I'm having extreme trouble finding the right career for me. I'd love to hear the successful careers ADDers have.

I hate sitting for long hours. I hate being isolated. I'm creative. Artistic and people focused. I'm totally burned out on the last career I had as graphic designer and depressed because of the dire situation I'm in.

I've taken numerous personality tests and have explored some possibilities. But nothing jumps out in front of me. BTW I'm also very jaded with capitalism which doesn't help me. Sometimes I feel bad because i created things to help people by sh*t. Useless stuff.

Explored careers:

1. art therapist
2. social worker
3. refocused graphic designer
4. market researcher
5. non-profits

What do you love to do or enjoy doing? That is a good place to start

I'm addicted to surfing. The waves not web.
I like people.
I like helping.

damn good places to start. Thanks!!!

I'm addicted to surfing. The waves not web.
I like people.
I like helping.

damn good places to start. Thanks!!!

Journalist/photographer for a surfing magazine? Aloha1983 writes for a couple of surfing mags. Or you could teach surfing, like Aloha1983 as well. :)

I like people too, I like helping.

If you have some knowledge in computer in general, working for a helpdesk, on site technician, is something you might want to consider. I have done this many years and got promotion after promotion. I am now coordinator. However, working on the phone all days was not my preferred place, I quickly switch to on site support. You have to be creative to find solutions, talk to people, understand their needs. Handling stress is another thing you must have as well as how to deal with angry people.

This career may or may not be for you. It all depend on your strength and what you love to do.

Good luck with your search.

This is trite, but accurate: do what you love; the money will follow.

I'd add: limit your debt if you expect that the money may not follow in large amounts, or if the money is iffy. Other than that, just do what you love. When you love what you do, it will all fall into place. It's a leap of faith, but it works.

Good luck, surfer man.

Sandy

i'm going to be a paramedic! Because they have to rush around everywhere, and i do that anyway.

Perhaps you could be a coastgaurd or a life gaurd or something?

I'm addicted to surfing. The waves not web.
I like people.
I like helping.

damn good places to start. Thanks!!!

To say you like helping is too vague. Well let's start with the traditional 'I like to help people.' What do you like to help them with? Helping people to pick out backsplashes for their kitchen uses quite a different set of skills vs. helping people fill out their taxes.

You like people? Well people come in all ages, ethincites, speak multitude of languages, et. Which age group do you find you work well with? Is there a particular characteristic of people you find you work best with? Working with new young immigrants uses similar, but quite different skills than working with seniors.

You say you like to surf? Do you like being outdoors? Do you like the challenge of surfing? Do you enjoy physically demanding activites?

Start to develop some common themes and ideas. Once you do that, and you start to develop an idea of whom you like to work with and what you like to talk about, a career may develop.

BTW I'm also very jaded with capitalism which doesn't help me.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood

Come to Australia and be a lifeguard! I bet you'd love it!:)
Carer? Support worker? Nurse?

Great advice and guidance from Michiko. There is no such "one" career or two careers for people with adhd.

Here's a link that might help.


http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/606.html

I have had 24 jobs lol. i liked physically active jobs but was often intellectually bored so I hopped. Office jobs where I was doing mundane stuff were the worst.

I ended up going to school for 9 years. My job has a lot of paperwork (school psych) but I can structure my own day yet I have a specific structure in which I have to do things like reports, administrating tests and deadlines. If I am having an off day, I will schedule myself accordingly. I have found the perfect job for me!

My father is a car salesman. He can't even sit still. He is very good at his job and with people. He is highly successful and has been doing this his whole life.

So, it's a combination of your personality and your type of adhd, too. Do you have hyperactivity? Do you need structure or do you hate it. Some ADHDers are extremely clean and organized. they like checklists. Others are not.

Figure out what you love to do and then your adhd type.

I was first in school for school counseling.
I learned that it doesn't provide enough structure for what I need. I would get too involved in so many things and then end up being unproductive. I would have too many ideas for small groups and wouldn't be able to sort out which ones to do because they all would seem important at that time. I know a few school counselors with adhd and it's perfect for them!!

I started thinking about career choices in middle school. I started to volunteer in a special ed classroom in 7th grade. I knew at that time that most things bore me. I graduated hs with a 1.7.

So, good luck. It takes a lot of self analyzing.

oh...if my environment gets too quite, I fall asleep - almost. I become cognitvely slow. So, if my office is placed somewhere really quite, I almost can't function.

I think a paramedic or some crisis type of job is good for adhders! When my job has crisis, I am at my best!

You and I are almost twins Y00ch. I think that all this money stuff stinks. What about caring for the world, not caring for the coffers of companies.

I am really interested in working on restoring the earth, and I would love to work for a non-profit, but they seem to be interested in only recent college grads who will work for nothing, or PhDs who can make the NP look good.

So I guess its back to government. Sigh. The bureaucracy stinks.

y00ch, I've studied Multimedia Design and that about killed me - I couldn't get anything done anymore in the final year when it came to designing, while I was doing amazing in setting up communication plans etc in our team (which the teachers told me to not do, because it wasn't what I was studying for. Jerks). I've noticed I can't deal with that pressure of keeping a schedule, jotting down my hours, dealing with critic from clients, etc. I'll only do it on occasion now as a freelancer, and went to do a different study in communication design.

I've found out that the jobs I can pull off best have to do with interacting with people. The diversity of this also stops me from getting bored or distracted too quickly. Right now I'm working in perfumes & cosmetics (next to my study), and that's great, because there are so many different products, every customer is different and you can really help people in finding what they want but don't even know how to choose for themselves!

I'll echo Ninjanicole.... try something in publice safety/emergency services. Fast paced, outdoors, varied work environment, no two days the same, get to help people....

y00ch, I've studied Multimedia Design and that about killed me - I've noticed I can't deal with that pressure of keeping a schedule, jotting down my hours, dealing with critic from clients, etc. I'll only do it on occasion now as a freelancer, and went to do a different study in communication design.


Wow. Thats exactly what I don't like about graphic design. I blame myself for years that its just me. That if I was stricter on myself than everything would be ok. Or maybe just the company was wrong for me.

But REALLY it was these aspects of the business which turned me off. Unfortunately I couldn't handle the pressure. Some people do endure it because its something you can't change. But for me its not worth it.

No I'm drifting towards psychology.

y00ch, why don't you check out these articles and try their approach:

http://www.add.org/articles/ask_20.html

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1497.html

http://www.addresources.org/article_...es_fellman.php (http://www.addresources.org/article_adhd_career_choices_fellman.php)

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2496.html

http://www.additudemag.com/q&a/ask_t...pert/3403.html

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/606.html

http://www.add.org/articles/careerc.html

http://add.about.com/cs/workplaceissues/a/adhdjob.htm

http://www.add.org/articles/entr1.html

http://www.add.org/articles/entr2.html

http://www.add.org/articles/entr4.html

http://www.addresources.org/article_...lace_chadd.php

Best wishes on your search!

Excellent thread! I'm nearly 34 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. The points and links in this thread are very helpful since I'm looking to get back into the working world now that my youngest is heading to school full time in the fall!

Thanks guys, youse the best.

Hello,
First post. Just found out I have ADHD through having my son diagnosed with it, and now it all makes perfect sense.

I had over 20 jobs and four careers in the first 10 years of my working life, ( I would get so bored ).

I would say, there are few perfect jobs for someone with ADHD, you will get bored with anything eventually.

As for me I have a great job. I am a field service tech for an IT service company. My job is so varied, every day is a different task and a different place, my job requires me ( among other things ) to fix state of the art IT stuff as well as terminal equipment as old as myself. I keep my boss happy as I handle anything thrown at me, and because of this I am sure he overlooks the careless errors I make in my paperwork :)

I have had jobs that I thought I would enjoy and be good at but was a complete failure, and that was a real killer in regards to my self esteem, but thankfully I figured out what I really was good at as well as enjoyed, and I guess I lucked out a little also.

The only other time I was this happy was when I had four part time jobs, and when one got boring, I left it and found anouther to take its place.


Cheers all,

Props to everyone who has contributed. The various links, resources, and points of views have proved to be invaluable.

there is unlimited things u do if ur ADD u just have to follow ur passion and how u see urself ... im a last year medical student for instance ... i suffered a lot and used to even cry in the early years of medicine cos i didnt support the tension the mental effort and the 1000 time more energy u need to pass more then ur friends ... here i am and i discovered myself in my last year of medicine while i was rotating in psychiatry ... it didnt only allowed me to fall in love in psychiatry and choose it as a future carreer but also it allowed me to know myself that i a ADD and to seek the help of a psychiatrist ... so everything happens for a reason

... it didnt only allowed me to fall in love in psychiatry and choose it as a future carreer but also it allowed me to know myself that i a ADD and to seek the help of a psychiatrist ... so everything happens for a reason

So you're in your last year of Psychiatry?
Have you decided that you want to do it?
What is your area of focus?
How difficult was it for you to get through exams and studying?
Any advice you'd like to offer to an aspiring psychology student?

My next step is to apply to graduate schools and to get an internship.
However I'm not sure in my ability to counsel( the ability to deal with all the emotional crap people dish at you). And if topics interest me I like research. Although I'm not to keen on the scientific/experimental/math type of work I'd have to conduct.

Any advice on that?

:)cutting hair seems to be holding my interest but i want to find a higher paying job.

Just FYI, I'm currently reading the latest copy of "What color is your Parachute" by Bolles.

Pretty good stuff.

I work the front office in at a huge convention resort and I find that I am really able to excel in hospitality. I love working with convention guests and the dynamics change with each group that comes in and out. If you live in San Diego thats a HUGE convention city too. Its really fun to either work with the events staff itself or even in the front office solving guest issues. You have different issues every day that help you learn and grow in the industry. The only negatives I have are possibly the scheduling and hours or the fact that sometimes you have to start at the bottom to get the experience needed to run the place. I work for Marriott International though, and they have great benefits as well, so I can't complain too much.

go with what you are good at and what you like.

SURFING!

form there find out everthing that can be done involving surfing.
profesional surffer
photographer
life gaurd
surf insrtuctor
juornalist
surf engineer or designer
work in a beach surf shop
etc...

get creative and stay near the water because it sound like you enjoy water.

i am a chef and a caterer. i like to cook and it come to me naturally because it was somthing i was exposed to young and have done since i was little. it was the last thing i had on my mind to do as a career. i just kind of fell into it but it allows me to be creative and work with and help people.