What career would be good for an Adder?

[Dizfriz]

I wrote a short essay on careers for ADHDers, might give you some ideas.

http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72027

Good luck,

Dizfriz

[BohoButterfly]

Sorry- double post, again- it's my silly phone!

xxBB

[BohoButterfly]

When i was in a 'clinic' for what i guess you'd call... 'acute' anxiety, an old fella their gave me a bit of advice that is pretty much the driving factor in how i changed my career goals:

1. Write a list of what you want to do (things you arent good at yet, but are interested in).
2. Write a list of what you like to do (your hobbies).
3. Write a list of what you can already do (what you are good at doing).

He said my lists would be long, but if i put them in circles, id come up with maybe three things that overlap, and that would tell me the right job/s for me.

In brief, my answers were:

1. Create new theories in biology, be a psychologist, write books, get my art on display.
2. Write stories & poems, read about biology, understand people, help people, tell people things they didn't know, draw.
3. Help people, write well, understand biology, draw.

Hence, i went from trying to be a psychologist, to realising i want to be an english/biology teacher for grades 11-12, and then write books in my spare time. So now im on the path, starting with a BA maj. english literature.
The rest will come later, and the art will be when im ready.

Hope that helps, its helped me!

xxBB

[tortilaman]

ADDers are very good entrepreneurs, you're doing something you love and you're your own boss.

[Flip_Horrorshow]

I'm glad to see a few ADHDers in sciences. I've just switched my major to Chemistry. All of my life, I have loved all of the fields of Science. Like someone already said, find what you are passionate about and go with it. Also, find you strengths and weaknesses. I like heads down work. Do an experiment, observe, and calculate type of work.

[entrepreneurKid]

Something that doesn't require you to stay organized, something with no file cabinet, no paper work etc..

Creative stuff..

Screen writer, musician haha.. Stuff that's super hard to get a career in.
Whatever it is, something where you can just be in "do mode" that doesn't require a lot of "think mode."

As an Entrepreneur, I have to be in "Think Mode" Then switch over to "Do mode" all the time!

People who paint for a living, it's just do do do, paint paint paint.
People who dig wholes, dig dig dig.. simple..

But with ADD, it's hard to think of what you have to do- then do it.
Pretty sure most Managers don't have ADD.

[Phoenix Ash]

I love the Venn diagram idea from BohoButterfly. That's brilliant.

I also agree with those who suggest being an entrepreneur so you can be your own boss. The freedom and flexibility is golden. You do have to be able to keep track of your paperwork, but it's worth it imho. I have had my share of corporate desk jobs in the past, but hated them. For some folks, the stable structure of regular hours, reliable paycheck and benefits make up for a lot of misery, but for me, the only good thing about a cubicle job where you do the same damn thing every day is once you know the work well enough you can go on autopilot and let your mind wander a lot. But in the end I always left those types of jobs because it was killing my soul to stay in them.

Now, I've found I gravitate toward jobs that offer lots of variety and a significant degree of flexibility. ADD-ers frequently lean towards the arts, so there's the ol' designer, musician, dancer, actor, writer, editor etc...

If that's not your cup of tea there's things like dealing cards, making deliveries, personal assisting, game testing... if you have an aptitude for building things you could look into construction, or put yourself on Craigslist as a handyman... I know an ADD-er who gets a lot of flooring work that way.

The possibilities are endless, really. Like my dad always said, "Figure out what you love, then figure out a way to get paid for it."

[jman05]

Originally Posted by Buelldog

Electrician . get to use your brain and get to be moving

I was an electrician and I had problems because of my inability to listen. Someone will tell you to do something and you don't remember what they told you to do. They then come back and see that you did it wrong and you don't have a job for long. Plus there are no jobs in construction right now anyways. A job where you can work independently would be good. Maybe a tile guy or drywaller or painter.

[splinter]

Thanks for all your replies. I have to look at my life and decide what is important to me.
The job I do is what I used to do as a hobby, making furniture, but the stress of a work situation has made it no longer enjoyable and my pay is very low so I feel under valued. I followed my heart and not my head and now I earn less than I did 25 years ago and I was low paid then.
I need a long hard think.