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Best careers for ADHD Adults.
The best career for any adult is one that they are both equally passionate about as well as intrigued by. Something they always want to learn more about, be better at and overall enjoy.
But what about best careers for ADHD adults?
There are many more career requirements I would add for the ADHD adult.
Beginning with one major one: A career that allows you to define your own deadlines, hours and projects. The careers where ADHD people thrive often include a little more freedom than the generic 9-5.
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Still, the need for routine is there as well. Always knowing what to expect every day at work is critical for an ADHD adult to surpass expectations. If they are the ones setting the expectations, that may work well but sometimes it can backfire on them.
Regardless of what career ADHD people choose, playing to their strengths is the most critical component to consider. As a subset of humans that often struggle with time management, short term memory and long-term goal striving it can be challenging to find a Job that ignites us.
If you are fortunate enough to find one, hold onto it.
Job skills that (most) ADHD adults naturally possess:
1. Out of the box thinking
2. Work well under pressure
3. Outgoing
4. Ability to Hyperfocus
5. Finding one subject infinitely intriguing
6. Empathetic
7. Labor Intensive when Needed
8. Problem Solving complicated matters
9. Natural Leaders
I’ll list the jobs skills for the following careers that an ADHD person might possess. This may give you a good idea if that particular career would be a good fit for you.
1. Teaching
Starting a career as an ADHD person can feel like starting school all over again. Maybe there was a teacher in your schooling that made a big difference for you? They helped you understand better than other teachers. You could be that for someone else.
Skills needed for teaching: Natural Leaders, Finding One Subject Infinitely Intriguing, Empathetic, Out of the Box Thinking
2. Designing
If you are an ADHD person and a designer at heart you won’t wonder. You will know. You’ll be gifted at sitting long periods to create your wondrous creations. Whether that be food, painting, crocheting, quilting, crafting the list goes on. You have a keen eye for differences in things such as color, and wonder how other people miss such things. Yes, designing can be a great careers for an ADHD adult.
Skills needed for Designing: Out of the Box Thinking, Work Well Under Pressure, Ability to Hyperfocus, Labor Intensive when Needed
3. Skilled Trades
Skilled trades are no longer just a certificate to be achieved. They are a direct, less student loan, career path with optimal income available at the end. Trades in construction, industrial/manufacturing, motor power, and service allow for a myriad of careers for the ADHD adult.
The electrician that inspects your house before you finish building it? Skilled trade. The guy driving and operating the bulldozer? Skilled Trade. How about the man who climbs to the top of the cell phone towers to change the bulb? Yes, that’s a skilled trade career. Many skilled trade careers start well above $15 an hour, and pay livable rates while in the apprenticeship phase.
Skills required for Skilled Trades that ADHD People possess: Labor Intensive when needed, ability to hyperfocus, work well under pressure, problem solving complicated matters, natural leaders
ADHD Careers for ADHD Adults:
4. Public Speaking
Are you a talker like me? Do people often tell you to quiet down, or ‘shh’ you? I’ve been getting remarks like that my entire life. Embrace it. The ability to speak to other people freely, without pause, is actually a gift that not too many ADHD people possess. But those who do can make lucrative careers talking and teaching others what they know.
Skills required: Out of the Box Thinking, Outgoing, Empathetic, Natural Leaders, Problem Solving Complicated Matters
5. Emergency Response
When I say ADHD Adults work well under pressure, I mean it. Emergency responders use that kind of pressure to think clearly in fight or flight moments. Sometimes when someone’s life is at stake.
Skills required: Work Well Under Pressure, Problem Solving Complicated Matters, Empathetic, Ability to hyperfocus.
6. Counselor/Therapist
Want to help other people? Maybe you are like me and love mental health and all its many components. ADHD people make great counselors, therapists, and advocates. No one knows quite what it’s like to walk in our shoes. Ok, I know, we don’t walk, we skip, jump, hop and run. But you get the picture. No one knows what it’s like to be us, except us.
Skills required: Empathetic, Problem Solving Complicated Matters, Finding One Subject Infinitely Intriguing, Outgoing (not ALWAYS required but helps).
7. Sales
People hear the word sales, and they imagine a slimy used car salesman in a tweed 1977 suit trying to take your money. No, not everyone thinks that? Just me? Ok anyways, sales have evolved.
There is a sales position in just about every different type of career field. From Pharmacological sales in the medical area to sales in product manufacturing.
Sales is usually a skies-the-limit income stream. The more sales you make, the more money you make depending on your company and their pay structure. Sales jobs for ADHD people can also give a highly flexible schedule. Sometimes even set at work-at-your-own-pace speed.
Skills needed: Outgoing, Empathetic, Problem Solving Complicated Matters, Working well under pressure.
8. Writer
Yes! You can totally be a writer! I am! In fact, I’m a writer and a cross with one other career on this list (Spoiler alert: Number 9). If you can find something you love to talk about, then you can most certainly write about it. Careers as a writer could be freelancing, or as a journalist, a novelist or even a copywriter.
Skills needed: Finding One Subject Infinitely Intriguing, Working Well Under Pressure, Out of the box thinking, and Ability to Hyperfocus.
9. Entrepreneur
Last but not least, my favorite, an Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur seems tied to so many things these days but let me explain how ADHD entrepreneurs are different. We often notice things others miss. Us ADHDers have wild and crazy ideas that we are willing to work to bring to life. Often we are caring and kind, and totally flexible. We’re leaders and thinkers and doers.
Creating our own dream job is often our best option. I’m a writer and entrepreneur. I’ve met so many women who are just like me and in the same niche of writing as a career as well. (You can read Tammy’s guest post right here!) The only downside to creating your dream job is that it takes a lot of perseverance towards one specific goal. But with therapy or a coach, I’m a firm believer that any ADHDer can achieve their dreams.
Skills required: Empathetic, Leadership, Out of the Box Thinking, Ability to Hyperfocus, Works well Under Pressure, Outgoing, Problem Solving Complicated Matters, Finding One Subject Infinitely intriguing.
If you think you want to create your dream job, I recommend checking out the guest post I wrote on Itsallyouboo about what to expect when building your dream job. Don’t take it as reason’s not to pursue it. Consider its expert advice on what to expect and then go all in!
Having ADHD and finding a good career has its share of struggles to overcome.
It does, but ADHD has some extraordinary strengths. We are some of the most hardworking dreamers I have ever met. And we are generally happy people too. We just need a little bit of freedom in any career to thrive. It’s not impossible to find if you know what to look for.
