I struggled with keeping a job until what I'm doing now. I am a scientific comunicator. I work in a science museum helping visitors understand all sort of topics. Every day is different, I get to walk around the whole museum, and I'm constantly learning new things. MY JOB LITERALLY REWARDS MY OVERSHARING OF FACTS
@@Chojan7189 *CONGRATULATIONS!* 🏆🤩🏆So awesome that you found your dream! And thank you for making me laugh with the all-caps excitement about being rewarded for oversharing facts. ; - D I would love that too.
As an advocate I've found that there's no specific jobs or even fields that my clients come from or wind up in. What I have found is that workplace cultures impact far more heavily on their work and life. Poor workplace cultures tend to impact us very deeply and cause burnout and other awful things at a much higher frequency.
Totally Agreed! A proper support system who understands us as an individual whether intentionally due to proper understanding of us as an individual and what we need and how we operate overall etc or unintentionally and subconsciously and just luckily match up with us well with a sort of natural understanding of us and either way if you have that understanding and support from a boss and co-workers in a positive healthy environment with a normal healthy empathic nonslave driving company/ Owner of the company than yes you can honestly almost do anything! I have experienced this myself and become exceptionally great at things I genuinely thought I could never even comprehend or understand much less actually be able to do and be good at it as well! It's a complete game changer and opens up potential in us that we truly never knew we had there!
Exactly! I’ve been a librarian/library assistant and I’ve enjoyed my work the most when I’ve been working on my own projects or worked at places that value me and my experience. Usually I prefer larger organizations, because they have more leverage for different types of people than small ones. There I won’t stand out as much as an individual. I also look for places with low hierarchy, I especially prefer frequent communication with my supervisors/bosses so that I know what is expected of me and I also can easily communicate my own needs/ preferences. Nowadays, I usually openly communicate about these things on my interviews, because the work environment means a lot to my success in the workplace. My old bosses mentioned that I was the canary bird on the mines that would signal them how the work environment felt about things, and they meant it the good way, because they could correct the changes or do something about them before things started going bad.
That is true. I'm a senior Accountant, can you believe that? And my boss and coworkers often tell me how I'm appreciated so I must be doing a good job. But I am not micro-managed (take breaks as I need it) and I mostly work from home ( chatty co workers aren't distracting me)
I’m professor at the college. This is the best profession for me. Diagnosed with ADHD and ASD in my late 30th, and suddenly everything became so clear and make sense. I changed the well paid job I hated, monotonous and routine, to pursue career in academia. Thank you Dr. Barkley, your lectures inspired me to start my PhD to do research that will help students with ADHD to be more successful at school and in their future profession.
@@mr.rubicon1193 First, make sure you reach out to the DRC office. Second, start working on self-discipline, and the best if you have someone in life who can help by being your body double, and “verifier”. Third, find medication that works for you, together with licensed psychiatrist you might go through a few different ones. If you want to learn more - please watch How To ADHD. This channel is just my #1 resource. Good luck!
I love teaching/training junior engineers, interns, and contractors. It's the best part of my job but the rest of the work is brutal. I wish I could be a teacher, I got my degree but getting a PhD is really out of reach even though I'd love to be a professor. Teaching is so exciting vs writing reports.
I diagnosed myself with ADHD after retirement I was an airline pilot. At times it was boring. I really loved it when the weather was bad or when things went wrong😊 and I was challenged. I was also happier and more relaxed as a Captain rather than a co-pilot. I was very uncomfortable with authority figures. I loved being the authority. A psychologist told me there are hunters and farmers. I am a hunter always looking ahead and seeing the ‘big picture’. Being a farmer would not have worked Now at 80, I wish I knew all this sixty years ago. Great video Dr. Barkley.
Thanks for sharing! My 16 year-old daughter wants to be an airline pilot. She has mild ADD and I have wondered if it would be a good fit. She is also very artistic and loves wildlife photography and drawing/design. She wants to keep her art as a hobby and pursue it in her downtime as a pilot. She thinks that traveling to different places will be enough to break up the monotony. What do you think? Any advice?
I'm 30 and hopefully starting school next year. I think it could be the career I've been looking for. Monotonous at times, but exciting other times too. I get worn out from talking to many customers in a day at my bar, but I LOVE talking to my regulars or having one on one time with someone to establish a connection. I seem to be able to drive conversation well when it isn't a group of people or many types of people in front of me. I think I could handle working with a new captain each time (Canada)
@@Wayfarer889 She should think about another career unless she can function unmedicated. The FAA prohibits airline pilots from flying while on stimulant medication and you have to be off it for 4 years before consideration. They'll also require a psychologist sign off on her capability.
yeah the occupational choices i have had over my lifetime have mainly been 'predictable, manual, and solitary'. Not 400 different things pulling me in different directions and changing every day. The work becomes the therapy because I am effectively meditating all day long. Then I have the clarity of mind to be a functional adult when i get home.
@@homelessrobot Same. Can you give some examples? I'm considering changing career but have no idea to what... I worked as a mail(wo)man for a while, it was great except the work hours which were horrible. Now I take care of an old lady which is nice too but also has the worst hours 😩
@@persikosaft Overnight maintenance/janitor at big box stores (like walmart). If you can find the right one, being a kennel worker at an animal shelter isn't too bad (though if you are sensitive to loud noises and cannot find the right ear-pro, you'll lose your f'ing mind). I worked in a university surplus warehouse refurbishing and refinishing electronics and furniture. Pressure there was pretty low because if you broke something, it was already a loss and nobody cared (but ideally, they wanted to resell the stuff at auctions, or cycle it back into the university for reuse). Lawn care is also a good one if you can afford the right equipment and stay away from the crotchety old men who used to mow their grass with scissors and expect you to do the same.
@@homelessrobotas someone with inattentive type, I was working as a cosmetologist for a while, doing men's haircuts specifically. I found it to be engaging and the tasks were relatively predictable and short. It was also manual and I found that to be incredibly rewarding. However it wasn't solitary, and as much as I enjoyed the connection with my clients the most, I really felt my social battery was completely empty by the end of the day. But overall I really enjoyed it and the work culture at the shop I was in made it very enjoyable. However, I recently moved to another country where doing hair isn't really lucrative or a good work culture. It's just not a good fit for me now, and it's been incredibly difficult for me to figure out what job I might do well in. I'm considering being a dental technician, it's a longer schooling process but it might meet the criteria I enjoy most. But if you have any specific suggestions please let me know 😭 because I am absolutely not the next Simone biles
I'm a self-employed therapist and love my job. Its been a slog to get here, but now ive got all my billing set up to be automated, and i love working with a diverse range of client issues. In my experience, following my interests and joy has brought me a lot of success. Also, people look down on a "jack of all trades," but all my weird side hobbies have done me well when they suddenly come up at work.
Watching this video I started getting an existential crisis coming on, because I'm studying to be a psychotherapist, and I really struggle to sit and do office-type of work, computer work, etc. I'm starting to doubt my choice and thinking about whether I should've(still should) find a different field. Something to do with outdoor recreation or roasting coffee? Really struggling at uni as well, I think most of us can relate with that aspect of ADHD. You're saying it gets more engaging after starting to practise?
@@matejpetkovski490 For me, it has a lot to do with enjoying the work. I am someone who loves bringing in a lot of philosophy and theory, and frankly I just love hearing peoples’ stories and holding space. I definitely rely on Vyvanse to be able to not interrupt people all the time, but mindfulness and good structured organizational skills has been very helpful.
I'm really drawn towards being a therapist but I've always struggled with my attention when reading and struggle to get written assignments in on time. I know there's a huge amount of reading required for psychotherapy courses. Maybe this is what you mean by "slog"?
How do you manage the case notes aspect of the job? I'm working on my degree in social work, and the idea of case notes fills me with dread! I hope I find a job where I don't have to do them!
@@julybutterflythe more you practice doing the case notes, the easier it gets. Small increments. When you work for others it’s different (notes) than if you work for yourself/private practice bc you write them you’re “own”way and not how someone else requires.
Accountant here. I didn’t enjoy working for others in their firms but I have my own firm now and am absolutely thriving. Numbers are my special interest, and joined with the creativity of entrepreneurship as you said, it’s the best career for me.
Oh great, glad I’m not the only one with ADHD who likes numbers! I have a master’s degree in economics and have heard so many times that it’s a boring field, even from people who don’t have ADHD. I absolutely love it, so it was easy to engage it while at university. On the other hand, I am completely unartistic. I can enjoy some forms of art but couldn't create any to save my life. I guess at the end of the day we are all very different when it comes to our interests, whether we have ADHD or not.
I love Numbers and logic , I studied Mathematics related modules in my undergraduate degree, postgraduate course, getting employment maybe tough.@@ivana61681
@@miketravis4242 Thanks. I need to hear more opinions on this. I'm in cloud data engineering but have zero influence on strategy. I'm considering an IT management degree.
Dr Barkley. Really appreciate all your knowledge that you make public. This video is ideal for people in their late teens but less so for senior professionals like myself who hit their early 40s only to find out we have ADHD, and want to make sustainable career decisions as 'late bloomers'. The job examples involve a study path (medical), lifelong training (sports, music), ability to be OK with rejection (sales, performing arts), or a significant pay cut. I didn't cope with the admin involved with running my own business unfort! It would be a great topic sometime in future to hear from you about suitable career shifts for those of us already well into our worklives? I'm an ex-journalist in corporate affairs and already have two degrees. :)
I really agree with this. Tell me, what kind of career can you change to when your healthy physically able to keep the physical pace of activity, yet have adhd with anxiety, in your 60's, love your current job, yet can't keep the up with the pace mentally and emotionally? That isn't a huge cut in pay?
@@hbaker5905 This is why capitalism is awful. Everyone has strengths and abilities, but not all of them are valued equally. So you have to do a job you are bad at to make a good income, instead of doing something you are good at. And the folks doing the things you would be really great at have to live in poverty, and no-one's talents are properly appreciated. ugh,
I got diagnosed late. Got medicated. I finally found my fun job in data science and programming. No degree. Extreme mental puzzles, the programing tells you your wrong immediately, there is a right way and wrong way but incredible creativity within that space. But everyone is different. I've been a cook, political field, activist, and now what I am. I don't see changing again. Find what you want to do and hope it doesn't involve a degree.
@@marshallderks no degree, but SOME training. Where did you get yours/where do you think would be the best place to start? I keep thinking this may be an option for me, but overwhelmed with choices as to where to start. Lol, of course.
It seems like most are. I'm an extreme introvert and I work much better when I'm left alone for the most part. Especially if the job is data driven and doesn't involve lots of paperwork of any kind.
There's no profile that fits ADHD people that prescriptively. Extroverted people are extroverted, introverted people are introverted, most people are a little bit of both. In my role I advocate for people living with a disability against schools, hospitals, welfare systems, business etc I'm a big introvert but my passion is people being treated fairly so I get to do a little staying on my own researching, and a little arguing on the side of the angels.
I have ADHD and I'm highly introverted as well. I basically do help desk/remote tech support and I find this works for me. I find I'm usually a bit irritated by people - they talk too slowly, it takes a while to get to the point. Sometimes I interrupt or just start thinking of something else until they're finished speaking. But at a call centre, that's kind of strength. Once you're sure you know what the problem is, you let that person drone on, giving them certain prompts, while you multi-task and complete the relevant work/forms/adjustments/emails on your end. A call centre can be anything from sales, to insurance, to banks, tele-health, to being on the other end of government services and providing information, all the way to 911 call taking. If you have specialized training (tech, medicine, accounting), you're more likely to find something that pays better and that comes with good benefits. But even if you don't, experience at a bank looks professional on any resume, and they typically promote from within and offer tuition assistance. Call centres take advantage of the fact that I enjoy multi-tasking, and the programs/systems you use usually have failsafes to reminder you of certain things you need to do (eg, it doesn't let you move on to the next step until you fill out the form appropriately). You're also very infrequently interrupted by co-workers - you get left alone for the most part! I know that if you don't like talking on the phone, it's kind of intimating at first. But very quickly, the callers aren't really "people" they're kind of like NPCs who say predictable things and all have the same kind of problems or requests. It doesn't "feel" like you're interacting with people. You don't have to look at anyone, you don't have to maintain a facial expression that conveys interest like in normal conversation, and most of the time it's more about listening than actually responding to the person. Basically, if you struggle like I do with the "get to the point" of talking to people, call centres kind of allow you to safely "ignore" what the person is saying once you get good enough at your tasks and disseminating important information and key words. I would say that the disadvantages are that you are mostly sedentary, that socializing is unavoidable during training, and that the sales/entry level positions tend to pay lower. I'm currently a government employee (utilities adjacent, for my municipality), and the hourly rate is fair, I'm in a union, and the benefits are above average.
Ever wondered about the possibility of having co-occurring autism? Turns out that, for many years, diagnostic criteria for both conditions was mutually exclusive, so there's a good number of people who fit both diagnoses but couldn't get both acknowledged officially. The autistic characteristics will likely favor things like asocial tasks, routine, attention to detail, environments with low levels of bothersome stimuli, or extreme specializations matching a special interest.
@@jamiejohnson5748 When I worked in a call center I was struck by how freeing it was not to have to make my face look socially acceptable while talking to the callers. ; - ) They were still people to me though, and I liked that.
I have ADHD and I’m a scaffold builder; I love the hands on and constantly moving by either building, taking apart builds it’s fun and the time flies by
I am 60 and watching this i realise i am finally in my perfect job. I work nights refilling shelves in a supermarket. The task is broken down into small steps, one box at a time, it is very physical and fast paced - we walk at least 10 miles per shift, about 25,000 steps, social interaction limited to 2 short breaks, reward is immediate because the boxes get empty and they get fewer and fewer through the shift, i have time blindness so i don't get bored over the 10 hour shift, i can listen to music or podcasts in one ear while i work and there's no paperwork. it's great,i wondered why i was enjoying it so much ! The only drawback is the physical stress on my body so i only do 3 shifts a week max. I recommend it if you can stay awake all night and sleep during the day.
I am a professional housecleaner for the exact same reasons you have outlined. Short task turnover and reward of looking how beautiful everything looks, even better receiving a grateful text from client that evening saying how much I am appreciated. Job can be repetitive but it definitely ticks 80% of my boxes for a perfect job. I actually appreciate routine now. no chaotic surprises.
That was really interesting to hear what that kind of job is like. I think i would like it except for the physical labor. My fave job was working as a filing clerk - moving around paper instead of grocery products, not as much manual labor, but similar to everything else you said.
Librarian is actually a very good job for someone with ADHD! I'm constantly heaving around carts of books and talking to patrons. Public libraries are very community-centered and customer service is a very valuable skill. We don't do a lot of shushing. :) Our children's librarian is very active in her job and gets to play with all of the shinies, too.
Doctoral level licensed psychologist with ADHD here….I found that I cant stand doing therapy, so boring! But I love teaching, supervision, psych testing/assessment, crisis intervention….I was sad when I realized I was worthless as a therapist, I have no patience, but I have done well in other ways as a psychologist. Im currently training to learn pharmacology and become a prescribing psychologist in one of the few states that allow it. I would enjoy helping others with ADHD by prescribing medication. Meds have helped me tremendously.
Interesting. I'm training as a clinical psychologist and I find therapy to be the most interesting part! Every session is different, it's deep and challenging work, completely present-oriented and the desire to help the client provides external accountability.
Many of the jobs mentioned in the video are most suitable for extroverts and ADHDers with mostly hyperactive-impulsive presentation and a few or none of the traits and symptoms of other neurodevelopmental conditions. I'm an introvert who switches back and forth between inattentive and combined ADHD. (I have all or almost all of the inattentive diagnostic criteria and four or five of the hyperactive-impulsive criteria, depending on my life situation. And yes, I was formally diagnosed.) I also believe I have dyspraxia since I struggle with motor coordination, visual-spatial processing, processing speed, and sensory overload. (Yes, people with ADHD generally struggle with those too, and dyspraxia is commonly comorbid with ADHD.) Manual labor, trades, and other physical occupations are a TERRIBLE fit for people with those issues. Those with autism and NVLD also have motor coordination issues and sensory sensitivity. NVLD also involves visual-spatial issues. Autism and NVLD are also comorbid with ADHD. I also suspect that I have atypical autism (having a few or some autistic traits) since I prefer to be alone and don't like to talk. I also have selective mutism when under stress or pressure. I'm terrible with social interactions or communication and have social anxiety. So nope, jobs involving frequent social contacts and lots of talking just don't work for me. I much prefer to communicate via email, text, or instant or direct message. I like predictability and routine too, even though my ADHD side is protesting loudly. I actually have about 80% of the traits listed on the chart of autistic traits in women. th-cam.com/video/3SQFb01SlrY/w-d-xo.html The exception to the job list is self-employment because it applies to people in general. Certain people, including many neurotypical people, want to escape wage slavery and aren't built to work for the man. It definitely applies to neurodivergent folks like us. Self-employment allows us to capitalize on our strengths and also allows for full self-accommodation. It's not always feasible or possible to get ADA accommodations in the workplace, especially for people with invisible disabilities or neurodivergent people. It's darn near impossible to get accommodations for dyspraxia here in the US since it's a little-known condition, even though the voluntary self-identification of disability form for job applications has finally recognized forms of neurodivergence including dyspraxia. I know that not all people can or want to be self-employed, but at this point in my life, it's the only logical option. I'd say that the best jobs for people with ADHD are the ones they're most interested in or passionate about and where they can use their gifts and talents. That also applies to people in general.
I was a truck driver . Loved waking up in different places . Seeing how others lived their lives in other parts of the country . The accents , the scenery . Every day different. Retired now . My glory days .
@@pinchebruha405 That was a shitty thing to say. Why did you even bother coming to a video on ADHD (which clearly didn't take into account people with ADD who've been lumped under the ADHD umbrella) to make someone with the symptoms of ADD feel bad? OP was just pointing out that the video skipped addressing that subset of ADHD (those with low energy).
Hey Dr. B - I am a librarian. We spend a lot of time on public desks, we have to interact with all sorts of people. I know when I got into this field I didn't realize how exhausting it can be. I mask a lot. We actually have a rule at our (public) library that the public desk shifts can't be more than about 3 hours at a time. I love working in the back room away from all of the noise (the quiet library is mostly a myth unless the library is a study library) and movement. We have quiet spaces for those who need them but the main part of the library is humming constantly. On the plus side the constant change keeps me engaged, even in the workroom doing labeling or jacketing. I like the work and must keep engaged or I might mix something up.
My first several jobs were at public libraries, mostly in the reference department. I did it because I really liked books. I found the customer service portion of the job to frequently be exhausting. Thankfully desk shifts were never more than 2 hours. If I had gotten into tech services I might have made a career out of it. (ASD + inattentive ADHD, though I didn't know that at the time). I have a dear friend with ADHD is a librarian, and she knew that well before going after her MLS. She passionate about the cause (freedom to read, libraries a a public good, etc). She likes books and helping people, but does find it exhausting sometimes, probably for the same reasons you describe. I need to ask her more about her experiences and what she likes/dislikes about the job.
I know this comment is a bit old, but I'm glad to read a comment about librarianship. I found more of my niche in my public library job. I get to do a lot of physical activity -- shelving, shipping/receiving -- plus I do displays, write blog posts for the website, and create programs (one of which I'm holding outdoors, which is great for me). I think people have the wrong idea about libraries. It's like any other organization where there are different niches that attract different types of minds. Maybe there are departments that wouldn't be that great for ADHD, like cataloging, but programming, marketing, or just general public librarianship seem like good matches.
Dr Barkley a lot of people I know in the field of ADHD are under impression that you have retired and no longer involved with education. I think gradually we should see more and more subscription to your Chanel. Please continue your dedication to ADHD and education. I wish you well.
Agree, You also would probably need to have high charisma for that job which would definitely not be everyone... I wouldn't wish that job on anyone it seems more like a curse.
Teaching covers allllllll of those things and is never boring. It’s overwhelming at times and the expectations that teachers should provide the solutions to every single problem in society and in the home is an unrealistic expectation we have to deal with. But there’s constant movement, making materials, a schedule, talking (my god so much talking), helping, and if you like you’re subject, story telling (performance). I’m really surprised you left out educator - I know you said athletic educator, but intellectual educators are not outside the scope of talent required for this job.
I have a hard time structuring my thoughts and I would get distracted and start to talk about a related topic before finishing the point, that I wanted to make. I have been told that it’s very exhausting to listen to me and I know that this is quite common for people with ADHD. I also would have a hard time preparing my lessons.
@@thyfity I'd say being educated in pedagogy helps a lot. Most of the time people don't know how much there is about teaching that needs to be taught. When you grasp that, it's easier to kind of funnel the expertise to powerpoint slides, which then offer a great basis to work from in the classroom. Anyway I 100% second this about being an educator! Though I work with adults in a field that's my special interest. I love having a group of individuals, each with their own interests and all. Turns out this matches the new style of pedagogy really well. Also the way I hate rules has made it easier to be accomodating to different needs. And I love discussions! Perhaps a bit too much sometimes. Yes, there's masking involved, but not too much imo. I've needed to learn to speak clearly with full sentences, and I need to keep calm. Online teaching has been more of a struggle, but I think I'm starting to find better ways now. Getting indirect feedback from adults (aka when they give feedback to the institution) is probably the worst part, same as needing to evaluate the students, but so far I've never encountered a teacher who would enjoy those, so there's always collegial support.
@@thyfity I used to work as a one-on-one tutor, which went really well. That is more of a back and forth conversation than a monologue, so I was kept on track by my students, their questions, but also their body language and all kinds of subtle cues. Then I became a teacher standing in front of a large class, just talking for over an hour. I really struggled there for the exact reasons you mentioned: staying on track during a monologue, and preparing lessons. Our team decided to change tack one year, and completely rethink the approach to teaching. It became much more of an interacting and coaching type of teaching, with regular questions and tasks for students to work on, feedback, group discussions, etc. My performance (and personal satisfaction!) dramatically improved because of that.
I was an Art teacher for 27 years and I think it was the best career that I could have chosen. I didn't get diagnosed until my last year of teaching. Not knowing what was wrong with me, like many, I was depressed and then developed anxiety which began to affect my teaching. The stress of being late (especially morning meeting days) and having everything that I needed for the day was a constant issue. At least most principals were not worried about teachers being a little late as long as they were in the classroom by the time the students arrived. They knew we were often there late into the evening. This was a great for me as I would never have lasted at a job with a strict ON TIME policy. Teaching was a challenge but every day, every class was different so it was never boring but I was always behind on various tasks (most unnecessary) and lesson plans. Now I am trying to figure out how to structure my time in retirement but wouldn't mind some work. Yes, hands on and using my creativity would be best. Peace love n pets
Self-employment and entrepreneur are not job descriptions. I hate it when these get listed in recommended occupations. Also, ADHD doesn't equal to infinite energy supplies, especially for people over 35 years old. I had no problem doing physically demanding jobs, the problem was length of the shift-8 hours is considered part-time job these days.
One of the most common jobs among the inattentive members of our local page is data analytics, and there are a fair number of developers too. Depending on the nature of the workload, these roles can weaponise hyperfocus, and some methodologies like Agile give shorter task timeframes that somewhat suit our strengths. I find that any task that I can gamify becomes do-able.
Great video, Dr. Barkley. Thank you! I’m an interior decorator and I think it’s the perfect fit for me as the job involves lots of movement and ever new challenges. The pressure of client deadlines helps me perform to a high level -and I love making people happy so there’s an intrinsic reward, too. (However I find as a self-employed person I struggle with timekeeping and paperwork and staying motivated when there’s there’s no urgent work to attend to.) Best of all I get to use my creativity and ability to hyper focus to develop unique solutions and produce something of real value in the world. I’m glad you mentioned Ty Pennington as an example of succeeding in one’s career despite living with adult ADHD. He’s an inspiration to many!
Was so glad to see this in my feed. Work is by far the biggest struggle in my life. Feels impossible to work 8-9 hours consecutively at a boring job, then go home and maintain life with cleaning, cooking etc
I absolutely cannot stand the fact that 8-10 hours of every day for the rest of my life needs to be thrown away doing nothing good just so I can go about my life (with no time to do anything at all)
I have inattentive type and I found that working as a nurse in the hospital was overwhelming, I’d get too distracted by conversations with patients, I’d forget things often, lose my vitals and notes when it was time to give report. But I switched to private duty nursing with one medically fragile patient that has a routine and it’s so much easier for me. I am looking to switch careers (because of nursing burn out overall), but I think I would do well with something that I’m interested in that I can hyper focus on. I’m thinking something tech. I find that I’m really good at hyper focusing on solving problems that are fun to figure out. For my ADHD, I found that a structured environment works best for me. Give me a task that, I like and I will hyper focus on for hours. The hard part is finding something that I actually like to do.
I keep seeing people distinguishing between inattentive and hyperactive (possibly more variations) is a diagnosis from a clinician the only way to know which you have?
I started with private duty nursing and it's definitely way easier to focus on one or two people. I know from nursing school too that ICU was way easier for the same reason there's a lot of things to hyper focus on and fewer distractions. I did med surge last few years and it's terrible, having six to seven patients is the worst. They always give you "The easier patients" on floors like that but to me it's harder just simply because of the pile of paperwork you have to do (boring so hard to focus) And then you'll get three or four requests all at the same time and you have to make sure you don't forget one of them. I recently spent two years doing school nursing and I like that a lot. You just focused on helping kids in and out of the clinic and then the paperwork is pretty streamlined. I do find when I'm tired it's hard to stay focused on the pile of paperwork. You also have to be in charge of organizing events and things, such as hearing screens, health events, helping gather donations for families in need, connecting families with resources. So that part is definitely harder to stay on top of because then you have like 30 people you're trying to track. 😳
I’m an FT on call afterhours hospice RN. I’m driving between patients across several counties and enjoying nature. I have a discrete shift (1630 Friday through 0830 Monday) but within that I go out mostly because someone is having a crisis of some sort which is much more “organic” than clocking in at the hospital because they have to show someone with a license was clocked in. There’s still “busy work” to satisfy regulations but it’s mostly being someone’s hero when I can help with symptoms or family worries, etc. The drive times allow for decompressing from such intense interactions with people.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.larks I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
I'm introverted and for now I think nursing works for me. I'm not in healthcare for very long though so I'm not sure if I'll continue to like it. I'm considering to go into wound care so I don't need to see the patient for too long (as in years) and I'll get to see different types of wounds hopefully to stay interested.
Same. I’m autistic and ADHD so that’s a big nope for me. Being a librarian sounds kind of nice actually, but I think I’d get bored of it quickly. I need lots of intellectual stimulation/thinking (unlike what he said) AND physical movement and change. I think I’d like to be a scientist.
So far halfway through listening to this it sounds like he's talking about exclusively the hyperactive ADHD. Not being inattentive, especially not an inattentive who is an introvert. He even mentions he and nursing or a doctor where potential frontal cortex issues or distractions could be life or death. It doesn't sound like a dream job for someone with focus or executive function issues should be.
I’m self employed now and it’s just changed my life in such a positive way. I work fast, doing highly technical work, but in short bursts. I can work in the evening if I want and nobody is on my back. Now I am not chained to a desk for 8 hours a day. I work when I feel like working. It’s brilliant. I’m a technical writer in a niche industry. I never want to be an employee again!
Are there separate suggestions for inattentive type? I’ve struggled mightily with motivation, so running my own business was a huge mistake. I’ve made a living as a programmer, but it’s been a constant struggle to do the equivalent of dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s.
Could you elaborate more? That are some of the problems that have been bothering me for years. Although I am really passionate about some programming concepts and understand quite a lot, due to the very nature of solitary and sedentary work I really struggle with making even a simple portfolio project etc. Not to mention getting a job and experience in the industry. Sometimes I think I am too much concentrated on the tools, desk setup, etc. more than the proper task. The things I really like about programming are (neo)vim and the GO language. They just feel kind of like simple tools to make something and convey ideas in an effective, but not very elegant way (and prevent me from overly abstracting to the point of inertia).
@@lukaszmatuszewski I found that when I work on personal projects on my own, I get excited about them for three or four days and then it’s really hard for me to keep working on them. However, working on a team (especially with people who don’t have the motivation issues) adds just enough pressure so that I’m motivated to keep working on a project significantly longer.
@@redpepper74So body doubling keeps you accountable to the task at hand when working? I'm an inattentive type and find that working with a team helps keep me accountable. I can bounce what I have to do off of them at times and they'll give me tips or ideas on how to do it better.
@@lukaszmatuszewski From my personal experience, attending a coding bootcamp or school can be a feasible solution. I was in the same boat when I needed to secure a job after graduation. It’s hard for me to sit tight and work on side projects just for job hunting. No pressure and no motivation. So I attended a ft bootcamp for 3 months and used the homework and group projects as my profile. Now I’m in this industry for more than two years as a front end developer. Hope it helps.
Some things that helped me: - Getting a treadmill/standing desk - Hiring an admin assistant for my business - Getting an ADHD/business coach through Upwork I'm on a basic income but these were non-negotiable for me to be able to work in a white-collar job
Thank you for posting this response. I can’t stand questions coming back and misinterpretations so I can spend 3 hours writing an email about a technical process so it’s clear for everyone at our 30+ locations and exec staff (I am manager over a centralized function that needs to have compliance from employees at the local level). The writing is easy, the editing to get it in bullet points is excruciating, and then I have to work longer to make up the time I spent editing and it just wastes so much time. Thank you for your advice.
I've embraced a pattern of changing professional directions and/or styles every 2 years or so, as I get into a slog otherwise. I've also found the following MORE important than the specific field: having the(tedious) nuts and bolts of business taken care of by someone else, the ability to keep learning, higher-level coworkers/supervisors who support and inspire, variation over repetition, interesting challenges, and space to experiment/innovate. Hands-on active work is definitely a plus. So far, I've had success in audio engineering, music composition/performance, videography, fundraising, nonprofits, boat building, carpentry/tile/trades, teaching (Pre-K to adult), copywriting, web design, and active outdoor/adventure guide work. Thank you for all you do, Dr. Barkley!
Videography, how did the process look like getting into the industry. Did you do a course, have some previous experience, know people that helped you? Thanks for your time.
Dr. Barkley, you’ve been busy! The videos that you have done in the last six months have been incredibly helpful to me, the parent of an adult with multiple disabilities, including ADHD. I can share these shorter videos with my son’s care providers who balked at the longer ones. Thank you. I appreciate your expertise and generosity!
These videos are really so helpful, aren't they? I have ADHD, and I feel like these videos give me the opportunity to understand myself better and to accept my diagnosis and look for help.
Here are some more ideas! I have ADHD and this is a list of jobs I’ve done or know I’d thrive in 🙂 -Preschool teacher - Foley artist/Field Recorder - Occupational therapist - UX/UI designer - Graphic Design - Workshop facilitator - Occupational therapist - Stage production - Guide (travel, extreme sports etc...) - Barista As someone who needs accountability in their life to function, these jobs are wonderful for the teamwork and creative stimulation they offer.
@@ms.monologue i am a different being but here are some reasons I think OT would be a good job: 1. it's extremely varied, there's a lot of scope to re-specialize in the field. One year you might be helping lung cancer patients to breathe freely by breathing differently and the next you might decide you'd rather be helping big businesses make accommodations for employees with ADHD 2. It's quite physical, yes there's paperwork and sitting behind desks or sitting talking to people, but there's also a lot of things that involve moving around or demonstrating exercises (e.g. demonstrating wobble cushion games for kids with dyspraxia) 3. when you are doing the training you'll learn stuff that helps with ADHD and how to approach trouble-shooting difficulties that people have, including your own difficulties
I love being a software developer, the challenge of learning it, the complexity and logic involved and the feeling of "building" something was awesome... for the first 6~7 years. Now It's already getting boring, and I find myself having to change technologies, teams/projects and even jobs just to shake things up a bit. I constantly worry I'll stop liking it, which would eventually mean not being able to do it properly.
I feel this *so* hard. I've been writing code professionally for 10 years and I've been moving more into management. It's now time for me to decide to go back to individual contributor role or into more management. I'm worried because I just don't think my brain has the same fire for programming problem solving I had 5 years ago. It takes a ton of energy for me to problem solve. As long as I love it, it's great but when it's not... Oof. I'm starting to enjoy more 'people problems'. Ie how do I help this software team achieve a goal rather than for me to program 30+ hours a week
This particular video was a miss for me because I'm more of a bookish/artsy type who has activity limiting health issues, severe punctuality and time management problems, and extreme sun sensitivity. ; - D I really appreciate Dr. Barkley's work in general though!
Same here! I'm surprised artist wasn't recommended here as we ADHDers thrive in creative fields. I was disappointed that there weren't job options here for ADHDers who are introverted and don't want to deal with people.
@@bellaluce7088 i’ve found that online wfh jobs or freelancing are best for us introverted ADHDers! It’s what i do now and the only job I’ve lasted long
I agree with the sentiment but I feel this is not very realistic in most cases. Often "passions" do not provide enough income(Except if you are passionate about a standard lucrative job ) or are very unstable or take years and years to develop if you would want to make a business out of and even then often are not a good business plan from the start. If you must provide for your family and don't want to be homeless sometimes there are lucrative options that are not a major passion but can still be engaging enough to maintain as a career and have a fulfilling life. Plus passions for adhders are very volatile, I love all my various passions that I rotate through during the year. But I can never stick to "just one" and the time and effort plus finances that would be required to make them into a business is pretty non-realistic for someone with major executive function and no time management skills and that requires to be 100% self-directed which is often very difficult for people with adhd.
not true i'm not passionate about my job at all but i love doing it and it's my happy time. also like Jack said, i'm heavy adhd and always felt intuitively against studying my biggest passions academically or trying to milk them for money as i knew they would suck the life out them for me. ie even as a dj the process of listening to music for selections rather than pleasure took the enjoyment out of music for me.
I started a mechanical fitter and machinist apprenticeship in my early 30s after being diagnosed with ADHD. The medication helped me get through the study part of the apprenticeship. It's the best decision I have ever made. I have mostly worked as a machinist so far. I love manual machining, but ended up stuck doing CNC machining for the last few years... There is too much standing around and it was bad for me, but I'm about to start a position where I'll be trained in Hydraulics and rebuilding rock drills for the mining industry. This is such a broad trade that I can side step into a different position once I have learnt as much as I can and start getting bored. As long as there is good variation in what I do, and opportunities to learn I thrive. If I get stuck doing repetitive tasks or standing around watching a machine run it exhausts me.
I liked teaching in a hands-on, loosely structured environment. Talking and explaining are the easiest things ever. And above a certain IQ, you're destined to become a teacher. You have a choice between helping people become smarter, or going stark, raving mad at the world's stupidity. I also like manual, outdoor labor. The results of mowing a patch of grass or trimming a bush are instant. This removes the uncertainty between effort and effect that is always present with any kind of clerical or intellectual work. Interviewing one more person for a study you may never publish, filling out details on a form that won't be processed for weeks and may not lead to its intended effect: these kinds of things create a distance from the present that removes engagement. It speaks to Russell's theory of a deficiency in the potency of internally motivating objects of thought, as opposed to extrinsic, tangible stimuli that provide clear and immediate feedback Counterculture is another requirement for me. Neurodiverse people don't mix well with normies. Ordinary people are motivated primarily by social status, as opposed to connection. They operate within strict hierarchy, with submissive and dominant roles being the norm. They generally don't realize this, because it's just the sea they swim in, so they can't be made self-aware in this regard, and wouldn't want to anyway. Neurodivergent people are motivated more by connection and reciprocity, because we've basically never had any of either. We're much more outgroup social, and much less reverent of our local warlord. So corporations are empty, ghoulish places for most of us to be. Working with corporate droids is like having a job in the Uncanny Valley. Anything that combines tedium with uncertainty is an absolute no-go. Having to get together 5 documents and bring them to the DMV is a dark, dark, DARK feeling, because I know at least one irrational and inhumane requirement will be unfulfilled due to an indecipherable technicality somewhere. IT is NOT possible to complete any bureaucratic task on the first try, the second try, the first phone call, the third phone call, the fourth physical trip, or, at long last, the 7th circle. Bureaucracy is the bane of ADHD. And possibly individual humans in general. But I think people with ADHD have a particularly adversarial relationship with any human-created processes, as opposed to things that follow an organic and intuitive logic. Maybe because the people who create the majority of processes in society are absolute idiots. And since we have lower frustration tolerance and less ability to pay attention to redundant and illogical monotony, we're the ones taking the most fire on the front line in the fight against incompetent user interface.
I think your last paragraph is something most people don't understand about us. It caused me to suffer many years of shame because wasn't able to do "adulting". Thanks for sharing that and your other insights. I am a retired art teacher and currently gardening, making art and trying to figure out ways to create some income without ever having a regular JOB. Best to you. Peace love n pets
I wish I would have had this video 30 years ago when I felt so lost and not knowing how to manage my ADHD as a college student and then in the work place/finding a work place that was right for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your books, channel, research, hope and most of all kindness to and about individuals with ADHD! You’ve been a godsend to millions of people Dr. Barkley and I’m truly grateful for you!!!! 🙏🙏🙏
The problem with the ER it can be overly stimulating for ADHD. Also, detailed documentation is required especially with serious trauma patients going to the OR.
ER nursing would be perfect for me except the night shifts destroy me. Ideally want to be a specialist nurse again, so can hyperfocus on something I am interested in. Did that pre children... My absolute favourite job would be a stsy at home mum. Shame that doesn't pay the bills.
My favorite job outside of catering was working as a runner for a CPA firm, which is essentially an errand person/courier. I loved it because I was never in the office long enough to get pulled into any office politics, and I got to drive around all day and have BRIEF, friendly interactions with new people. I was happy for a time. Unfortunately, these jobs don’t pay enough for me to live. Now that I have a bad back, my options are very limited
The absolute best job I've ever had was medical transcription. It combined manual dexterity with my best cognitive skill, verbal/auditory processing. No need for working memory, just rewind the tape. I am really introverted, so being alone was very comfortable. Every report was different and medicine is fascinating. There was some challenge when clinicians would murmur or had very strong accents. I lovvvveeed transcription, and then voice-to-text came along and I got laid off. Now I sell handwoven bohemian wall hangings and handspun yarn on Etsy. It doesn't pay as well but it's work I can do. I need to have my hands in almost constant motion.
Retail stocking was actually a pretty fun job. The customers and managers absolutely ruin it though. I do transcription from home and it's a lot better not having to deal with people.
Theatrical stagehand work was wonderful -- it's a mix of everything: super hurried to waiting around, focusing on details and also the big picture, super technical and also artistic, working with your hands and working with your mind, creative problem-solving and "here's how certain things are done," talking to locals and your own show's people and being quiet, working with a team and working on your own. You were always bouncing back and forth between things. And this goes for all departments: lighting, rigging, props, carpentry, automation, audio, video, wardrobe, stage management, etc.
Dr, I so appreciate your hardline science around Adhd and the challenges it presents because it’s important for people to know and understand whether they have ADHD or not. I also appreciate your solution oriented video such as this with compassion. Thank you for your life’s work.
and worse yet, education is moving out of classrooms with regular schedules and low distraction environments and into your bedroom because everything is distance/remote/from home now. Absolutely untenable with ADHD, so going back to school is nearly as unrealistic.
I wanted to comment to say- if you're thinking of going back to school as an older student, do it. Especially if you meet requirements for the Pell Grant, if you happen to be US-based. It's hard but not impossible. I'm currently working and taking one class at a time and working with my therapist on how to develop organizational strategies and the like. One of the big pieces of advice I have is to fuck around and find out, literally. People say that negatively but it's the only way to discover what actually works for you as someone with ADHD. On a whim, I decided to try going to the libraries of a couple local universities to see if that helped concentration, and it made a huge difference. One of them is even open to students 24/7, but security is lax enough that it's fairly easy to sneak behind somebody else even tho I don't have a student card. I wouldn't know this if I didn't try to see what may happen. It's the kind of info you wouldn't know unless you found out yourself, and being able to access a crowded but quiet space at all hours of the night (my most productive time) has made a difference in my ability to get work done. Obviously this solution will not work for everyone because of its specificity, but what I'm saying is, there might be strategies available to YOU specifically if you just experimented enough to find them. Don't give up!!! Or do, idk, I'm not in control of you. But you deserve to feel hopeful abt your future, so I hope you don't give up
Not necessarily true. I have no degree, mostly retail experience, worked for myself as a photographer for a little over a decade, and went to work at a grocery store for 6 years, then decided I wanted to buy a house. Was talking to a friend who had a well-paying corporate job (by working her way up from the bottom), and she suggested I apply for a job at the same company. I did, and I found a position that didn’t require a degree that had some things I had experience in (sales, working with customers, being technically minded, and good with people, detail-oriented, etc.) and sold myself to the hiring manager. After a year, I qualified for a house and bought one by myself with money I had been saving for several years+the extra I was able to save over the last year. I absolutely hate the job and am planning on going back to school, as soon as I get a few housemates so I can work part time while earning my degree. I’m almost 40. Don’t let age determine your life. ANYTHING is possible if you put your mind+ass into it. Where there is a will, there’s a way! Where there is little to no will, there’s an excuse. I believe in you! I hope you do, too!
I had hoped that there was a change in outlook on this particular topic - and unfortunately it doesn't seem so. My challenge has always been how career opportunities for ADHDers are always attached to the overarching trope of hyperactivity and non-cerebral which means that a vast swathe of the Inattentive is excluded. The "average" ADHDer, and for that matter neurotypical, is not going to achieve the heights of Simone Biles - and as an ADHDer who has never been an athlete, nor a useful hands-on type what does that leave us with? Long before diagnosis I worked in a petrochemical laboratory, hands on was troubleshooting and product development which meant stimulation through creativity. I despised the routine work that comes with working in a lab but structure makes it workable. This is a challenging topic with many areas that are just so disappointing in how disempowering this feels. Ideologically I could never work in the military - structure is one thing but following orders for the sake of following orders will not work for a good percentage of ADHDers either because of latent ODD or (P)DA. I would really appreciate a more nuanced review of occupational opportunities that includes the Inattentive, that doesn't exclude the "twice exceptional", and includes the "interest focused" cerebral ADHDers who do read books vociferously. And finally, turning the tables that some in the ND movement advocate for, making employers more inclusive of ADHD (et al) by recognising OUR needs in their workplace. Professor Kirby and Theo Smith have an excellent book that focuses on this aspect.
Very well said! I completely agree, a lot of careers suggested for ADHDers are for hyperactive non-academic types, but there's a significant number of intellectual inattentive type ADHDers who could never see ourselves in any of these careers and need suggestions of how to survive in the workplace.
I'm in the same boat. I'm studying to be a paralegal, and while I can follow a structured routine at work, it's very difficult for me to plan structure on my own and follow through. I'm going to look up the doctors you suggested.
I can really relate to this. Jobs that I loved and thrived in were photo finishing, garden center sales, and fragrance sales. My current job is sitting at my computer rating English speaking tests. It takes a lot of effort to focus on it, but I still love it. Luckily, it's something I can do at my own pace so I will rate 5 tests, go do something else for a while, then do 5 more, this method has been working really well for me.
@@Wayfarer889 sure, it's a Japanese company but it has offices in the US. I live in Japan but applied through their Bellevue WA location. My cousin told me about it. It's an English proficiency test, with 2 writing levels and 2 speaking levels. I had to take 4 tests to become certified, I failed both of the writing tests, but passed both of the speaking ones. So my job is to listen to audio files and rate them from 1 to 5 based on a criteria. If you're looking earn extra money then it's good, but if you're looking for a stable income it's not. Sometimes there is a lot to and sometimes there's nothing. To give you an example, in April I made over a thousand, but for May I made under three hundred. Unfortunately, the link that I applied through no longer has their job list, but I know that they are always hiring test raters, so I can ask the manager if I can give you her email address to send your resume, but I don't think it's a good idea to send it here, so if you want, you can look me up on FB and send me a private message.
I have found massage therapy to be a great career for myself. Since I do medical massage, each client is different, there's a lot of communication, there's some note taking, cleaning, laundry, etc. If I start feeling bored I can find some chair events to do. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of relaxation massages. But figuring out what's going on, developing a treatment plan, and combining different modalities to help someone feel better is very engaging. It's a combination of analysis and creativity. There are so many continuing education classes and different techniques to learn, which then changes what you are doing in your practice, helping to keep it all fresh.
You're the best, Dr. Barkley!!! Thank you. Thank you. A perfect job for ADHD People; Flight Attendant. For me, Retail--No Way! Office Work--I was also a total flop. Restuarnt work. annoyed me. Airline Flight Attendant fit my ADHD mind, attitude, personality, energy, love of people, need for constant change and physical activity perfectly. I started my flying career at age 21. Ahhh, Perfection for me. ADHD diagnosed in my 60s. Just retired at age 79. So Blessed and Thankful to enjoy and love my chosen career! Something to consider for other ADHD people.
I find boring jobs to be perfect for me as I don't have to focus too much and I have the freedom to get lost in my own thoughts. I've always wanted to be a librarian. I found that jobs with flexible hours, or freelancing are the best for ADHD.
i’m studying occupational therapy and i absolutely LOVE it !! i highly recommend anyone with adhd to look into it if you’re interested in disability support and advocacy, neuroscience, anatomy, and arts and crafts !!! a part of what OTs do is they provide therapy through enjoyable activities, so it’s not unusual for a therapy session to consist of painting, or play doh, or music and dancing, etc. bc we use these activities to therapeutically benefit clients. it’s so incredibly fun and definitely facilitates my adhd and makes it an advantage
@danielakolundzija50 I got all the way through law school and a graduate diploma before being diagnosed. Look into IQ masking. Also, depending on the country and what special consideration is available, sometimes it's not as hard to get into certain courses as is the case here in Australia.
I’m not an OT, but responding to your last sentence about most ADHDers not getting good scores/grades, this isn’t necessarily true. There are many ADHD folks who are able to be straight A students who’ve developed helpful coping mechanisms and avoided developing “Learned Helplessness” who end up being very successful, but unfortunately due to their success and lack of appearance of struggle externally, go undiagnosed for many, many years, and struggle internally/emotionally, until they find out much later in life.
All of the more practical, outdoorsy ideas definitely align with my ADHD experience and symptoms. But the rest of me equally wants to be locked in intellectual and mental work, it's like two very fundamental parts of me are at odds. At the end of the day I realise that life needs variety and what you don't get from one activity you can get from another. I've been a teacher for the last 7 years, and frankly, it's left me ragged. I'm too tired, and I can't build up enough energy to improve my physical and mental health. Suitable as it may be, it stops being suitable when you can't really "profit" and grow from the job. While I don't have any ideas on ADHD friendly occupations specifically, I can say that I've come to appreciate the value of having a life full of variety. That way, if the job isn't ADHD friendly, the rest of your life can be.
This is the same situation I have found myself. One part of me wants intellectual work while the other prefers outdoor/handy. It's hard for me ride now, because I'm 23 and now trying to find my first job.
This is the same situation I have found myself. One part of me wants intellectual work while the other prefers outdoor/handy. It's hard for me ride now, because I'm 23 and now trying to find my first job.
A really important and useful summary! I do have 4 points of critique/feedback though. First, I’m not convinced that it makes sense to break down jobs using the label of manual vs cognitive. Many manual jobs - such as house renovation - involve large cognitive/reflective elements. Meanwhile in this digital world, making things is no longer only a manual job! Consider, for example, digital art, product design. A better framing to my mind would be jobs that involve making, doing, interacting or creating vs jobs that are abstract or reflective. Second, I think this also misses out WAYS of working, which can hugely impact ADHD folks. For example, flexible vs inflexible work. ADHD folks are likely to benefit from being able to work when and it suits them. So jobs that offer flexible hours (fully flexible or flexitime - this also helps combat time blindness!). Jobs that allow you to choose your location (remote, office or hybrid). Workplaces that allow you autonomy in choosing your approach to work. All of these will be more beneficial for ADHDers than traditional, inflexible environments. I’d also recommend ADHD folks consider roles that use Agile ways of working, such as scrum and kanban. Right now this is largely IT, digital delivery and design sector work, but these practices hugely benefit ADHD folks as they involve working collaboratively, breaking down and prioritising tasks together, checking in as a group regularly to discuss progress and troubleshoot, set regular but smaller deadlines and have roles dedicated to keeping you on track. I personally work in Product Design (in a fully flexible job using Agile practices) and it’s stuffed with neurodivergent folks! In my last role, my team of 15 user centred practitioners (designers and researchers) had 3 x diagnosed ADHD, 1 x diagnosed AuDHD and 2 further people who suspected an ADHD diagnosis!! This included our highest performers (myself - ADHD - included). Third, I was surprised that this didn’t say “work that involves your special interests or that fits in with things that you find highly engaging”. You could take a job that suits ADHD in every other respect but if you aren’t engaged by it then you may still struggle. And if you can find work in your areas of special interest, you’ll likely be a valuable employee due to having deep expertise in, and passion for, your interest. Finally I’d also suggest that, in the modern world, ADHD folks might thrive working two different jobs - a bit of office work and side hustle as a gardener or fitness instructor. We are no longer held to traditional job formats or career structures!
I agree that project management is a splendid avenue for ADD/ADHD people who are able to handle abstract concepts. Missions being limited in time, every mission is novel, you have to handle various tasks at the same time, coming up with out of the box solutions, these characteristics of the job all contribute to keeping boredom at bay. Just to complete the info you gave : I have ADD and the start of the Agile methodology in my company actually made me quit being a project manager (17 years) and I started a new career as an internal auditor. There is a place for each project management methodology. Agile is perfect for startups and small companies, where the impact of unfinished features and bugs is relatively contained. But for a big company employing more then 27.000 people (potential users of the changed or new service) and providing financial services to the citizens of a whole country (potential users), going Agile is really ill-advised. If you can't afford bugs at the risk of getting sued and fined millions for non compliance or severe reputational risk, the Project Management Body of Knowledge methodology of the PMI (project management institute) is the only way to go. This does not mean that you can't subdivise the program in different projects. But what is delivered has to make sens and has to be without fault (meaning : UAT tested, E2E tested, dry run tested and when an entire system is replaced you need parallell roll outs).
My ADHD symptoms are quite devided and I’ve found that I’m best in a job where I can both concentrate on something intricately as well as work with people and go to meetings or do something with my hands. If I think about my most productive times, I would say that working in blocks for different duties has been the most productive. As a public librarian/library assistant, that was easy since our days were usually divided into sections of couple of hours. I did prefer sections of 3-4 hours since beginning, switching and ending tasks is quite laborous for my mind. But I liked that I could handle books like shelving for two hours (physical labour), work at an information desk as customer server for three or four (social) and then work on larger projects like events, social media, book lists and meetings for the remaining time (intricate, project or self-rewarding). When I was doing only customer service, I missed the work where I could be in a quiet place all by myself and would just do something meticulous (I really lost myself into it) like cataloging. When I was doing that kind of work, I missed working with clients and having conversations with collegues. So I’ve realized that I’m most happy with work that fuzes all three together. I think the examples Dr. Barkley here presented are great, but I also think that they are maybe suited best for people with a lot of hyperactivity. As someone with especially hyperfocus as one of their strongest features, I also love quite meticulous work - when it’s my favorite subject. I also prefer to work at my own organized desk rather than all over while doing it of course. I’ve discussed about this issue a lot with other ADHD women in Finland online and was really surprised about the different jobs that I’ve found out and what clicked with them. I for example heard that at least one was an accountant and that they loved the work because it was like detective work, trying to find the missing puzzle pieces whenever the sums didn’t add up! I used to play similar games when books were missing from the shelves or making predictions which books were worth taking off catalogue or taken to storage. I became really succesful in those things and made them really interesting for me. A lot of people were journalists, nurses, entrepreneurs but I realized that there were people from all fields or work and all different education levels. There were doctorates and manual laborers. Many people had done different things and changed their careers many times. That gave me hope that someday I might also found something else suitable for myself (huge unemployment in Finland for librarians at the moment). I also believe that because education is so valued in Finland, it’s mandatory to continue your education till age 18 (or have a job etc) and because education is free (for almost till the end), more young adults have more possibilities to continue education paths. Children and teens also get special education since kindergarten where almost all children go to and our kindergarten teachers have higher education degrees, while there are of course other staff helping as well. That means that children nowadays can be recognized by these teachers earlier and get specialized help for both children and their parents. This help is provided all through the education system and until young adults. I myself was born in the 80’s in a small village, where nobody had heard of girls with ADHD. I did get special education with math and fortunately finnish school system helped me through the basic education. We also had an amazing young teacher fresh from school and he began using new techniques like groupwork, presentations etc where we could be really creative and learn about subjects delving into them. We could learn about history while doing a play on it etc or watching a movie. My teacher also used a lot of calming music as we were writing essayes etc so it was easier to concentrate. As I went into high school, I had reached others and began to do really well. That meant that I had the possibility to choose free higher education. It’s really sad to realize that others the same aged as me didn’t have enough support from school system back then and this has harmed their self-image and made these things more troublesome for them. So it’s very much down to the early education systems how the child and it’s family is being supported through the system. I would be really interested to see something that would discuss about different education cultures or dogmas and what impact they hold on children. I’ve been to different schools and kindergartens like montessori and think there are interesting things in each of them that would suit some children and be harmful for others (all education systems can be harmful for certain individuals).
I've had different kinds of jobs and in all of them it was very difficult for me to keep motivation for more than a couple of months, until I started working in a kindergarten. I didn't lose motivation, but even more it was that for the first time in my life I was getting praise and recognition. I was being appreciated, and I felt like I belonged. If you love children and you're concerned about making a positive difference, it can be very rewarding. It does require some anger management though.
Neurodivergence is very prevalent in IT, it must be the continuous stream of novelty that comes with it that attracts adhd and asd people. At ASML they like to boast about their amount of autistic employees and their exceptional performance in the field. At my school I asked my dean if it was also true for our school that 25 percent would be neurodivergent and she answered: "Well, that must be at least 25 percent.".
Software engineering can offer an endless stream of novelty. Of course there's routine and there are noisy offices, but home office + modern technologies is perfect for ADHD.
@@neithere Home office is completely unworkable for me. Might as well tell me to go knit a sweater at the bottom of the ocean. Its funny how different presentations of ADHD have vastly different coping strategies.
I'm 41 and have been in IT for 20 years. Also was in the Marines for 5 years. I find the structure and predictably along with the variety of issues that come across my desk are perfect for me. I don't mind dealing with people, but being bothered while I'm in the middle of something drives me nuts. I hate working from home, and enjoy going to the office.
I love being a Software Engineer/Web Developer and I've met so many others with ADHD. I'm starting to think it's one of the best choices if you like tech or need a lot of mental stimulation in your job. This is a broad field with many jobs, so I think it depends on what you choose to do. It plays to my strengths - problem solving, creativity, adaptability, and learning new things. There's a tonne of variety with different projects and clients and constant short term deadlines and tickets to complete - which helps keep the goal in sight and feels rewarding to check off. I'm a little more introverted, and easily get overwhelmed/exhausted in busy environments, so the quiet of working from home suits me. But there are plenty of noisier, more social jobs in start ups, and for remote working you can go to a co-working space. While I'm not physically building something, the work feels very mentally active and there's a clear product being made. The only downsides are that writing documentation can be boring sometimes (though I'm grateful for it later and AI has helped this a lot) and lack of movement at my desk all day, which I'm working on. Previously a teacher (sensory overwhelm, too much paper work), web copy editor (boring, but lots of deadlines to keep me on my toes and I was good at it), music/singing teacher (amazing job, but very unreliable). The job I disliked the most was retail work - just constant sensory overwhelm and exhaustion, followed by boring quiet periods, while waiting for customers.
The Environmental health field is really awesome too. So much variety, dealing with the public. Bit of admin, but lots of trips out on investigations, special events, and business inspections.
I am a lawyer with ADHD. Although I have had my achievements, it has held me back in a lot of ways. I love "action" assignments such as depositions and trials!
Thank you for the providing this information in such a kind way. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed at the tender age of 46, so most of these seem impossible (and the ones that don't seem impossible sound tortuous to me. Story of my life, lol!). It certainly why I was horrible at all admin jobs - I was constantly finding reasons to get away from my desk. And working in a cubicle? 😱 Luckily, I got ill and stopped working 13 years ago. In the mean time I've taken numerous courses, volunteered at various places, and burned out each time. I have no skills and can't seem to find a productive direction to put my energy. I started a TEFL certificate and burned out again. So what do those who are diagnosed very late with no transferable skills/talents do? (Yes, I'm in therapy, lol!)
We have a lot in common. I was diagnosed ADHD-I two years ago at 46. Now I am ill and disabled. Pretty useless. Originally getting diagnosed seemed positive and life changing, to finally understand myself and learn I am not alone. But these days it is just depressing. I am constantly reminded of how things could have been different if I had only known earlier... So much regret. I am so sorry that you are dealing with this too.
I was a bank teller and I really enjoyed that job. Talking to people, helping them with their banking needs. Then one day I was held at gunpoint and I have severe ptsd from it. Now I’m on disability.
I'm a registered nurse and it has been perfect for my adhd brain! I worked in the ICU for years and my hyperfocus helped me excel there. Now I'm in a private surgical clinic and I rotate through 5 different roles on my days there. Plus it's not uncommon for nurses to change jobs frequently (every 5 years or so) so it doesn't reflect poorly on your resume when you get bored with one job and need a change!
@fanamuhammed1349 I tried concerta first which made me sleepy and then switched to vyvanse. It has helped with my mental health a lot. I'm less anxious, binge eat less, have a little extra motivation. I can get up and start getting things done instead of getting stuck in my head and doing nothing. I'm also starting strattera to try to help more with focus and working memory. Vyvanse makes me feel good but in a way makes me feel a little more adhd because it's like I've been using the anxiety to get things done. I'm hoping the strattera helps me feel that little bit more organized. But I'm 40 and I've spent my life making systems and rules for myself, so work isn't too hard to keep things organized because of that. I have many many notes and calendar reminders!
Thank you acknowledging this aspect of life for adults with ADHD. One thing to consider is how much strength one needs in understanding the perspective of others, and the ability to work in chaotic situations. I was a high school art teacher for almost 20 years. My classroom was in the old part of the school where the shop classes used to be which required frequent movement outdoors to check my mailbox in the office, make copies (back in the days before we all had printers in our halls), even visit the restrooms or buy lunch in the cafeteria. The changes in class the variety of kids and people around me, the variety of projects going on both sustained interest but also overwhelmed sometimes. I reallllly struggled with my emotions when it came to dealing with difficult kids. I would say this drained my tank and served in the end s the reason I burned out BUT, this was just me. That is a very weak area in my executive function. Paying attention to detail in the area of grading was a struggle too but I found much grace in this area and learned how to deal with that over the years. I loved teaching art and loved the interaction and movement available to me in that environment though and it was overall a good fit for ADHD. If I had realized I had ADHD, I would have pursued medication- which likely would have helped with the emotions.
Hi dr Barkley! I have adhd and I work in data analytics and it has been great. I really enjoy problem solving and learning new things all the time. Not much manual work but I do get to tinker around systems and find cool things! Also it is very structured i work with stats, formulas, systems and programming languages. I enjoy structured things as there's less ambiguity. On the other side I do get to be creative with pretty graphs and colours!
Im 29 I’ve been in trades for most of my life. Renovating, stonemasonry, concreting. Now I’m studying to be a design and technology teacher. Teaching students robotics, coding, woodwork, metalwork, engineering and I’m minoring in outdoor education.
After working in office jobs for 30+ years, I finally found my career path in working with dogs. First, as a dog walker, then I became a dog trainer and behavior consultant and it has been such a great fit for me. I also found that I love teaching group classes, which was a huge surprise for me because I don't like public speaking. I find teaching classes so much fun: it's active, students come and go so there are always new dogs and people to meet and work with, I get to (over)share what I know, and I am providing much needed support to people and their dogs. Networking with lots of other dog professionals has lead me to believe that many people who have chosen this career are neurodivergent. I haven't done a survey or study on this, but I hope someone does one day.
This hits home. I have worked many diff jobs, but every long term job was chef, fast food, whole animal butcher (trade) music (djs at bars and raves) and now at Costco where I am trained across 8 diff positions and never know whwlere I will be
I am 43 years old, just diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type, more likely CDS. I live in Italy. Some years ago I believed I would never find the right job for me. I was wrong. As an art historian, now I cohoperate with a museum (making guides, creating didactic activities etc); I also cohoperate with a newspaper writing articles on my favourite subject; right now I am moving my first steps as art curator etc. I love my jobs because they enhance my talents and also because certains ADHD treats seem to be no more a curse but a gift 😄 my struggles are still there but I don't feel them so heavy like in other contexts of my life.
My son is ADHD too and he is in the military. He feels very comfortable in a high structured and planned job, with a lot of workout, routines but also with highly adrenaline activities.
A year ago I decided to quit pursuing my Masters degree I was stuck on and went into early childhood education. Sometimes I get doubts whether that was the right decision for me, but I enjoy working in the daycare so much and this video showed me exactly why.
I've been diagnosed with ADHD at age of 33, one year ago. I work in IT sector as a Server Reliability Engineer and co-owner/director of a IT Service company. I have to work in emergency situations and also in regular maintenance of infrastructure. Regular maintenance is of course harder part to manage when you have ADHD, but in my case i have some degree of elasticity that allows me to switch tools that i use and tasks that i work on. I find my job very stimulating - I have to use double dose of my medications in days off. There are also tasks that i struggle with, like keeping up with the deadlines, doing long paperwork, remembering to answer emails - all this is very exhausting. These also put me in uncomfortable situation with my partners, who are unsatisfied with results of my work from past years. I think that having supporting staff around me is important for me to keep regular, baby-step approach in long term projects (to hold me accountable and on-track). Currently criticism i get keeps me in negative thought spirals and i feel unmotivated or paralysed with anxiety, so i think about switching temporarily to less demanding job, and eventually starting my own business.
Floristry!! 💐🌹🌻 You get to work with nature, you get to be creative with a wide variety of colours, shapes, textures, designs etc. There's alot of different tasks that need to be done, the order changes depending on what's important, it's usually fast-paced You need to be impulsive and make quick decisions, independent problem solving is a strong assert. Literally most employees are neuro-spicy too! There's customer interaction and chatting amungst yourself when it's quiet. You can do events floristry where ur working as a big team to make huge beautiful designs for weddings funerals, corporate, functions etc. Travelling to countless locations, hands on instalations, maintenance and taking everything appart afterwards. Very rewarding! I never planed to get into it, it just happened and I didn't know I needed it 😊
The work environment is really the most important part. Good people around you, no sounds, smells or movements that affects your ability to focus. I have been diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger. "Simple jobs" are really bad for me. Working in factories, and other stuff that does not challenge you intellectually. I have issues with focus when studying, working etc but if i have a good environment its easier. The best type of jobs for me that i have been able to try is in IT, like programming. The worst kinds of jobs have been working in factories, welding, landscaping, constructions, and more. Working with people is not for me either, does not matter if its in a store, restaurant or in the medical field. My brain needs to be challenged but only if i really like the topics.
Something I would add to this list is being a psychotherapist! I'm a therapist and find that my ADHD can be helpful in many ways (staying in the present moment with clients, recognizing patterns etc.). Medication is helpful though so I can sit still and not get too distracted haha
I’m currently a micro poultry farmer, raising pastured thanksgiving turkeys with my family in SE VA… But prior to that, I worked in television as a production manager free-Lance. Although it required me to stay on meds and have extreme organization, it was a great blend of “familiar routines” and “novel new experiences.” I have inattentive type, but the new surroundings and new coworkers on every show always kept me engaged.
I work in state government, in policy. I log on, feverishly answer as many emails as possible and then I go from Teams meeting to Teams, sometimes participating in 10 meetings in a day. I dial in and bang through the day, going from topic to topic. It works for me because I don't have time to have the motivation plunge. The significance of the work and the intense and sincere problem solving keeps my receptors fed.
Lots of good advice in the video and comments. Having a passion certainly helps ADHD'ers performance. I worked on a trading floor, solving problems in an entrepreneurial, constantly changing environment. You need to be numerate, but it's social and intellectually engaging.
I was in the military for 5 years and am now in school for Radiologic Technologist. I work in Computed Tomogrqphy. Scans don't take long but I'm up moving around a lot. Going to get my bachelor's in Nuclear Medicine. I love radiology. MRI may not be best since the scans are longer and take more attention but there are modalities like IR, surgery, cath lab, and so on. I can do so many things. Absolutely love it!!!
Honestly, being a stay-at-home homeschooling mom has been my favourite career/job so far. Providing enough routine/structure for us all to function well has been a challenge and sometimes it's too social now (it was a bit boring when the littles weren't verbal but I did a lot of academic reading and went for lots of walks to stimulate myself), but it provides a really excellent balance off all the "features" he mentions.
Adhd female with a Fashion design degree. Worked in production, sewing, drafting (enjoyed pattern drafting but needed to watch out for careless mistakes.) Lots of moving around and new projects daily.
I'm a local journalist and have been in this job for almost 30 years. I am doing something different every day. It's deadline driven, and I get to be social. There are a lot of ADHDers in my field.
I can attest to nursing being a great ADHD job. The job is structured, but not so structured that I find myself being bored. There's usually something new and exciting happening each day. It's a challenging and high pressure job, but I thrive on that sort of thing. It took some practice to train myself to continually reassess priorities so that I stay on track. Also, once you get your nursing license, there's 100 different directions you can go, so if you become bored of one area of nursing you can switch things up and try something new without having to go back to school again! All that being said, it takes the right kind of person to be a nurse, so If you don't think you'd be compassionate to people at their lowest please do not consider nursing.
Toxic working environment though In the hospital. Massive turn over and if you don’t already have a depression and anxiety issue it can be a bit more challenging. I do agree with a lot of moving around and something different everyday. Rejection sensitivity and time management can get you on punching that clock can get you. We know in that environment being late is definitely unforgiving.
I’m a CFO for a midsized hospitality company. Got my start in public accounting and consulting. The work is complex, surprisingly human focused, and incredibly varied. After leaving last year for the job I’m in now, I can avoid the details and focus on high level, complex issues. It’s been a great path.
I’m retired now but for me not knowing I was adhd inattentive back in school and 2 year electrical construction and maintenance community I found as where my career was as I was in college. I worked in many gas stations and just ended up enjoying learning new stuff everyday. At 16 pumping gas and between full service pumps back then ...lol and then changing tires and oil changes through time had a knack to fix things. I wanted to work for Niagra Mohawk power company climbing poles and go off to the next power outage was exciting and pay was good I assumed. The recession in the mid 70,s was a time no jobs any where so I became a mechanic after my boss said you want to learn. I retired with a nice pension and my electrical back ground helped as cars got more complex. Life is a journey for sure
I love how many of the things I considered or wanted to be-law enforcement (though ACAB), ER doctor, tradeswork, some kind of outdoor profession like forest ranger-are on this list. And the profession I got talked into-attorney-is not. Being able to do something (and even being good at it) isn’t the same as being suited for the profession. I’m actually pretty good at my work… it just drains the life out of me. Less so, now that I’ve found a less demanding position in the profession, but trying to do something I’m not suited for exhausts me. Not going to med school is probably my number one regret (though the choices I made led me to a good life with a person I love, so I wouldn’t want to go back and change them now).
It's great reading all the comments here about people with ADHD who've found their right career path. I work in a highly technical job that pays well and allows me to work from home, but I am perpetually getting by without ever excelling at it. It's extra depressing because I am wrapping up an advanced degree too to "double down" on this career path that I'm not looking forward to. I have a family now and feel it's too late to take career risks and explore something new if it means we might not be able to put food on the table
Holy shit I'm in exactly the same situation right now. I'm getting more and more depressed because I'm actually quite good in School but I'm fearing that it all will crumple down once I'm back in the industry. And my therapist pushed me into this school. I have a suspicion she might just be a really bad therapist for neurodivergent people
Honestly, if you have found a job you can do without burning yourself out or feeling dissatisfied... Save your passion for outside work hours. Employment is just a safety net to avoid homelessness and poverty.
I'm surprised that occupations like social work and community engagement wasn't on the list. Often has very reflexive components, lots of variety in day to day activity, can really engage people with a space to utilise their justice oriented mindsets. Can also require a high level skill building e.g. taking on counselling or therapeutic work, running workshops or skill building activities, working with diverse people. Can be a space where ADHD cognitive strengths really shine. And, with the emergence of lived experience - ADHD experience of poor mental health can be hugely beneficial to actively supporting others and building geniune rapport.
Live production stagehand work I’ve found is great for me, because the “jack of all trades” mentality is appreciated. You can get electrical training, chauffeurs license or CDL, rigging training, and you’re more valuable the more different things you can do, as opposed to the tech industry where you’re almost forced to specialize in a very specific thing. There are also more technical aspects of audio and video that if you are into technical/intellectual work, you can start to learn and implement. The downside is that it’s almost all contract work or PRN so it’s a hustle to get hours continuously and benefits are hard to come by, and prepare to track mileage, keep receipts, etc for taxes.
Have clearly gone through many of these from tourism/outdoor activities to performing arts to product inventorship, but OH DANG I wish I had the knowledge of all of this in high school. I would've let the natural me bloom with greater ease.
I’m a clinical supervisor at an early intervention center. It’s very fast paced with lots of social interaction and multitasking. Very active and playful. It’s perfect for my hyperactive subtype adhd!
I have found that I am most easily motivated in jobs where I get to help other people. I started in retail, then was a tutor for a while, and then ended up in IT support. My special interest is problem solving, and I like learning new things, but like I said I am motivated to help other people.
I work as an X-ray welder (stainless steel piping for the pharma/food industry). It does tick all of these boxes and I do enjoy the challenge of creating a nice-looking weld. I'm always moving, using my hands and many different tools. I work together with a small team and some communication is needed, but most of the time is spent putting on my welding mask, turning on some music, and pretty much disappearing into my own world. A TIG welding torch creates an electrical arc with a temperature of up to 19000 degrees Celsius. That's hotter than the surface of the sun! watching metal melt in front of your eyes and being able to manipulate it with your hands is very fascinating to me.
I struggled with keeping a job until what I'm doing now. I am a scientific comunicator. I work in a science museum helping visitors understand all sort of topics. Every day is different, I get to walk around the whole museum, and I'm constantly learning new things. MY JOB LITERALLY REWARDS MY OVERSHARING OF FACTS
I love this. Sounds lovely.
@@azlizzie I finally feel acomplished at my job. No joke, it's a dream come true.
This is amazing ❤
@@Chojan7189 *CONGRATULATIONS!* 🏆🤩🏆So awesome that you found your dream! And thank you for making me laugh with the all-caps excitement about being rewarded for oversharing facts. ; - D I would love that too.
Powerful!
As an advocate I've found that there's no specific jobs or even fields that my clients come from or wind up in. What I have found is that workplace cultures impact far more heavily on their work and life. Poor workplace cultures tend to impact us very deeply and cause burnout and other awful things at a much higher frequency.
This !
Totally Agreed! A proper support system who understands us as an individual whether intentionally due to proper understanding of us as an individual and what we need and how we operate overall etc or unintentionally and subconsciously and just luckily match up with us well with a sort of natural understanding of us and either way if you have that understanding and support from a boss and co-workers in a positive healthy environment with a normal healthy empathic nonslave driving company/ Owner of the company than yes you can honestly almost do anything! I have experienced this myself and become exceptionally great at things I genuinely thought I could never even comprehend or understand much less actually be able to do and be good at it as well! It's a complete game changer and opens up potential in us that we truly never knew we had there!
Exactly! I’ve been a librarian/library assistant and I’ve enjoyed my work the most when I’ve been working on my own projects or worked at places that value me and my experience. Usually I prefer larger organizations, because they have more leverage for different types of people than small ones. There I won’t stand out as much as an individual. I also look for places with low hierarchy, I especially prefer frequent communication with my supervisors/bosses so that I know what is expected of me and I also can easily communicate my own needs/ preferences. Nowadays, I usually openly communicate about these things on my interviews, because the work environment means a lot to my success in the workplace. My old bosses mentioned that I was the canary bird on the mines that would signal them how the work environment felt about things, and they meant it the good way, because they could correct the changes or do something about them before things started going bad.
That is true. I'm a senior Accountant, can you believe that? And my boss and coworkers often tell me how I'm appreciated so I must be doing a good job. But I am not micro-managed (take breaks as I need it) and I mostly work from home ( chatty co workers aren't distracting me)
yes
I’m professor at the college. This is the best profession for me. Diagnosed with ADHD and ASD in my late 30th, and suddenly everything became so clear and make sense. I changed the well paid job I hated, monotonous and routine, to pursue career in academia. Thank you Dr. Barkley, your lectures inspired me to start my PhD to do research that will help students with ADHD to be more successful at school and in their future profession.
Any advice for those that struggle with school?
@@mr.rubicon1193 First, make sure you reach out to the DRC office. Second, start working on self-discipline, and the best if you have someone in life who can help by being your body double, and “verifier”. Third, find medication that works for you, together with licensed psychiatrist you might go through a few different ones.
If you want to learn more - please watch How To ADHD. This channel is just my #1 resource. Good luck!
I also have the ASD ADHD combo. I feel like I'm a bit better off than the average person with ASD or ADHD
@@mr.rubicon1193 Do your studying and homework in fifteen minute spurts. 15 on and 15 off
I love teaching/training junior engineers, interns, and contractors. It's the best part of my job but the rest of the work is brutal. I wish I could be a teacher, I got my degree but getting a PhD is really out of reach even though I'd love to be a professor. Teaching is so exciting vs writing reports.
I diagnosed myself with ADHD after retirement
I was an airline pilot.
At times it was boring. I really loved it when the weather was bad or when things went wrong😊 and I was challenged.
I was also happier and more relaxed as a Captain rather than a co-pilot. I was very uncomfortable with authority figures. I loved being the authority.
A psychologist told me there are hunters and farmers. I am a hunter always looking ahead and seeing the ‘big picture’. Being a farmer would not have worked
Now at 80, I wish I knew all this sixty years ago.
Great video Dr. Barkley.
yeah ADHDers have hunter-gatherer brains :)
Thanks for sharing! My 16 year-old daughter wants to be an airline pilot. She has mild ADD and I have wondered if it would be a good fit. She is also very artistic and loves wildlife photography and drawing/design. She wants to keep her art as a hobby and pursue it in her downtime as a pilot. She thinks that traveling to different places will be enough to break up the monotony. What do you think? Any advice?
Dam that’s crazy and I thought I shouldn’t drive but the fact that you steered a pilot.
I'm 30 and hopefully starting school next year. I think it could be the career I've been looking for. Monotonous at times, but exciting other times too. I get worn out from talking to many customers in a day at my bar, but I LOVE talking to my regulars or having one on one time with someone to establish a connection. I seem to be able to drive conversation well when it isn't a group of people or many types of people in front of me. I think I could handle working with a new captain each time (Canada)
@@Wayfarer889 She should think about another career unless she can function unmedicated. The FAA prohibits airline pilots from flying while on stimulant medication and you have to be off it for 4 years before consideration. They'll also require a psychologist sign off on her capability.
This advice appears more suited to people having the Impulsive presentation rather than the Inattentive presentation.
yeah the occupational choices i have had over my lifetime have mainly been 'predictable, manual, and solitary'. Not 400 different things pulling me in different directions and changing every day. The work becomes the therapy because I am effectively meditating all day long. Then I have the clarity of mind to be a functional adult when i get home.
@JesseRudolph oooh, that sounds quite nice.
@@homelessrobot Same. Can you give some examples? I'm considering changing career but have no idea to what... I worked as a mail(wo)man for a while, it was great except the work hours which were horrible. Now I take care of an old lady which is nice too but also has the worst hours 😩
@@persikosaft Overnight maintenance/janitor at big box stores (like walmart). If you can find the right one, being a kennel worker at an animal shelter isn't too bad (though if you are sensitive to loud noises and cannot find the right ear-pro, you'll lose your f'ing mind). I worked in a university surplus warehouse refurbishing and refinishing electronics and furniture. Pressure there was pretty low because if you broke something, it was already a loss and nobody cared (but ideally, they wanted to resell the stuff at auctions, or cycle it back into the university for reuse). Lawn care is also a good one if you can afford the right equipment and stay away from the crotchety old men who used to mow their grass with scissors and expect you to do the same.
@@homelessrobotas someone with inattentive type, I was working as a cosmetologist for a while, doing men's haircuts specifically. I found it to be engaging and the tasks were relatively predictable and short. It was also manual and I found that to be incredibly rewarding. However it wasn't solitary, and as much as I enjoyed the connection with my clients the most, I really felt my social battery was completely empty by the end of the day. But overall I really enjoyed it and the work culture at the shop I was in made it very enjoyable. However, I recently moved to another country where doing hair isn't really lucrative or a good work culture. It's just not a good fit for me now, and it's been incredibly difficult for me to figure out what job I might do well in. I'm considering being a dental technician, it's a longer schooling process but it might meet the criteria I enjoy most. But if you have any specific suggestions please let me know 😭 because I am absolutely not the next Simone biles
I'm a self-employed therapist and love my job. Its been a slog to get here, but now ive got all my billing set up to be automated, and i love working with a diverse range of client issues. In my experience, following my interests and joy has brought me a lot of success. Also, people look down on a "jack of all trades," but all my weird side hobbies have done me well when they suddenly come up at work.
Watching this video I started getting an existential crisis coming on, because I'm studying to be a psychotherapist, and I really struggle to sit and do office-type of work, computer work, etc. I'm starting to doubt my choice and thinking about whether I should've(still should) find a different field. Something to do with outdoor recreation or roasting coffee? Really struggling at uni as well, I think most of us can relate with that aspect of ADHD. You're saying it gets more engaging after starting to practise?
@@matejpetkovski490 For me, it has a lot to do with enjoying the work. I am someone who loves bringing in a lot of philosophy and theory, and frankly I just love hearing peoples’ stories and holding space. I definitely rely on Vyvanse to be able to not interrupt people all the time, but mindfulness and good structured organizational skills has been very helpful.
I'm really drawn towards being a therapist but I've always struggled with my attention when reading and struggle to get written assignments in on time. I know there's a huge amount of reading required for psychotherapy courses. Maybe this is what you mean by "slog"?
How do you manage the case notes aspect of the job? I'm working on my degree in social work, and the idea of case notes fills me with dread! I hope I find a job where I don't have to do them!
@@julybutterflythe more you practice doing the case notes, the easier it gets. Small increments. When you work for others it’s different (notes) than if you work for yourself/private practice bc you write them you’re “own”way and not how someone else requires.
Accountant here. I didn’t enjoy working for others in their firms but I have my own firm now and am absolutely thriving. Numbers are my special interest, and joined with the creativity of entrepreneurship as you said, it’s the best career for me.
Oh great, glad I’m not the only one with ADHD who likes numbers! I have a master’s degree in economics and have heard so many times that it’s a boring field, even from people who don’t have ADHD. I absolutely love it, so it was easy to engage it while at university. On the other hand, I am completely unartistic. I can enjoy some forms of art but couldn't create any to save my life. I guess at the end of the day we are all very different when it comes to our interests, whether we have ADHD or not.
I love Numbers and logic , I studied Mathematics related modules in my undergraduate degree, postgraduate course, getting employment maybe tough.@@ivana61681
Cfo with background in public accounting and consulting. The first couple years were horrid, but Manager and up have been outstanding.
@@miketravis4242 Thanks. I need to hear more opinions on this. I'm in cloud data engineering but have zero influence on strategy. I'm considering an IT management degree.
Great!!! I'm studying Accountant auditor this year, Could you please Tell me what methods you use to be on track? Thanks in advance
Dr Barkley. Really appreciate all your knowledge that you make public. This video is ideal for people in their late teens but less so for senior professionals like myself who hit their early 40s only to find out we have ADHD, and want to make sustainable career decisions as 'late bloomers'. The job examples involve a study path (medical), lifelong training (sports, music), ability to be OK with rejection (sales, performing arts), or a significant pay cut. I didn't cope with the admin involved with running my own business unfort! It would be a great topic sometime in future to hear from you about suitable career shifts for those of us already well into our worklives? I'm an ex-journalist in corporate affairs and already have two degrees. :)
I really agree with this. Tell me, what kind of career can you change to when your healthy physically able to keep the physical pace of activity, yet have adhd with anxiety, in your 60's, love your current job, yet can't keep the up with the pace mentally and emotionally? That isn't a huge cut in pay?
@@hbaker5905 This is why capitalism is awful. Everyone has strengths and abilities, but not all of them are valued equally. So you have to do a job you are bad at to make a good income, instead of doing something you are good at. And the folks doing the things you would be really great at have to live in poverty, and no-one's talents are properly appreciated. ugh,
I got diagnosed late. Got medicated. I finally found my fun job in data science and programming. No degree. Extreme mental puzzles, the programing tells you your wrong immediately, there is a right way and wrong way but incredible creativity within that space. But everyone is different. I've been a cook, political field, activist, and now what I am. I don't see changing again. Find what you want to do and hope it doesn't involve a degree.
@@marshallderks no degree, but SOME training. Where did you get yours/where do you think would be the best place to start? I keep thinking this may be an option for me, but overwhelmed with choices as to where to start. Lol, of course.
Please see my comment about my supermarket job if you want to get paid to keep fit x
Are most ADHDers extroverts? I'm an introvert and most of these jobs sound awful. I find most job lists for ADHD center around extroversion.
It seems like most are. I'm an extreme introvert and I work much better when I'm left alone for the most part. Especially if the job is data driven and doesn't involve lots of paperwork of any kind.
There's no profile that fits ADHD people that prescriptively. Extroverted people are extroverted, introverted people are introverted, most people are a little bit of both. In my role I advocate for people living with a disability against schools, hospitals, welfare systems, business etc I'm a big introvert but my passion is people being treated fairly so I get to do a little staying on my own researching, and a little arguing on the side of the angels.
I have ADHD and I'm highly introverted as well. I basically do help desk/remote tech support and I find this works for me.
I find I'm usually a bit irritated by people - they talk too slowly, it takes a while to get to the point. Sometimes I interrupt or just start thinking of something else until they're finished speaking.
But at a call centre, that's kind of strength. Once you're sure you know what the problem is, you let that person drone on, giving them certain prompts, while you multi-task and complete the relevant work/forms/adjustments/emails on your end.
A call centre can be anything from sales, to insurance, to banks, tele-health, to being on the other end of government services and providing information, all the way to 911 call taking. If you have specialized training (tech, medicine, accounting), you're more likely to find something that pays better and that comes with good benefits. But even if you don't, experience at a bank looks professional on any resume, and they typically promote from within and offer tuition assistance.
Call centres take advantage of the fact that I enjoy multi-tasking, and the programs/systems you use usually have failsafes to reminder you of certain things you need to do (eg, it doesn't let you move on to the next step until you fill out the form appropriately).
You're also very infrequently interrupted by co-workers - you get left alone for the most part! I know that if you don't like talking on the phone, it's kind of intimating at first. But very quickly, the callers aren't really "people" they're kind of like NPCs who say predictable things and all have the same kind of problems or requests. It doesn't "feel" like you're interacting with people. You don't have to look at anyone, you don't have to maintain a facial expression that conveys interest like in normal conversation, and most of the time it's more about listening than actually responding to the person. Basically, if you struggle like I do with the "get to the point" of talking to people, call centres kind of allow you to safely "ignore" what the person is saying once you get good enough at your tasks and disseminating important information and key words.
I would say that the disadvantages are that you are mostly sedentary, that socializing is unavoidable during training, and that the sales/entry level positions tend to pay lower. I'm currently a government employee (utilities adjacent, for my municipality), and the hourly rate is fair, I'm in a union, and the benefits are above average.
Ever wondered about the possibility of having co-occurring autism? Turns out that, for many years, diagnostic criteria for both conditions was mutually exclusive, so there's a good number of people who fit both diagnoses but couldn't get both acknowledged officially.
The autistic characteristics will likely favor things like asocial tasks, routine, attention to detail, environments with low levels of bothersome stimuli, or extreme specializations matching a special interest.
@@jamiejohnson5748 When I worked in a call center I was struck by how freeing it was not to have to make my face look socially acceptable while talking to the callers. ; - ) They were still people to me though, and I liked that.
I have ADHD and I’m a scaffold builder; I love the hands on and constantly moving by either building, taking apart builds it’s fun and the time flies by
I am 60 and watching this i realise i am finally in my perfect job. I work nights refilling shelves in a supermarket. The task is broken down into small steps, one box at a time, it is very physical and fast paced - we walk at least 10 miles per shift, about 25,000 steps, social interaction limited to 2 short breaks, reward is immediate because the boxes get empty and they get fewer and fewer through the shift, i have time blindness so i don't get bored over the 10 hour shift, i can listen to music or podcasts in one ear while i work and there's no paperwork. it's great,i wondered why i was enjoying it so much !
The only drawback is the physical stress on my body so i only do 3 shifts a week max. I recommend it if you can stay awake all night and sleep during the day.
I am a professional housecleaner for the exact same reasons you have outlined. Short task turnover and reward of looking how beautiful everything looks, even better receiving a grateful text from client that evening saying how much I am appreciated. Job can be repetitive but it definitely ticks 80% of my boxes for a perfect job. I actually appreciate routine now. no chaotic surprises.
That was really interesting to hear what that kind of job is like. I think i would like it except for the physical labor. My fave job was working as a filing clerk - moving around paper instead of grocery products, not as much manual labor, but similar to everything else you said.
Librarian is actually a very good job for someone with ADHD! I'm constantly heaving around carts of books and talking to patrons. Public libraries are very community-centered and customer service is a very valuable skill. We don't do a lot of shushing. :) Our children's librarian is very active in her job and gets to play with all of the shinies, too.
Doctoral level licensed psychologist with ADHD here….I found that I cant stand doing therapy, so boring! But I love teaching, supervision, psych testing/assessment, crisis intervention….I was sad when I realized I was worthless as a therapist, I have no patience, but I have done well in other ways as a psychologist. Im currently training to learn pharmacology and become a prescribing psychologist in one of the few states that allow it. I would enjoy helping others with ADHD by prescribing medication. Meds have helped me tremendously.
Interesting. I'm training as a clinical psychologist and I find therapy to be the most interesting part! Every session is different, it's deep and challenging work, completely present-oriented and the desire to help the client provides external accountability.
Many of the jobs mentioned in the video are most suitable for extroverts and ADHDers with mostly hyperactive-impulsive presentation and a few or none of the traits and symptoms of other neurodevelopmental conditions. I'm an introvert who switches back and forth between inattentive and combined ADHD. (I have all or almost all of the inattentive diagnostic criteria and four or five of the hyperactive-impulsive criteria, depending on my life situation. And yes, I was formally diagnosed.) I also believe I have dyspraxia since I struggle with motor coordination, visual-spatial processing, processing speed, and sensory overload. (Yes, people with ADHD generally struggle with those too, and dyspraxia is commonly comorbid with ADHD.) Manual labor, trades, and other physical occupations are a TERRIBLE fit for people with those issues. Those with autism and NVLD also have motor coordination issues and sensory sensitivity. NVLD also involves visual-spatial issues. Autism and NVLD are also comorbid with ADHD. I also suspect that I have atypical autism (having a few or some autistic traits) since I prefer to be alone and don't like to talk. I also have selective mutism when under stress or pressure. I'm terrible with social interactions or communication and have social anxiety. So nope, jobs involving frequent social contacts and lots of talking just don't work for me. I much prefer to communicate via email, text, or instant or direct message. I like predictability and routine too, even though my ADHD side is protesting loudly. I actually have about 80% of the traits listed on the chart of autistic traits in women. th-cam.com/video/3SQFb01SlrY/w-d-xo.html
The exception to the job list is self-employment because it applies to people in general.
Certain people, including many neurotypical people, want to escape wage slavery and aren't built to work for the man. It definitely applies to neurodivergent folks like us. Self-employment allows us to capitalize on our strengths and also allows for full self-accommodation. It's not always feasible or possible to get ADA accommodations in the workplace, especially for people with invisible disabilities or neurodivergent people. It's darn near impossible to get accommodations for dyspraxia here in the US since it's a little-known condition, even though the voluntary self-identification of disability form for job applications has finally recognized forms of neurodivergence including dyspraxia.
I know that not all people can or want to be self-employed, but at this point in my life, it's the only logical option.
I'd say that the best jobs for people with ADHD are the ones they're most interested in or passionate about and where they can use their gifts and talents. That also applies to people in general.
I was a truck driver . Loved waking up in different places . Seeing how others lived their lives in other parts of the country . The accents , the scenery . Every day different. Retired now . My glory days .
I want to be an actor just never had the opportunities and my family were never supportive o& it as a career
Boy this is just a lot of sad problems for one person….😢 i hope you know the world can’t won’t stop for you, may you find what works for you.
Neurodivergent people also have higher rates of hypermobility, which tends not to mix well with manual labor.
@@pinchebruha405 That was a shitty thing to say. Why did you even bother coming to a video on ADHD (which clearly didn't take into account people with ADD who've been lumped under the ADHD umbrella) to make someone with the symptoms of ADD feel bad? OP was just pointing out that the video skipped addressing that subset of ADHD (those with low energy).
Hey Dr. B - I am a librarian. We spend a lot of time on public desks, we have to interact with all sorts of people. I know when I got into this field I didn't realize how exhausting it can be. I mask a lot. We actually have a rule at our (public) library that the public desk shifts can't be more than about 3 hours at a time. I love working in the back room away from all of the noise (the quiet library is mostly a myth unless the library is a study library) and movement. We have quiet spaces for those who need them but the main part of the library is humming constantly.
On the plus side the constant change keeps me engaged, even in the workroom doing labeling or jacketing. I like the work and must keep engaged or I might mix something up.
Yes.
My first several jobs were at public libraries, mostly in the reference department. I did it because I really liked books. I found the customer service portion of the job to frequently be exhausting. Thankfully desk shifts were never more than 2 hours. If I had gotten into tech services I might have made a career out of it. (ASD + inattentive ADHD, though I didn't know that at the time).
I have a dear friend with ADHD is a librarian, and she knew that well before going after her MLS. She passionate about the cause (freedom to read, libraries a a public good, etc). She likes books and helping people, but does find it exhausting sometimes, probably for the same reasons you describe. I need to ask her more about her experiences and what she likes/dislikes about the job.
I know this comment is a bit old, but I'm glad to read a comment about librarianship. I found more of my niche in my public library job. I get to do a lot of physical activity -- shelving, shipping/receiving -- plus I do displays, write blog posts for the website, and create programs (one of which I'm holding outdoors, which is great for me). I think people have the wrong idea about libraries. It's like any other organization where there are different niches that attract different types of minds. Maybe there are departments that wouldn't be that great for ADHD, like cataloging, but programming, marketing, or just general public librarianship seem like good matches.
Dr Barkley a lot of people I know in the field of ADHD are under impression that you have retired and no longer involved with education. I think gradually we should see more and more subscription to your Chanel. Please continue your dedication to ADHD and education. I wish you well.
I can't see with the rejection fear aspect that being a door-to-door salesman would be a good job
Yeah, that was a terrible idea.
Agree, You also would probably need to have high charisma for that job which would definitely not be everyone... I wouldn't wish that job on anyone it seems more like a curse.
Agreed! The old "Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria" - a stab to the chest. Not fun!
Teaching covers allllllll of those things and is never boring. It’s overwhelming at times and the expectations that teachers should provide the solutions to every single problem in society and in the home is an unrealistic expectation we have to deal with. But there’s constant movement, making materials, a schedule, talking (my god so much talking), helping, and if you like you’re subject, story telling (performance). I’m really surprised you left out educator - I know you said athletic educator, but intellectual educators are not outside the scope of talent required for this job.
I have a hard time structuring my thoughts and I would get distracted and start to talk about a related topic before finishing the point, that I wanted to make. I have been told that it’s very exhausting to listen to me and I know that this is quite common for people with ADHD. I also would have a hard time preparing my lessons.
@@thyfity I'd say being educated in pedagogy helps a lot. Most of the time people don't know how much there is about teaching that needs to be taught. When you grasp that, it's easier to kind of funnel the expertise to powerpoint slides, which then offer a great basis to work from in the classroom.
Anyway I 100% second this about being an educator! Though I work with adults in a field that's my special interest. I love having a group of individuals, each with their own interests and all. Turns out this matches the new style of pedagogy really well. Also the way I hate rules has made it easier to be accomodating to different needs. And I love discussions! Perhaps a bit too much sometimes.
Yes, there's masking involved, but not too much imo. I've needed to learn to speak clearly with full sentences, and I need to keep calm. Online teaching has been more of a struggle, but I think I'm starting to find better ways now. Getting indirect feedback from adults (aka when they give feedback to the institution) is probably the worst part, same as needing to evaluate the students, but so far I've never encountered a teacher who would enjoy those, so there's always collegial support.
@@thyfity I used to work as a one-on-one tutor, which went really well. That is more of a back and forth conversation than a monologue, so I was kept on track by my students, their questions, but also their body language and all kinds of subtle cues. Then I became a teacher standing in front of a large class, just talking for over an hour. I really struggled there for the exact reasons you mentioned: staying on track during a monologue, and preparing lessons. Our team decided to change tack one year, and completely rethink the approach to teaching. It became much more of an interacting and coaching type of teaching, with regular questions and tasks for students to work on, feedback, group discussions, etc. My performance (and personal satisfaction!) dramatically improved because of that.
I tried teaching problems with organisational skills so it didn’t work out
I was an Art teacher for 27 years and I think it was the best career that I could have chosen. I didn't get diagnosed until my last year of teaching. Not knowing what was wrong with me, like many, I was depressed and then developed anxiety which began to affect my teaching. The stress of being late (especially morning meeting days) and having everything that I needed for the day was a constant issue. At least most principals were not worried about teachers being a little late as long as they were in the classroom by the time the students arrived. They knew we were often there late into the evening. This was a great for me as I would never have lasted at a job with a strict ON TIME policy. Teaching was a challenge but every day, every class was different so it was never boring but I was always behind on various tasks (most unnecessary) and lesson plans. Now I am trying to figure out how to structure my time in retirement but wouldn't mind some work. Yes, hands on and using my creativity would be best. Peace love n pets
Self-employment and entrepreneur are not job descriptions. I hate it when these get listed in recommended occupations. Also, ADHD doesn't equal to infinite energy supplies, especially for people over 35 years old. I had no problem doing physically demanding jobs, the problem was length of the shift-8 hours is considered part-time job these days.
The video was on types of work, not job descriptions. Not all work is a job.
He provided you With Suggestions for FREE. Then dont get self employed.. some ppl are so unthankful
One of the most common jobs among the inattentive members of our local page is data analytics, and there are a fair number of developers too. Depending on the nature of the workload, these roles can weaponise hyperfocus, and some methodologies like Agile give shorter task timeframes that somewhat suit our strengths. I find that any task that I can gamify becomes do-able.
Great video, Dr. Barkley. Thank you!
I’m an interior decorator and I think it’s the perfect fit for me as the job involves lots of movement and ever new challenges. The pressure of client deadlines helps me perform to a high level -and I love making people happy so there’s an intrinsic reward, too.
(However I find as a self-employed person I struggle with timekeeping and paperwork and staying motivated when there’s there’s no urgent work to attend to.)
Best of all I get to use my creativity and ability to hyper focus to develop unique solutions and produce something of real value in the world.
I’m glad you mentioned Ty Pennington as an example of succeeding in one’s career despite living with adult ADHD. He’s an inspiration to many!
Was so glad to see this in my feed. Work is by far the biggest struggle in my life. Feels impossible to work 8-9 hours consecutively at a boring job, then go home and maintain life with cleaning, cooking etc
I absolutely cannot stand the fact that 8-10 hours of every day for the rest of my life needs to be thrown away doing nothing good just so I can go about my life (with no time to do anything at all)
I have inattentive type and I found that working as a nurse in the hospital was overwhelming, I’d get too distracted by conversations with patients, I’d forget things often, lose my vitals and notes when it was time to give report. But I switched to private duty nursing with one medically fragile patient that has a routine and it’s so much easier for me. I am looking to switch careers (because of nursing burn out overall), but I think I would do well with something that I’m interested in that I can hyper focus on. I’m thinking something tech. I find that I’m really good at hyper focusing on solving problems that are fun to figure out. For my ADHD, I found that a structured environment works best for me. Give me a task that, I like and I will hyper focus on for hours. The hard part is finding something that I actually like to do.
I keep seeing people distinguishing between inattentive and hyperactive (possibly more variations) is a diagnosis from a clinician the only way to know which you have?
@@evanr.battallio1115I mean you could probably tell by your symptoms. *Edit, there is mixed type to
I started with private duty nursing and it's definitely way easier to focus on one or two people. I know from nursing school too that ICU was way easier for the same reason there's a lot of things to hyper focus on and fewer distractions. I did med surge last few years and it's terrible, having six to seven patients is the worst. They always give you "The easier patients" on floors like that but to me it's harder just simply because of the pile of paperwork you have to do (boring so hard to focus) And then you'll get three or four requests all at the same time and you have to make sure you don't forget one of them. I recently spent two years doing school nursing and I like that a lot. You just focused on helping kids in and out of the clinic and then the paperwork is pretty streamlined. I do find when I'm tired it's hard to stay focused on the pile of paperwork. You also have to be in charge of organizing events and things, such as hearing screens, health events, helping gather donations for families in need, connecting families with resources. So that part is definitely harder to stay on top of because then you have like 30 people you're trying to track. 😳
I’m an FT on call afterhours hospice RN. I’m driving between patients across several counties and enjoying nature. I have a discrete shift (1630 Friday through 0830 Monday) but within that I go out mostly because someone is having a crisis of some sort which is much more “organic” than clocking in at the hospital because they have to show someone with a license was clocked in. There’s still “busy work” to satisfy regulations but it’s mostly being someone’s hero when I can help with symptoms or family worries, etc. The drive times allow for decompressing from such intense interactions with people.
Psychedelics are just an exceptional mental health breakthrough. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against depression and anxiety. Saved my life.
Can you help with the reliable source I would really appreciate it. Many people talk about mushrooms and psychedelics but nobody talks about where to get them. Very hard to get a reliable source here in Australia. Really need!
Yes, dr.larks I have the same experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and addiction and Mushrooms definitely made a huge huge difference to why am clean today.
Anxiety happens when you think you have to figure out everything all at once.
Breathe. You're strong. You got this Take it day by
day.
Is he on instagram?
Yes he is. dr.larks
As an introverted adhder I find the idea of talking to people all day the most horrible thing in the entire universe
I'm introverted and for now I think nursing works for me. I'm not in healthcare for very long though so I'm not sure if I'll continue to like it. I'm considering to go into wound care so I don't need to see the patient for too long (as in years) and I'll get to see different types of wounds hopefully to stay interested.
Same. I’m autistic and ADHD so that’s a big nope for me. Being a librarian sounds kind of nice actually, but I think I’d get bored of it quickly.
I need lots of intellectual stimulation/thinking (unlike what he said) AND physical movement and change. I think I’d like to be a scientist.
Same. I really rather avoid people because I don’t like talking to anyone. What I do allows me to move between different tasks.
So far halfway through listening to this it sounds like he's talking about exclusively the hyperactive ADHD. Not being inattentive, especially not an inattentive who is an introvert.
He even mentions he and nursing or a doctor where potential frontal cortex issues or distractions could be life or death. It doesn't sound like a dream job for someone with focus or executive function issues should be.
@@cher1z4rdhow are you doing now? Strongly considering nursing.
I’m self employed now and it’s just changed my life in such a positive way. I work fast, doing highly technical work, but in short bursts. I can work in the evening if I want and nobody is on my back. Now I am not chained to a desk for 8 hours a day. I work when I feel like working. It’s brilliant. I’m a technical writer in a niche industry. I never want to be an employee again!
Are there separate suggestions for inattentive type? I’ve struggled mightily with motivation, so running my own business was a huge mistake. I’ve made a living as a programmer, but it’s been a constant struggle to do the equivalent of dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s.
Could you elaborate more? That are some of the problems that have been bothering me for years. Although I am really passionate about some programming concepts and understand quite a lot, due to the very nature of solitary and sedentary work I really struggle with making even a simple portfolio project etc. Not to mention getting a job and experience in the industry. Sometimes I think I am too much concentrated on the tools, desk setup, etc. more than the proper task. The things I really like about programming are (neo)vim and the GO language. They just feel kind of like simple tools to make something and convey ideas in an effective, but not very elegant way (and prevent me from overly abstracting to the point of inertia).
@@lukaszmatuszewski I found that when I work on personal projects on my own, I get excited about them for three or four days and then it’s really hard for me to keep working on them. However, working on a team (especially with people who don’t have the motivation issues) adds just enough pressure so that I’m motivated to keep working on a project significantly longer.
@@redpepper74So body doubling keeps you accountable to the task at hand when working? I'm an inattentive type and find that working with a team helps keep me accountable. I can bounce what I have to do off of them at times and they'll give me tips or ideas on how to do it better.
@@Ender-Corbin right exactly, talking out my ideas with people can be very helpful
@@lukaszmatuszewski From my personal experience, attending a coding bootcamp or school can be a feasible solution. I was in the same boat when I needed to secure a job after graduation. It’s hard for me to sit tight and work on side projects just for job hunting. No pressure and no motivation. So I attended a ft bootcamp for 3 months and used the homework and group projects as my profile. Now I’m in this industry for more than two years as a front end developer. Hope it helps.
Some things that helped me:
- Getting a treadmill/standing desk
- Hiring an admin assistant for my business
- Getting an ADHD/business coach through Upwork
I'm on a basic income but these were non-negotiable for me to be able to work in a white-collar job
Thank you for posting this response. I can’t stand questions coming back and misinterpretations so I can spend 3 hours writing an email about a technical process so it’s clear for everyone at our 30+ locations and exec staff (I am manager over a centralized function that needs to have compliance from employees at the local level). The writing is easy, the editing to get it in bullet points is excruciating, and then I have to work longer to make up the time I spent editing and it just wastes so much time. Thank you for your advice.
I've embraced a pattern of changing professional directions and/or styles every 2 years or so, as I get into a slog otherwise. I've also found the following MORE important than the specific field: having the(tedious) nuts and bolts of business taken care of by someone else, the ability to keep learning, higher-level coworkers/supervisors who support and inspire, variation over repetition, interesting challenges, and space to experiment/innovate. Hands-on active work is definitely a plus. So far, I've had success in audio engineering, music composition/performance, videography, fundraising, nonprofits, boat building, carpentry/tile/trades, teaching (Pre-K to adult), copywriting, web design, and active outdoor/adventure guide work. Thank you for all you do, Dr. Barkley!
Videography, how did the process look like getting into the industry. Did you do a course, have some previous experience, know people that helped you? Thanks for your time.
Dr. Barkley, you’ve been busy! The videos that you have done in the last six months have been incredibly helpful to me, the parent of an adult with multiple disabilities, including ADHD. I can share these shorter videos with my son’s care providers who balked at the longer ones. Thank you. I appreciate your expertise and generosity!
These videos are really so helpful, aren't they? I have ADHD, and I feel like these videos give me the opportunity to understand myself better and to accept my diagnosis and look for help.
Here are some more ideas! I have ADHD and this is a list of jobs I’ve done or know I’d thrive in 🙂
-Preschool teacher
- Foley artist/Field Recorder
- Occupational therapist
- UX/UI designer
- Graphic Design
- Workshop facilitator
- Occupational therapist
- Stage production
- Guide (travel, extreme sports etc...)
- Barista
As someone who needs accountability in their life to function, these jobs are wonderful for the teamwork and creative stimulation they offer.
Could you provide me more info about OT, why do you think it's appropriate for you? Plz share your experience i am curious
@@ms.monologue i am a different being but here are some reasons I think OT would be a good job:
1. it's extremely varied, there's a lot of scope to re-specialize in the field. One year you might be helping lung cancer patients to breathe freely by breathing differently and the next you might decide you'd rather be helping big businesses make accommodations for employees with ADHD
2. It's quite physical, yes there's paperwork and sitting behind desks or sitting talking to people, but there's also a lot of things that involve moving around or demonstrating exercises (e.g. demonstrating wobble cushion games for kids with dyspraxia)
3. when you are doing the training you'll learn stuff that helps with ADHD and how to approach trouble-shooting difficulties that people have, including your own difficulties
I’ve done 4 of those… plus many others
Stewardess
I love being a software developer, the challenge of learning it, the complexity and logic involved and the feeling of "building" something was awesome... for the first 6~7 years. Now It's already getting boring, and I find myself having to change technologies, teams/projects and even jobs just to shake things up a bit. I constantly worry I'll stop liking it, which would eventually mean not being able to do it properly.
I feel this *so* hard.
I've been writing code professionally for 10 years and I've been moving more into management. It's now time for me to decide to go back to individual contributor role or into more management.
I'm worried because I just don't think my brain has the same fire for programming problem solving I had 5 years ago. It takes a ton of energy for me to problem solve. As long as I love it, it's great but when it's not... Oof. I'm starting to enjoy more 'people problems'. Ie how do I help this software team achieve a goal rather than for me to program 30+ hours a week
This particular video was a miss for me because I'm more of a bookish/artsy type who has activity limiting health issues, severe punctuality and time management problems, and extreme sun sensitivity. ; - D I really appreciate Dr. Barkley's work in general though!
Same here! I'm surprised artist wasn't recommended here as we ADHDers thrive in creative fields. I was disappointed that there weren't job options here for ADHDers who are introverted and don't want to deal with people.
@@AA-rr9ly I wish I knew of a good resource for this because job issues are one of the worst ways ADHD affects my life! Good luck to you. < : - ) 🍀❤
@@bellaluce7088 i’ve found that online wfh jobs or freelancing are best for us introverted ADHDers! It’s what i do now and the only job I’ve lasted long
Same 💔
Same 😔
The only ADHD friendly jobs are things that you are passionate about. Period.
true
I agree with the sentiment but I feel this is not very realistic in most cases. Often "passions" do not provide enough income(Except if you are passionate about a standard lucrative job ) or are very unstable or take years and years to develop if you would want to make a business out of and even then often are not a good business plan from the start. If you must provide for your family and don't want to be homeless sometimes there are lucrative options that are not a major passion but can still be engaging enough to maintain as a career and have a fulfilling life. Plus passions for adhders are very volatile, I love all my various passions that I rotate through during the year. But I can never stick to "just one" and the time and effort plus finances that would be required to make them into a business is pretty non-realistic for someone with major executive function and no time management skills and that requires to be 100% self-directed which is often very difficult for people with adhd.
That’s not true, and potentially risky. It’s easy for a passion project to become despised work, then the passion leaves entirely.
not true i'm not passionate about my job at all but i love doing it and it's my happy time. also like Jack said, i'm heavy adhd and always felt intuitively against studying my biggest passions academically or trying to milk them for money as i knew they would suck the life out them for me. ie even as a dj the process of listening to music for selections rather than pleasure took the enjoyment out of music for me.
"passion" is about doing something to literal death. that equals constant burnout & depression for many.
I started a mechanical fitter and machinist apprenticeship in my early 30s after being diagnosed with ADHD. The medication helped me get through the study part of the apprenticeship. It's the best decision I have ever made. I have mostly worked as a machinist so far. I love manual machining, but ended up stuck doing CNC machining for the last few years... There is too much standing around and it was bad for me, but I'm about to start a position where I'll be trained in Hydraulics and rebuilding rock drills for the mining industry. This is such a broad trade that I can side step into a different position once I have learnt as much as I can and start getting bored. As long as there is good variation in what I do, and opportunities to learn I thrive. If I get stuck doing repetitive tasks or standing around watching a machine run it exhausts me.
So happy to read this my son with ADHD just started school studying this. 🙏🏾
I liked teaching in a hands-on, loosely structured environment. Talking and explaining are the easiest things ever. And above a certain IQ, you're destined to become a teacher. You have a choice between helping people become smarter, or going stark, raving mad at the world's stupidity.
I also like manual, outdoor labor. The results of mowing a patch of grass or trimming a bush are instant. This removes the uncertainty between effort and effect that is always present with any kind of clerical or intellectual work. Interviewing one more person for a study you may never publish, filling out details on a form that won't be processed for weeks and may not lead to its intended effect: these kinds of things create a distance from the present that removes engagement. It speaks to Russell's theory of a deficiency in the potency of internally motivating objects of thought, as opposed to extrinsic, tangible stimuli that provide clear and immediate feedback
Counterculture is another requirement for me. Neurodiverse people don't mix well with normies. Ordinary people are motivated primarily by social status, as opposed to connection. They operate within strict hierarchy, with submissive and dominant roles being the norm. They generally don't realize this, because it's just the sea they swim in, so they can't be made self-aware in this regard, and wouldn't want to anyway. Neurodivergent people are motivated more by connection and reciprocity, because we've basically never had any of either. We're much more outgroup social, and much less reverent of our local warlord. So corporations are empty, ghoulish places for most of us to be. Working with corporate droids is like having a job in the Uncanny Valley.
Anything that combines tedium with uncertainty is an absolute no-go. Having to get together 5 documents and bring them to the DMV is a dark, dark, DARK feeling, because I know at least one irrational and inhumane requirement will be unfulfilled due to an indecipherable technicality somewhere. IT is NOT possible to complete any bureaucratic task on the first try, the second try, the first phone call, the third phone call, the fourth physical trip, or, at long last, the 7th circle. Bureaucracy is the bane of ADHD. And possibly individual humans in general. But I think people with ADHD have a particularly adversarial relationship with any human-created processes, as opposed to things that follow an organic and intuitive logic. Maybe because the people who create the majority of processes in society are absolute idiots. And since we have lower frustration tolerance and less ability to pay attention to redundant and illogical monotony, we're the ones taking the most fire on the front line in the fight against incompetent user interface.
I love your comment and writing style. Thanks for this, I just had a good chuckle while reading
Wow, some high quality insights right here. Thank you for sharing!
I think your last paragraph is something most people don't understand about us. It caused me to suffer many years of shame because wasn't able to do "adulting". Thanks for sharing that and your other insights. I am a retired art teacher and currently gardening, making art and trying to figure out ways to create some income without ever having a regular JOB. Best to you. Peace love n pets
I wish I would have had this video 30 years ago when I felt so lost and not knowing how to manage my ADHD as a college student and then in the work place/finding a work place that was right for me. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your books, channel, research, hope and most of all kindness to and about individuals with ADHD! You’ve been a godsend to millions of people Dr. Barkley and I’m truly grateful for you!!!! 🙏🙏🙏
I am a Martial arts instructor, and I run a small Brewery. Both are hands on with lots of movement. I enjoyed being an Uber driver a while back too.
The problem with the ER it can be overly stimulating for ADHD. Also, detailed documentation is required especially with serious trauma patients going to the OR.
ER nursing would be perfect for me except the night shifts destroy me. Ideally want to be a specialist nurse again, so can hyperfocus on something I am interested in. Did that pre children... My absolute favourite job would be a stsy at home mum. Shame that doesn't pay the bills.
For sure. When your brain goes into fog mode you can’t just say , I’m done.
My favorite job outside of catering was working as a runner for a CPA firm, which is essentially an errand person/courier. I loved it because I was never in the office long enough to get pulled into any office politics, and I got to drive around all day and have BRIEF, friendly interactions with new people. I was happy for a time. Unfortunately, these jobs don’t pay enough for me to live. Now that I have a bad back, my options are very limited
The absolute best job I've ever had was medical transcription. It combined manual dexterity with my best cognitive skill, verbal/auditory processing. No need for working memory, just rewind the tape. I am really introverted, so being alone was very comfortable. Every report was different and medicine is fascinating. There was some challenge when clinicians would murmur or had very strong accents. I lovvvveeed transcription, and then voice-to-text came along and I got laid off. Now I sell handwoven bohemian wall hangings and handspun yarn on Etsy. It doesn't pay as well but it's work I can do. I need to have my hands in almost constant motion.
Retail stocking was actually a pretty fun job. The customers and managers absolutely ruin it though. I do transcription from home and it's a lot better not having to deal with people.
Hmm... If you don't mind my asking, what does transcription entail and how does one get into it?
Lmao I work in retail now and know exactly what you mean . The job itself is ok, but dealing with people is so ehhhhh
Shelf stacking is an awesome job
Theatrical stagehand work was wonderful -- it's a mix of everything: super hurried to waiting around, focusing on details and also the big picture, super technical and also artistic, working with your hands and working with your mind, creative problem-solving and "here's how certain things are done," talking to locals and your own show's people and being quiet, working with a team and working on your own. You were always bouncing back and forth between things. And this goes for all departments: lighting, rigging, props, carpentry, automation, audio, video, wardrobe, stage management, etc.
More of this please! So much good encouragement here 🥲. Thank you!
Dr, I so appreciate your hardline science around Adhd and the challenges it presents because it’s important for people to know and understand whether they have ADHD or not. I also appreciate your solution oriented video such as this with compassion. Thank you for your life’s work.
The problem is that once you hit 30 and you have a series of low-level jobs under your belt, pursuing many of these careers is no longer realistic.
and worse yet, education is moving out of classrooms with regular schedules and low distraction environments and into your bedroom because everything is distance/remote/from home now. Absolutely untenable with ADHD, so going back to school is nearly as unrealistic.
I wanted to comment to say- if you're thinking of going back to school as an older student, do it. Especially if you meet requirements for the Pell Grant, if you happen to be US-based. It's hard but not impossible. I'm currently working and taking one class at a time and working with my therapist on how to develop organizational strategies and the like.
One of the big pieces of advice I have is to fuck around and find out, literally. People say that negatively but it's the only way to discover what actually works for you as someone with ADHD. On a whim, I decided to try going to the libraries of a couple local universities to see if that helped concentration, and it made a huge difference. One of them is even open to students 24/7, but security is lax enough that it's fairly easy to sneak behind somebody else even tho I don't have a student card. I wouldn't know this if I didn't try to see what may happen. It's the kind of info you wouldn't know unless you found out yourself, and being able to access a crowded but quiet space at all hours of the night (my most productive time) has made a difference in my ability to get work done. Obviously this solution will not work for everyone because of its specificity, but what I'm saying is, there might be strategies available to YOU specifically if you just experimented enough to find them. Don't give up!!! Or do, idk, I'm not in control of you. But you deserve to feel hopeful abt your future, so I hope you don't give up
i finished medical school at age 40
Not necessarily true. I have no degree, mostly retail experience, worked for myself as a photographer for a little over a decade, and went to work at a grocery store for 6 years, then decided I wanted to buy a house. Was talking to a friend who had a well-paying corporate job (by working her way up from the bottom), and she suggested I apply for a job at the same company. I did, and I found a position that didn’t require a degree that had some things I had experience in (sales, working with customers, being technically minded, and good with people, detail-oriented, etc.) and sold myself to the hiring manager. After a year, I qualified for a house and bought one by myself with money I had been saving for several years+the extra I was able to save over the last year. I absolutely hate the job and am planning on going back to school, as soon as I get a few housemates so I can work part time while earning my degree. I’m almost 40. Don’t let age determine your life. ANYTHING is possible if you put your mind+ass into it. Where there is a will, there’s a way! Where there is little to no will, there’s an excuse. I believe in you! I hope you do, too!
I'm 33 and have been working in food service since I was 16, but I recently went back to school for nursing and it's going really well so far.
I had hoped that there was a change in outlook on this particular topic - and unfortunately it doesn't seem so.
My challenge has always been how career opportunities for ADHDers are always attached to the overarching trope of hyperactivity and non-cerebral which means that a vast swathe of the Inattentive is excluded.
The "average" ADHDer, and for that matter neurotypical, is not going to achieve the heights of Simone Biles - and as an ADHDer who has never been an athlete, nor a useful hands-on type what does that leave us with? Long before diagnosis I worked in a petrochemical laboratory, hands on was troubleshooting and product development which meant stimulation through creativity. I despised the routine work that comes with working in a lab but structure makes it workable.
This is a challenging topic with many areas that are just so disappointing in how disempowering this feels. Ideologically I could never work in the military - structure is one thing but following orders for the sake of following orders will not work for a good percentage of ADHDers either because of latent ODD or (P)DA.
I would really appreciate a more nuanced review of occupational opportunities that includes the Inattentive, that doesn't exclude the "twice exceptional", and includes the "interest focused" cerebral ADHDers who do read books vociferously.
And finally, turning the tables that some in the ND movement advocate for, making employers more inclusive of ADHD (et al) by recognising OUR needs in their workplace. Professor Kirby and Theo Smith have an excellent book that focuses on this aspect.
Very well said! I completely agree, a lot of careers suggested for ADHDers are for hyperactive non-academic types, but there's a significant number of intellectual inattentive type ADHDers who could never see ourselves in any of these careers and need suggestions of how to survive in the workplace.
I'm in the same boat. I'm studying to be a paralegal, and while I can follow a structured routine at work, it's very difficult for me to plan structure on my own and follow through. I'm going to look up the doctors you suggested.
I can really relate to this. Jobs that I loved and thrived in were photo finishing, garden center sales, and fragrance sales. My current job is sitting at my computer rating English speaking tests. It takes a lot of effort to focus on it, but I still love it. Luckily, it's something I can do at my own pace so I will rate 5 tests, go do something else for a while, then do 5 more, this method has been working really well for me.
Can you tell me a little about how you found this job/what country you are in? I would love to do this. I am in the USA and have a writing background.
@@Wayfarer889 sure, it's a Japanese company but it has offices in the US. I live in Japan but applied through their Bellevue WA location. My cousin told me about it. It's an English proficiency test, with 2 writing levels and 2 speaking levels. I had to take 4 tests to become certified, I failed both of the writing tests, but passed both of the speaking ones. So my job is to listen to audio files and rate them from 1 to 5 based on a criteria. If you're looking earn extra money then it's good, but if you're looking for a stable income it's not. Sometimes there is a lot to and sometimes there's nothing. To give you an example, in April I made over a thousand, but for May I made under three hundred. Unfortunately, the link that I applied through no longer has their job list, but I know that they are always hiring test raters, so I can ask the manager if I can give you her email address to send your resume, but I don't think it's a good idea to send it here, so if you want, you can look me up on FB and send me a private message.
I have found massage therapy to be a great career for myself. Since I do medical massage, each client is different, there's a lot of communication, there's some note taking, cleaning, laundry, etc. If I start feeling bored I can find some chair events to do. I wouldn't be able to do a lot of relaxation massages. But figuring out what's going on, developing a treatment plan, and combining different modalities to help someone feel better is very engaging. It's a combination of analysis and creativity. There are so many continuing education classes and different techniques to learn, which then changes what you are doing in your practice, helping to keep it all fresh.
I wait for your videos with so much excitement. I have learnt a lot from you. You are such a blessing to our ADHD community. Stay safe and healthy
You're the best, Dr. Barkley!!! Thank you. Thank you. A perfect job for ADHD People; Flight Attendant. For me, Retail--No Way! Office Work--I was also a total flop. Restuarnt work. annoyed me. Airline Flight Attendant fit my ADHD mind, attitude, personality, energy, love of people, need for constant change and physical activity perfectly. I started my flying career at age 21. Ahhh, Perfection for me. ADHD diagnosed in my 60s. Just retired at age 79. So Blessed and Thankful to enjoy and love my chosen career! Something to consider for other ADHD people.
I find boring jobs to be perfect for me as I don't have to focus too much and I have the freedom to get lost in my own thoughts. I've always wanted to be a librarian. I found that jobs with flexible hours, or freelancing are the best for ADHD.
Any example of "boring jobs" ?
@@clemthai stuffing envelopes
@@clemthaiI took Ultrasounds. I went to medical school then applied for a ultrasound training programmes.
i’m studying occupational therapy and i absolutely LOVE it !!
i highly recommend anyone with adhd to look into it if you’re interested in disability support and advocacy, neuroscience, anatomy, and arts and crafts !!!
a part of what OTs do is they provide therapy through enjoyable activities, so it’s not unusual for a therapy session to consist of painting, or play doh, or music and dancing, etc. bc we use these activities to therapeutically benefit clients.
it’s so incredibly fun and definitely facilitates my adhd and makes it an advantage
@danielakolundzija50 I got all the way through law school and a graduate diploma before being diagnosed. Look into IQ masking. Also, depending on the country and what special consideration is available, sometimes it's not as hard to get into certain courses as is the case here in Australia.
I’m not an OT, but responding to your last sentence about most ADHDers not getting good scores/grades, this isn’t necessarily true. There are many ADHD folks who are able to be straight A students who’ve developed helpful coping mechanisms and avoided developing “Learned Helplessness” who end up being very successful, but unfortunately due to their success and lack of appearance of struggle externally, go undiagnosed for many, many years, and struggle internally/emotionally, until they find out much later in life.
All of the more practical, outdoorsy ideas definitely align with my ADHD experience and symptoms. But the rest of me equally wants to be locked in intellectual and mental work, it's like two very fundamental parts of me are at odds. At the end of the day I realise that life needs variety and what you don't get from one activity you can get from another. I've been a teacher for the last 7 years, and frankly, it's left me ragged. I'm too tired, and I can't build up enough energy to improve my physical and mental health. Suitable as it may be, it stops being suitable when you can't really "profit" and grow from the job. While I don't have any ideas on ADHD friendly occupations specifically, I can say that I've come to appreciate the value of having a life full of variety. That way, if the job isn't ADHD friendly, the rest of your life can be.
This is the same situation I have found myself. One part of me wants intellectual work while the other prefers outdoor/handy. It's hard for me ride now, because I'm 23 and now trying to find my first job.
This is the same situation I have found myself. One part of me wants intellectual work while the other prefers outdoor/handy. It's hard for me ride now, because I'm 23 and now trying to find my first job.
A really important and useful summary!
I do have 4 points of critique/feedback though.
First, I’m not convinced that it makes sense to break down jobs using the label of manual vs cognitive.
Many manual jobs - such as house renovation - involve large cognitive/reflective elements. Meanwhile in this digital world, making things is no longer only a manual job! Consider, for example, digital art, product design.
A better framing to my mind would be jobs that involve making, doing, interacting or creating vs jobs that are abstract or reflective.
Second, I think this also misses out WAYS of working, which can hugely impact ADHD folks.
For example, flexible vs inflexible work. ADHD folks are likely to benefit from being able to work when and it suits them.
So jobs that offer flexible hours (fully flexible or flexitime - this also helps combat time blindness!). Jobs that allow you to choose your location (remote, office or hybrid). Workplaces that allow you autonomy in choosing your approach to work. All of these will be more beneficial for ADHDers than traditional, inflexible environments.
I’d also recommend ADHD folks consider roles that use Agile ways of working, such as scrum and kanban.
Right now this is largely IT, digital delivery and design sector work, but these practices hugely benefit ADHD folks as they involve working collaboratively, breaking down and prioritising tasks together, checking in as a group regularly to discuss progress and troubleshoot, set regular but smaller deadlines and have roles dedicated to keeping you on track.
I personally work in Product Design (in a fully flexible job using Agile practices) and it’s stuffed with neurodivergent folks!
In my last role, my team of 15 user centred practitioners (designers and researchers) had 3 x diagnosed ADHD, 1 x diagnosed AuDHD and 2 further people who suspected an ADHD diagnosis!! This included our highest performers (myself - ADHD - included).
Third, I was surprised that this didn’t say “work that involves your special interests or that fits in with things that you find highly engaging”.
You could take a job that suits ADHD in every other respect but if you aren’t engaged by it then you may still struggle. And if you can find work in your areas of special interest, you’ll likely be a valuable employee due to having deep expertise in, and passion for, your interest.
Finally I’d also suggest that, in the modern world, ADHD folks might thrive working two different jobs - a bit of office work and side hustle as a gardener or fitness instructor. We are no longer held to traditional job formats or career structures!
I agree that project management is a splendid avenue for ADD/ADHD people who are able to handle abstract concepts. Missions being limited in time, every mission is novel, you have to handle various tasks at the same time, coming up with out of the box solutions, these characteristics of the job all contribute to keeping boredom at bay.
Just to complete the info you gave : I have ADD and the start of the Agile methodology in my company actually made me quit being a project manager (17 years) and I started a new career as an internal auditor. There is a place for each project management methodology. Agile is perfect for startups and small companies, where the impact of unfinished features and bugs is relatively contained. But for a big company employing more then 27.000 people (potential users of the changed or new service) and providing financial services to the citizens of a whole country (potential users), going Agile is really ill-advised. If you can't afford bugs at the risk of getting sued and fined millions for non compliance or severe reputational risk, the Project Management Body of Knowledge methodology of the PMI (project management institute) is the only way to go. This does not mean that you can't subdivise the program in different projects. But what is delivered has to make sens and has to be without fault (meaning : UAT tested, E2E tested, dry run tested and when an entire system is replaced you need parallell roll outs).
My ADHD symptoms are quite devided and I’ve found that I’m best in a job where I can both concentrate on something intricately as well as work with people and go to meetings or do something with my hands. If I think about my most productive times, I would say that working in blocks for different duties has been the most productive. As a public librarian/library assistant, that was easy since our days were usually divided into sections of couple of hours. I did prefer sections of 3-4 hours since beginning, switching and ending tasks is quite laborous for my mind. But I liked that I could handle books like shelving for two hours (physical labour), work at an information desk as customer server for three or four (social) and then work on larger projects like events, social media, book lists and meetings for the remaining time (intricate, project or self-rewarding). When I was doing only customer service, I missed the work where I could be in a quiet place all by myself and would just do something meticulous (I really lost myself into it) like cataloging. When I was doing that kind of work, I missed working with clients and having conversations with collegues. So I’ve realized that I’m most happy with work that fuzes all three together.
I think the examples Dr. Barkley here presented are great, but I also think that they are maybe suited best for people with a lot of hyperactivity. As someone with especially hyperfocus as one of their strongest features, I also love quite meticulous work - when it’s my favorite subject. I also prefer to work at my own organized desk rather than all over while doing it of course.
I’ve discussed about this issue a lot with other ADHD women in Finland online and was really surprised about the different jobs that I’ve found out and what clicked with them. I for example heard that at least one was an accountant and that they loved the work because it was like detective work, trying to find the missing puzzle pieces whenever the sums didn’t add up! I used to play similar games when books were missing from the shelves or making predictions which books were worth taking off catalogue or taken to storage. I became really succesful in those things and made them really interesting for me. A lot of people were journalists, nurses, entrepreneurs but I realized that there were people from all fields or work and all different education levels. There were doctorates and manual laborers. Many people had done different things and changed their careers many times. That gave me hope that someday I might also found something else suitable for myself (huge unemployment in Finland for librarians at the moment).
I also believe that because education is so valued in Finland, it’s mandatory to continue your education till age 18 (or have a job etc) and because education is free (for almost till the end), more young adults have more possibilities to continue education paths. Children and teens also get special education since kindergarten where almost all children go to and our kindergarten teachers have higher education degrees, while there are of course other staff helping as well. That means that children nowadays can be recognized by these teachers earlier and get specialized help for both children and their parents. This help is provided all through the education system and until young adults. I myself was born in the 80’s in a small village, where nobody had heard of girls with ADHD. I did get special education with math and fortunately finnish school system helped me through the basic education. We also had an amazing young teacher fresh from school and he began using new techniques like groupwork, presentations etc where we could be really creative and learn about subjects delving into them. We could learn about history while doing a play on it etc or watching a movie. My teacher also used a lot of calming music as we were writing essayes etc so it was easier to concentrate. As I went into high school, I had reached others and began to do really well. That meant that I had the possibility to choose free higher education. It’s really sad to realize that others the same aged as me didn’t have enough support from school system back then and this has harmed their self-image and made these things more troublesome for them. So it’s very much down to the early education systems how the child and it’s family is being supported through the system.
I would be really interested to see something that would discuss about different education cultures or dogmas and what impact they hold on children. I’ve been to different schools and kindergartens like montessori and think there are interesting things in each of them that would suit some children and be harmful for others (all education systems can be harmful for certain individuals).
I've had different kinds of jobs and in all of them it was very difficult for me to keep motivation for more than a couple of months, until I started working in a kindergarten. I didn't lose motivation, but even more it was that for the first time in my life I was getting praise and recognition. I was being appreciated, and I felt like I belonged. If you love children and you're concerned about making a positive difference, it can be very rewarding. It does require some anger management though.
Neurodivergence is very prevalent in IT, it must be the continuous stream of novelty that comes with it that attracts adhd and asd people. At ASML they like to boast about their amount of autistic employees and their exceptional performance in the field. At my school I asked my dean if it was also true for our school that 25 percent would be neurodivergent and she answered: "Well, that must be at least 25 percent.".
Software engineering can offer an endless stream of novelty. Of course there's routine and there are noisy offices, but home office + modern technologies is perfect for ADHD.
I worked in an engineering it dept in the bbc literally I'd say 60 per cent on the spectrum
@@neithere Home office is completely unworkable for me. Might as well tell me to go knit a sweater at the bottom of the ocean. Its funny how different presentations of ADHD have vastly different coping strategies.
I'm 41 and have been in IT for 20 years. Also was in the Marines for 5 years. I find the structure and predictably along with the variety of issues that come across my desk are perfect for me. I don't mind dealing with people, but being bothered while I'm in the middle of something drives me nuts. I hate working from home, and enjoy going to the office.
@@philipramsden4975 yeah i am also 41 and spent 5 year in the army. been in IT for more or less 20 years. I think this might be a pattern.
I love being a Software Engineer/Web Developer and I've met so many others with ADHD. I'm starting to think it's one of the best choices if you like tech or need a lot of mental stimulation in your job. This is a broad field with many jobs, so I think it depends on what you choose to do.
It plays to my strengths - problem solving, creativity, adaptability, and learning new things. There's a tonne of variety with different projects and clients and constant short term deadlines and tickets to complete - which helps keep the goal in sight and feels rewarding to check off.
I'm a little more introverted, and easily get overwhelmed/exhausted in busy environments, so the quiet of working from home suits me. But there are plenty of noisier, more social jobs in start ups, and for remote working you can go to a co-working space. While I'm not physically building something, the work feels very mentally active and there's a clear product being made.
The only downsides are that writing documentation can be boring sometimes (though I'm grateful for it later and AI has helped this a lot) and lack of movement at my desk all day, which I'm working on.
Previously a teacher (sensory overwhelm, too much paper work), web copy editor (boring, but lots of deadlines to keep me on my toes and I was good at it), music/singing teacher (amazing job, but very unreliable). The job I disliked the most was retail work - just constant sensory overwhelm and exhaustion, followed by boring quiet periods, while waiting for customers.
The Environmental health field is really awesome too. So much variety, dealing with the public. Bit of admin, but lots of trips out on investigations, special events, and business inspections.
Welp too late. I'm a Y3 radiology resident now 😂
Having a search pattern really helps. Also Ritalin.
I am a lawyer with ADHD. Although I have had my achievements, it has held me back in a lot of ways. I love "action" assignments such as depositions and trials!
Thank you for the providing this information in such a kind way. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed at the tender age of 46, so most of these seem impossible (and the ones that don't seem impossible sound tortuous to me. Story of my life, lol!). It certainly why I was horrible at all admin jobs - I was constantly finding reasons to get away from my desk. And working in a cubicle? 😱 Luckily, I got ill and stopped working 13 years ago. In the mean time I've taken numerous courses, volunteered at various places, and burned out each time. I have no skills and can't seem to find a productive direction to put my energy. I started a TEFL certificate and burned out again. So what do those who are diagnosed very late with no transferable skills/talents do? (Yes, I'm in therapy, lol!)
We have a lot in common. I was diagnosed ADHD-I two years ago at 46. Now I am ill and disabled. Pretty useless. Originally getting diagnosed seemed positive and life changing, to finally understand myself and learn I am not alone. But these days it is just depressing. I am constantly reminded of how things could have been different if I had only known earlier... So much regret. I am so sorry that you are dealing with this too.
I was a bank teller and I really enjoyed that job. Talking to people, helping them with their banking needs. Then one day I was held at gunpoint and I have severe ptsd from it. Now I’m on disability.
I'm a registered nurse and it has been perfect for my adhd brain! I worked in the ICU for years and my hyperfocus helped me excel there. Now I'm in a private surgical clinic and I rotate through 5 different roles on my days there. Plus it's not uncommon for nurses to change jobs frequently (every 5 years or so) so it doesn't reflect poorly on your resume when you get bored with one job and need a change!
You take medicines? I'm a nurse too
Nursing has been a great fit foe my adhd brain too. I'm medicated now but only started this year
I struggled as a bedside nurse not a good fit. for me even on meds
@@katesemple555 which medicine. And do you feel better after taking medicines😊I want to start my treatment. Plz let me know
@fanamuhammed1349 I tried concerta first which made me sleepy and then switched to vyvanse. It has helped with my mental health a lot. I'm less anxious, binge eat less, have a little extra motivation. I can get up and start getting things done instead of getting stuck in my head and doing nothing. I'm also starting strattera to try to help more with focus and working memory. Vyvanse makes me feel good but in a way makes me feel a little more adhd because it's like I've been using the anxiety to get things done. I'm hoping the strattera helps me feel that little bit more organized. But I'm 40 and I've spent my life making systems and rules for myself, so work isn't too hard to keep things organized because of that. I have many many notes and calendar reminders!
Thank you acknowledging this aspect of life for adults with ADHD. One thing to consider is how much strength one needs in understanding the perspective of others, and the ability to work in chaotic situations. I was a high school art teacher for almost 20 years. My classroom was in the old part of the school where the shop classes used to be which required frequent movement outdoors to check my mailbox in the office, make copies (back in the days before we all had printers in our halls), even visit the restrooms or buy lunch in the cafeteria. The changes in class the variety of kids and people around me, the variety of projects going on both sustained interest but also overwhelmed sometimes. I reallllly struggled with my emotions when it came to dealing with difficult kids. I would say this drained my tank and served in the end s the reason I burned out BUT, this was just me. That is a very weak area in my executive function. Paying attention to detail in the area of grading was a struggle too but I found much grace in this area and learned how to deal with that over the years. I loved teaching art and loved the interaction and movement available to me in that environment though and it was overall a good fit for ADHD. If I had realized I had ADHD, I would have pursued medication- which likely would have helped with the emotions.
Hi dr Barkley! I have adhd and I work in data analytics and it has been great.
I really enjoy problem solving and learning new things all the time.
Not much manual work but I do get to tinker around systems and find cool things! Also it is very structured i work with stats, formulas, systems and programming languages. I enjoy structured things as there's less ambiguity. On the other side I do get to be creative with pretty graphs and colours!
Im 29 I’ve been in trades for most of my life. Renovating, stonemasonry, concreting.
Now I’m studying to be a design and technology teacher. Teaching students robotics, coding, woodwork, metalwork, engineering and I’m minoring in outdoor education.
After working in office jobs for 30+ years, I finally found my career path in working with dogs. First, as a dog walker, then I became a dog trainer and behavior consultant and it has been such a great fit for me. I also found that I love teaching group classes, which was a huge surprise for me because I don't like public speaking. I find teaching classes so much fun: it's active, students come and go so there are always new dogs and people to meet and work with, I get to (over)share what I know, and I am providing much needed support to people and their dogs. Networking with lots of other dog professionals has lead me to believe that many people who have chosen this career are neurodivergent. I haven't done a survey or study on this, but I hope someone does one day.
This hits home. I have worked many diff jobs, but every long term job was chef, fast food, whole animal butcher (trade) music (djs at bars and raves) and now at Costco where I am trained across 8 diff positions and never know whwlere I will be
I am 43 years old, just diagnosed with ADHD inattentive type, more likely CDS. I live in Italy. Some years ago I believed I would never find the right job for me. I was wrong. As an art historian, now I cohoperate with a museum (making guides, creating didactic activities etc); I also cohoperate with a newspaper writing articles on my favourite subject; right now I am moving my first steps as art curator etc. I love my jobs because they enhance my talents and also because certains ADHD treats seem to be no more a curse but a gift 😄 my struggles are still there but I don't feel them so heavy like in other contexts of my life.
My son is ADHD too and he is in the military. He feels very comfortable in a high structured and planned job, with a lot of workout, routines but also with highly adrenaline activities.
A year ago I decided to quit pursuing my Masters degree I was stuck on and went into early childhood education.
Sometimes I get doubts whether that was the right decision for me, but I enjoy working in the daycare so much and this video showed me exactly why.
I've been diagnosed with ADHD at age of 33, one year ago. I work in IT sector as a Server Reliability Engineer and co-owner/director of a IT Service company. I have to work in emergency situations and also in regular maintenance of infrastructure. Regular maintenance is of course harder part to manage when you have ADHD, but in my case i have some degree of elasticity that allows me to switch tools that i use and tasks that i work on. I find my job very stimulating - I have to use double dose of my medications in days off. There are also tasks that i struggle with, like keeping up with the deadlines, doing long paperwork, remembering to answer emails - all this is very exhausting. These also put me in uncomfortable situation with my partners, who are unsatisfied with results of my work from past years. I think that having supporting staff around me is important for me to keep regular, baby-step approach in long term projects (to hold me accountable and on-track). Currently criticism i get keeps me in negative thought spirals and i feel unmotivated or paralysed with anxiety, so i think about switching temporarily to less demanding job, and eventually starting my own business.
Wow I have never heard this explained so clearly. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year age 55. I am going to take this and use it!
Floristry!! 💐🌹🌻
You get to work with nature, you get to be creative with a wide variety of colours, shapes, textures, designs etc.
There's alot of different tasks that need to be done, the order changes depending on what's important, it's usually fast-paced
You need to be impulsive and make quick decisions, independent problem solving is a strong assert.
Literally most employees are neuro-spicy too!
There's customer interaction and chatting amungst yourself when it's quiet. You can do events floristry where ur working as a big team to make huge beautiful designs for weddings funerals, corporate, functions etc.
Travelling to countless locations, hands on instalations, maintenance and taking everything appart afterwards.
Very rewarding!
I never planed to get into it, it just happened and I didn't know I needed it 😊
The work environment is really the most important part. Good people around you, no sounds, smells or movements that affects your ability to focus.
I have been diagnosed with ADHD and Asperger.
"Simple jobs" are really bad for me. Working in factories, and other stuff that does not challenge you intellectually. I have issues with focus when studying, working etc but if i have a good environment its easier.
The best type of jobs for me that i have been able to try is in IT, like programming. The worst kinds of jobs have been working in factories, welding, landscaping, constructions, and more. Working with people is not for me either, does not matter if its in a store, restaurant or in the medical field. My brain needs to be challenged but only if i really like the topics.
Something I would add to this list is being a psychotherapist! I'm a therapist and find that my ADHD can be helpful in many ways (staying in the present moment with clients, recognizing patterns etc.). Medication is helpful though so I can sit still and not get too distracted haha
I’m currently a micro poultry farmer, raising pastured thanksgiving turkeys with my family in SE VA…
But prior to that, I worked in television as a production manager free-Lance. Although it required me to stay on meds and have extreme organization, it was a great blend of “familiar routines” and “novel new experiences.” I have inattentive type, but the new surroundings and new coworkers on every show always kept me engaged.
I work in state government, in policy. I log on, feverishly answer as many emails as possible and then I go from Teams meeting to Teams, sometimes participating in 10 meetings in a day. I dial in and bang through the day, going from topic to topic. It works for me because I don't have time to have the motivation plunge. The significance of the work and the intense and sincere problem solving keeps my receptors fed.
Lots of good advice in the video and comments. Having a passion certainly helps ADHD'ers performance. I worked on a trading floor, solving problems in an entrepreneurial, constantly changing environment. You need to be numerate, but it's social and intellectually engaging.
I was in the military for 5 years and am now in school for Radiologic Technologist. I work in Computed Tomogrqphy. Scans don't take long but I'm up moving around a lot. Going to get my bachelor's in Nuclear Medicine. I love radiology. MRI may not be best since the scans are longer and take more attention but there are modalities like IR, surgery, cath lab, and so on. I can do so many things. Absolutely love it!!!
Dr. Barkley, thanks for your videos! You present well and know so much. O’ grateful.
Honestly, being a stay-at-home homeschooling mom has been my favourite career/job so far. Providing enough routine/structure for us all to function well has been a challenge and sometimes it's too social now (it was a bit boring when the littles weren't verbal but I did a lot of academic reading and went for lots of walks to stimulate myself), but it provides a really excellent balance off all the "features" he mentions.
Adhd female with a Fashion design degree. Worked in production, sewing, drafting (enjoyed pattern drafting but needed to watch out for careless mistakes.) Lots of moving around and new projects daily.
I'm a local journalist and have been in this job for almost 30 years. I am doing something different every day. It's deadline driven, and I get to be social. There are a lot of ADHDers in my field.
Thank you Dr. Barkley for helping us!!
I can attest to nursing being a great ADHD job. The job is structured, but not so structured that I find myself being bored. There's usually something new and exciting happening each day. It's a challenging and high pressure job, but I thrive on that sort of thing. It took some practice to train myself to continually reassess priorities so that I stay on track. Also, once you get your nursing license, there's 100 different directions you can go, so if you become bored of one area of nursing you can switch things up and try something new without having to go back to school again! All that being said, it takes the right kind of person to be a nurse, so If you don't think you'd be compassionate to people at their lowest please do not consider nursing.
Toxic working environment though In the hospital. Massive turn over and if you don’t already have a depression and anxiety issue it can be a bit more challenging. I do agree with a lot of moving around and something different everyday. Rejection sensitivity and time management can get you on punching that clock can get you. We know in that environment being late is definitely unforgiving.
I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult and Im a mail carrier at the Post Office. It was the best move I ever made.
I’m a CFO for a midsized hospitality company. Got my start in public accounting and consulting. The work is complex, surprisingly human focused, and incredibly varied.
After leaving last year for the job I’m in now, I can avoid the details and focus on high level, complex issues. It’s been a great path.
I’m retired now but for me not knowing I was adhd inattentive back in school and 2 year electrical construction and maintenance community I found as where my career was as I was in college. I worked in many gas stations and just ended up enjoying learning new stuff everyday. At 16 pumping gas and between full service pumps back then ...lol and then changing tires and oil changes through time had a knack to fix things. I wanted to work for Niagra Mohawk power company climbing poles and go off to the next power outage was exciting and pay was good I assumed. The recession in the mid 70,s was a time no jobs any where so I became a mechanic after my boss said you want to learn. I retired with a nice pension and my electrical back ground helped as cars got more complex. Life is a journey for sure
I love how many of the things I considered or wanted to be-law enforcement (though ACAB), ER doctor, tradeswork, some kind of outdoor profession like forest ranger-are on this list. And the profession I got talked into-attorney-is not. Being able to do something (and even being good at it) isn’t the same as being suited for the profession. I’m actually pretty good at my work… it just drains the life out of me. Less so, now that I’ve found a less demanding position in the profession, but trying to do something I’m not suited for exhausts me. Not going to med school is probably my number one regret (though the choices I made led me to a good life with a person I love, so I wouldn’t want to go back and change them now).
It's great reading all the comments here about people with ADHD who've found their right career path. I work in a highly technical job that pays well and allows me to work from home, but I am perpetually getting by without ever excelling at it. It's extra depressing because I am wrapping up an advanced degree too to "double down" on this career path that I'm not looking forward to. I have a family now and feel it's too late to take career risks and explore something new if it means we might not be able to put food on the table
Holy shit I'm in exactly the same situation right now. I'm getting more and more depressed because I'm actually quite good in School but I'm fearing that it all will crumple down once I'm back in the industry. And my therapist pushed me into this school. I have a suspicion she might just be a really bad therapist for neurodivergent people
Honestly, if you have found a job you can do without burning yourself out or feeling dissatisfied... Save your passion for outside work hours. Employment is just a safety net to avoid homelessness and poverty.
@@ADHDad I am burning out though :(
@@bombastixteuton1130 What makes you feel like you're burning out?
I'm surprised that occupations like social work and community engagement wasn't on the list. Often has very reflexive components, lots of variety in day to day activity, can really engage people with a space to utilise their justice oriented mindsets. Can also require a high level skill building e.g. taking on counselling or therapeutic work, running workshops or skill building activities, working with diverse people. Can be a space where ADHD cognitive strengths really shine. And, with the emergence of lived experience - ADHD experience of poor mental health can be hugely beneficial to actively supporting others and building geniune rapport.
Live production stagehand work I’ve found is great for me, because the “jack of all trades” mentality is appreciated. You can get electrical training, chauffeurs license or CDL, rigging training, and you’re more valuable the more different things you can do, as opposed to the tech industry where you’re almost forced to specialize in a very specific thing.
There are also more technical aspects of audio and video that if you are into technical/intellectual work, you can start to learn and implement.
The downside is that it’s almost all contract work or PRN so it’s a hustle to get hours continuously and benefits are hard to come by, and prepare to track mileage, keep receipts, etc for taxes.
I worked construction and the challenge was keeping your tools in your toolbag. Information Technology and running my own business was perfect for me.
Have clearly gone through many of these from tourism/outdoor activities to performing arts to product inventorship, but OH DANG I wish I had the knowledge of all of this in high school. I would've let the natural me bloom with greater ease.
I’m a clinical supervisor at an early intervention center. It’s very fast paced with lots of social interaction and multitasking. Very active and playful. It’s perfect for my hyperactive subtype adhd!
I have found that I am most easily motivated in jobs where I get to help other people. I started in retail, then was a tutor for a while, and then ended up in IT support.
My special interest is problem solving, and I like learning new things, but like I said I am motivated to help other people.
I work as an X-ray welder (stainless steel piping for the pharma/food industry). It does tick all of these boxes and I do enjoy the challenge of creating a nice-looking weld. I'm always moving, using my hands and many different tools. I work together with a small team and some communication is needed, but most of the time is spent putting on my welding mask, turning on some music, and pretty much disappearing into my own world. A TIG welding torch creates an electrical arc with a temperature of up to 19000 degrees Celsius. That's hotter than the surface of the sun! watching metal melt in front of your eyes and being able to manipulate it with your hands is very fascinating to me.
I was blessed to have had a long career as a copier repair technician for 27 years. Fit very well with my ADHD symptoms.