to
vent. Thank you for your help and taking the time to
read this. P.S. This past October I took the LSAT
exam the same week that I ended an 8 year
relationship (I know--perfect timing, right?) and I
didn't get the score that I had hoped for. Now that I
am older and feeling somewhat "normal", I think I
have an idea of what I want to do with my life, but I
don't know how to get there. I feel like it might be too
late and that my "time" has run out.allmixedup38041.7503819444

I have been fighting ADD for 34 years and understand you pain. Finding a job in your field is difficult. I also struggled with school but did graduated from college with honors. Recently, I was searching for a job in my field. It took me over a 1 1/2 to find a job in my field. Now I am doing well because I worked very hard in searching for a job. DO NOT TAKE JOB SEARCHING PERSONALLY! It's about experience not about inability. In order for you to find a job in your field you must start at the bottom. Find a place that can give you experience and build off of that. Be patient, remember you must pay your dues in the real world before you get that job that satisfies you.

You will find a job in you field. The voices in your head tell you negative thoughts. Ignore them!

You are successful. You have proven that you can work hard. Do what you did in college. I bet you found ways to help you study. You may of come up with tricks to get you to focus. Now use what you did in school, find a way to look for jobs, take time to practice interview skills, build your resume.

The point is that you can do this, but you will need to work harder then others. However the result will be getting a job. Use your past success to build future success.

Hey,

you are not alone out there!!

I'm 30, too, think I might suffer from ADD, experienced pretty much the same as you did and also have no clue what to do with my life. I am a 2nd year student, supposed to go to China in summer but so afraid I will end up with results I won't be happy with.. and i know I can do better!

All the best, keep writing whatever you want to get rid off... if it helps you, it's fine.

Thank you for replying to my message. I know that
I'm the "low man on the totem pole" so to speak, and
that I have to start at the ground and work my way up.
I guess I'm just frustrated because I can't seem to
find any entry level jobs that I'm qualified for. I know
this sounds crazy, but I do believe in the notion that
everything happens for a reason and that I might not
understand it now, but in the future everything will
make sense. I moved to a new state after
graduation to be closer to my parents and I landed a
job before I even moved. The job was not in my
"field" but in retail which I have over 8 years of
experience (I worked through college). Needless to
say, that job didn't work out. I didn't get along with
the new supervisor (it takes a lot to piss me off) so
one day impulsively, my mouth opened and words
started coming out to the effect of "I can't take this
disrespect anymore and I am putting in my two
weeks notice as of today". I have never done
anything like that before. I've always had a backup
plan or another job lined up. I was unemployed for
about a month and then I found the job that I have
now which I am extremely overqualified for. When I
moved two years ago, I left my friends which were
basically my support system. Since I've been here I
haven't made too many friends and I rarely go out. I
feel stagnant and stuck. I guess that's why I visited
this website yesterday for the first time. Besides
adhd, I also suffer from depression and anxiety (and
I know I'm not the only one). It's nice to vent and hear
from other people who understand what it feels like
to have adhd. Besides the job search, I'm working
on a list of songs that comprise "The Soundtrack of
My Life Thus Far...". I love music and I was a D.J.
while in college. I guess that's why I'm working on
this project. Maybe its my adhd creativity that
sparked this idea...who knows. Anyway, thanks for
your time. Hope to hear from you again.

Yes, you are obviously very intelligent and it is never ever too late!!!  We can do anything we just have to work extra hard.  I am the queen of job hunting too.

At least now at 38, I have been diagnosed.  Who knows what I might end up doing with my life.

Well I am ADD, and did not graduate with honors from college.  But did get that degree, noticed you didn't put yours down, I tell you mine.  Electrical Engineering.  Job defined already right.  Well I went that route for it is a defined job, no need looking to see what I could do, already spoken for me.  And it pays good enough for my wife to stay home with our 3 year old son.  We have seriously thought of the idea of Homeschoolling, especially if he turns out to have ADD also. 

But the engineering job is not my real calling.  I am a communicator, that is what I like to do.  Love to find some way to move into one of those kind of jobs, many people told me I need to go get my MBA, so I can move into management, just don't have the money, and well fear school alittle, for even on meds just hard.

I believe we can do it.  We can accomplish what we want, and we might be different to others, but we are not infeiror.  So don't give up.  And when you were in retail this last time you were in management right?  Sounds like with 2 degrees you should not be shooting for anything lower.

There is a great website www.kolbe.com  which can help you figure out the best careers for people dealing with ADD.  In the Kolbe test, there is a category called Quick Start, for people who start things and have problems finishing them.  These people can become great entrepreneurs, artists, and need to hook up with High Follow through types, that love finishing things.   I am a bit ADD, and keep myself flying straight as I can with lots of vitamins, homeopathy, chiropractors and a very clean diet.

I get tempted every once in a while to try meds as I did diet pills in the 70's and loved the focusing effect on my brain, but didn't like losing touch with myself and how my body and brain felt. We are raising 2 ADD teenagers, not easy but still are choosing the natural non-med route, again with clean diet and tons of vitamins, and remedies that I found on the web.

I am not the crispest chip in the bag, but I managed to get a degree in Architecture, have a business that works, thanks to a supportive husband who has the opposite Kolbe profile as me.  Without me our life and business would be boring, and without him, nothing would get done.  We hire staff that likes to finish things to keep the chaos down, and the creativity up.

The number of "jobs" is shrinking every decade, while the number of entrepreneurs starting new businesses is way up.  Maybe you are one of those people who will create a great business or offer a service that no one has thought of.  Most successful entrepreneurs make sure they have relationships in their lives that are the opposite of them.

Good Luck in your search and the creation of your career.

Marilyn

Oh oh, I need a new career. I lost my major client last week, but it's not a surprise--I have quite a bit of knowledge, but REALLY struggle (it's not a struggle, I need a stronger word) to keep a job.

I am good at:

*listening to people
*really understanding the nuances of what people are telling me
*grasping technology; understanding concepts
*motivating people
*making people feel good
*getting the big picture
*handling crises
*teaching
*working with animals
*seeing the big picture
*mechanical

Anyone have any ideas?

<exhale> - Phew Boy. I feel like a tough case.

My immediate plans to keep my bills paid:
*Slash expenses immediately
*Sell a few things I've been meaning to sell
*Return some things that have been sitting in a corner (find receipts)
*Sign on with the temps
*Make a website and bus. card
*Attend some networking functions
*Finish two books (small) that I've been working on

Here's what I think might be a good fit:

*Teaching (how do I get started?)
    *Computers
    *Animal care & training
    *Automechanics (I'm weirdly fascinated with understanding how cars work)
*Online business (small projects/computer troubleshooting)

My HELL! How come I am so eclectic???! Why can't I be one of those people who zoomed in on one subject? The most hurtful thing anyone has ever said to me was "You're a jack of all trades; master of none."  (The best compliment was from an ice skating coach, "OMG! I wish I'd gotten a hold of you when you were younger; you have an Olympic quality.)

My parents (God Bless 'em) always saw the best--"You're going to be a famous trumpet playing, dog training, ice skater!!! YOU CAN DO IT!" 

Did I mention I like to cross stitch? Aye Chihuahua.

bb
hello bluebird
you could always do a TOEFL/TOESL/ESL whatever they call them
courses... i don't know for america but in the UK they are fairly short and
intensive courses (i find super-intensity works well for my type of adhd...)
that normally take four weeks and then you have a qualification that you
can use all around the world teaching english as a foreign/second
language

it uses good communication skills, you are normally dealing with
motivated, funny, clever adults who want to learn so there is no boring
discipline issues to deal with... i think it would really suit your strengths
as you put them down. understanding nuances means you would get
what your students why trying to ask/say... grasping concepts means you
could putover the different grammatical concepts more easily, listening
(obviously!) - teaching too and crises etc...

the DOWNSIDES are - the best teachers on my course were not the ones
with the best ability to grasp the fundamental grammatical concepts etc.
or the ones with the highest IQs but the ones with the imagination to
come up and take the time to create fun, amusing, innovative lesson
plans. one boy (only 18 at the time and about to go travelling for a year)
from Eton (posh boys school in UK) was phenomenal... inventing games
to explain the subjunctive using it in every different possible format and
constant repetition - every class of his was fun, informative and fantastic
- people were learning in spite of themselves!   this entails a lot of WORK
that one has to be self-motivated to do, he created the board games and
packs of cards on his own with tons of sticky glue and coloured pencils
etc. etc. (it was like a whole Blue Peter episode)...

having said that, you can always merely rely on the teaching aids you
have. the Longman/Pearson course books or whichever they use in the
States. i think it could suit????

all the best with it
cj

I was diagnosed with  ADHD when  I was about 13 years old.  I stopped taking medications when I was 20.  I can tell you that I have found that Managing other people has become a great skill that I naturally am good at.  I am now a 25 year old female and have managed anywhere from 15 to 50 people at a time, mostly in a retail type setting.  Although, working with others can somewhat be a weekness, I have found that I have learned a lot about people by working with them all the time.

 

Just think like this.....

You are energetic

Like to think outside the box

Have plenty of energy to comunicate  with your employees throughout the day

And remember, as a manager of others, you can delegate the tasks that you do not have the patience or concentration for to others and do all of the tasks that you find interesting yourself.

Also remember that you are initially " The Boss".  I have found it to be funny that I lack the motivation to manage my own life, but  have mastered manageing others.   Every profession has manager.  

- Just a suggestion for those of you struggleing with career options.  Also, I think that I have always had the ability to relate to people with all sorts of personalities and backgrounds.  If there is one thing that I have learned is that no one is perfect, but everyone is good at something.