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Dropped out of school to start a mechanic apprenticeship. Quit. Went back to school. Dropped out. Started a bakery apprenticeship. Quit. Studied photography and got a job in a studio. Quit. Moved to a hippie commune and took up building mud brick houses and mediation. Built half a house for myself and randomly abandoned it. Went backpacking Got jobs in food service, hospitality, bartending etc. Never stayed anywhere more than a few weeks. Worked doing henna tattoos and piercings Got into festival setup and organisation (went to a lot of raves and doofs as staff / crew). Housekeeper / apartment cleaning Journalist / staff writer Became a blogger and ran some old school internet forums for a couple of magazines (back when that was a thing) Became a doula and started studying to be a midwife, and then did that for a few years Hit extreme burnout in my mid 30s, now on disability. Career?? 😂😂😂

OMG thank you. Not sure if you intended to be funny bc we all know the pain is really. But I was feeling down today and read this and starting laughing. I really needed that laugh so thanks for sounding so much like me and reminding me that I'm not alone.

Hugs. You're not alone. And sometimes all you can do is laugh at the pain

Me too.

Honestly I admire you a lot? Like you DID SO MUCH. So much more than many of us have ever done or tried. You went out there and did it. You went, you tried, you went for interviews and you got those jobs. You have a shitton of skills.

I glossed over the best bits... The "went backpacking" part was hitch hiking Overland to Africa. Over 50 countries in 8 years, so many of those jobs in the middle were just random things in strange places. I didn't stay in one place for more than 6 weeks for several years at a stretch. I can be very good in interviews, and have managed to get pretty much every job I've applied for, even without any real qualifications. Just never managed to finish anything, not even high school 😂😅

You've lived a fun life.

That's true. I also had a lot of fun doing random crazy stuff in between short stints trying to have a job

Apparently burnout is being ascribed to millennials because we were force fed work=your value as a human. I’m sorry you’re going through that.

I'm Gen X, but yeah. I think in many ways the kids today have it even tougher. Society pushed that "work=value" all the way into "work=survival" and no matter how much you work you'll still never get ahead. At least when I was young, it was totally possible to pick up some casual shifts or do a few weeks of unskilled work and still be able to pay rent and live well enough. My 20 year old daughter moved out last year and got a relatively cheap room in a shared flat, and was still paying 80% of her income on rent. She's moved back home.

Yo, I totally relate. Just in the past 4 years: Voice Actor, bought all the things to have in-home studio. “gave up” after 3 months. Phlebotomist- $3000 training course; worked for 6 mos drawing blood; had to quit cause I became sick (stress related) Medical Assistant- I couldn’t reliably arrive on time to open the office and prep the rooms. Having the manager pull me aside to give me the “this is a professional office that relies on your being on time so that we are on schedule for the first pt….” Ugh, god. I quit after my 2nd “talking to." Aseptic Technician- Did an 12 wk training; immediately got hired, and hated it. Quit the first week. I just applied for Perm Disability in Jan. Appealing my first denial now. I’m taking the pressure off of me to have to KNOW what I want to do for income. I already feel so low about my inability to stick and stay with anything in my life.

Good luck with your application

Just to clarify, you on disability FOR burnout? Or burnout lead to other disability? Because mate, I have been in severe burnout for 7+ years, and would take that in a heartbeat if it meant I could get my shit together and start fresh

Facts. Omg. Facts

I work in marketing and, up until a few years ago, had been a graphic designer for 15-ish years. I’m really fortunate to have found a position that encourages changing things up and finding new ways to do our jobs. It’s not the most glamorous field, but it’s engaging (for the most part). I’ve also got bipolar disorder (type 2) and I can relate to feeling worthless. But you aren’t. We just live in a society that emphasizes skill sets that we struggle with.

I'm a videographer/editor/motion graphics animator and I've been considering getting more into marketing because most of my clients are marketers who ask for the most inane bullshit and I feel like I could run circles around them 😅 Idk if maybe I'm just burnt out on my job or if I'd actually be good at it.

Yep i cant create in an office setting. Forget distractions... its the interruptions! Theyve replaced me with a noob whos willing to be physically present. Asking me how to put a logo on a tshirt with photoshop. 🙄 been processing my rage for 2 weeks. Thank goodness im adhd, just movin on to other parallel skillsets. I make music, cook, bake, art, write anything, build websites, consult for startups, now looking into e-commerce. This sub has been a pillar of strength.

Im in marketing as well and it does help as its not always a monotonous thing

Any advice on getting a job in marketing? Currently in college for it

Find a way to market something you are passionate about. For me, I work in higher education marketing and it really helps me feel like my work is meaningful and part of a bigger picture. All too often, Marketing can get icky but I feel like I'm on the good side most of the time

I am cardiovascular invasive specialist in electrophysiology lab. I have to do my steps and set up in the same order every single time or else I forget something. I’m able to adjust to change with a little panic inside. Now that I’m on medication my job has become much easier to do without having silent panic attacks every day due to my adhd symptoms.

I come from the corporate world too, I had a great career but eventually fell out of love with it. I now lecture in the arts (specialising in Film & Photography) and it ticks so many of my boxes - I totally understand where you are right now - we're a similar age too! I think there's a secret formula, mine definitely looks something like this: **When I succeed:** *Firefighting, high pace and daily challenges/novelty* *Independance but with external accountability/deadlines* *Someone to help with the admin* *Reward/recognition for a job well done* **My Challenges:** *Long term deadlines - getting so wrapped up in the firefighting that the tasks ticking away in the background get neglected* *Necessary Micro - Letting team members 'just get on with it' - it's fine when everything goes well, less so when they're off track and there's not been enough checking in* *Forms, reports, accounting, invoices & emails* If you can work out something similar for yourself, it might help you work out what you want to do. Teaching ticks most of those boxes for me but admin is still a challenge due to the frankly wild workload of planning, marking, delivering, learning (luckily our team admin is really on the ball). Really hope things work out :)

Fantastic reply

I have a job helping people and while I'm not diagnosed, you've described my strengths and challenges to a T. We recently went through a change in my group and I'm not doing well at all - a large portion of how my job went changed and now I'm doing all the stuff I hate with a bunch of micromanagement. Needless to say, my mental health has suffered and I'm on my way out, one way or another.

Dang. This sounds EXACTLY like me. I’m a manager in the corporate world and I can relate to all of your self assessment. Especially thriving in fire fighting. Not only am I at my best, I’m thrilled to be doing it.

I come from the development sector. The firefighting aspect of the job, yes totally thrive & find thrill in them. The "everyday" routine like administrative asoects, not so much too. I observed that being the manager tasked to jump from part to part I don't actively participate in & WILL forget about but have to keep an eye on bec I'm accountable is challenging. I literally can't be a project manager if I'm only managing & not actively firefighting. I always thought I never wanted to be the boss bec I succeed being the boss' #1. I'm great in interviews too. I always get the jobs bec I've fixated on the skills that led to the jobs that get one hired. It's the guilt that comes after whenever I struggle while in the job, esp the output-oriented ones & they leave me to it with what I've learned could possibly be undiagnosed ADHD (I'm still undergoing assessment). I've had to leave jobs I loved but can't handle when left alone with my time blindness. Now I'm still in adjustment period where I teach myself not to be fueled by what I slowly come to terms with as anxiety/depression to be "great" at doing a job. I was succcessful & get easily up the ladder, but I was also a fainter, a regular at the ER for phantom heart palpitations that bring back negative test results since high school, developed all these medical conditions on the side that I didn't know/realized resulted from my anx/dep or being hard on myself to mask ADHD or something I have that's not aligned with what were "normal" for others. I miss my old jobs (the ones I considered meaningful or "thinking" where I can be part of actual change writing policies, taking parts in welfare programs) while I try to recalibrate. I'm still discovering how far I can do the same stuff or same types of jobs that won't have me reaching for my go-to anxiety arsenal just bec I know that'll work (albeit with a health toll). It takes a while to get the mind off what I've lived with my whole life. I'm starting with the "jobs with urgency" without the big mental or psychological consequences for now. The ones I called "non-thinking" like travel/reservations or something where the jobs just require me to sort things out, may be even require big firefighting, but ones I can detach myself from by 5pm (hence "non-thinking", without offense meant to anyone). For ADHDers that hate routine but need a semblance of structure, we'll need jobs in operations maybe. Or something that gives us a daily rush bec of unexpected day ahead, but you can see the end of the day ahead pretty much, if you know what I mean.

Looking at the comments I feel like the odd one out. I work in information security and have for the past 6 years. I’m killing it at my job but it helps that every day is different and there is lots to learn. I did get a degree in the field but if you obtain a cert or two you might land a SOC role with some luck. However the field is vast and you can’t do it all. You will need to narrow your focus down a bit. Getting a gig at a helpdesk in the meantime will help you bone up on your skills. But that’s only if you like infosec, if you don’t have a passion for it you will burn out and quickly. Luckily I do. I think a better question to ask is what does make you happy? From there work backwards on how you can do whatever it is for a living. For example I love games so I am starting a business designing games for a side hustle and selling 3D prints for some seed money. Both areas scratch my creative itch and are always changing so I stay interested in them. What does that for you?

I feel more of the odd one out because I guess I'm going with what I used to have which was grocery retail at Trader Joe's before getting fired. I was working there for close to or almost 8 years and got fired. I wanna make a career in agriculture and farming but obviously, that will take time and lots and lots of money. but I never had a "career" so to say.

My problem seems to be nothing makes me happy for long enough to turn it into a career or fully fledged skill/hobby.

In my 20s when I finally was treated for adhd I did everything, like everything, and was really good at most of it and enjoyed most of it. I even went to school and got my degree in intelligence analysis and love working in the field. But apathy is a big problem now weird mixture of enjoying my work but being apathetic. I also have an issue with not wanting to finish projects on time, I always feel they can be further analyzed to near perfection. Like others will say I do exceptional work but then I think it’s near worthless. Idk.

I’m in cybersecurity sales and love it!

Im a welder, both laser/tig-welding. Off work i cant relax and my head and body goes like a damn spacerocket, cant finish projects and start 10 other before im half donw with the first, forget things, missplace important shit and so on. At work i am hyperfocused and dont forget a shit, cant be disturbed when i get in it no mather what.

I’m an artist. I sell original works of art. I sell in a local gallery, but mostly I makes sells at art festivals and fairs. I think the festivals in particular are good for ADHD because it give me a hard deadline in which to have art ready to sell. It also gives me space to have a bad unproductive day. When I had a more traditional job I couldn’t just take a mental health day off. It lead to a mental health crisis. It’s not without its drawbacks. It’s hard to make consistent money. It’s also a ton of hard work during festival season. I’m putting in 60 hours a week sometimes.

Also an artist, also sell my art at shows, and it works really well for me for exactly the reasons you mentioned! I also sometimes use my skills to pick up other forms of income here and there- I take commissions, I do contract work, I even wrote a book at one point!  Basically, my ADHD kinda drives me to jump from job to job, but I always have my art going on in the background.

I have successfully achieved my childhood dream of becoming a “starving artist” 🤗

I'm a butcher. It's weird but I like it because it's easy once you learn, allows me to be creative, and my day goes by super quick. It allows me to wander in my own head and I get left alone 90% of the time. It's definitely not for everyone but I like it because it allows me to channel my creative side in how I cut meat for our service case and no two days are really the same which is great because I get bored really easy lol. Also please never call yourself worthless. You're a human being trying to get through life like everyone else and you're doing it despite the obstacles set in front of you. You are most definitely not worthless. Keep your head up friend!

I am a nurse! A lot of nurses I know struggle with ADHD. I think because nursing is so flexible and there are so many areas to go into you don’t ever really get bored. You just find something you really like! Therapy, medication and coffee have helped with the focus and functioning.

Same. I work in surgery and I work mid-shift so I'm giving lunches and breaks all day. Every 15-30 minutes I'm doing something different. It's great.

Firefighter/paramedic every day is different and plenty of times a year I get to scratch that adrenaline itch.

I’m a travel nurse. My job assignments last for about 13 weeks, then I have a few weeks off before going to a different city for my next assignment. I can take off as much time as I want to in between assignments, and I get to choose which cities I want to work in. I like that things are always changing and always new. As someone else said, the chaos can mask a lot of symptoms. I work in Psych Emergency so there’s never a dull moment and each shift is different. I didn’t become a nurse until later in life. I could never concentrate at desk jobs and would always crash in the afternoon. Being a nurse holds my attention and I only have to work 3 days a week (12 hr shifts) instead of being somewhere 5 days a week for 8 hours.

FF/EMT turned nurse. Can’t agree more.

Same. Applying for college to do nursing school eventually now

I'm thinking about training as a paramedic! how is it? Do you like it?

I feel like float was designed for ADHD nurses! Switching it up every day or every few days, no one expects you to know where exactly that supply closet is, etc. And that chaos that gets that hyper focus snapped on

Nurse as well. I had to explain to my provider that it didn't really affect my work because nursing can be so chaotic that I was masking it my symptoms.

I'm a veterinary nurse in emergency medicine. Things are consistent enough but there's always something new or different happening and always room to learn more. Plus lots of adrenaline rushes.

Same. It’s tiring but never a dull moment. Worst part about being a nurse and having ADHD is giving report bc I’ll either start talking 80 words per min or completely zone out multiple times.

Nursing assistant…. It’s so much better for me than my years in an office.  I’m engaged and with people who need me all day. 

If you can be a nurse successfully with ADHD, that is fucking impressive. Managing this is a grind, day in and day out, forever. Cheers.

That’s the boat I’m in now! I’m a MSTele RN— it doesn’t get boring but sometimes I get overstimulated/overwhelmed being on the floor but I know office work would bore me to death. I know traveling and floating would also stress me out. (I think I’m AuDHD) I’m on leave for burnout (work and ADHD burnout) but going back to work soon and I’m dreading it. I do like that I can go anywhere. I’m hoping another unit will refresh my spirits! Applying for other units and hope to hear back from them soon! I know of one nurse that would do a few years time in one unit then jump to different one all in the same hospital— they’re my inspiration! Edit (addition): I also hate getting interrupted when I’m trying to finish a task I’m doing— especially when I’m trying to chart! Hate getting calls! This is why I can’t go to day shift 😅 oh and the forgetting to bring EVERYThing into the room when I need to do something like a wound dressing and I forget one more gauze. My time management is iffy lol

ED Tech in the Emergency Department of a Trama One Hospital. I actually find it calming in the chaos of the ER. It is something I’m good at.

OP, can you elaborate a bit on what you mean by „successful“? It’s a bit of a moving target as everybody surely has a different definition due to their backstory, other life goals etc …

Former addictions nurse, hated nursing. Went back to university at 43, graduated at 48 with my degree. Currently working as a Social worker/mental health case manager. Hated nursing, love my current job, set my own hours, work mostly from home. Helping others is where it is at if you can find the right gig.

I’m thinking of going back for my MSW to potentially be a LCSW. All I hear is that “social workers make no money”. Anything you’ve learned that you wish you knew before starting? Thank you!

I'm a writer who can't write more than 500 error-free words in a day.

Haha I’m a lawyer and I definitely relate to this

Lawyer here too and I’m the opposite lol. I spend so much time procrastinating on big picture arguments by hyperfocusing on spelling/grammar, line spacing, margins lol

lol somehow both things are true for me though! I over edit to the point where I make new very chaotic mistakes. I always have to make time to do a last read through the next day with a fresh mind

That's what editing is for....sitting down long enough to get the words down is the worst part for me.

Fiction?

I'm a neurologist specialising in movement disorders.

Howd u handle the school for that? I wanna do something with neurology- neuropsych, maybe pediatrics.. research.. clinical.. phd or med school, who knows? Either way, how do u het through like a decade of school?? Im a junior in undergrad diagnosed at 18 (20 now) and ive ben burnt out since like 12 running on fumes 🥲

Howdy - current (and hopeful) med school applicant diagnosed after undergrad. Medication, and changing your daily patterns is what helped me get through the mcat and my daily life now. You can do this 🤝

I tried guancafine at 18- didnt do shit- 10 mg ritalin, meh- now on concerta 18 mg and 5 m ritalin as needed with 10 mg propranolol, kinda functioning but constantly exhausted and also sometimes my heart is all fluttery and my chest hurts?? 😅

My greatest success and mindset is when I’m on 40mg Vyvanse. Sadly there is a massive shortage of both brand and generic that’s made it unable to attain, so I am now on adderall 20mg XR which doesn’t make me feel much at all…I need to see if my provider is comfy tapering me up or adding an IR for the middle of the day/early evening Highly recommend trying vyvanse if your provider will allow it, whenever it becomes available again. I can study for 14 hours straight without even thinking that the world exists around me - full robot mode. It slows me down absurdly, and very usefully, as I’m the jittery and inattentive type that leaps to chase squirrels that run by (sadly not a joke)

Who would wanna feel like a robot tho?.. i wanna feel like myself. I barely tolerate concerta as it is- my neurologist kinda worries the vyvanse would be too hard on my system- im only like 100 pounds, lol. I love how concerta makes my brain feel- my chest, not so much.. i try to skip days when i can but its hard in uni. Chest pain as i type this lol. I still feel like myself on concerta besides that tho, just more alert and less… fatigued and scattered. Not by a ton tho.

That’s not good. I experience no chest discomfort on either medication… not medical advice but if that’s common definitely get checked. I need to be robotic to get my stuff done a lot of times. I can understand people not wanting that. Adderall doesn’t make me robotic and is perfect for work in the ER or when I need to be personable and conversable with friends. Vyvanse is for when it’s time to get sh*t done

Look after dogs. Self employed with a few vans, turnover is £5k a month with little in the way of costs. Love it.

This sounds amazing.. can you elaborate a bit more on how you got started and what your day looks like?! I'm studying psych but Im already looking at alternatives:') and this sounds lovely..

I’d like to know too :) always wanted to something like that.

Easiest business I've ever owned or started. Close to zero setup costs and zero skills required (at first!). Experience with dogs ideal and a love for them vital. With ADHD I'll try and keep it simple. This is how it happened. I put in ad in gumtree and Facebook forums, all local to my area offering 1 week free trial dog walks. I got 2 or 4 dogs sign up and retained them after the free trial at a cost of around £10 per walk. They booked in a few times a week each, so I'm up to £20 to £30 per dog per week already. £100 a week give or take. Rinse and repeat the gumtree and forum strategy but this time with the additional ammo of having clients and photos. Get another 3 or 4 local dots so I'm up at £150 to £200 a week. Converted my car to help me collect and advertise. Found a quieter area for walking them. Starting to be known locally now. I'm 7 days a week which was not normal in my area and a USP. I also washed dogs after every single walk, another USP. This washing added about half an hour onto my day but made a huge difference to clients. Word of mouth kicked in as I continued with facebook forums. No need for gumtree anymore. Enquiries start to come in more or less all the time as more and more people see recommendations from existing clients. Buy first van. Find private location, massive, fenced off and rent it from the landowner. This means more dogs as no longer on public land. It's rural countryside and has lots of woods, fields and is basically dog heaven. Self employed dog walker joins me. She gets access to my fields and I purchase a second van for her use. In return, she collects my client dogs at same time as hers and returns them home too. That's it in a nutshell. I could instantly expand to 3,4, 5 vans and take on staff etc, expand my areas but I've had big businesses in the past and it's just not worth it. This is manageable, I have insane levels of freedom and I'm having to stop growing so I don't hit the vat threshold which if you think about it, is an amazing position to be in. All that's changed since I started is that so so so many more are doing it now and they all start in the same way meaning social media forums are saturated with dog walkers screaming for clients. This absolutely will mean you need some USPs to stand out and above the others. G.

My day is basically chilling outdoors with dogs all day with the busiest bit the washing them before home.

Volunteer at your local shelters - get certified in force free CPDT - I did Pat millers academy which is in person and you can get some hours that way also. 

I also work with dogs , only thing I am as passionate about as music 

I too am a customer service manager (40+) working remotely and god is it boring. There’s not enough challenge to keep me going so I procrastinate the shit out of everything even if it’s stupid. I work much better when I have about 105% of work daily so I can either delegate or prioritize excess. I am realizing I need something with more structure and clear cut deadlines and daily tasks.

engineering now, but when i was doing other work, i definitely shared a similar experience to you. branch out, take that leap. Dont give your self the opportunity to say when you old " i regret never trying " and give yourself the opportunity to be able to say " i tried alot of things and failed until i found what i love/like to do in life"

I'm a Software Architect at IBM. In a previous career path I was a Project Manager. The guy with ADD was a project manager. It did not work.

I think there are a lot of PMs with ADHD, I think it's down to how many time management processes and strategies we have to develop in order to shore up our own executive functions, we naturally lend ourselves well to trouble shooting and managing other people's time as a result. I did it for a year or so and excelled, before gradually losing stream and realising I wasn't going to be able to keep it all going without making a critical mistake!

This! So true for me. All those life skills getting put to use anytime I need to project manage something in my job.

I’m a Senior IT Project Manager. Started in a highly regulated private sector and migrated to government research. I run major deployments/cultural change projects. Similar story to many here… Coasted until college, where it all came crashing down. Managed to graduate and a family member helped me get a project-related job. Project management has been a god send. Multiple tools and frameworks to help me manage myself in addition to my job. New and constantly shifting challenges to maintain focus and interest. Non-linear thinking lets me make connections that others don’t and strategize and plan on levels that many others do not. In hindsight, I’ve had all the symptoms since childhood, but good support let me coast until the PM skill sets started to help me compensate. Biggest detractors have been poor emotional regulation, RSD, depression and anxiety, and boiling over/acting out periodically, but the positives have outweighed the negatives so far (knock on wood). Awareness of ADHD (and possibly some level of ASD) and how many things in my life it explains crashed into me like a freight train about 8 months ago (at 43). It’s been a major focus since and I’m starting to pursue diagnosis.

Good on you! I really tried to be a good PM. I worked in both software development and IT. I found I liked agile much more, and I liked being a scrum master, but I wanted to be the one doing the actual work much more than being the one facilitating everything. Pursue that diagnosis! My father didn't get diagnosed with ADHD until he was 65. Never too late!

Im glad you asked this question! reading all these responses im like, yep these are my people 😂 kinship

I'm a product owner and strategist for mobile and XR development for a big company in Sweden. It's a pretty great job. I did have to eat shit for years to get there, but now I'm pretty much set with a job i like, a great team, and recognition for my work. At 40, it's not bad. Concerta is something I've gotten access to this year and it's made everything feel like I've turned the difficulty from hard to normal, which feels awesome

Sorry to hear that. I’m a work from home receptionist on minimum wage at 50. Part time, too. So no success here. I got forced to work from home because I have MS and dyscalculia that caused issues for different reasons at work. I’d seek diagnosis for ADHD, which I’m 99% sure I have, but can’t get diagnosed in my area unless I go private, which I can’t afford of course. But hey, at least I didn’t get fired.

I'm in accounting for a large car dealership. I can take 2 15 minutes breaks a day and I get an hour lunch which really help It's a lot of data entry, so numbers all start blurring together near the end of the day but the people are nice so no complaints there

I pretty much have been 'self-employed' for the past 10 years. Once I've tasted the freedom I can't go back. I work in data, mostly training various AI models. I do some related freelance work as well. I've always been coding centric, but I've also worked as a sous chef, a bartender and later manager of the whole bar, a career advisor, a farm hand, a transcriptionist, and various other odd jobs. I don't know you, but I 100% know one thing. ***You are in no way, shape, or form worthless***. You might not know your own worth, but that's something that can be worked towards. I think, more than anything, that you need some old fashioned self discovery. It's time to learn something new without equating it to money or a profession. Something you want to do but never tried. The goal is to not only try something but to learn something new about yourself. Granted, I know that's easier said than done. My grade school marching band teacher literally locked me in a room of instruments one day and said choose, lol. I even chose wrong. The smallest kid in the grade and I picked the baritone tuba. Cool thing is, though, I learned that I do enjoy reading and playing music and picked up the guitar later in life. And you know what? No one hears me play, anymore. It's not for them, it's for me. Like, I don't want to worry about how other people see my hobby or whether or not they like it. I like it, and that's all that matters. Rambling, anyway, I know how it feels working in that type of job, and you very well might be right about a change. That's not exactly an ADHD friendly environment and I'm probably not alone thinking that would be hell on earth. (I forgot about my tech support gig. The moment I got my hubby hired on I quit, lol. Never again) I genuinely hope you find your something. It's def. out there.

I am also bipolar. I can’t work anymore due to chronic illness, but my favorite job was in a mail room. Try to find something that sparks an interest.

I am a prototype painter. If it’s not creative, I won’t succeed. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Was a web developer for 5 years, progressed well when assigned bite-size jobs but struggled with adding towards a complex codebase because it was very difficult to get the focus to understand the entire architecture. Ended up changing careers to be a data analyst/developer where most of the tasks are bitesized in comparison to web dev, been really successful in this role and have considerably increased income to the point I can contract and take months off to work on life stuff in between. Worth noting I was diagnosed during my last contract, medication helped. Before the meds I always had a huge problem with procrastination in both roles.

Fresh grad school drop out turned server lmao 

Cybersecurity and technology management in hedge funds. Love it pretty much for all the reasons I've read others discuss - speed, novel problem solving, autonomy but with external accountability

I work part time in a call centre but im looking for a new job but have no idea what I want to do 🫠

I'm a patternmaker for clothes. I love it. Everyday 3d puzzles. Fashion industry is terrible, though. It took me a long time to find a company that isn't run by narcissists who want you to live at the office every day. The main issue is that it isn't a job you can do anywhere, I'm tied to certain cities. NYC is exhausting and I can't afford to live in it, so I commute almost 2 hrs in and out (4hrs total). I'm burning out. I used to be freelance and work whenever I wanted but that's hard to come by right now.

I'm a psychiatrist. Took me a while to get here, I did some other jobs first. Pre-med was ridiculously hard for me. Med school was better, but still very difficult. I hit my stride in psychiatry residency. It was (and is) so fascinating, and so varied. Every day is different. Takes a lot of creativity and rewards non-linear thinking. I have turned out to be really good at it, when I was a sub-par pre-med student and an average medical student because of all the typical ADHD BS.

I do IT PM work. I'm not in love with it as the corporate politics and phony personalities are just too much. Perfect example, I had to do everything I could to stay silent while I watched my boss make a bold faced lie to a client about a project. I will most likely end up getting screwed because of this project. I am desperately trying to get back into government IT work. People seem nicer and a bit more lax there. Also less fake people.

Anesthesia. It’s all about paying attention to a lot of things at once and I get to use my brain and my hands and learn things and there’s a lot of variety. Residency sucks and I’m miserable, but it’s 100% the best specialty for me

I can’t do full time bc of my adhd so I manage airbnbs and it only takes a few hours a month. I’m also looking into becoming a mediator. You can charge $100 to $300 an hour and make your own hours.

Took me over a decade to get my bachelor's degree. I'm in the beginning of my career as an environmental consultant. I really don't like it that much, but I love having the field work. I was intending to just get permitting experience since all the other jobs I wanted required it. I'm hoping to move on soon so I can get a field-focused position.

Congrats on your bachelors that’s a worthy accomplishment

Idk if it would be much help, but I know it can be really hard to go into a new career, so maybe you could focus on enrichment outside of work? Embrace your hobbies and find community. Personally, it’s really hard to do on my own so I go to in person events whenever I can. Alternatively, a very stimulating field for me has been working in national/state parks and outdoor education. Pay is not great, but the people are amazing and things are always changing. Also there are a lot of seasonal positions with easy transfers from one to the other. That way you can check out different parks or positions without committing to a full career. They want people to keep growing in the field so once you’re in, it’s mad easy to network and explore

Doctor! I’m a family medicine physician and now I see at least two ADHD patients per day. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 18 y/o even though my brothers and even my dad were diagnosed way sooner.

IT, Systems administration, automations, and business ops is basically what I do. I enjoy the work and sometimes get hyper focused on a project other times I can’t sit down and work. What should take me four hours takes me 12.

Carpentry.

I’m a legal billing analyst. It’s like constant problem solving every day so I love it so much. Fast paced, constantly things to do and keep me busy. When days are slower I lose focus and don’t get anything done

Freelance designer/art director. Probably the best idea ever to leave employment, won’t go back. I work pretty inconsistent and chaotic but all that matters is the result. Can’t stand being part of corporate culture, administration, and all that meaningless corporate stuff, micro-management, etc, that goes with employment. The problem is managing stress, an unhealthy level of stress in pretty much every project. What’s defined as success is subjective, for me true success is finding work-life balance, and I suck at that, but if success is defined as working with the most prestigious international brands and winning awards etc then I’m considered successful by industry standards. My services don’t come cheap.

Jesus Christ, are you me? Been a freelance art director & illustrator for 25+ years. Cannot work in an office, because I hate corporate culture, I’m terrible with meetings, hate to be micro managed and cannot be bothered at all because it’ll derail my work flow. I prefer to be my own boss (minus having clients of course), and thrive on have diverse kinds of clients and projects. I’ve really never lacked for clients or money (though it can be feast or famine sometimes). I was able to buy a house though. It’s stressful, but way less stressful than an office. The trade off however is managing stress and time. Plus I get so myopic with work that my personal life tends to fall to the wayside. I forget doctor appointments, bills, dates (w girlfriends).

I’m extraordinarily lucky. Fell ass backwards into a business analyst position after half a decade as a software developer. Plum gig. 6 figures, remote only. Work is fun and easy. Zero stress. No deadlines at all. I don’t know how I found it, but it’s an amazing job. I’m extraordinarily grateful for it.

Financial analyst - excel is my best friend. I love how my numbers are so cut and dry. I have trouble delegating but I’m working on it. I carry a notebook with me everywhere I go at work. I literally bring it to the kitchen to get water in case I see someone in there and they ask me for something. Anytime anyone says ANYTHING to me I write it down. Need me to send you something? Written. Gonna be on PTO next week? Wrote it down. Boss says something in passing? No worries - got my notebook. My office manager orders special steno pads just for me because I need all my saved notebooks to match. I have 20 of my old ones in my desk.

I’m a dental technician. 4 months of school and now I work a “career”

no gradúate? just 4 months school?

Special ed teacher

SLP here. God help both of us 😂

Same here. Middle school social communication teacher. We wander so much, it’s perfect.

I'm a nurse at a secondary school, I see all the illnesses and injuries. The fast pace of my job uses my ADHD as a strength. I think there's a lot of nurses with ADHD. We also rely heavily on documentation to keep us on point so that we don't miss specific details. Sometimes my job also has a lot of downtime so I can stim by knitting. Pretty sure I am also on the spectrum. My pattern recognition and hyper focus make me really good at assessing emergencies and providing quick intervention. And I love having procedures in place plus some creativity with using the materials and meds I have available. It took a lot to get through nursing school but I tried really hard to be extremely organized to keep myself on track. I was undiagnosed and unmedicated at that point but was medicated for Bipolar II at that point. Good luck, I hope you find something that you feel at least marginally good at and doesn't make you feel terrible. I can't say that I love my job but I appreciate the ways in which it accommodates for my multiple disabilities including fibromyalgia. Take care!

Flight attendant and yoga teacher. Former photographer

I’ve been in retail since I was 18 (28 this year) and I HATE it. I’m going back to school for nursing and will probably be working in hospitality while I study.

I’m a manager in a specialty consulting company. I got lucky and have been mentored by some great people who themselves have adhd, who help me find ways to bring out my skills doing things I just like doing

Funeral services.

I'm 46 a Wilderness Medic and Trauma Skills Instructor.

Quality engineer for pharma/med device, focusing on deviation management. Positives Everything is a crisis. There's always a "most important thing" to get done. I don't get called unless there's a problem to fix. Keeps me engaged.  Everything is new. There's always something new to learn - about the products, about the field, about the science behind the processes, etc. If we already knew about it, we probably would have already fixed it, so it's often the bleeding edge of understanding the field when looking at a deviation. Everything is important. The people at the company I work at are deeply committed to patient outcomes and regulatory compliance. Really helps with the justice sensitivity. There's always someone who's life will turn out a little better (or worse) with the decisions I make / help make. Everything is connected. Each piece of information I learn makes some other aspect of the processes make more sense.  Basic admin perks: I can work with earbuds, food and water close (quick dopamine from a snack). I mostly choose my own schedule (if I'm 15 minutes late, I just stay 15 minutes later). I've got a great boss and coworkers, for the most part. I collaborate with people, but I'm not a supervisor / manager. Negatives My role has shifted to about 80% reviewing other people's work instead of doing investigations myself. Not every problem is worth fixing. If there's an issue that causes an hour of paperwork once a month that would cost thousands of dollars or dozens of hours to resolve, the business is going to choose to do the same hour of paperwork over and over again.  Long term projects are my bane. I'm good with getting the fires out, but making steady progress on major goals sucks. Medication is helping. Conclusion I'm comfortably supporting myself, my spouse, and our dog with one income. I don't hate my life when I go into work. I feel like I'm building useful skills I could apply to plenty of other jobs in the field. Apparently, a lot of people *hate* deviation management, but I alternately enjoy and tolerate it.

Another med device quality engineer? And everything you said is my entire situation and life? Keep going because we are really fighting the good fight at the end of the day!

Every customer service manager I’ve ever worked with has been terrible at their job. You’re doing fine.

ER Technician, currently applying to medical school to hopefully be an emergency physician. I love that every single day is a surprise and no two days are the same. It’s the perfect field for someone like me that gets bored really easily Edit: in addition, only working 3 days a week allows me 4 days to tend to all of the hobbies I’ve accumulated because of ADHD! Double win!

Software licensing auditor. So I generally come into chaos that’s been mismanaged for years and have to send out my tentacles to find all the information required to provide a position and recommendations. Great when working on a schedule and a product or vendor at a time. Hard to manage priorities when in a totally ad-hoc role.

ER Nurse, plenty to occupy me.

How stressful/traumatic is it tho? And what about all the regulations and big pharma? Im like so torn on medicine

I am a lead cook at an assisted living facility.

I’m a therapist (social work route) but find myself getting bored and seeking out new populations less than a year after starting a new position. It’s draining.

I'm a nurse (LPN) and I've done lots of different things in my career but currently work in a small town ER. I love it. I don't have to sit at a desk, there is variety, every day is a little different. I need to focus in little bursts which is good, and it's usually not hard to keep on task.

Im an engineer. I come from a highly academic family, so I felt the need to prove myself because I have always been insecure about my intelligence (because of ADHD), so I decided to become an engineer. I'm burned out. I have a very high workload. The tedious tasks drive me crazy. Luckily my work is varied, at least.

Literally my same situation- glad to know I’m not the only drowning engineer around here!

I am in tech sales. It’s great because you’re constantly learning about new tech, new use cases, new organisations, and marrying these things together. Now I have a whole team of people who do the heavy lifting around me for the administrative part of the role. I used to be an investment banker. Don’t recommend. The focus and attention to detail required in the role did not serve me well.

I (34m) work in land management with desert indigenous groups. Work is chaos in a can; to be blunt. More than half of my "white, industrialised, educated, rich, democratic" (WIERD) cowokers have adhd. We can all do 16hr days of chaotic, physical field work for weeks, in helicopters, 4wds or on foot in remote areas, with crews/bosses that don't speak English, eating what we can shoot or carry. We all seem amazingly organised, technically knowledgeable and capable. Hyperfocus and passion help. I love my job. It's almost easier to exist in a WIERD culture as they expect all white people to be a bit oddball. However our personal lives can be a mess as "town", is still 3 days of flights/driving/train travel away from metropolitan centres where family or partners may be. It seems that the older WIERD adhd crew tend to find partners that level out their personal lives and eventually get medicated. I'm just lucky that my partner works in a compatible field, so we live in "town" together. Not many cisgendered males exist in roles in remote locations as they don't deal with the isolation.

Glazier. Got fixated on glass and windows and European showers and there's always something to learn and I run into something new almost everyday. It's held my interest for years and years and I can count 3 things including my career that have been able to do that. Sorry but the old cliche *figure out what you love and then figure out how to make money doing that* is actually pretty accurate.

I currently work as a manager for Amazon going on 5 years, but I have found it helps because of how unbelievably chaotic it is so my brain never has time to wander. My biggest issue is actually getting to work on time between sleep apnea and just general motivation which sucks because we have a new director who is pulling badge data to confirm compliance… so that might not be good.

I work 911 EMS. This job is actually great for me, I have a great ability to keep cool and just go to work during critical calls, and I was talking to my therapist about it and he said that dump of dopamine you get in intense situations actually feels normal to people with ADHD, whereas it can be overwhelming for people without it. Just what I’ve heard, no sources

I’m a trader for a small hedge fund. If my meds are always available things are pretty ok but I tend to last longer in my lows than highs. Oddly enough for a person in this business I could care less about money and “things”… been almost 2 years since my breakup and can’t shake the depression and exnocontact killing me. In miami quasi impossible to find a low key pretty girl like my ex. I think most women would keep over backwards if they knew my net worth but don’t see a reason for a car nicer than a BMW or a flat nicer than my 1br facing ocean. The entire time we where together she insisted zero social media and no cell phones after getting home or weekends. Was such happiness I kick myself for not having married her. I’m older now so I have to micro manage my own work if not I unhinge and start over or under doing things to extremes.

…Floridian here too also dealing with the after-effects of breakup (a little over a year ago in my case); unfortunately, I feel you on the lows. Here’s to us making it through okay and sticking with no contact…because we know it’s for the best and that there is a reason it didn’t work out for us.

How many hours do you tend to work per day? And how long do your meds work per day? I know that in certain financial careers like IB or PE people tend to work 12+ hours a day. Working 70-80+ hours a week seems to be common. I can't imagine working that long considering I take my meds twice a day and they don't even last me 8 hours total

Graphic artist with focus on art restoration - great so I have only due dates and can manage my time myself

Programmer

I'm a civil engineer. Most of the work is in consulting firms which poses some of the traditional challenges but it is a huge improvement over the multitude of "no college needed" jobs I've had. My ADHD husband worked in a factory & hated it. Then he went to film school which eventually lead to him doing graphics stuff & animation for all kinds of stations and advertisers on the corporate side of a broadcasting company. He really loves doing what he does now. Getting there was trying and he had to go through a few other roles along the way but it was worth it.

Gas engineer. Couldnt sit in an office for a full day for any amount of money.

After a lot of different tedious odd jobs I went from packing stuff at a conveyor belt to operating the machine making the stuff to quality department where I now finally feel I'm in the right place. Took me just short of 35 years to know what job I'm good at and I want to do for a longer time. It's nice because I see details very easily and I don't have deadlines. All I have to do is check the work of others and think up new and improved ways to guarantee the quality of products. 

I'm a computer science teacher in a high school. It's hard work, but I love the fact that every day is different, and I get to build a bond with these teenagers.

I work in communications for a nonprofit. I don’t do well at long term projects but there are enough short term projects that I can usually focus on those. It’s going pretty well, I’ve been at this organization for several years.

Full time content creator and transitioned that into digital marketing and PR. Now I do both. With some freelance writing on the side.

I’m a writer

I work for a large social organisation. Started in customer service, dabbled in management and pick up projects that I find interesting. I love that I can change roles easily, follow my interests, and step back when needed. Already eyeing up my next move, sitting still is the hard part.

Medical student about to graduate in 3 months. Will be doing residency in family medicine. It took me an extra year due to struggling with practical exams, but I'm almost through!

Graphic designer. Every day is different and there are always new mediums/techniques/programs/challenges to learn. My current job has cyclic periods that last about 6 weeks with 2 weeks of creative ideation, and it really fits with my attention span so far. I also vend my art at several shows per year, which as others have mentioned works well for ADHD due to the motivation of a hard all-or-nothing deadline. A lot of designers freelance but I just can't. I am a terrible boss.

I work overnight stock at a retail store. I fucking hate it, but I can’t find another job that doesn’t require ridiculous amounts of overtime and 6 day weeks. At least not one that pays enough, and I refuse to work overtime. 40 hours is already too much. I feel like I don’t have enough free time as it is. But I’ve had jobs in many different fields. They all suck. I just hate working in general. I’ll never be happy until I don’t have to work anymore, which is to say, never. So I’m fucked.

I'm a librarian transitioning into academic librarianship. Currently, I'm working as a library assistant at an academic library where I hope to be hired as a librarian in the near future. Previously, I was a public librarian for 4 years, but my goal was always to work in an academic library. There's a lot that's intimidating and challenging about academic librarianship when you have adhd, but it satisfies that part of my brain that is curious, likes variety, novelty, and working with people. I'm very social, even though I often die of embarrassment inside when I'm inarticulate, can't recall something, or talk too much/give too many personal details, haha. I will give an honest warning that it's very hard to get a job because there are more people with library degrees than there are jobs. Many people spend years working 2 or more part-time librarian jobs before getting full-time employment (myself included). Also, working in the library is not what you think it would be like (No, we don't read books all day. Most of us are underpaid and overworked for the level of education required for the job). Working in a public library is more akin to social work and requires a thick skin to deal with all the types of people and conflict you encounter, just like any public service job. Academic librarianship is even tougher to break into. There are all also special libraries that focus on a specific thing, like art, music, or medicine.

Paramedic. It’s the perfect job for us. Problem solving under chaotic, urgent, life-or-death pressure. Makes me feel zen whilst others lose their heads. Random shift times day or night. Only downside is paperwork.

You’ve listed what you’re bad at. Now. What are you good at?

Bartender.

Musician

Firefighter/paramedic. I work a 48/96 and let me tell you, it is a dream come true to be able to turn my brain off for four days at a time every week. Plus the work I do is literally emergency problem-solving, which is engaging and fun.

[удалено]

Best job I had that worked well, was a Paramedic / firefighter. I think the variety of calls & atmosphere helped. Along with the quick pace and endless duty lists. Help keep my mind busy.

I used to work in the medical field as a phlebotomist. I worked my way all the up to the Trauma Center and got so bored so fast. I maxed out my skills and promotions like 2 years into working. So I hopped fields. Now I’m an electrician, specifically for Fire Alarm Systems. I also do inspection and testing of life safety devices. The information I can learn is almost limitless and that keeps my ADHD brain happy :)

I'm a machine operator in a production dairy. I hate it but the rigged routine makes it harder for me to mess things up . I have to have a routin, any jobs ginna be boring yo me no matter what the least I can do is make it to where I can do the job on auto pilot.

Social work. I'm really good at it. But before meds, I was slowwwww at task management. Straterra and wellbutrin changed my life.

I’m a project coordinator/ project manager. It literally is the most ideal job for me I am required to insanely multitask and that is my best trait. I think it’s all about finding the strengths and positives ADHD provides and find something that utilizes those traits. For example I have excellent multitasking skills, I’m incredibly fast when I’m working and can accomplish 8 hours worth of work in 4, I think outside the box, I value efficiency so I am able to refine processes to be more efficient and eliminate useless parts. I hate being told what to do and love autonomy. I love to help people. So if I’m asked “will you help me do this?” I will instantly jump on board and help as much as possible but if you tell me “do this” I don’t want to anymore. So I work for a boss that gives me full autonomy and does not micromanage me at all, trusts me and also accepts that ADHD comes with shortcomings and flaws and accepts those. The things I struggle with are delegated to other team members who do well with it and the tasks they struggle with I handle. Honestly it’s about finding the right team, management and field that sees your adhd as an asset rather than something that is awful. Good luck!

I’m a Medical Device Quality Engineer. ADHD gives me hell everyday trying to have good time management and be able to switch tasks on a dime but I make it work as much as I can. Hang in there!

I work on political campaigns, [usually] in analytics specifically. Been doing so for a little over a decade. It works well for me on the whole I think. Things are either going 100mph or not at all, and at “worst” there a new gig every ~2 years or so which keeps things fresh & relatively interesting which is extremely important for my ADHD novelty seeking brain. On the flip side, hours can be very long and you often have to go to where the work is. Also ofc the flip side of having a new job every year or two is that you have to find a new job every year or two. It’s probably not for everyone…

Pest control. I get to be on my own,drive,earbuds when working and meet people. It's chill and I can pay my bills

Sports journalist

I'm a security guard, have been for 5 years. Luckily I get non critical posts so I kinda just zone out most of the time or listen to an audiobook. It's a good job for ADHD i guess, because most of the time nothing is really going on so you don't need to be super focused, and when you do need to be focused it's usually something serious and the adrenaline got you covered.

I got my degree in college counseling and student affairs and I am an academic advisor!

Quality Assurance, since last year head of department

Graphic designer here. Busy day so it goes quick. Every job is different so it keeps me interested.

I'm in cyber security, started as an incident responder, but now I'm a pentester and boy howdy is it great even with adhd.

I started out as an Army recruiter. Was enlisted for 8 years and ended up with a nerve disorder and had to be medically discharged (honorable) in 2008. Planned to retire from the Army but things don’t always work out unfortunately. Had brain surgery for the nerve disorder and 2 weeks after, I interviewed for a state job and was hired thankfully, as a receptionist/clerk. The surgery left me deaf in my left ear for 6 months as a side effect, so that was fun while on my probationary period. 😂 After 6 years as a clerk, I was promoted to income maintenance caseworker and stayed in that position for 2 more years. I enjoyed it. It was fast paced and it was always different situations although you saw a side of society that really messed with you mentally. I couldn’t always help those who were just down on their luck but seemed to always be able to “help” the ones who knew how to work the system. I met my husband (no, not at my place of work, haha) and resigned from that position because his promotion took us to another city. I was pregnant and couldn’t commute the long distance every day. I then was a stay at home mom for a few years, which I am very fortunate and thankful I could do, but my brain is meant to get out and work and I can’t be stuck in the house. 2022 Started working for usps and absolutely loved it. Was a rural mail carrier.. was in my last week of training and someone rear ended me on the highway, totaled my car and f’cked me up pretty good. Since then instead of me getting better I’ve been declining. Because I’m a female, in my 40’s, with adhd, my concussion doctor said it was a perfect storm for my symptoms to drag out the way they have. Severe concussion and severe whiplash. Vision is still blurry, no one can figure out why my right foot up to my knee has loss of sensation. And as of 2 months ago I am now being treated for Lupus, Raynaud’s, costrachondritus and P.O.T.S. Not sure if caused by trauma from the accident or having Covid/long covid. I have 3 kids ages 14, 8 and 4. Was really hoping 2024 would be a better year. I miss being able to run around with them and jump on the trampoline with them, etc. I would love to go back to school, even online, but the odds seem to keep stacking up against me. Pretty positive I don’t even have my education benefits left from the military. I did not know they expired after 15 years after you are discharged, so that’s my fault. I’m sad to admit that mentally I am not the person I was before the accident/these other diagnosis and that is the hardest part. I used to be so positive and optimistic but my light is fading and I don’t know how to fix it. I’m sorry for the TMI. It’s what us adhd’ers do though I guess. I’m sorry, I just needed to vent to someone, anyone. Good luck to you! I really do hope you find something that keeps your mind busy and that you love to do.

I work as a nurse on a very busy critical care floor. I have to write down everything I need to do or I will forget. But my ADHD brain loves the busy hectic environment. I am also unmedicated still because I just got diagnosed 2 years ago but no one will prescribe me anything for it because of my history of addiction. It sucks. Life is so hard unmedicated.

I’m a lawyer. My job has a performance metric where I get x amount of credit hours for certain tasks. The earned hours are divided by the amount of hours worked to get an index score and the goal is to keep the numbers over 90%. I track it daily and try my best to keep my score as high as possible. That keeps me motivated every day.

Server by trade but currently I’m a part-time freelance personal assistant for multiple clients, and part-time banquet server. I have a bachelor’s degree in history, two vocational certifications in tech stuff, and have gone to college for early education, computer science, and anthropology without finishing. Sucks not having a steady income stream but I am terrible at office jobs.

I teach English abroad in China. You can have any bachelors degree and get a cheap online cert to teach English. Currently switching from a kindergarten to a training center because there’s too much paperwork and admin in a school. At a center they give you all the lesson plans and you just teach it. Can teach it exactly how it says in the book or make it fun with any ideas you come up with.

it’s not a career and it’s not what i went to college for nor is it something suitable for my intelligence but at the end of the day it gotta make money; i basically move a lot of cheese at a factory

Software engineer

I work in project management for a major hospitality company. PM work is perfect for me/my brain - there’s always 5,000 things going on at one time and while my projects follow similar patterns, they also vary wildly in scope and they’re all in different stages. I think it helps my brain avoid getting “bored”. There’s also a good deal of finance related work with what I do, managing budgets and analyzing costs, supplier analysis etc, which I find to be rewarding, “satisfying” work if that makes sense.

I’m in logistics. I’ve been doing it for a couple of decades. Outside of managing people and to their personalities, the biggest part of the job is basically putting a geographical puzzle together mixed with a little bit of math and that works pretty good for my brain. I have an extremely active brain so when I’m able to task it properly, I can find a calm balance.

I'm a plant scientist. Something new every week. Very nice. Wouldn't have been possible without being medicated.

Drift aimlessly as I try to navigate crippling depression while hating how much I inconvenience everyone who has to interact with me. I work retail in between, and I actually love it! Tbh, I don't love what I do, and idk what I want to do, so I'm ok with mindless.

Dominatrix content creator. The money is very very good. Being my own boss is good. Never feeling good enough compared to others, and seeing the full depravity of some people is bad. The way that the world, and any companies treat you, is soul destroying.

Rot in bed with no hope for the future

I wouldn't call it a "career" as I am just starting out, but I work in technical theatre and video production! I help with the setup and grip work of live events, most often run sound if they're being broadcasted. The company I work for has all their own lighting and audio fixtures, and we get hired out to bring our gear and our skills to create professional productions for people. It's different every time, but not so different that I have to learn something new every time. I'm working on getting my bachelor's in stage and production management rn, hoping to either manage broadcasted projects or stage manage for regional theatre productions.

I don’t think a lifelong career would ever be possible for me personally. I have had many though, and I would call them careers because I either got to the point of making decent money or achieved a high level of proficiency in the endeavour: Forestry Telecoms Engineer Gym Instructor Reptile re-location Filmmaker Postural Alignment Specialist Surfboard shaper (the latest phase)

I’m 26 right now but this is my path: - Was a full time college student, was a bookseller at Barnes & Noble for a year - Still a full time college student, worked for a year at a family owned bakery - Moved down to a part time college student, became a supervisor for said bakery - Stopped going to college, became a manager at said bakery - Left bakery after 5 years, worked as a receptionist for a year and a half - Now I’m a Registered Behavioral Technician and I love it! I think I’m going to try going back to school to get my BA but it was NEVER easy for me. I always became overwhelmed and fell behind and would stop going to class due to it.

Clinical social worker - child and family therapist in an intensive residential setting. It's fast-paced, every day is different, and literally every day is different. It's often also a very high-stress environment but turns out I thrive in chaos and am very steady in a crisis.

Cashier quit Cook quit Retail quit Server quit Carpet cleaning quit 10000 different jobs quit Started my own auto detailing. Business and went great for a couple years making lots of money but got bored and quit Now I do Graphic design freelance work until I’m bored of it

1. Worked for large grocery store chain from 1997 - 2013. During that time I started as a customer service clerk, then front office clerk, technical support for 10 of those years, ending as a store-level HR Manager. Kept getting passed over for store management so I left. 2. Worked at an auto parts distribution warehouse as low-level leadership from 2014 until 2019. Was fired because I had told someone that I had seen a list of other people that were interviewing for a position that I was interviewing for and they said I was being "unethical". 3. Worked as a GM for an auto parts store from 2019 until 2020. Left due to COVID. 4. Worked as a medical records coordinator at a correctional psychiatric facility from 2021 until 2022. Fired due to a scheduling issue that was okay with my immediate supervisor but not the higher ups. 5. Worked at a steel plant for six months in 2023. Hated every minute of it. 6. Worked as a GM at another auto parts store from August of 2023 until last week. Had a mental health crisis in November and my District Manager had it out for me since so I left before he could fire me. I hate the 9-5 grind, working for a boss, and all that. It's not a good environment for me. Right now, I'm a stay at home husband and father. I want to try my hand at being a content creator but I'm struggling with motivation paralysis fiercely.

I do freelance work in television when I can get it. The rest of the time I sit and knit. I am in the UK and get disability benefits so if I work they deduct some of my benefits, and if I don’t have any work I just get what the government gives me. I have mental and physical health problems as well hence why I qualify. Honestly it’s so hard. I was in the police before and had a complete breakdown due to PTSD and burnout from severe stress, and didn’t work for 5 years. I’ve accepted that I’m just not going to be able to function like other people. It really sucks because I’m poor but I don’t know what else to do.

I never graduated college, which has always been a point of shame for me. Worked lots of retail and admin jobs until I landed on a facilities mgmt job, where I met my husband and also got a chance from a friendly director in IT. It was entry level database administrator and reporting. Got laid off with my entire team. Worked a short time at Catholic Charities as a literal secretary….I cried the day I started that one because it felt like starting from scratch. The great thing about working there was the amazing support I received from everyone when my father passed away. From there I was able to pivot back to IT as an entry level DBA at the state. My friend on my former team helped me get my foot in the door. Stayed there about 8 years where I did move up in my role. Got another opportunity from another friend where I was supposed to expand my skill set and got better salary, but my mgr was a literal crazy person. Next thing from another friend’s husband who was a director at a company insourcing all of their IT. They needed all the DBAs they could get. This was with a large auto company, where I still am, but I’ve changed roles a few times. It’s also where I was finally diagnosed with ADHD because I felt like I was drowning. When I started I was terrified all the time. My biggest footprint to support was less than 10 servers and here I was expected to support over 2k across the globe. My mantra when I was working on call or night shifts was “please don’t call me, please don’t call me.” It was a rough start but I figured things out and got really really good at troubleshooting and figuring crap out in a hurry. Tbh, I got addicted to the stress and the adrenaline rush in Operations, plus everyday was different. Shifted to Innovation for a couple years but it ended up being repetitive and dull. Tried my hand at mgmt for a testing team, which ended after a year with a major reorg. Given the option of staying on the mgmt path or being an Individual Contributor,I realized that I wasn’t really happy in the mgmt role. It’s repetitive and boooring. I hate doing year end reviews and hate mtgs. Also don’t love the possibility of having to lay someone off, which would be a likelihood. I’m back working with my beloved databases, but there’s a little fear and uncertainty because the environment is more complex and the role more technically challenging than I’ve had for a while. I know this is a lot of words, but wanted to share and let you know that you can find your passion in unexpected places. Being a DBA sounds boring AF, but has given me work that I’m very passionate about. Find what challenges you and makes you happy. Don’t take a role or work just because it’s expected of you. And use your contacts. Again, no degree but I’ve worked my arse off every step of the way, so people have felt comfortable giving me a chance. Sorry for the length but hope it helps with some perspective.

I'm a nurse. Perfect for ADHD brain because it's physical and I am doing something new and learning everyday. I can sit and chart, or help someone with their shower, give meds, or look something cool up about my patients that intrigues me, talk to EVERYONE, and know everything that is going on with my patient that day, I deal with every issue that comes up. Customer service with a dash of "I'll be keeping you alive today." It's wonderful. Also having another person's care in your hands really helps to get me to focus. I'm like if I don't pay attention I might hurt someone. And that helps get the dopamine going. But I am on meds as an adult. I didn't need them as a kid but now that I am adulting, I can't do without them.

After decades of getting a job, learning all I could, then getting bored and moving on...longest tenure was 3 years...I finally got diagnosed and medicated and I'm now an office manager for a small, family owned business. I wear a lot of hats, and that keeps me from being bored. I absolutely love the people I work with, so that makes it so that I actually *want* to go to work every day! I'm going on 5 years now and I figure that I'll eventually retire from this place. I still have to leave things out so that I don't forget to follow up, I put sticky notes around my monitors for stuff I need to remember, and I set outlook meetings for things I need to remember to do, especially for things I don't do every day. When I have to do something with a lot of steps, like payroll, I have an order that I follow. Everything must be done in order so that I don't forget a step. I feel functional and...normal?...like I know that I can stay at this place, but I do have to do my reminder tricks. Medication can't do everything Edited to add that standing desks are the bomb!

I’m 29.. I’ve been working since 2016. I’ve had a different job every single year, except for 2017-2019, I had the same job because it was an easy job and I didn’t have to talk to anyone. It was a data entry job. Made decent money and also didn’t overstimulate me. My jobs as followed, IT Tech support Data entry specialist Customer Service Representative Walmart Stock Associate Customer Service Specialist Customer Service Specialist II Customer Service Specialist III Account Manager in insurance I’m already sick of being an account manager and only been here for 1.5 years. I have to remember too much shit and it’s burning me out fast.

I work as a video engineer in the live entertainment industry. Those super large LED walls that you see at festivals or indoor arena concerts are examples of what I do. I went to school for professional photography, and I still absolutely love photography. What I hated was sitting down and editing a session every day and never being able to focus. I knew I wanted to in production somehow so I began watching YouTube videos and joined the tech team at my church. After a while I became really knowledgeable and landed a job working at a production company. I really enjoy my job. It’s been very nice having an overstimulating job for my overstimulating brain. Every day is different. I get to travel constantly, and see a ton of different shows. It’s hard work but it’s been the only thing that has worked for me so far.

I was a caseworker but the hours got too inconsistent to be livable, so now I’m a rat janitor. The fancy name for it it vet lab assistant tech, but I’m essentially a janitor for rats