What jobs have you enjoyed?

[Anonymous]

Considering so many of us are so lost on the “what the heck should I do with my life?” and “What job will I enjoy with ADHD?” I’d like to pose the question “What are you doing that you love?” (or what have you done that you enjoyed). Maybe other’s successes will give some of the rest of us some ideas to get unstuck

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[Anonymous]

I’ve loved tutoring. I get to share my passion for my subject with a kid whose parents care, and the kid tends to care more as a result

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[Anonymous]

Before I found out I have ADHD I was bouncing back and forth with my majors. Nothing could keep my attention long enough. I dropped out of college b/c of a particularlly professor and then it wasn’t until I was diagnosed at 25 that I found my true passion. I was recomended by a friend that i had met who has ADHD that sometimes getting a full body massage would help. So I tried. And it did. It sort of went on from there. From the moment I went back to school everything made sense. I honestly don’t know how to describe it but there’s just something about doing what I do that calms me. It keeps my attention and throws everything else out and away from me. I just focus on the relaxing music, the scents of the creams and oils, and do what I do best.

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[Anonymous]

I’m 22 and currently a college student majoring in film.

The film part is great…the student part sometimes not so much (I make good grades and all that but I can just barely stand it sometimes.)

I’ve worked on several independent shorts with friends from school and I always have an amazing time. We usually work long hours and focus on short tasks one at a time, like getting different shots. We have to move around a lot and even during the lulls, a lot is going on. I’ve done some small things on my own as well, and I find I’m even better at running those than just participating in someone else’s. I think part of it is because to have a day of shooting run smoothly you have to have a detailed plan ahead of time. (a shot list is one of the things I can actually make myself sit down and write without too much annoyance. xD) but you have to be mentally flexible enough to focus on everything happening while you’re under pressure. It’s busy and fun and there is a very tangible goal at the end….which is helpful for me.

Similarly, I really enjoy acting. I catch on to routines really fast.

I don’t know how many add-ers are familiar with shadowcasting (like when people act along with the screen at midnight showings of Rocky Horror.) but I’ve been involved with a couple of casts for different movies doing that and it is a really wonderful way to blow off some steam.

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[jameswing]

I really enjoy teaching. I get to do something different everyday, walk around, talk, work on my own projects… It is actully the career that I have stayed with the longest. I also really enjoy designing things.

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[billd]

Hobbies I love:

Classic car repair and restoration, alternator repair, antique engine collecting and restoring, showing those engines at shows, repairing antique sewing machines.

Jobs I’ve liked or loved:

Auto mechanic (my first true love), IT/computer networking somewhat, security and antivirus mostly. Love the challanges there – keeping the bad guys out, fixing things when employees mess up and infect things, the battle to prevent infections to begin with.

At one company, I designed the entire corporate antivirus structure and design. That was fun, a challange, you have to constantly learn and keep up – keep current, keep ahead of things in IT/computers. Fall behind a week and you are in trouble. Just when you get caught up, something new is released or a new patch comes out.

Did small engine repair – transmission repair, etc. – small items you can generally work on and finish quickly and on to the next one.

Have started alternator repair services on the side – in the evenings and weekends, specializing in stuff others don’t like to touch.

I could use one of those massages – my neck and back and shoulders are almost always “tense” and tight.

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[billd]

Decal on a cabinet in my shop:

“I love my job, it’s the work that sucks”

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[slevine]

I’m a designer. Nowadays I am an information architect which means I design the functionality and user experience of applications and web sites. I am very fortunate to be able to do this. The good side is that I get to be creative, and once I figure out a solution to something, I get super into it and excited about it and can concentrate very hard on the design process.

The bad thing is that for some reason people get caught up in very unimportant details of the designs. Like the text on a button. All that text needs to do is indicate to the user what will happen once that button is pressed. Beyond that, it is a copy tone issue that really doesn’t have anything to do with the architecture. A button that says “submit”, or “go” or “ok” effectively does the same thing which is indicate “press this to move on to the next step” but people will try to address the language on that stupid button with me for hours. And the thing is, after I’m done with it, a copy writer will change it anyway!!!!! Drives me insane.

There is also a little bit of fear when approaching a new project where I worry if I’ll be able to come up with a solution that is going to work. Usually I do, but sometimes its a struggle to get that initial creative spark.

My favorite thing to do though is make records. I am a very good record producer with a few full length discs under my belt. That fulfils me like nothing else. But it doesn’t pay at an independent level these days.

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[Anonymous]

I had many jobs throughout the years. However the one thing that seem to be quite appealing to me is writing. It is my hobby and I enjoy writing stories. I had started numerous story ideas but I am having a hard time finishing them. I wish I can use writing as my career but I am afraid of rejection. Rejections seem to send me into tail spins and dangerous depression crashes.

So if there are publishers here looking for original ideas, stories and willing to work with me please email me. I love to hear from you.

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[jameswing]

@slevine “The bad thing is that for some reason people get caught up in very unimportant details of the designs.”

I totally get you on that, I feel that “normal” people try to make things more difficult than they have to be. last year I did a program review, and my adviser came over to look at what I had done so far, and ended up retyping several sections, not to add any usable content, but to make them longer.

@Digifan

I started writing a textbook a couple years ago, I got the outline done, and wrote the first couple chapters before I moved on to another project.

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[Anonymous]

A job with high-stress and/or infinitessimal possible outcomes is a career worth exploring.

Air Traffic Controller

Having been professionally diagnosed with ADHD, a job that I really enjoyed was being an air traffic controller (in between study terms).

That job kept me super focused when it was time to be in the zone. With so many variables to keep track of, I really enjoyed the challenge. Time flew by fast when stuff happened.

Downside is that I would be bored until the next event occured.

Having ADHD is clearly an advantage in this type of job. Ideally, finding a career in which we can use our “gift of ADHD” and use it to its fullest potential would be the ultimate goal.

Does anyone else have any jobs they’ve done that really peaked their interest and haing ADHD was a clear asset?

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[Anonymous]

I work at a video game company as a writer, and when I have things to do, I love my job. Especially if it’s creative things.

Sadly though, most of the time I’m bored out of my skull.

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[Anonymous]

I’m 56 and have had many different types of jobs as long as I was able to multitask and move a lot I did very well and like most of them, I was diagnosed with ADHD about 12 years go when I went to collage and it has helped put some of my favorite things into some type of order. I was never able to stay at any jobs for over 5 years, get bored and find something different to challenge me since being diagnosed I have become an alcohol and drug counselor and put more time into doing things that are fulfilling personally I enjoy interacting with people bu love my hobbies and have found a way to make them work for me and it is starting to create another source of income. Am I successful that is something that I recently have come to terms with. Before my diagnosis I that I was a failure at everything, since then I work very hard to remind my self I am successful. Success is not what other se it is what you see. Good Luck

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[Anonymous]

I love writing and interviewing. I loved my job as a security guard for awhile when I had the right principal to keep the kids in line which was very helpful for me and I had teachers there that were very supportive of me. When my mother died over the summer in between terms they were my therapy. Had to leave though because new administration came in and were unable to keep the kids in line. I also loved the parties we had off hours. Teachers really know how to cut loose. They have to because of the stress.

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[dspicelady]

Bookkeeper- numbers are pure and true. I always knew exactly what I had to do and never had to worry about second guessing myself.

Daycare- creatively finding ways to help kids learn how to get along, tie their shoes, eat peas, etc. Probably the best job I ever had.

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[Author]

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