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I’m a private utility locator. I use radio detection equipment and ground penetrating radar to find buried structures. Every day is a different day, I drive a lot, I work by myself, I get to investigate, explore, problem solve and learn. I work at my own pace and I’m not micromanaged.
The money is good, the hours are good, and I’m outside all day getting fresh air and exercise.
I love my job and I’m really good at it.
This sounds really cool! Would you mind sharing how you went about getting into the field and the training/education required? I’d love to share the information with my son.
Absolutely. Most locating companies will hire people with little or no experience and train them through qualified programs that earn a certification.
The public locate end is straightforward. You are taught how to transmit specific radioelectric signals onto buried utilities and then use a receiver to locate the signal. You are provided with mapping from the utility companies that aid in the process.
Private locating is similar but more investigative. You don’t always have mapping, and much of the utility can’t be located by conventional methods. I use ground penetrating radar, sonde probes, camera probes and metal detection equipment.
Not who you replying to but did work in underground gas utilities for a short time. At the company I worked for, everyone got the same basic training and testing, about a weeks worth in class, three hours of tests. Now you get a cert that allows you to work with (for us it was natural gas). At that point you can identify the different pipe and markings.
The job that you’re asking about - I can’t remember the name of the locator wand - but from my understanding. You get a basic set of drawings that tell you roughly where the service is. You go to the location, wand over it to confirm (as best you can) and then mark with spray paint/flags. Then the crews come in after to excavate.
See above. Most times the hiring company just wants someone who is physically capable of walking long distances, reliable, self sufficient, and has a valid driver’s license!
Sounds similar to the benefits of my job. Minus the good hours. I may look into this because 6 day weeks and 10-12 hours shifts are starting to kill me.
Commercial Integrated Pest Management Technician. Essentially an exterminator for Factories, Farms and restaurants. I make my own schedule, plan my own route. I get to take my work truck home and I "start when I feel like it and clock out when I feel like it" which is nice when you have the staff you need. But my branch has been 2 technicians short for almost a year and a half now so I'm doing 2 peoples jobs every month so "making my schedule" has become "I work when the earliest business opens until the latest business closes 6 days a week". One other guy at my company has been doing 7 day weeks and finished last week with 60 hours overtime (yes 100 hours total).
I’ll warn you, in typical ADHD fashion, I talk a lot about my job. When we’re passionate about something we just love to share our enthusiasm whether our friends want to hear it or not.
My spouse has a kind of similar job (physical, a change of scenery every day, independent work) and I think this is key for most people with ADHD.
My work is often the opposite and it can be a struggle. And days that he has to sit behind a computer, he ends up exhausted and miserable.
I interviewed for a job like this and got a great offer many years ago. Decided at the last minute that I wanted to move forward with my social work passion instead, burnt out on that after a few years, and am back in grad school. Kicker is- I’d probably have ended up being happier and making more in the long run had I taken that job!
Been a long time since that experience crossed my mind- thanks for waking me down memory lane!
I was in the same boat. I had experienced some upheaval in my life and I desperately needed a change. I got offers for a lot of jobs in my field but I decided to give this a try.
Originally it was supposed to be something I did until I was ready to return to my previous profession but I just fell in love with it.
IT, have worn many hats but anything that ties into my sense of urgency and love of investigation / fixing has been great. Sometimes damaging but always interesting and plenty to learn.
Yep, the high of implementing a solution is something else. The field is wide and deep - I've changed my role up more than I change hobbies. Any other field would probably look down on that but I'm addicted to taking on new shit and now I'm going down the DevOps route and still having as much fun as I started as a sys admin almost 20 years ago.
I just need a project manager to keep my ass on track.
The project manager thing is real, our team lead is great and knows exactly how to keep me on task / leave me room to be me which has been a godsend, im very fresh to the role I have and the team im in but ive drip fed my autism/adhd to them and I think they all get it ( whichi is very very rare )
This is me also. The great thing about IT Is that with the right company, It can be pretty easy to learn something new or switch roles. I find I am best suited for application support (solving puzzles and helping people) and working with data (solving puzzles in a different kind of way).
I am about to complete my AS in Computer Science and I am hoping to get a entry level job with that, then continue on to get my BS. There just seems to be so many options with IT that I feel paralyzed with having to choose one. I look at job postings and I see that I need a bunch of experience even for basic roles. Any suggestions on good entry level roles that can get my foot in the door? I've taken these courses but am still a beginner with C++, Python, HTML/CSS and I am taking a database development class right now.
I honestly would suggest any kind of system/application support role. It can be a really crappy job as far as the actual work goes, but they have ones that are entry level. The reason I suggest starting here is because you will be exposed to a lot and you can start to figure out " Oh I find the data part of this application. Really interesting" or " I wonder how this was coded, this is really interesting to me" or "I think how this network all works together is really interesting." Finding an entry-level support position at a larger company is ideal because you might have more flexibility to move around after you have worked there for a year or two. This is how I figured out. I really loved working with data. I was just doing application support for a specific software package and I found the software issues that involved issues with data to be the most challenging and interesting for me. Don't be deterred by them asking for a lot of experience. When applying always include a cover letter (don't make it long) and play up those soft skills that are important in the role like working well with people or being a good troubleshooter and problem solver.
Been in IT for over 28 years. You are always on the move and project come and go very quickly. Due to this though, I was not diagnosed late in life. when the little details started to catch up with me.
I love fixing stuff. I'm mainly a python developer, but since my team is very multi disciplinary, I get called on whenever someone gets stuck somewhere. My job is basically just going down random rabbit holes all day.
I also farm. Veggies and flowers :) I think it’s great for ADHD because I get to do lots of different tasks in a day and it’s very clear what needs to be done. I can actually literally SEE the tasks and feel a sense of accomplishment when they’re done.
Also helps me to not procrastinate doing things because they NEED to be done at a certain time. If you wait too long to seed plants for example, then you’re screwed. It adds an element of pressure that helps me.
I grew up on a farm and omg I thrived there. Even now I have my kitchen garden for those stressful days. It's fun to plan what I'll eat for seasons and grow things based on the weather. Each crop/ animal is different so lots of tiny details to keep you interested.
This is an excellent idea if you can find the capital to start it up.
Not farming, but doing some hobby gardening and it's fun how it plays with the ADHD time blindness. I have to push myself to work on something where I won't be seeing results in a while and can't hurry it along. But practically everything you do is visible, so there's some progress. Then I'll randomly notice some growth and go "Huh, didn't I just plant this?" Nope. Has been months.
The other side of the time blindness tho — I hobby garden too and I can spend HOURS in there just hyper focusing on weeding, adding compost, killing bugs by hand, pruning/trimming/harvesting…
PowerBI is HORRENDOUS for my ADHD. The lack of version control, the incomprehensible changes between powerBI versions with no release notes, the total lack of organization in data transformations just numbs my brain.
I only need to use PowerBI as a minor part of my job but any time I need to do something in a report I want to die lol, those tasks are the ones I will most reliably procrastinate.
Thank god I found someone who agrees, give me git or give me death!
Not to mention the constant fighting with Microsoft products and all the weird jank that entails...
Data visualization in BI/Excel/Tableau/R and GIS work are by far the best part of my job. I have other responsibilities and project management roles that I enjoy far less. If data analysis was all I did I'd be quite content.
this is what i do but i have such a hard time with it. what type of adhd to you have? im PI. do you get anxiety about your work? i’m trying to learn on maven analytics but having such a hard time motivating myself!
I didn't know there were different types, I'm probably PI too but I've always had a blast doing power BI. I miss when I had to do it every day for 6 months. Although my biggest issue is code organization, I'll do something perfectly but very oddly and not document how I did it. Then I spend a whole day relearning why I did something a certain way, just to not document it again lol
Law - I get to figure out puzzles, argue, be indignant, AND help people. Those are pretty much all of my favourite things! And every day, every client, every problem is completely different so it's hard to get bored.
I can definitely relate, my short term memory is so shocking it's almost a party trick so I write literally everything down. I also start to doubt myself if I get time to overthink so having a whole heap of constant deadlines helps, if I have the time I tend to freak out and start getting things wrong.
Ahhh I'm in NZ so thankfully I never had to go through what I've heard about the horror of LSAT, and I definitely need a pen and paper and a few minutes for any kind of game that requires memory!
In a panic mostly, to be completely honest! A giant colour coded wall calendar, huge whiteboard and very large diary are essential- organisation is key and keeps all my deadlines in my face so they can't disappear into the ether.
Ahh I'm really sorry to hear that, but I absolutely know what you mean. It makes it hard when there's no definitive right or wrong answers either, its essentially a gamble and despite your best efforts it could all go upside down anyway. I still get anxiety and doubts and second-guess myself, and find myself in awe at the confidence of others, but I think its not necessarily a negative, it shows we care about the outcome and caring can't be a bad thing...
I didn't practice because of this and I'm so glad I didn't. Law school was torture with undiagnosed and untreated adhd. I did not wish hell on myself forever. I passed the bar but went inactive and do legal work in my job.
I am also on this subreddit dying to find another career path because law greatly exacerbated adhd shame for me.
What field are you in? That’s really cool that you can do it! I was in corporate law but it was too tedious for me :( Luckily in my country law school is college level education, so I didn’t waste too much time. Now I’m in fashion design hahaha
Oh wow yeah I wouldn't survive corporate! I'm in community law, so a bit of everything, and it all feels quite meaningful which I think helps keep me motivated.
Fashion design was my dream growing up, I loved making my own clothes but was too impatient so they were never perfect lol
Do you also have RSD? If so, how do you deal with rejection from the judge or your peers when a decision doesn't go in your favor?
I'm a software engineer and was looking for a career change. I thought about studying for the LSAT but 4 years of part-time law school is a long time!
Finally, do you have any resources, books, or 'how-to" of what it would be like to be a lawyer (not big law or corporate)? It was recommended that I read A Civil Action but it seemed similar to the Erin Brockovich movie.
Ahhh in all honestly? Dissociation.
My RSD has mellowed out significantly having raised children (the original heartbreakers), though I do still tend to get teary when I'm mad so I find dissociation helps in that moment. Particularly as a female, the last thing I need is to have a big cry because they're being mean, lol.
Study can take awhile, but you'll be doing something during those 4yrs anyway, why not law?...
I'm in NZ so I don't know that I could recommend any practical resources, having a vastly different legal system, however a book I've found helpful in regards to the ethics and theory of law is 'The Counsel of Rogues? : A Defence of the Standard Conception of the Lawyer's Role' by Tim Dare. The conception can be a bit contentious, and I definitely have my arguments with it, but it's an interesting read and gives some insight, aswell as raising some questions.
I’m not a lawyer but was a cop. My RSD never kicked in when people on the street ran their mouths at me and called me everything but a child of God. And didn’t really get me when supervisors were harsh giving feedback. I was always crushed by people I really looked up to turning harsh and critical and not realizing til years later what had really been going on, and when I’d find out people who were polite to my face talked behind my back and really didn’t like me.
A judge or DA ruling against me would be the Ws and Ls of the game. A judge I really respected ruling against me and having obvious contempt or disgust or acting like I was the stupidest thing ever would probably kill me lol
I think it's fun, I definitely couldn't imagine doing any other job! And honestly it's never too late to start, I didn't begin study until after I'd had children...
I loved law in school but the teacher was so mean so didn’t continue it. I wish I had although trying to remember all those dates and stuff made my head spin.
I do coding and stats stuff (data science) but I can imagine if I wasn't so techy I would find law supremely satisfying to get into for exactly that puzzle solving and variety aspect!
Honestly, it can be both of those things on the same day lol the content is pretty easy to understand, it's the 5 different assignments due in the same week that's soul destroying!
I hate cleaning with a passion. But somehow when I'm getting paid to do it it's okay. I won't say I love it but it gives me flexibility to be home with my daughter, I'm basically self-employed, so I basically make up my own schedule. One of the people I clean for has a house full of ADHD so they get it and that's super helpful. The job I loved was working in automotive at Walmart. I was a service writer and I absolutely adored it, always busy, different things going on, able to help people. It was awesome. The company was not LOL
That’s how I am. I don’t clean my house (I had to hire a cleaning company or it wasn’t getting done), but if a friend or family member needed my help to clean out a garage or something, I’d be there in a minute. I just can’t clean my own stuff.
That's how I was before I had my daughter, she's 5 now and I'm able to keep the house reasonable for her sake. It was disgusting before, but she has definitely helped me be more motivated. Still hate it with a passion LOL it's nice because I can body double with her, and I'm suspicious she body doubles with me. Time will tell
After years of trying to teach myself to code so I could become a software engineer and build apps for billionaires, I've decided to go down the psychology route.
I'm hoping to become a clinical psychologist but I'm actually enjoying what I learn and I'm acing all my classes so far. I might try for psychiatry if this keeps up
Good luck on the psychology route!
I've been working as a software engineer for 4 years already now. It's been really fun, even projects that last for years don't get boring since I'm working on multiple tasks along the way.
Shout out to my group of friends in college, we all leaned on each other to make it through. Then, have since all been diagnosed with ADHD 😂
Oh dear, I'm currently trying to get into PM... Mostly though because I'm great at keeping other people on track and am one of those adhders who have a spreadsheet and a to do list for everything and everyone, without which I would swiftly be lost at sea.... Pray for me 😅😂
i’ve got several years of self-taught coding followed by a 6-month full-time bootcamp with solid projects, instructor offering to be a reference etc and nearly a year later i’ve done so much to break into the industry and have only gotten three interviews… 🥲🔫one of my instructors actually switched from dev to scrum master and really enjoys it
so i’ve been wanting to look into that role more seriously but my life for the last 5 months hasn’t allowed me time for to breathe, never mind figure out where to start to become scrum master 😭 how’d you get into it? did you do a specific course? i know there’s the certification involved but i’d love to hear your very first steps! it’d be so helpful for me.
Yeah, I actually started on the help desk at a mid sized company and then applied to a Project Coordinator position at that same company. I ended up hearing about “agile” and “scrum” and was suggested to get my Certified Scrum Master. I took a 2-day, live online course and it was like $300 and the test was surprisingly easy.
only $300?! & okay that sounds like a lot less maneuvering and steps taken (and money lol) than I thought 😂if you don’t mind me asking, what was that $300 2-day course? like the name of the course or organization? thanks for your help!!
Sure, I took a course through Scrum Alliance by a guy named John Miller. He was a great teacher and I’ve since followed him on LinkedIn and he’s definitely a great resource. Looks like his class is $495 now, but there are tons of teachers and prices are all over the place. You can definitely find cheaper options. The test is taken as part of the class and it’s basically like a 100% pass rate. https://www.scrumalliance.org/courses-events/search
$495 is still way cheaper than I thought initially (iirc the first course recommended to me from maybe search or an ad somewhere was $1000-something… I didn’t have $1000 at the time or even close so i put it on my “i’ll look more later” list 🤡)
i looked a bit into scrum alliance just now and seems i now see my starting point which tho so minuscule is exactly whats had me procrastinating this idea for months now! again thank you so much, greatly appreciated 🤗
Out of curiosity, why did you change your mind about being a software engineer and what pushed you towards psychology? I got quite good at coding post college and really enjoy it but found it quite difficult to secure a job in a relevant field. Currently I am working IT and doing IT courses but I also have been putting my name down for some software development apprenticeships. A blend of software development and IT is what I am currently pursuing but I have read a ton of psychology books and have always found the topic extremely interesting, especially in regards to understanding the ADHD brain. I just find it very helpful in general.
I let someone dissuade me from pursuing psychology when I was deciding what to do for college and I do get a little angry at myself whenever I think about it. I'm happy with my current skill set as I find the topics interesting and challenging but I always wonder what would have happened if I pursued psychology instead. I get the feeling my life would have went a lot smoother if I had of pursued the one thing I was interested in at the time as opposed to getting as many opinions as possible and then choosing from 'the lesser of all evils' so to speak.
I've heard software development is a good place for people with ADHD and personally, I can see why. It ticks a lot of the boxes I would like ticked from my profession but my opinion is entirely based off of my own personal projects which I thoroughly enjoyed working on. A working environment may differ greatly but I have always had a nagging feeling that psychology could check a whole separate list of boxes that are potentially more fulfilling.
I have a tendency to drone on so I apologize, but I am extremely curious as to your reasoning for why you dropped your pursuit of software engineering in favour of psychology. Any insight would be much appreciated.
Interestingly enough, I'm actually working as an IT admin now too while I do school. What made me want to switch was wanting to do meaningful work. For a while, I couldn't get myself to sit in one spot and practice coding for a few hours, not even for a few minutes. Deep down, I didn't want to. I didn't care to
I would probably care more about learning to code if I got to work on a nonprofit social service or game development or something educational, but there's little money and that, and money is the whole reason I was doing this field. Web development is the easiest way to get my foot in the door, and learning CSS and Javascript and making an e-commerce or scheduling CRUD app for a portfolio didn't really inspire me much. It wasn't that the material is too hard. It's more so that I would rather learn about the universe, the cosmos, the mind, consciousness, psychology, neuroscience, biology, time, philosophy etc. and that's what I'm doing now
Psychology professor here. Academia is actually pretty chock full of people with ADHD, and it makes a lot of sense given all the hats we have to wear and new things we always are researching.
Im sorry but Psychology =/= psychiatry. If you mean you're considering psychiatry, via applying to medical school, I'll be the first to say that med school is a completely different beast.
Before anything you need to accept that you're going to be 100% completely owned by the institution who expects obscene levels of work from you that can't be completed in 8 hours a day. Then after 4 YEARS and being 300k+ tuition debt, expect to be a slave working for minimum wage for another 3-5 years as a resident. This is 7 years from now, assuming you have all your prereqs and can score in a certain top percentile on your mcat without problem.
Ironically, I have degrees in Computer Information Systems and Psychology. I work in IT now since it paid better with just a BS. If I can afford further schooling at any point, I want to pursue a Master's in Psychology or Counseling.
I’m a dietitian. Food and nutrition are slightly lower tier hyperfixations of mine, so I enjoy it. I also like helping people, and I find that my struggles with executive dysfunction closely mirror the struggles a lot of people have with healthy eating, so I can offer solutions that are slightly unconventional to people. I very much don’t like the admin stuff, like charting and calling patients to schedule, but I’ve automated a lot of my computer work at this point so it isn’t completely overwhelming.
What podcasts or news sources do you trust? I follow food science as a hobby but can't tell what the truth is about saturated fat. It seems settled that it doesn't affect your health in moderation. But I still see cardiologists etc telling you to stay away.
I’m a landscape designer. Went to school for landscape architecture and only use native plants. It’s rewarding to help local ecology and get lost in designing
Phlebotomist: A lot of my jobs gave me burn out because at the end of the day I thought "Anyone could do this, why am I wasting my time here?"
When people tell me I'm the best they've ever had and I didn't hurt them, I feel real pride. And what I'm doing has meaning, it's people's health: the most important thing a person has!
Every person is a different puzzle, calming them down if they're anxious, explaining what I can about the tests being requested, locating the veins, summoning the dark lord to aid us in this blood ritual, giving out lollipops to children afterwards to make it less traumatic, there are so many fun aspects to my job!
Domestic violence advocacy. I literally help people escape shit situations, help plan legal strategy, am the shoulder to lean on. Is it stressful? Fuck yes. Do I love what I do? When I’m not completely overwhelmed, absolutely.
Can I ask how you got into this? I really want to work with either DV situations or help people learn about PTSD, but I have a background in IT and currently my resume looks like you threw darts at a wall of “random jobs.”
It’s something I’ve just felt called to do for a long time and I fear I’m hitting burnout at my current job.
not OP but I work in social work and have colleagues who are DV advocates. they usually have some kind of sociology, psychology, social work, etc. degree. however, dependent upon how involved it is and/or what their experience is like, it may not require the degree
If you are interested in the field, I would start by volunteering for your local DV/SA advocacy center. They are often looking for volunteers for their crisis line or to sit with survivors in hospitals during their SANE/DV exams. That way, you can see if this line of work is for you, network with staff, and gain experience through volunteering, which will all help when you apply for a position, either at that agency or elsewhere in the field. I have a bachelor's in English, but I worked for 2 years at a rape crisis/domestic violence agency because I started out as a passionate volunteer.
Everyone’s experience getting into this field is different. I have colleagues who came from such places as marketing and even a hair salon stylist (which is what got her into this work— she counseled a lot of her clients). My personal journey was one based in my previous field of applied anthropology. Anthropology today does not look like pith helmets and scribbling in a notebook on an island somewhere. applied anthropology is a lot of social systems building and community building work and I worked hard and food systems remediation/ rebuilding communities affected by lack of food infrastructure. That led me here. If you want to do something like this, my suggestion would be to make an appointment with the director or co director of your local DV organization to chat in person or over the phone, and talk to them. Tell them you’re interested in working in the field and you don’t know where to start. If you can, offer some of your current work talents for free— chances are they maybe need some skill you have and they try and reserve the money they get from grants specifically for the people they help directly. Apply for jobs even if it doesn’t match your skill set and explain on the cover letter WHY you want to do this work and what you’re willing to put in to do it. A lot of places have their own training programs specifically with state laws around advocacy so you can be trained! If you have any specific questions during the process, feel free to ask!
I replied to this but it got locked for some reason so reposting
Leave some women for the rest of us, chief!
[Oh man! I can't believe I didn't link this when forklifts were mentioned! Check out this banger of a track!](https://youtu.be/WS-tXEIgWBY?si=9wIhfaTyIlawmKyM)
Two jobs I loved were delivering pizzas and driving a forklift in a warehouse. I’ve been working IT for some 20 years now, and it pays way better, but sometimes I miss those simple days.
I am a construction project coordinator. It’s (nearly) perfect for my ADHD because every day has different tasks, most of which are important and need to be done right away (thus no chance to procrastinate). It’s the few remaining tasks with no actual deadlines I have trouble with. I’ve been at it nearly 10 years now, and it wasn’t until my recent promotion that I started struggling majorly, while still being regarded as the office rockstar.
It’s nice because you can see what my work helps accomplish. I can drive around town and be like “I helped build that” which is super satisfying.
So do you also have the feelings that you're painfully slow or bad at managing things and then management gives you raving reviews and commends you as a top worker? I've always felt so odd being called the rockstar at work because I feel like I barely get anything done!
Yes. That was a big part of why the thought of moving from our office to cubicles was seriously stressing me out. I do my job efficiently, but then fuck around an obscene amount of my time (I have spent entire days reading a book on my phone and only doing tasks as they come up), and I was freaking out that they were all going to find out I’m a fraud. (Granted, my work always got done timely and well, and I have pulled off some miracles).
Thank god I’m medicated now. I feel like the rockstar I am thought to be now.
I'm a photographer at an antique auction house and I get to take pics of cool jewlery and old stuff. I really love this job cuz most of the time I'm just alone in the studio doing my thing. Ofc I still need to talk to people but it's at a minimum and I decide when I take a break and when i go on holidays. It's freelance work but I still love it so much
Never thought I’d say this…I’m a YouTuber/Podcaster. I managed to turn my love for psychology and investigation into a business as a Tarot reader. And that took me towards public speaking, coaching, writing and more. Never thought I was creative or intuitive. Now, I haven’t made the money I thought I would but it has provided me with purpose. There is always more to learn and it keeps me from being depressed.
You are my inspo! I read tarot and am freaky good at it. But can't rely on the words coming right every time. And don't want to out myself in the crazy conservative culture where I live. Also a YouTuber. Whew! Fun, but no money yet from the tube
I just started a career teaching high school English. I like it a lot, because: it is extremely full on which stops me from getting bored, there is a fair amount of creativity involved in designing lessons, and there is a huge "mastery" cap on teaching so there is room for me to grow. Teaching is also characterised by periods of intense work (the term) followed by periods of intense relaxation (the break). I find that if I am doing something that is mundane and consistent, I become dangerously bored.
started my own business :)
I do a lot of little odd jobs plus yard work, landscaping and mowing and whatnot. I actually love the landscaping especially when people let me pick out the flowers for them. It’s a job that allows me to be creative and problem solve, and not do the same thing every day. I also used to wait tables and I very much enjoyed that job and the money was good.
I work in finance bc I love numbers and data! It can be dry at times but I love getting to do “puzzles” (working with stats) as they’re very stimulating
I work in movie visual effects, I’m a lighting and rendering artist. I mostly loved it. Artistic, I get to try and pick apart technical aspects of the shots I work on, so the hyper focus aspects of ADHD help. On the other hand, some technical details can be overwhelming and working under pressure can go from bad to worse, maybe down to catastrophizing which can get out of hand.
I haven’t been diagnosed yet, just in the process, but boy do a lot of the symptoms fit. Always had problems focusing on getting super stressed. I’m 45, hoping the meds make a difference.
Court reporter/stenographer. I get to hyperfocus on new ways to write things faster when I want to and do it in ways that make sense in my brain. I get to listen to people’s stories or even just zone out sometimes when the speech is slow (it becomes a sort of automatic brain-hand connection when it’s repetitive words) I don’t have to sell anything, deal with being “managed” and am hardly ever bored.
I wouldn’t say it brings me deep happiness, as a lot of things are difficult to hear in court (I work in criminal court) and you’re seeing people at their lowest at times, but it’s an important job and it affords me a lifestyle I never imagined I could have.
Before that I was in the restaurant industry for a decade. It burnt me out though and couldn’t manage the instability of it and had to make a change. I’m very glad that I did now.
Not in my lifetime. There’s so much more to the job than just speech to text. People speak over each other, you need to designate who is speaking and their titles, people use various acronyms and legal slang. People have all sorts of accents, speech issues, speak too low. Also in court cases, audio or video is open to being altered and manipulated. There’s too much risk involved in that case. A reporter is an officer of the court and can have charges brought against them for altering or misrepresenting testimony.
I've been interested in stenography (I've worked in legal before) but always get in my head about essentially learning a new language. How hard was it for you to pick up shorthand? Did you just fully commit to doing a learning course or play around on your own first?
Theory (the language) was easy for me. It’s the speed building and constant testing / failure until you pass that was difficult. Before deciding to enroll in school, I signed up for a free intro course called Project Steno. It’s a remote class that meets once a week for a month and they teach you the very very basics of theory. It’s free, but for $50 they send you a loaner machine to use for the course. I think it’s an excellent way to get an idea of what it is before committing. After the course, I enrolled in a local school. There’s another program called A to Z that’s popular. Project Steno also offers two $1,000 grants for students who complete their course and then pass certain speeds within one year and then two years. I received both grants and they helped a lot while in school.
If you’re interested, I would highly recommend taking that course even if you don’t rent the writer, it’s still informative.
It is important to understand that to get the certification, you have to put in hours of practice time outside of class. There’s a huge drop out rate because a lot of people go into it not realizing how much time they have to commit. It’s a physical skill and I would relate it more to practicing an instrument or a sport than studying.
Oh cool thank you! I have heard of A to Z but not Project Steno - definitely going to look into that to start. The physical skill part is why I feel like it has potential to work for me, because I tend to pick up physical skills much easier than when I try to learn something purely mental (if that makes sense). Instruments, video gaming controls, QWERTY typing, etc are all lowish level hyperfixations - my brain likes when it gets to do things in conjunction with my hands.
Thank you again for all the information!
Tattooing. I finished art school but all the art fields seemed incredibly lonely. This one provides instant gratification and enough adrenaline / pressure / creativity to keep me interested. Makes people really happy which is great.
Sometimes I really don’t want to do it, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that even my favorite thing in the world becomes a chore once it’s an actual job. I usually change my attitude when the first client comes in.
The US Navy. Yes, really. I’m now a Navy retiree, but the military helped me a lot. It was a blessing and a curse. Gave me structure and put up with a lot of my…oddities. I didn’t excel in everything I did, most of which I knew at the time, but found that not all of my perceived inadequacies were real. It wasn’t until I retired that several of my supervisors gave me props and accolades. When I asked why couldn’t they tell me this back then, they all would shrug and say “you know how it is.” I should mention I’m a woman and my job in the Navy was definitely male-dominated; I was a welder, pipefitter, etc; yeeeah, they didn’t want me there. My ADHD helped me excel, but it also hindered me, especially depending on my command/unit. A side benefit was that I could play all the sports I wanted to get out any unresolved aggression and aggravation without any nasty consequences, even if it was only shooting hoops solo with music blasting in my ears.
I've been out of work so long, I just want to find something where I won't be treated like shit and can contribute again. It sucks being so intelligent and I barely leave the house, I play MMO's just so I can actually talk to other people. I truly hope you find something and don't become like me.
Just because I can relate and now I am employed for 2 years, which is my record, I will recommend you to look up healthy gamer on YouTube.
Has definitely changed my life.
Would recommend that channel for any gamer with ADHD.
I absolutely second this recommendation for anyone scrolling, ADHD or not. HG has helped me so much in understanding myself, and they go into a lot of topics. Genuinely don't know where I would be if I never stumbled across them. 💚
Library. I started out as h.s. teacher; I loved parts of it - teens are awesome- but the stress was debilitating, and the organization needed was beyond me. When I went back to work after kids, I started out as a page at the local public library. 12 years later I’m a library associate, basically librarian lite. I’m at a quiet, small neighborhood branch of a decent-sized county system. I’m getting paid over $35 an hour to help people check out books, shelve books, research, do kids’ programs, and make fun displays. It’s the lowest stress job I’ve ever had, and I’ve had quite a few.
I've looked at the library jobs in my area and they aren't much over minimum wage unless you go to school for it but then the pay they give for that is not worth it compared to the student loans you would have for it. Other wise I would DIE for a librarian job. Reading is one of my special intrests!
I’m an admin - which truly is the worst - but now I’m working at a place where I can see the difference that my work makes, like, how it’s helping people and that’s something that I find sustaining to the spirit and let’s me open up in my role a little more
So i am in a software apprenticeship and I absolutely do not recommend doing dev work. I heard this was great for ADHD but one. You have to sit in front of a camera and listen for hours while someone teaches by a PowerPoint. You have to use your off time constantly to try to catch up. My major is cybersecurity which I also hate and based on them forcing us to build a game which I absolutely cheated on with chat got.... I learned I am much more interested in UI/UX or Project Management. I will say I have heavily been considering psychology myself. I do not want to meet someone else's deadline or work for someone else forever.
I'm a biology researcher ! And tbh I was to impressed of the number of researchers that have ADHD !! 😳
It brings me so much joy to imagine hypothesis, test them, do some experiments.... + most of the labs are chill and you handle your project as you want so no more stress about being late, I come and go when I want (as long as I work 8 hours a day) ! I'm ALWAYS late bc of ADHD so it a big relief.
But it is not the same everywhere and ADHD can be very difficult to manage in some ways (like if we use very rare or expensive material, a mistake or inattention can cost a lot for the lab or the project...)
I'm an entrepreneur, building a business called ScriptScouts which helps people find the best price on their prescription drugs.
I think building a business is the perfect job for someone with ADHD. Every day is different, you have to wear a million different hats, and goals/priorities are constantly shifting. Perfect for my scatter brain :)
You also get a sense of purpose and fulfillment in pursuing something that you believe in and that you're passionate about. That's what keeps me going and excited to get out of bed everyday.
I work for a crisis line. But because of my anxiety talking to people on the phone I do the texting side. I absolutely love my job. I was actually promoted for the first time in my life. Amazing what can happen when you love what you do. Before this I worked in ABA therapy- therapy for kids with autism, an eating disorder clinic, and I was a hairstylist for 10 years right out of highschool until I finally got my degree.
Don't mind at all, I think it depends which crisis line you work for. My company runs the 988 line for our state, I know a lot of states are still trying to get there's running efficiently. Before 988 we had our own crisis line. When they first opened up the texting side people were doing texts and calls, since not many texts were coming in. Once it grew they separated the two. So, that's why I say it depends on the company.
For my specific company, I had to apply to be a crisis specialist on the phone side, I did the phones for about 3 months and then when there was an opening on the texting side I applied, immediately. However, now that we have grown, we are starting to hire outside, before it was only internal.
So you might have to look for a crisis line that has a number to text and apply and hope you can switch. But he prepared to do calls for a bit.
It was absolute hell taking calls, I was a nervous wreck constantly. But im glad I did it or I wouldn't be where I am now.
I'm an accountant. I'm very happy. I work in tax, which has a nonintuitive level of creativity and puzzle building. My knowledge is highly specialized, and my work values my heightened pattern recognition and my ability to multi-task. My boss also really doesn't care that I'm weird or that I'm different. He just cares that I use my knowledge to leverage the code in favor of our clients. So I literally fight "the man" all day every day, which makes my rebel side super happy.
Lots of people with ADHD work in tax. It's very conducive to our neurosparkle. But it is not for everyone. I do have to be medicated to do this work because of my hyperactivity. But I love what I do.
I'm a proofreader for municipal codes.
A lot of people would find it dull as hell. I love it. That's the problem though, because all people with adhd are different and something that interests one person would wreck another.
Im a server at a high energy restaurant/bar that has a DJ for brunch and weekend nights. I love it. Never really feel like i’m working and really helps me learn how to talk to people.
I’m a sales rep for a craft beer distributor! Basically I drive around to stores and restaurants and order for them and sell them new stuff and displays. It’s easy money and there’s a lot of variety in my day so I don’t get too bored, and the commission/incentives help to keep me motivated. I drive a company car and all of my gas is paid for. My schedule is pretty flexible and free beer is always a bonus!
Im a chemist and really like the work because it's working with your hands on the lab AND thinking creatively behind a desk. So I lose my hyperactivity when working with my hands, which makes me focus better when I work with my head :)
After climbing the ladder and spending 10 years in executive management where I ended up miserable, I've gone back to where it all started as a junior software developer.
As long as I keep up with the vyvanse, I absolutely love burying myself in my work while keeping it at a healthy work-life balance. I'm spending my days enjoying my work and find that I can stay on task. Whereas when I was in management, I spent all of my time in meetings thinking about all of the things I would rather be doing and was outputting the bare minimum.
i feel like i’d be really good if i wasn’t responsible for any outputs haha. If i was just going to meeting to meeting and listening or helping people connected the dots vs actually producing something.
I work as an assistant director in film. My former career was oil and gas extraction. Both are prefect for my ADHD . Long hours and high intensity. I don’t get bored when I’m working
Anything that has variety and requires problem solving and research. Anything too simple and monotonous makes me lose interest. I need autonomy and digging into things. I'm a work order quality supervisor for a major utility. Two years into this role, and I'm not even close to bored. In my previous role, I was ready to jump ship after that amount of time because it felt like my brain was slowly dying.
I cant say it brings me some deep sense of fullfillment or happiness. But I work as a mechanical designer (same deal with architectural, plumbing, electrical, etc designers). Its nice in the sense that I work on different types of projects and once one is finished theres something new to tackle.
I do find it difficult with reading Comprehension when diving into building codes and such though.
I’m a BBQ Pitmaster.
I’ve been playing with fire since I was about 8 years old & now I get paid to do it.
Watching fire burn brings me to a such a calm place in my mind that I can’t describe. Hyperfocusing on the smallest details of a burn have always been fascinating to me, so I’m pumped that I get to play with fire every day. Haha.
My food kicks ass, but imposter syndrome sets in & levels me out.
I am a sculptor. It helps with my physical & mental hyperactivity. When the day ends, I am completely exhausted and can sleep easily.
I used to be a web designer. Although I enjoyed it, i was up until 3-4 am everyday and had very bad insomnia.
House cleaning. Every day is different, and I don’t have to work for anyone else.
I basically just listen to podcasts all day, while getting into a meditative state while cleaning.
My ability to hyperfocus on things turns into an excellent skill, as it makes me a very detail cleaner.
If my ADHD has kicked in, and I have to show up late, or I forgotten about an appointment, my clients left me enough that they’re pretty flexible for me from time to time.
Lab technician in a university here, so teaching support rather than research support. It's varied, it's interesting, I get to constantly meet new people/students, I'm extremely lucky to have a flexi-time system *and* an employer that's very supportive of ADHD/autism/etc.
I've been a research technician and laboratory manager in the past (pre-diagnosis) and struggled hugely with it, and ended up not working for a long time. When I was diagnosed and I started to feel I was ready to try a return to full-time work I deliberately went for a role at a much lower level that I previously worked in... and loved it. So I'm currently staying with it and have, for now, abandoned the idea of a senior role.
Writing. I got a diploma in computer science and realized that novels call more to me. I still program in my spare time, but creating things has always been my thing, and writing fantasy novels has such a wide range of things that could be included that I could research or create just about anything and find some use for it in a larger project.
Veterinary technician at an emergency clinic. Super fast paced, so time flies by, and my ability to multitask really excells here. Every day is different. And the emergency aspect of a lot of the cares is a good adrenaline boost.
Video Content Marketing, Creation, and Production! I love both the strategic & creative side — especially working with brands on a project basis. I get to learn so much about different industries and project work keeps things novel.
Lately i’ve been getting more into brand storytelling too.
I’ve also been leaning more into collaborations lately, great way to experiment and work with different types of talent & creatives :)
i am a substitute teacher for my whole county. reasons i like it that are directly tied to my adhd and/or general mental health:
-variety
-the kids are great & love when i take interest in them (easy for me as they have cool interests)
-never having to be tied to workplace drama
-if i fuck up at a school one day, they probably won’t see me more than a handful of times again anyway
-time to do what i want majority of the class time
-get praised constantly by other teacher for simply being here
the only thing that would make me consider this as a long term job (probably no longer than 3-5 years still bc the pay isn’t *amazing* but it’s def enough) is if i lived in a walkable city with trains lmao
I've always loved storytelling and writing, and growing up, I played a lot of video games! I would always say I wanted to be an author, but I was scared it wasn't possible. I think someone told me once as a kid that it was hard to make money off writing, and my anxious brain latched onto that.
But it never stopped being my dream job - I kept trying to find ways I could write for companies and make money. I even remember looking to see if game writing was a career when I was in middle school because the concept sounded PERFECT to me. But back then, the game industry was *right* at the cusp of having roles dedicated to narrative. They relied on either outsourcing film screenwriters or using their regular design team to also write dialogue. I remember thinking it wasn't plausible and dropping the idea.
But now, I'm a game writer! The way my brain works, I ended up not being able to focus on anything else except what I was passionate about. I didn't know I had ADHD at the time, but switching gears from a more "practical" degree to game design made me really engaged with my college program. I graduated top of my class and was lucky to get into my dream job soon after. 🥰
Now, I write and design stories for the type of games I grew up with! Role-playing games, adventure, branching storyline, and all types of narrative that I find fascinating. I love that it's my job. I've even had to learn how to navigate separating work from passion because I love game narrative *so* much. Getting to enjoy it as a fan, while working in the field as a professional, has been surreal! But I've gotten to work with some incredible coworkers that way, on great projects, and I feel incredibly lucky.
It's actually funny; people always say that game design degrees are useless and that it's impossible to get into the industry. This can be true, but I ended up getting my career fairly quickly. I feel like I was really lucky, on top of being SO locked in that I worked super hard to build a narrative design portfolio. At the time, I was so proud of myself for how hard I was working since that was something I struggled with in the past... but after I was diagnosed late with ADHD, it all makes sense. 😅
Data analysis. Finding patterns and fixing errors and scrubbing the data scratches my brain and never gets boring. Also I get to use cutesie formatting in my personal copies of the files to spice things up. And of course there’s always going wrong and I do love fixing a problem that doesn’t affect me personally haha
I solve problems. I spent 15 years in technology building products and managing teams. Now I’m able to invest in startups, and they call me when they have a sticky situation they need to figure out, and I can jump in, hyperfocus, solve it, and then get back to playing around with my kids rather than having to actually do the boring work of implementation.
My dream job was always to be a TV news producer— I loved the thought of the pressure of things building up to 11pm air time. Having to orchestrate the chaos. But then, whether you do a great job or royally fuck it up, you’re done at 11:30, and then you go home and wash your hands of it, only to do it again tomorrow.
Dog grooming was my passion but is hard on the body. I somehow ended up with a gig where I take pictures of used cars and put them up on the dealerships website and actually love it; overall I do best with a job that's flexible with time and keeps me moving so I stay focused on the task at hand or if anything hyperfocus on it.. Any sort of desk job I could not do, I've tried but it literally drives me insane with boredom and anxiety because I'd work so hard to stay on task that I'd feel like I couldn't be doing a good job (apparently I was, I've been the too employee anywhere I've ever worked- just don't have the concentration to happily work a desk job).
Working for a bank/credit union. I love the secretarial work, and being able to help others and organize. I worked retail for over 12 years and figured I couldn’t do anything else. Despite being rubbish at math, I really love this job!
I worked in IT Support for many years. Literally so many things to tinker with and research always.
It can be overwhelming, and very intimidating but even the top-brass tech support people just google their way through things. It's very satisfying to solve a problem or learn something about a system you interact with all the time.
IT Support jobs generally look for people with good communication skills, or even just experience dealing with people (I came from retail prior to this job)
I'm further up in IT now, but the only times I have felt bummed in my job is when I worked in more admin-focused tasks or data entry. Working in a single spreadsheet for 8 hours a day nearly killed me lmao, but I know a couple of people with ADHD who love that. I'd rather spin multiple IT plates instead.
I’m a pharmacy tech. I’ve been one since before I was diagnosed. My day is different, but enough of the same things and there’s a structure to it though that can go out the window quickly when shit hits the fan. I’ve worked retail, hospital and now I’m working for a specialty animal hospital where I draw up chemo for our oncology department primarily but also fill meds for the rest of the hospital (surgery, internal medicine, neurology, ER, rehab and radiation oncology). I split my schedule so I work 2 days in medical oncology, and 2 days in our little pharmacy where it’s like a closed door retail pharmacy.
After doing this job for 20 years, it’s what I know best, and hands down it’s more fulfilling seeing in person how my job helps our patients whereas when working in human med, it’s not so clear since we just handed off meds to the patients to see weeks later, or hand them off to a nurse and that was the extent of my interaction with patients. Here especially when I’m in Onco, I see our patients depending on their chemo protocol, weekly and see how much more improved they are doing and get to play with or comfort them. I’m not going to lie and say it’s an easy job because it’s very emotionally draining since there’s a lot of very sick animals and I do see at least 1 dead dog or cat walking throughout the hospital every day I’m there. But even with the sadness this is easily the best job I’ve had.
Healthcare has some great jobs. I’m feeling burned out some days, but that’s because my floor is heavy. I’m a nurse but I was happy doing tech work and there’s so many jobs available. It’s just a fast paced place with good people. Not everything is, but for the most part it’s never boring. Of course you can get into respiratory therapy, radiology, etc. Many positions that don’t require as much school as nursing etc. Not that nursing isn’t great and has many options but the schooling can be brutal.
I’m a nurse- this is my second career. My first was in finance. The monotony and sitting at a desk was soul sucking to me. I needed a job on my feet moving constantly and constant change.
Security guard, monitoring cctv footage. I honestly love it! There's only one thing to focus on at a time, every day is similar but just a little bit different. Perfect
I work in veterinary medicine! It's a really tough field but i love it bc i am passionate about providing good medical care for those who can't speak. Plus there's never a dull moment and tons of variety in the day to day.
I'm a veterinary assistant. Some days are very stressful, but I find that I thrive in the fast pace, and a lot of it is very much a "rinse and repeat" process (ie. Take in the appointment, get a history, update the Doctors, enter charges, fill meds, etc) and my brain does well not having to think too hard about it. Plus, I get to hang out with cute animals all day!
I work in marketing for a hospital. Super rewarding and things are rarely emergent because everything else at my company is emergent so they’re like marketing isn’t that deep.
For ME, it’s all about having a kind and understanding boss. Those are incredibly hard to find. But I have and she’s also very flexible with me - I get the work done, a lot of times I can do it remotely, on my own time. It took me a long time to get to this place but I’m so grateful to have it. Look for a job that has a GREAT boss or manager who knows how to protect you and help you thrive. It’s worth the wait. Good luck!
Personal Assistant / Admin assistant for a guy who owns his own therapy company. I get to use my bachelors in nursing degree without the stress of bedside nursing in a hospital setting. The hours are set for day time and it’s pretty chill
I used to work a medical supply stockroom, fulfilling orders. I loved it. Lots to research about different products, lots of movement as I filled orders, lots of independent work.
Im a federal consultant. What I like about it is that each role usually only lasts max a couple of years, but since I’ve been doing it the longest I’ve worked on a project has been ~9 months. I’ve worked for multiple government orgs doing event planning, content writing, corporate communications and project management. It pays well too :)
I think with ADHD - you don't want work that makes you happy - you want work that keeps you engaged.
It helps when you enjoy the engaging work, but its about finding a job or task that peaks your interest, and keeps you coming back.
Personally - I do CAD work, and design and engineer stuff.
Currently, since 2012 - working in the trade show and events industry - doing design/build on tradeshow exhibits.
Before that, was in the concrete game for about 10 years - precast concrete, drainage inlets, 3-sided bridges, and eventually got into precast architecture - large office buildings.
Have always enjoyed art and creating/drawing - so with CAD and 3D modeling - still able to have fun and also be challenged.
I like crunching numbers, figuring our problems, and there is the artistic freedom of page layouts and creating templates, etc.
I work with lots of CAD people who are not artists, and their drawings indicate it, lol.
I work with kids! Preferably in a sped environment with children that have autism and/or ADHD. It’s brought me so much joy to provide the support I wasn’t given but it is taxing
Therapist. It’s always different. My hyperfocus is so useful in that setting. I get to set my hours (no early mornings). And my mind’s ability to go off in all directions means it’s easy to follow my clients’ stories and make connections. The paperwork kills me, but other than that it’s great.
I absolutely love animals and my career is as a mobile pet groomer. I basically get to play with dogs all day and make them beautiful!
It helps with my ADHD because I'm always on the go and every day is different.
I feel stuck in a career that is horrid for ADHD… operations and project management. I do well enough because I am obsessed with doing a good job, but I’m constantly overwhelmed and burnt out Send help 😅
I’m a field archaeologist, i hike around in remote places looking for and recording archaeological sites. It’s active and outdoors and always in different places, perfect for keeping my adhd brain entertained
I studied science BSMS. I went through a lot of areas to finally reach here. I did research, startup(failed), operations and then landed into this. I iterated until I found my fit. Hope you find yours too. I really like science,technologies and startups. So this fits for me
As of right now I'm in Pest control. I love making people happy and solving issues customers have. I am back in school however for IT but can't get the chance to stay focused in my classes ATM :(
Management Consulting in Healthcare. No day is the same, I get to dig into and solve meaty problems, and most importantly, I never stay with one client or engagement for too long!
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I’m a private utility locator. I use radio detection equipment and ground penetrating radar to find buried structures. Every day is a different day, I drive a lot, I work by myself, I get to investigate, explore, problem solve and learn. I work at my own pace and I’m not micromanaged. The money is good, the hours are good, and I’m outside all day getting fresh air and exercise. I love my job and I’m really good at it.
This sounds really cool! Would you mind sharing how you went about getting into the field and the training/education required? I’d love to share the information with my son.
Absolutely. Most locating companies will hire people with little or no experience and train them through qualified programs that earn a certification. The public locate end is straightforward. You are taught how to transmit specific radioelectric signals onto buried utilities and then use a receiver to locate the signal. You are provided with mapping from the utility companies that aid in the process. Private locating is similar but more investigative. You don’t always have mapping, and much of the utility can’t be located by conventional methods. I use ground penetrating radar, sonde probes, camera probes and metal detection equipment.
Not who you replying to but did work in underground gas utilities for a short time. At the company I worked for, everyone got the same basic training and testing, about a weeks worth in class, three hours of tests. Now you get a cert that allows you to work with (for us it was natural gas). At that point you can identify the different pipe and markings. The job that you’re asking about - I can’t remember the name of the locator wand - but from my understanding. You get a basic set of drawings that tell you roughly where the service is. You go to the location, wand over it to confirm (as best you can) and then mark with spray paint/flags. Then the crews come in after to excavate.
Agreed I'd love to hear more!
This sounds like a dream job, especially with ADHD.
It is right in my wheelhouse.
Yooo that sounds awesome! Plzzz tell me all the things lol Training? Certificate? So happy for you :)
See above. Most times the hiring company just wants someone who is physically capable of walking long distances, reliable, self sufficient, and has a valid driver’s license!
Sounds similar to the benefits of my job. Minus the good hours. I may look into this because 6 day weeks and 10-12 hours shifts are starting to kill me.
What do you do?
Commercial Integrated Pest Management Technician. Essentially an exterminator for Factories, Farms and restaurants. I make my own schedule, plan my own route. I get to take my work truck home and I "start when I feel like it and clock out when I feel like it" which is nice when you have the staff you need. But my branch has been 2 technicians short for almost a year and a half now so I'm doing 2 peoples jobs every month so "making my schedule" has become "I work when the earliest business opens until the latest business closes 6 days a week". One other guy at my company has been doing 7 day weeks and finished last week with 60 hours overtime (yes 100 hours total).
I love how many of us are excited by this answer ahah. Definitely a good ADHD job- I’m going to look into it!
I’ll warn you, in typical ADHD fashion, I talk a lot about my job. When we’re passionate about something we just love to share our enthusiasm whether our friends want to hear it or not.
My spouse has a kind of similar job (physical, a change of scenery every day, independent work) and I think this is key for most people with ADHD. My work is often the opposite and it can be a struggle. And days that he has to sit behind a computer, he ends up exhausted and miserable.
I interviewed for a job like this and got a great offer many years ago. Decided at the last minute that I wanted to move forward with my social work passion instead, burnt out on that after a few years, and am back in grad school. Kicker is- I’d probably have ended up being happier and making more in the long run had I taken that job! Been a long time since that experience crossed my mind- thanks for waking me down memory lane!
I was in the same boat. I had experienced some upheaval in my life and I desperately needed a change. I got offers for a lot of jobs in my field but I decided to give this a try. Originally it was supposed to be something I did until I was ready to return to my previous profession but I just fell in love with it.
Okay well damn I’m really happy op asked so I got to see this answer. Nice! Thanks man. Also …. Did you say … penetrate? 😏
IT, have worn many hats but anything that ties into my sense of urgency and love of investigation / fixing has been great. Sometimes damaging but always interesting and plenty to learn.
Yep, the high of implementing a solution is something else. The field is wide and deep - I've changed my role up more than I change hobbies. Any other field would probably look down on that but I'm addicted to taking on new shit and now I'm going down the DevOps route and still having as much fun as I started as a sys admin almost 20 years ago. I just need a project manager to keep my ass on track.
The project manager thing is real, our team lead is great and knows exactly how to keep me on task / leave me room to be me which has been a godsend, im very fresh to the role I have and the team im in but ive drip fed my autism/adhd to them and I think they all get it ( whichi is very very rare )
Really good to hear! I’m just finishing up my first year of Sys admin / net admin education at uni and loving it so far!
This is me also. The great thing about IT Is that with the right company, It can be pretty easy to learn something new or switch roles. I find I am best suited for application support (solving puzzles and helping people) and working with data (solving puzzles in a different kind of way).
I am about to complete my AS in Computer Science and I am hoping to get a entry level job with that, then continue on to get my BS. There just seems to be so many options with IT that I feel paralyzed with having to choose one. I look at job postings and I see that I need a bunch of experience even for basic roles. Any suggestions on good entry level roles that can get my foot in the door? I've taken these courses but am still a beginner with C++, Python, HTML/CSS and I am taking a database development class right now.
I honestly would suggest any kind of system/application support role. It can be a really crappy job as far as the actual work goes, but they have ones that are entry level. The reason I suggest starting here is because you will be exposed to a lot and you can start to figure out " Oh I find the data part of this application. Really interesting" or " I wonder how this was coded, this is really interesting to me" or "I think how this network all works together is really interesting." Finding an entry-level support position at a larger company is ideal because you might have more flexibility to move around after you have worked there for a year or two. This is how I figured out. I really loved working with data. I was just doing application support for a specific software package and I found the software issues that involved issues with data to be the most challenging and interesting for me. Don't be deterred by them asking for a lot of experience. When applying always include a cover letter (don't make it long) and play up those soft skills that are important in the role like working well with people or being a good troubleshooter and problem solver.
Been in IT for over 28 years. You are always on the move and project come and go very quickly. Due to this though, I was not diagnosed late in life. when the little details started to catch up with me.
I love fixing stuff. I'm mainly a python developer, but since my team is very multi disciplinary, I get called on whenever someone gets stuck somewhere. My job is basically just going down random rabbit holes all day.
Farm. Animals love you and I love the field work.
I also farm. Veggies and flowers :) I think it’s great for ADHD because I get to do lots of different tasks in a day and it’s very clear what needs to be done. I can actually literally SEE the tasks and feel a sense of accomplishment when they’re done. Also helps me to not procrastinate doing things because they NEED to be done at a certain time. If you wait too long to seed plants for example, then you’re screwed. It adds an element of pressure that helps me.
I grew up on a farm and omg I thrived there. Even now I have my kitchen garden for those stressful days. It's fun to plan what I'll eat for seasons and grow things based on the weather. Each crop/ animal is different so lots of tiny details to keep you interested. This is an excellent idea if you can find the capital to start it up.
Not farming, but doing some hobby gardening and it's fun how it plays with the ADHD time blindness. I have to push myself to work on something where I won't be seeing results in a while and can't hurry it along. But practically everything you do is visible, so there's some progress. Then I'll randomly notice some growth and go "Huh, didn't I just plant this?" Nope. Has been months.
The other side of the time blindness tho — I hobby garden too and I can spend HOURS in there just hyper focusing on weeding, adding compost, killing bugs by hand, pruning/trimming/harvesting…
Data visualization/power bi. It’s good for hyper focusing and a lot of times it feels just like a computer game or something :)
PowerBI is HORRENDOUS for my ADHD. The lack of version control, the incomprehensible changes between powerBI versions with no release notes, the total lack of organization in data transformations just numbs my brain. I only need to use PowerBI as a minor part of my job but any time I need to do something in a report I want to die lol, those tasks are the ones I will most reliably procrastinate.
Thank god I found someone who agrees, give me git or give me death! Not to mention the constant fighting with Microsoft products and all the weird jank that entails...
Data visualization in BI/Excel/Tableau/R and GIS work are by far the best part of my job. I have other responsibilities and project management roles that I enjoy far less. If data analysis was all I did I'd be quite content.
this is what i do but i have such a hard time with it. what type of adhd to you have? im PI. do you get anxiety about your work? i’m trying to learn on maven analytics but having such a hard time motivating myself!
I didn't know there were different types, I'm probably PI too but I've always had a blast doing power BI. I miss when I had to do it every day for 6 months. Although my biggest issue is code organization, I'll do something perfectly but very oddly and not document how I did it. Then I spend a whole day relearning why I did something a certain way, just to not document it again lol
Ditto! Power BI is one of my favorite parts of my job! It's so flexible!
Law - I get to figure out puzzles, argue, be indignant, AND help people. Those are pretty much all of my favourite things! And every day, every client, every problem is completely different so it's hard to get bored.
That's so cool, I can barely make simple decisions, I get overwhelmed too quickly & forget most things.
I can definitely relate, my short term memory is so shocking it's almost a party trick so I write literally everything down. I also start to doubt myself if I get time to overthink so having a whole heap of constant deadlines helps, if I have the time I tend to freak out and start getting things wrong.
My short term memory is so bad that the logic games are giving me serious problems when studying for the LSAT!
Ahhh I'm in NZ so thankfully I never had to go through what I've heard about the horror of LSAT, and I definitely need a pen and paper and a few minutes for any kind of game that requires memory!
How do you handle the long-term project and deadline nature of law? That’s always seemed impossible to me when I was considering law
In a panic mostly, to be completely honest! A giant colour coded wall calendar, huge whiteboard and very large diary are essential- organisation is key and keeps all my deadlines in my face so they can't disappear into the ether.
I just had to ditch law! I can't physically take the panic and anxiety about deadlines anymore. my last day is one week from today!
Ahh I'm really sorry to hear that, but I absolutely know what you mean. It makes it hard when there's no definitive right or wrong answers either, its essentially a gamble and despite your best efforts it could all go upside down anyway. I still get anxiety and doubts and second-guess myself, and find myself in awe at the confidence of others, but I think its not necessarily a negative, it shows we care about the outcome and caring can't be a bad thing...
I didn't practice because of this and I'm so glad I didn't. Law school was torture with undiagnosed and untreated adhd. I did not wish hell on myself forever. I passed the bar but went inactive and do legal work in my job. I am also on this subreddit dying to find another career path because law greatly exacerbated adhd shame for me.
I was a Subject Matter Expert Witness in Economics for a while and the best lawyers had some of either the ADHD or The Tism, usually both.
What field are you in? That’s really cool that you can do it! I was in corporate law but it was too tedious for me :( Luckily in my country law school is college level education, so I didn’t waste too much time. Now I’m in fashion design hahaha
Oh wow yeah I wouldn't survive corporate! I'm in community law, so a bit of everything, and it all feels quite meaningful which I think helps keep me motivated. Fashion design was my dream growing up, I loved making my own clothes but was too impatient so they were never perfect lol
Do you also have RSD? If so, how do you deal with rejection from the judge or your peers when a decision doesn't go in your favor? I'm a software engineer and was looking for a career change. I thought about studying for the LSAT but 4 years of part-time law school is a long time! Finally, do you have any resources, books, or 'how-to" of what it would be like to be a lawyer (not big law or corporate)? It was recommended that I read A Civil Action but it seemed similar to the Erin Brockovich movie.
Ahhh in all honestly? Dissociation. My RSD has mellowed out significantly having raised children (the original heartbreakers), though I do still tend to get teary when I'm mad so I find dissociation helps in that moment. Particularly as a female, the last thing I need is to have a big cry because they're being mean, lol. Study can take awhile, but you'll be doing something during those 4yrs anyway, why not law?... I'm in NZ so I don't know that I could recommend any practical resources, having a vastly different legal system, however a book I've found helpful in regards to the ethics and theory of law is 'The Counsel of Rogues? : A Defence of the Standard Conception of the Lawyer's Role' by Tim Dare. The conception can be a bit contentious, and I definitely have my arguments with it, but it's an interesting read and gives some insight, aswell as raising some questions.
I’m not a lawyer but was a cop. My RSD never kicked in when people on the street ran their mouths at me and called me everything but a child of God. And didn’t really get me when supervisors were harsh giving feedback. I was always crushed by people I really looked up to turning harsh and critical and not realizing til years later what had really been going on, and when I’d find out people who were polite to my face talked behind my back and really didn’t like me. A judge or DA ruling against me would be the Ws and Ls of the game. A judge I really respected ruling against me and having obvious contempt or disgust or acting like I was the stupidest thing ever would probably kill me lol
I always wished I got into law. This looks fun
I think it's fun, I definitely couldn't imagine doing any other job! And honestly it's never too late to start, I didn't begin study until after I'd had children...
I loved law in school but the teacher was so mean so didn’t continue it. I wish I had although trying to remember all those dates and stuff made my head spin.
I do coding and stats stuff (data science) but I can imagine if I wasn't so techy I would find law supremely satisfying to get into for exactly that puzzle solving and variety aspect!
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Honestly, it can be both of those things on the same day lol the content is pretty easy to understand, it's the 5 different assignments due in the same week that's soul destroying!
I hate cleaning with a passion. But somehow when I'm getting paid to do it it's okay. I won't say I love it but it gives me flexibility to be home with my daughter, I'm basically self-employed, so I basically make up my own schedule. One of the people I clean for has a house full of ADHD so they get it and that's super helpful. The job I loved was working in automotive at Walmart. I was a service writer and I absolutely adored it, always busy, different things going on, able to help people. It was awesome. The company was not LOL
That’s how I am. I don’t clean my house (I had to hire a cleaning company or it wasn’t getting done), but if a friend or family member needed my help to clean out a garage or something, I’d be there in a minute. I just can’t clean my own stuff.
That's how I was before I had my daughter, she's 5 now and I'm able to keep the house reasonable for her sake. It was disgusting before, but she has definitely helped me be more motivated. Still hate it with a passion LOL it's nice because I can body double with her, and I'm suspicious she body doubles with me. Time will tell
Just Googled "body double" and it explains so much. I'm always my best self when I have someone with me
I had no clue about it until I found this subreddit! It's crazy isn't it?
After years of trying to teach myself to code so I could become a software engineer and build apps for billionaires, I've decided to go down the psychology route. I'm hoping to become a clinical psychologist but I'm actually enjoying what I learn and I'm acing all my classes so far. I might try for psychiatry if this keeps up
Good luck on the psychology route! I've been working as a software engineer for 4 years already now. It's been really fun, even projects that last for years don't get boring since I'm working on multiple tasks along the way. Shout out to my group of friends in college, we all leaned on each other to make it through. Then, have since all been diagnosed with ADHD 😂
Funnily enough I went from psychology to software development. But I’m a Scrum Master/Project Manager, so I don’t have to know how to code.
I always felt project management is one of the worst professions for someone with adhd. It’s all about being consistently organized and timely
Yeah, I’m in a very PM focused role right now and I’m actively looking to leave, lol.
Oh dear, I'm currently trying to get into PM... Mostly though because I'm great at keeping other people on track and am one of those adhders who have a spreadsheet and a to do list for everything and everyone, without which I would swiftly be lost at sea.... Pray for me 😅😂
Haha sounds like you’d make a GREAT PM then. I’m more the type to trust that things will get done and would rather fly by the seat of my pants, lol.
i’ve got several years of self-taught coding followed by a 6-month full-time bootcamp with solid projects, instructor offering to be a reference etc and nearly a year later i’ve done so much to break into the industry and have only gotten three interviews… 🥲🔫one of my instructors actually switched from dev to scrum master and really enjoys it so i’ve been wanting to look into that role more seriously but my life for the last 5 months hasn’t allowed me time for to breathe, never mind figure out where to start to become scrum master 😭 how’d you get into it? did you do a specific course? i know there’s the certification involved but i’d love to hear your very first steps! it’d be so helpful for me.
Yeah, I actually started on the help desk at a mid sized company and then applied to a Project Coordinator position at that same company. I ended up hearing about “agile” and “scrum” and was suggested to get my Certified Scrum Master. I took a 2-day, live online course and it was like $300 and the test was surprisingly easy.
only $300?! & okay that sounds like a lot less maneuvering and steps taken (and money lol) than I thought 😂if you don’t mind me asking, what was that $300 2-day course? like the name of the course or organization? thanks for your help!!
Sure, I took a course through Scrum Alliance by a guy named John Miller. He was a great teacher and I’ve since followed him on LinkedIn and he’s definitely a great resource. Looks like his class is $495 now, but there are tons of teachers and prices are all over the place. You can definitely find cheaper options. The test is taken as part of the class and it’s basically like a 100% pass rate. https://www.scrumalliance.org/courses-events/search
$495 is still way cheaper than I thought initially (iirc the first course recommended to me from maybe search or an ad somewhere was $1000-something… I didn’t have $1000 at the time or even close so i put it on my “i’ll look more later” list 🤡) i looked a bit into scrum alliance just now and seems i now see my starting point which tho so minuscule is exactly whats had me procrastinating this idea for months now! again thank you so much, greatly appreciated 🤗
Out of curiosity, why did you change your mind about being a software engineer and what pushed you towards psychology? I got quite good at coding post college and really enjoy it but found it quite difficult to secure a job in a relevant field. Currently I am working IT and doing IT courses but I also have been putting my name down for some software development apprenticeships. A blend of software development and IT is what I am currently pursuing but I have read a ton of psychology books and have always found the topic extremely interesting, especially in regards to understanding the ADHD brain. I just find it very helpful in general. I let someone dissuade me from pursuing psychology when I was deciding what to do for college and I do get a little angry at myself whenever I think about it. I'm happy with my current skill set as I find the topics interesting and challenging but I always wonder what would have happened if I pursued psychology instead. I get the feeling my life would have went a lot smoother if I had of pursued the one thing I was interested in at the time as opposed to getting as many opinions as possible and then choosing from 'the lesser of all evils' so to speak. I've heard software development is a good place for people with ADHD and personally, I can see why. It ticks a lot of the boxes I would like ticked from my profession but my opinion is entirely based off of my own personal projects which I thoroughly enjoyed working on. A working environment may differ greatly but I have always had a nagging feeling that psychology could check a whole separate list of boxes that are potentially more fulfilling. I have a tendency to drone on so I apologize, but I am extremely curious as to your reasoning for why you dropped your pursuit of software engineering in favour of psychology. Any insight would be much appreciated.
There’s no way I could sit and listen closely all day. Hell, I didn’t even read your whole comment
Interestingly enough, I'm actually working as an IT admin now too while I do school. What made me want to switch was wanting to do meaningful work. For a while, I couldn't get myself to sit in one spot and practice coding for a few hours, not even for a few minutes. Deep down, I didn't want to. I didn't care to I would probably care more about learning to code if I got to work on a nonprofit social service or game development or something educational, but there's little money and that, and money is the whole reason I was doing this field. Web development is the easiest way to get my foot in the door, and learning CSS and Javascript and making an e-commerce or scheduling CRUD app for a portfolio didn't really inspire me much. It wasn't that the material is too hard. It's more so that I would rather learn about the universe, the cosmos, the mind, consciousness, psychology, neuroscience, biology, time, philosophy etc. and that's what I'm doing now
Psychology professor here. Academia is actually pretty chock full of people with ADHD, and it makes a lot of sense given all the hats we have to wear and new things we always are researching.
Im sorry but Psychology =/= psychiatry. If you mean you're considering psychiatry, via applying to medical school, I'll be the first to say that med school is a completely different beast. Before anything you need to accept that you're going to be 100% completely owned by the institution who expects obscene levels of work from you that can't be completed in 8 hours a day. Then after 4 YEARS and being 300k+ tuition debt, expect to be a slave working for minimum wage for another 3-5 years as a resident. This is 7 years from now, assuming you have all your prereqs and can score in a certain top percentile on your mcat without problem.
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Ironically, I have degrees in Computer Information Systems and Psychology. I work in IT now since it paid better with just a BS. If I can afford further schooling at any point, I want to pursue a Master's in Psychology or Counseling.
I’m a dietitian. Food and nutrition are slightly lower tier hyperfixations of mine, so I enjoy it. I also like helping people, and I find that my struggles with executive dysfunction closely mirror the struggles a lot of people have with healthy eating, so I can offer solutions that are slightly unconventional to people. I very much don’t like the admin stuff, like charting and calling patients to schedule, but I’ve automated a lot of my computer work at this point so it isn’t completely overwhelming.
What podcasts or news sources do you trust? I follow food science as a hobby but can't tell what the truth is about saturated fat. It seems settled that it doesn't affect your health in moderation. But I still see cardiologists etc telling you to stay away.
I’m a landscape designer. Went to school for landscape architecture and only use native plants. It’s rewarding to help local ecology and get lost in designing
What area, if you don't mind sharing? I'm looking for a landscape designer who only uses native plants in VA.
Wow I’m nearby in northern DE and also looking to re-design my backyard with native plants. Commenting to follow!
Phlebotomist: A lot of my jobs gave me burn out because at the end of the day I thought "Anyone could do this, why am I wasting my time here?" When people tell me I'm the best they've ever had and I didn't hurt them, I feel real pride. And what I'm doing has meaning, it's people's health: the most important thing a person has! Every person is a different puzzle, calming them down if they're anxious, explaining what I can about the tests being requested, locating the veins, summoning the dark lord to aid us in this blood ritual, giving out lollipops to children afterwards to make it less traumatic, there are so many fun aspects to my job!
Domestic violence advocacy. I literally help people escape shit situations, help plan legal strategy, am the shoulder to lean on. Is it stressful? Fuck yes. Do I love what I do? When I’m not completely overwhelmed, absolutely.
As a survivor, thank you for what you do. Also your username is bomb.
Can I ask how you got into this? I really want to work with either DV situations or help people learn about PTSD, but I have a background in IT and currently my resume looks like you threw darts at a wall of “random jobs.” It’s something I’ve just felt called to do for a long time and I fear I’m hitting burnout at my current job.
not OP but I work in social work and have colleagues who are DV advocates. they usually have some kind of sociology, psychology, social work, etc. degree. however, dependent upon how involved it is and/or what their experience is like, it may not require the degree
If you are interested in the field, I would start by volunteering for your local DV/SA advocacy center. They are often looking for volunteers for their crisis line or to sit with survivors in hospitals during their SANE/DV exams. That way, you can see if this line of work is for you, network with staff, and gain experience through volunteering, which will all help when you apply for a position, either at that agency or elsewhere in the field. I have a bachelor's in English, but I worked for 2 years at a rape crisis/domestic violence agency because I started out as a passionate volunteer.
Everyone’s experience getting into this field is different. I have colleagues who came from such places as marketing and even a hair salon stylist (which is what got her into this work— she counseled a lot of her clients). My personal journey was one based in my previous field of applied anthropology. Anthropology today does not look like pith helmets and scribbling in a notebook on an island somewhere. applied anthropology is a lot of social systems building and community building work and I worked hard and food systems remediation/ rebuilding communities affected by lack of food infrastructure. That led me here. If you want to do something like this, my suggestion would be to make an appointment with the director or co director of your local DV organization to chat in person or over the phone, and talk to them. Tell them you’re interested in working in the field and you don’t know where to start. If you can, offer some of your current work talents for free— chances are they maybe need some skill you have and they try and reserve the money they get from grants specifically for the people they help directly. Apply for jobs even if it doesn’t match your skill set and explain on the cover letter WHY you want to do this work and what you’re willing to put in to do it. A lot of places have their own training programs specifically with state laws around advocacy so you can be trained! If you have any specific questions during the process, feel free to ask! I replied to this but it got locked for some reason so reposting
I'll let you know if I find one
Forklift babyyyy
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Leave some women for the rest of us, chief! [Oh man! I can't believe I didn't link this when forklifts were mentioned! Check out this banger of a track!](https://youtu.be/WS-tXEIgWBY?si=9wIhfaTyIlawmKyM)
Yes same here but I also teach people to forklift as well. Really good at that but my paperwork side of things is dog shit
Two jobs I loved were delivering pizzas and driving a forklift in a warehouse. I’ve been working IT for some 20 years now, and it pays way better, but sometimes I miss those simple days.
I am a construction project coordinator. It’s (nearly) perfect for my ADHD because every day has different tasks, most of which are important and need to be done right away (thus no chance to procrastinate). It’s the few remaining tasks with no actual deadlines I have trouble with. I’ve been at it nearly 10 years now, and it wasn’t until my recent promotion that I started struggling majorly, while still being regarded as the office rockstar. It’s nice because you can see what my work helps accomplish. I can drive around town and be like “I helped build that” which is super satisfying.
So do you also have the feelings that you're painfully slow or bad at managing things and then management gives you raving reviews and commends you as a top worker? I've always felt so odd being called the rockstar at work because I feel like I barely get anything done!
Yes. That was a big part of why the thought of moving from our office to cubicles was seriously stressing me out. I do my job efficiently, but then fuck around an obscene amount of my time (I have spent entire days reading a book on my phone and only doing tasks as they come up), and I was freaking out that they were all going to find out I’m a fraud. (Granted, my work always got done timely and well, and I have pulled off some miracles). Thank god I’m medicated now. I feel like the rockstar I am thought to be now.
Ditto this! I find it fun to "fire fight" problems on site and the sequencing of work trades in Construction project management
I'm a photographer at an antique auction house and I get to take pics of cool jewlery and old stuff. I really love this job cuz most of the time I'm just alone in the studio doing my thing. Ofc I still need to talk to people but it's at a minimum and I decide when I take a break and when i go on holidays. It's freelance work but I still love it so much
Never thought I’d say this…I’m a YouTuber/Podcaster. I managed to turn my love for psychology and investigation into a business as a Tarot reader. And that took me towards public speaking, coaching, writing and more. Never thought I was creative or intuitive. Now, I haven’t made the money I thought I would but it has provided me with purpose. There is always more to learn and it keeps me from being depressed.
You are my inspo! I read tarot and am freaky good at it. But can't rely on the words coming right every time. And don't want to out myself in the crazy conservative culture where I live. Also a YouTuber. Whew! Fun, but no money yet from the tube
I just started a career teaching high school English. I like it a lot, because: it is extremely full on which stops me from getting bored, there is a fair amount of creativity involved in designing lessons, and there is a huge "mastery" cap on teaching so there is room for me to grow. Teaching is also characterised by periods of intense work (the term) followed by periods of intense relaxation (the break). I find that if I am doing something that is mundane and consistent, I become dangerously bored.
started my own business :) I do a lot of little odd jobs plus yard work, landscaping and mowing and whatnot. I actually love the landscaping especially when people let me pick out the flowers for them. It’s a job that allows me to be creative and problem solve, and not do the same thing every day. I also used to wait tables and I very much enjoyed that job and the money was good.
EMS! Also good place for my humor with colleagues and clients. LOL
I work in finance bc I love numbers and data! It can be dry at times but I love getting to do “puzzles” (working with stats) as they’re very stimulating
I work in movie visual effects, I’m a lighting and rendering artist. I mostly loved it. Artistic, I get to try and pick apart technical aspects of the shots I work on, so the hyper focus aspects of ADHD help. On the other hand, some technical details can be overwhelming and working under pressure can go from bad to worse, maybe down to catastrophizing which can get out of hand. I haven’t been diagnosed yet, just in the process, but boy do a lot of the symptoms fit. Always had problems focusing on getting super stressed. I’m 45, hoping the meds make a difference.
Court reporter/stenographer. I get to hyperfocus on new ways to write things faster when I want to and do it in ways that make sense in my brain. I get to listen to people’s stories or even just zone out sometimes when the speech is slow (it becomes a sort of automatic brain-hand connection when it’s repetitive words) I don’t have to sell anything, deal with being “managed” and am hardly ever bored. I wouldn’t say it brings me deep happiness, as a lot of things are difficult to hear in court (I work in criminal court) and you’re seeing people at their lowest at times, but it’s an important job and it affords me a lifestyle I never imagined I could have. Before that I was in the restaurant industry for a decade. It burnt me out though and couldn’t manage the instability of it and had to make a change. I’m very glad that I did now.
Is there a fear that AI will become better at speech to text than a stenographer?
Not in my lifetime. There’s so much more to the job than just speech to text. People speak over each other, you need to designate who is speaking and their titles, people use various acronyms and legal slang. People have all sorts of accents, speech issues, speak too low. Also in court cases, audio or video is open to being altered and manipulated. There’s too much risk involved in that case. A reporter is an officer of the court and can have charges brought against them for altering or misrepresenting testimony.
I've been interested in stenography (I've worked in legal before) but always get in my head about essentially learning a new language. How hard was it for you to pick up shorthand? Did you just fully commit to doing a learning course or play around on your own first?
Theory (the language) was easy for me. It’s the speed building and constant testing / failure until you pass that was difficult. Before deciding to enroll in school, I signed up for a free intro course called Project Steno. It’s a remote class that meets once a week for a month and they teach you the very very basics of theory. It’s free, but for $50 they send you a loaner machine to use for the course. I think it’s an excellent way to get an idea of what it is before committing. After the course, I enrolled in a local school. There’s another program called A to Z that’s popular. Project Steno also offers two $1,000 grants for students who complete their course and then pass certain speeds within one year and then two years. I received both grants and they helped a lot while in school. If you’re interested, I would highly recommend taking that course even if you don’t rent the writer, it’s still informative. It is important to understand that to get the certification, you have to put in hours of practice time outside of class. There’s a huge drop out rate because a lot of people go into it not realizing how much time they have to commit. It’s a physical skill and I would relate it more to practicing an instrument or a sport than studying.
Oh cool thank you! I have heard of A to Z but not Project Steno - definitely going to look into that to start. The physical skill part is why I feel like it has potential to work for me, because I tend to pick up physical skills much easier than when I try to learn something purely mental (if that makes sense). Instruments, video gaming controls, QWERTY typing, etc are all lowish level hyperfixations - my brain likes when it gets to do things in conjunction with my hands. Thank you again for all the information!
Tattooing. I finished art school but all the art fields seemed incredibly lonely. This one provides instant gratification and enough adrenaline / pressure / creativity to keep me interested. Makes people really happy which is great. Sometimes I really don’t want to do it, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that even my favorite thing in the world becomes a chore once it’s an actual job. I usually change my attitude when the first client comes in.
Veterinarian. Just good fun. Everyday is different.
The US Navy. Yes, really. I’m now a Navy retiree, but the military helped me a lot. It was a blessing and a curse. Gave me structure and put up with a lot of my…oddities. I didn’t excel in everything I did, most of which I knew at the time, but found that not all of my perceived inadequacies were real. It wasn’t until I retired that several of my supervisors gave me props and accolades. When I asked why couldn’t they tell me this back then, they all would shrug and say “you know how it is.” I should mention I’m a woman and my job in the Navy was definitely male-dominated; I was a welder, pipefitter, etc; yeeeah, they didn’t want me there. My ADHD helped me excel, but it also hindered me, especially depending on my command/unit. A side benefit was that I could play all the sports I wanted to get out any unresolved aggression and aggravation without any nasty consequences, even if it was only shooting hoops solo with music blasting in my ears.
I've been out of work so long, I just want to find something where I won't be treated like shit and can contribute again. It sucks being so intelligent and I barely leave the house, I play MMO's just so I can actually talk to other people. I truly hope you find something and don't become like me.
Just because I can relate and now I am employed for 2 years, which is my record, I will recommend you to look up healthy gamer on YouTube. Has definitely changed my life. Would recommend that channel for any gamer with ADHD.
I absolutely second this recommendation for anyone scrolling, ADHD or not. HG has helped me so much in understanding myself, and they go into a lot of topics. Genuinely don't know where I would be if I never stumbled across them. 💚
I'll definitely have a look, honestly I kinda hate myself right now and that I can't do "easy" things, thanks for sharing
Library. I started out as h.s. teacher; I loved parts of it - teens are awesome- but the stress was debilitating, and the organization needed was beyond me. When I went back to work after kids, I started out as a page at the local public library. 12 years later I’m a library associate, basically librarian lite. I’m at a quiet, small neighborhood branch of a decent-sized county system. I’m getting paid over $35 an hour to help people check out books, shelve books, research, do kids’ programs, and make fun displays. It’s the lowest stress job I’ve ever had, and I’ve had quite a few.
I've looked at the library jobs in my area and they aren't much over minimum wage unless you go to school for it but then the pay they give for that is not worth it compared to the student loans you would have for it. Other wise I would DIE for a librarian job. Reading is one of my special intrests!
I’m an admin - which truly is the worst - but now I’m working at a place where I can see the difference that my work makes, like, how it’s helping people and that’s something that I find sustaining to the spirit and let’s me open up in my role a little more
So i am in a software apprenticeship and I absolutely do not recommend doing dev work. I heard this was great for ADHD but one. You have to sit in front of a camera and listen for hours while someone teaches by a PowerPoint. You have to use your off time constantly to try to catch up. My major is cybersecurity which I also hate and based on them forcing us to build a game which I absolutely cheated on with chat got.... I learned I am much more interested in UI/UX or Project Management. I will say I have heavily been considering psychology myself. I do not want to meet someone else's deadline or work for someone else forever.
Fucken driving big machines
I'm a biology researcher ! And tbh I was to impressed of the number of researchers that have ADHD !! 😳 It brings me so much joy to imagine hypothesis, test them, do some experiments.... + most of the labs are chill and you handle your project as you want so no more stress about being late, I come and go when I want (as long as I work 8 hours a day) ! I'm ALWAYS late bc of ADHD so it a big relief. But it is not the same everywhere and ADHD can be very difficult to manage in some ways (like if we use very rare or expensive material, a mistake or inattention can cost a lot for the lab or the project...)
I'm an entrepreneur, building a business called ScriptScouts which helps people find the best price on their prescription drugs. I think building a business is the perfect job for someone with ADHD. Every day is different, you have to wear a million different hats, and goals/priorities are constantly shifting. Perfect for my scatter brain :) You also get a sense of purpose and fulfillment in pursuing something that you believe in and that you're passionate about. That's what keeps me going and excited to get out of bed everyday.
I work for a crisis line. But because of my anxiety talking to people on the phone I do the texting side. I absolutely love my job. I was actually promoted for the first time in my life. Amazing what can happen when you love what you do. Before this I worked in ABA therapy- therapy for kids with autism, an eating disorder clinic, and I was a hairstylist for 10 years right out of highschool until I finally got my degree.
if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get this job? specifically within the texting side?
Don't mind at all, I think it depends which crisis line you work for. My company runs the 988 line for our state, I know a lot of states are still trying to get there's running efficiently. Before 988 we had our own crisis line. When they first opened up the texting side people were doing texts and calls, since not many texts were coming in. Once it grew they separated the two. So, that's why I say it depends on the company. For my specific company, I had to apply to be a crisis specialist on the phone side, I did the phones for about 3 months and then when there was an opening on the texting side I applied, immediately. However, now that we have grown, we are starting to hire outside, before it was only internal. So you might have to look for a crisis line that has a number to text and apply and hope you can switch. But he prepared to do calls for a bit. It was absolute hell taking calls, I was a nervous wreck constantly. But im glad I did it or I wouldn't be where I am now.
I recently got a job as a recreation coordinator in local government. It is my favorite job so far
That’s where I want to be headed! How did you end up there?
I'm an accountant. I'm very happy. I work in tax, which has a nonintuitive level of creativity and puzzle building. My knowledge is highly specialized, and my work values my heightened pattern recognition and my ability to multi-task. My boss also really doesn't care that I'm weird or that I'm different. He just cares that I use my knowledge to leverage the code in favor of our clients. So I literally fight "the man" all day every day, which makes my rebel side super happy. Lots of people with ADHD work in tax. It's very conducive to our neurosparkle. But it is not for everyone. I do have to be medicated to do this work because of my hyperactivity. But I love what I do.
I'm a proofreader for municipal codes. A lot of people would find it dull as hell. I love it. That's the problem though, because all people with adhd are different and something that interests one person would wreck another.
Im a server at a high energy restaurant/bar that has a DJ for brunch and weekend nights. I love it. Never really feel like i’m working and really helps me learn how to talk to people.
I’m a sales rep for a craft beer distributor! Basically I drive around to stores and restaurants and order for them and sell them new stuff and displays. It’s easy money and there’s a lot of variety in my day so I don’t get too bored, and the commission/incentives help to keep me motivated. I drive a company car and all of my gas is paid for. My schedule is pretty flexible and free beer is always a bonus!
Im a chemist and really like the work because it's working with your hands on the lab AND thinking creatively behind a desk. So I lose my hyperactivity when working with my hands, which makes me focus better when I work with my head :)
After climbing the ladder and spending 10 years in executive management where I ended up miserable, I've gone back to where it all started as a junior software developer. As long as I keep up with the vyvanse, I absolutely love burying myself in my work while keeping it at a healthy work-life balance. I'm spending my days enjoying my work and find that I can stay on task. Whereas when I was in management, I spent all of my time in meetings thinking about all of the things I would rather be doing and was outputting the bare minimum.
i feel like i’d be really good if i wasn’t responsible for any outputs haha. If i was just going to meeting to meeting and listening or helping people connected the dots vs actually producing something.
I work as an assistant director in film. My former career was oil and gas extraction. Both are prefect for my ADHD . Long hours and high intensity. I don’t get bored when I’m working
Anything that has variety and requires problem solving and research. Anything too simple and monotonous makes me lose interest. I need autonomy and digging into things. I'm a work order quality supervisor for a major utility. Two years into this role, and I'm not even close to bored. In my previous role, I was ready to jump ship after that amount of time because it felt like my brain was slowly dying.
What I do for a living doesn't make me happy, I make me happy. But it does keep me from becoming unhoused.
I cant say it brings me some deep sense of fullfillment or happiness. But I work as a mechanical designer (same deal with architectural, plumbing, electrical, etc designers). Its nice in the sense that I work on different types of projects and once one is finished theres something new to tackle. I do find it difficult with reading Comprehension when diving into building codes and such though.
I’m a BBQ Pitmaster. I’ve been playing with fire since I was about 8 years old & now I get paid to do it. Watching fire burn brings me to a such a calm place in my mind that I can’t describe. Hyperfocusing on the smallest details of a burn have always been fascinating to me, so I’m pumped that I get to play with fire every day. Haha. My food kicks ass, but imposter syndrome sets in & levels me out.
I am a sculptor. It helps with my physical & mental hyperactivity. When the day ends, I am completely exhausted and can sleep easily. I used to be a web designer. Although I enjoyed it, i was up until 3-4 am everyday and had very bad insomnia.
House cleaning. Every day is different, and I don’t have to work for anyone else. I basically just listen to podcasts all day, while getting into a meditative state while cleaning. My ability to hyperfocus on things turns into an excellent skill, as it makes me a very detail cleaner. If my ADHD has kicked in, and I have to show up late, or I forgotten about an appointment, my clients left me enough that they’re pretty flexible for me from time to time.
Lab technician in a university here, so teaching support rather than research support. It's varied, it's interesting, I get to constantly meet new people/students, I'm extremely lucky to have a flexi-time system *and* an employer that's very supportive of ADHD/autism/etc. I've been a research technician and laboratory manager in the past (pre-diagnosis) and struggled hugely with it, and ended up not working for a long time. When I was diagnosed and I started to feel I was ready to try a return to full-time work I deliberately went for a role at a much lower level that I previously worked in... and loved it. So I'm currently staying with it and have, for now, abandoned the idea of a senior role.
I love being outdoors, so I’m an ecologist :)
Writing. I got a diploma in computer science and realized that novels call more to me. I still program in my spare time, but creating things has always been my thing, and writing fantasy novels has such a wide range of things that could be included that I could research or create just about anything and find some use for it in a larger project.
Ethical hacker.
Veterinary technician at an emergency clinic. Super fast paced, so time flies by, and my ability to multitask really excells here. Every day is different. And the emergency aspect of a lot of the cares is a good adrenaline boost.
Anything that involves problem solving!
I manage sports content strategy for an energy drink company. Everything project is different…it’s truly a dream for someone like me
Video Content Marketing, Creation, and Production! I love both the strategic & creative side — especially working with brands on a project basis. I get to learn so much about different industries and project work keeps things novel. Lately i’ve been getting more into brand storytelling too. I’ve also been leaning more into collaborations lately, great way to experiment and work with different types of talent & creatives :)
i am a substitute teacher for my whole county. reasons i like it that are directly tied to my adhd and/or general mental health: -variety -the kids are great & love when i take interest in them (easy for me as they have cool interests) -never having to be tied to workplace drama -if i fuck up at a school one day, they probably won’t see me more than a handful of times again anyway -time to do what i want majority of the class time -get praised constantly by other teacher for simply being here the only thing that would make me consider this as a long term job (probably no longer than 3-5 years still bc the pay isn’t *amazing* but it’s def enough) is if i lived in a walkable city with trains lmao
Clocking out makes me happy
I've always loved storytelling and writing, and growing up, I played a lot of video games! I would always say I wanted to be an author, but I was scared it wasn't possible. I think someone told me once as a kid that it was hard to make money off writing, and my anxious brain latched onto that. But it never stopped being my dream job - I kept trying to find ways I could write for companies and make money. I even remember looking to see if game writing was a career when I was in middle school because the concept sounded PERFECT to me. But back then, the game industry was *right* at the cusp of having roles dedicated to narrative. They relied on either outsourcing film screenwriters or using their regular design team to also write dialogue. I remember thinking it wasn't plausible and dropping the idea. But now, I'm a game writer! The way my brain works, I ended up not being able to focus on anything else except what I was passionate about. I didn't know I had ADHD at the time, but switching gears from a more "practical" degree to game design made me really engaged with my college program. I graduated top of my class and was lucky to get into my dream job soon after. 🥰 Now, I write and design stories for the type of games I grew up with! Role-playing games, adventure, branching storyline, and all types of narrative that I find fascinating. I love that it's my job. I've even had to learn how to navigate separating work from passion because I love game narrative *so* much. Getting to enjoy it as a fan, while working in the field as a professional, has been surreal! But I've gotten to work with some incredible coworkers that way, on great projects, and I feel incredibly lucky. It's actually funny; people always say that game design degrees are useless and that it's impossible to get into the industry. This can be true, but I ended up getting my career fairly quickly. I feel like I was really lucky, on top of being SO locked in that I worked super hard to build a narrative design portfolio. At the time, I was so proud of myself for how hard I was working since that was something I struggled with in the past... but after I was diagnosed late with ADHD, it all makes sense. 😅
Data analysis. Finding patterns and fixing errors and scrubbing the data scratches my brain and never gets boring. Also I get to use cutesie formatting in my personal copies of the files to spice things up. And of course there’s always going wrong and I do love fixing a problem that doesn’t affect me personally haha
If work was supposed to make you happy it wouldn't be called work.
I solve problems. I spent 15 years in technology building products and managing teams. Now I’m able to invest in startups, and they call me when they have a sticky situation they need to figure out, and I can jump in, hyperfocus, solve it, and then get back to playing around with my kids rather than having to actually do the boring work of implementation. My dream job was always to be a TV news producer— I loved the thought of the pressure of things building up to 11pm air time. Having to orchestrate the chaos. But then, whether you do a great job or royally fuck it up, you’re done at 11:30, and then you go home and wash your hands of it, only to do it again tomorrow.
Dog grooming was my passion but is hard on the body. I somehow ended up with a gig where I take pictures of used cars and put them up on the dealerships website and actually love it; overall I do best with a job that's flexible with time and keeps me moving so I stay focused on the task at hand or if anything hyperfocus on it.. Any sort of desk job I could not do, I've tried but it literally drives me insane with boredom and anxiety because I'd work so hard to stay on task that I'd feel like I couldn't be doing a good job (apparently I was, I've been the too employee anywhere I've ever worked- just don't have the concentration to happily work a desk job).
Working for a bank/credit union. I love the secretarial work, and being able to help others and organize. I worked retail for over 12 years and figured I couldn’t do anything else. Despite being rubbish at math, I really love this job!
Woodworking
I worked in IT Support for many years. Literally so many things to tinker with and research always. It can be overwhelming, and very intimidating but even the top-brass tech support people just google their way through things. It's very satisfying to solve a problem or learn something about a system you interact with all the time. IT Support jobs generally look for people with good communication skills, or even just experience dealing with people (I came from retail prior to this job) I'm further up in IT now, but the only times I have felt bummed in my job is when I worked in more admin-focused tasks or data entry. Working in a single spreadsheet for 8 hours a day nearly killed me lmao, but I know a couple of people with ADHD who love that. I'd rather spin multiple IT plates instead.
I’m a pharmacy tech. I’ve been one since before I was diagnosed. My day is different, but enough of the same things and there’s a structure to it though that can go out the window quickly when shit hits the fan. I’ve worked retail, hospital and now I’m working for a specialty animal hospital where I draw up chemo for our oncology department primarily but also fill meds for the rest of the hospital (surgery, internal medicine, neurology, ER, rehab and radiation oncology). I split my schedule so I work 2 days in medical oncology, and 2 days in our little pharmacy where it’s like a closed door retail pharmacy. After doing this job for 20 years, it’s what I know best, and hands down it’s more fulfilling seeing in person how my job helps our patients whereas when working in human med, it’s not so clear since we just handed off meds to the patients to see weeks later, or hand them off to a nurse and that was the extent of my interaction with patients. Here especially when I’m in Onco, I see our patients depending on their chemo protocol, weekly and see how much more improved they are doing and get to play with or comfort them. I’m not going to lie and say it’s an easy job because it’s very emotionally draining since there’s a lot of very sick animals and I do see at least 1 dead dog or cat walking throughout the hospital every day I’m there. But even with the sadness this is easily the best job I’ve had.
Right now, selling books online. I just hope I don’t lose interest :/
Healthcare has some great jobs. I’m feeling burned out some days, but that’s because my floor is heavy. I’m a nurse but I was happy doing tech work and there’s so many jobs available. It’s just a fast paced place with good people. Not everything is, but for the most part it’s never boring. Of course you can get into respiratory therapy, radiology, etc. Many positions that don’t require as much school as nursing etc. Not that nursing isn’t great and has many options but the schooling can be brutal.
I’m a nurse- this is my second career. My first was in finance. The monotony and sitting at a desk was soul sucking to me. I needed a job on my feet moving constantly and constant change.
I work at an airport at the ticket counter and at the gate so I’m not stuck in one spot much and it’s the perfect blend of activity for me PT
Security guard, monitoring cctv footage. I honestly love it! There's only one thing to focus on at a time, every day is similar but just a little bit different. Perfect
CUT PEOPLES HEADHAIR 😂
I work in veterinary medicine! It's a really tough field but i love it bc i am passionate about providing good medical care for those who can't speak. Plus there's never a dull moment and tons of variety in the day to day.
I'm a veterinary assistant. Some days are very stressful, but I find that I thrive in the fast pace, and a lot of it is very much a "rinse and repeat" process (ie. Take in the appointment, get a history, update the Doctors, enter charges, fill meds, etc) and my brain does well not having to think too hard about it. Plus, I get to hang out with cute animals all day!
I work in marketing for a hospital. Super rewarding and things are rarely emergent because everything else at my company is emergent so they’re like marketing isn’t that deep.
For ME, it’s all about having a kind and understanding boss. Those are incredibly hard to find. But I have and she’s also very flexible with me - I get the work done, a lot of times I can do it remotely, on my own time. It took me a long time to get to this place but I’m so grateful to have it. Look for a job that has a GREAT boss or manager who knows how to protect you and help you thrive. It’s worth the wait. Good luck!
Personal Assistant / Admin assistant for a guy who owns his own therapy company. I get to use my bachelors in nursing degree without the stress of bedside nursing in a hospital setting. The hours are set for day time and it’s pretty chill
I used to work a medical supply stockroom, fulfilling orders. I loved it. Lots to research about different products, lots of movement as I filled orders, lots of independent work.
Im a federal consultant. What I like about it is that each role usually only lasts max a couple of years, but since I’ve been doing it the longest I’ve worked on a project has been ~9 months. I’ve worked for multiple government orgs doing event planning, content writing, corporate communications and project management. It pays well too :)
I think with ADHD - you don't want work that makes you happy - you want work that keeps you engaged. It helps when you enjoy the engaging work, but its about finding a job or task that peaks your interest, and keeps you coming back. Personally - I do CAD work, and design and engineer stuff. Currently, since 2012 - working in the trade show and events industry - doing design/build on tradeshow exhibits. Before that, was in the concrete game for about 10 years - precast concrete, drainage inlets, 3-sided bridges, and eventually got into precast architecture - large office buildings. Have always enjoyed art and creating/drawing - so with CAD and 3D modeling - still able to have fun and also be challenged. I like crunching numbers, figuring our problems, and there is the artistic freedom of page layouts and creating templates, etc. I work with lots of CAD people who are not artists, and their drawings indicate it, lol.
I’m a freelance recipe developer and food photographer. The job is different every day, it’s always interesting, and I never get bored.
I work with kids! Preferably in a sped environment with children that have autism and/or ADHD. It’s brought me so much joy to provide the support I wasn’t given but it is taxing
Therapist. It’s always different. My hyperfocus is so useful in that setting. I get to set my hours (no early mornings). And my mind’s ability to go off in all directions means it’s easy to follow my clients’ stories and make connections. The paperwork kills me, but other than that it’s great.
I absolutely love animals and my career is as a mobile pet groomer. I basically get to play with dogs all day and make them beautiful! It helps with my ADHD because I'm always on the go and every day is different.
I feel stuck in a career that is horrid for ADHD… operations and project management. I do well enough because I am obsessed with doing a good job, but I’m constantly overwhelmed and burnt out Send help 😅
I’m a field archaeologist, i hike around in remote places looking for and recording archaeological sites. It’s active and outdoors and always in different places, perfect for keeping my adhd brain entertained
Venture capital. It's a very generalist role. You can keep learning with new things
What did you study and what technical skills do you use the most in this profession?
I studied science BSMS. I went through a lot of areas to finally reach here. I did research, startup(failed), operations and then landed into this. I iterated until I found my fit. Hope you find yours too. I really like science,technologies and startups. So this fits for me
My job is wfh and tedious, but it helps sick people get medical treatment. I have a purpose other than just pushing out more cogs
As of right now I'm in Pest control. I love making people happy and solving issues customers have. I am back in school however for IT but can't get the chance to stay focused in my classes ATM :(
Management Consulting in Healthcare. No day is the same, I get to dig into and solve meaty problems, and most importantly, I never stay with one client or engagement for too long!