ADHD Career Guidance for Adults: Discovering the Right Job

“What job should I have?” “Is that career a good fit for me?” Leveraging your unique and powerful skills is integral to better performance and satisfaction at work. The more confidence you feel in your abilities, the more success you can pursue… and achieve.

Positions that lean heavily on executive functioning skills seldom fit the bill for people with ADHD. But roles that capitalize on ADHD strengths — problem solving, creativity, working under pressure — do exist and can strategically shift your career prospects.

“I'm a reading specialist who works with neurodivergent elementary school students. I get to push myself to learn more about the brain for work and, dare I say, pleasure. My neurodiversity thrives in my multi-sensory environment where no two days are the same. There's also a routine for each group's lesson, which provides a great balance of novelty and predictable structure.” — Rachel, Rhode Island

“I work in child welfare and I love my job. I did Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations for four years before moving to family voluntary services about eight months ago. It’s fast-paced and can be very unpredictable, but it also allows for structure. Our brains tend to know exactly what to do in an emergency and require urgency to get things done, and CPS is nothing but urgency. If you have a great team, can listen to constructive feedback, and make sure to take care of yourself, child welfare is perfect for ADHD.” — Briana, Washington

“I teach middle school health and drama classes. Not only do I love the fact that I get to teach such different topics, but I also enjoy getting to know and interact with my students… My brain enjoys the newness of each day; even teaching the same lesson four times in a row is interesting because what I get from students is never the same in each class. And my quirkiness and self-proclaimed weirdness help me connect with them, while also allowing them to keep one foot in childhood and the other toward maturity.” — Nickie, Washington

“I love my job as an occupational therapy assistant in a school district, and it's a perfect fit for my ADHD brain. I can relate to children with ADHD on a level that others may not be able to because I've experienced what they go through at school. I can teach them ADHD tips and tricks and explain how to make it their own. It's so rewarding to see students with ADHD thrive. And there's just the right balance of consistency and routine with novelty and change to keep the job interesting!” — Jackie, Colorado

'My job as a dental hygienist is perfect for me because I can work with my patients one-on-one without distractions. I have a routine of what I check for and the process I use to clean their teeth. I also usually turn off the overhead lights and use the light on my magnifying glasses to keep my focus on where I’m looking.' — Jae, North Carolina

“I'm a healthcare assistant in the emergency department at the only hospital covering North West Wales, a huge tourist area with an aging population. I love meeting people, talking to and caring for them. My ADHD multiplies the empathy I already have... Plus it's a multicultural hospital, so we get to work with people from all over the world.” — Louise, England

“I am a certified veterinary nurse working at Oregon State University’s veterinary teaching hospital. My role is fast-paced and no one day is the same as another. There’s structure but also a level of unpredictability. I meet new students every four weeks, so I get to constantly learn about people. And I feel like my ability to think outside of the box to problem solve is my biggest asset. I am proud of myself when so many other things make me feel defeated.” — Laura, Oregon

'I once worked the perfect job patrolling backcountry campgrounds for the Bureau of Land Management in Moab, Utah, for seven months of the year. I chose my schedule and my driving route and was free to interact with campers. Every day was different, and the scenery was beautiful.' — LRB, Illinois

“As a small-scale regenerative farmer, I get to enjoy project-based work as well as knowledge of the land and animals that deepens with each passing year. Each season brings its own challenges and joys. The hand-work and head-work of farming balance each other to both challenge and soothe me.” — Ann, Canada

“I’m a server and bartender. It works well with my high energy... Everyone else is fast paced but attempting to keep up with me. My customers tell me it's like I already know what they want before they ask. I want to say I love my job, but I’m definitely good at it and do it well.” — Casey, North Carolina

“As a hairstylist for more than four decades, I have enjoyed getting to know people from all walks of life. It has enabled me to maintain my focus on an ever-changing rotation of clients. I thrive on curiosity and a lack of the mundane. Realizing this was a career with which I could support myself (and eventually my family), I set out in search of ways to improve my time-management skills. Those systems became a part of not just my work life but every other area as well. It has truly been a rewarding and fulfilling experience.” — Angela, Arizona

“I was an attorney who represented children in foster care in California Juvenile Dependency Court. My employer was a non-profit, so there was always more work to do than time to do it, many last-minute changes, and lots of thinking on your feet. This was perfect for me and often led others to burn out quickly.” — Joe, Washington

“I do the taxes for small business owners in the healthcare sector. The tax deadline helps motivate me. The low season after the tax deadline means I can work at a slower pace and regenerate. The constant changes in tax laws and the clients' life cycle... keeps the work changing, fresh, and new. I oftentimes can’t predict my day before it’s over. My hyperfocus can feel like an advantage, a privilege, and a necessity.” — An ADDitude reader

“I am the owner of a haunted attraction. It's great for an ADHD brain because you must flip between all the facets of owning your own business and creating things [for it]. On a given day, I am managing HR, filing taxes, drafting advertisements, training crews, building sets, performing heavy labor, painting, and public speaking.” — Christine, Canada

“I fell into tech recruitment nearly 20 years ago... The recruitment cycle is like four jobs in one, so there's plenty to keep me occupied and challenged. The tech space is innovative and more advanced in employment engagement and culture. A flexible work structure means they don’t get hung up on what time you start; instead, they’re focused on outcomes. It’s a safe place to thrive. Most engineers are introverted so the work environment is very inclusive. I trained in agile project management some years ago and that approach to organization is invaluable for ADHD minds.” — Yvette, Australia

“As a software engineer, I feel like there's a perfect combination of novel problems to solve and dopamine hits from trying solutions and then failing until they finally succeed. It’s kind of like playing a slot machine for work.” — Tiffany, Maryland

“I work as a supply planner, which basically means I oversee a group of products, monitor their inventory, and compare that with projected demand. Every day is a little different in that suddenly you have new problems to solve, requests from adjacent departments, etc. I'm able to hyperfocus on my work fairly well due to this, and while it is not my passion, I am good at it.” — Jordan, Illinois

“I work remotely as a content moderator for a newspaper. Working from home means I'm exempt from the usual challenges of getting ready for work, traveling there, and being on time. While my work is intense, I'm forced to stay focused from moment to moment. This helps me manage time because I cannot drift off, daydream, or forget what I need to do next. Although it may seem repetitive or boring, each comment is unique and requires a fast, accurate response. Every time I vet one comment, I'm immediately taken to the next one.” — Daphne, Minnesota

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF ADDITUDE Since 1998, ADDitude has worked to provide ADHD education and guidance through webinars, newsletters, community engagement, and its groundbreaking magazine. To support ADDitude's mission, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.