Best Jobs for People with ADHD (7+ jobs)

In this blog post, we will come to know the best jobs for people with ADHD. We will then understand what challenges individuals with ADHD face at work and suggest strategies to succeed in a career. 

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) involves symptoms like difficulty attending and completing tasks, distractibility, forgetfulness, sitting in one place, and interrupting conversations. Hyperactive behaviors and impulsivity mainly characterize it. 

Best Jobs for People with ADHD

ADHD can be challenging but need not stand in the way of nurturing your professional life. Here is a list of best jobs for people with ADHD:

• Teacher
• Chef
• Hair Stylist
• Emergency first-responders
• Artist
• Software developer
• Daycare worker
• Small business owner
• Journalist
• Beautician 

If you are also interested in learning what the worst jobs for people with ADHD are then click here.

Teacher

Most individuals with ADHD rejoice to work with children, making teaching a highly rewarding career. Although this career may test your patience, it allows you to exhibit creativity. This profession requires you to use your presence of mind and go through tasks one after another. 

Teachers with ADHD are also adept at understanding the strengths and weaknesses of students with ADHD.

Chef

People with ADHD are known for their creativity. If you can effectively deal with the condition, understand your strengths, and have come to terms with the symptoms, it is beneficial for your profession. 

It is a fast-paced environment and is excellent for individuals with ADHD as they get to work intensely for a period, and the rest of the day goes in cleaning and preparing. If you want to make it big, there is the hassle of completing culinary courses.

Hair Stylist

There is the advantage of interacting with a diverse group of clientele. Therefore, even if the periods are extended, the change and diversity is refreshing and keeps you engaged. It is more than cutting hair; it requires creativity in work and social skills. A busy salon is an excellent work environment for individuals with ADHD to express creativity. 

Emergency first-responders

They are required to work under tremendous pressure and make life-and-death decisions. There are various settings in which to work as emergency responders. This profession gives a rush of adrenaline, which helps people with ADHD to focus. Usually, people panic when in chaotic environments, but people with ADHD find such domains invigorating, and they skillfully solve problems. 

Artist

As mentioned before, people with ADHD are incredibly creative. Therefore, being an artist is an excellent choice. There is room for creativity and productive chaos. It can be any profession in this field, including choreographer, painter, musician, or television director, as long as it allows imaginative thinking. The pay can also be rewarding. 

Software developer

There is a dynamic touch to this career, as most tasks take only a few weeks at a time. The challenges that software developers tackle are diverse, require a presence of mind, and are fascinating. All of these make this job an appealing one for individuals with ADHD.

Daycare worker

As mentioned for teachers, people with ADHD who enjoy being around children can opt to work at daycares. There is a rotation of tasks, which avoids monotony, and entails a lot of moment-to-moment decision-making. 

Small business owner

The flexibility this career offers is incredible. The work environment can vary every day, accommodating your restlessness and keeping the excitement up. The work hours can be bent to suit your convenience, and you are accountable to yourself only. Additionally, you can focus on your interests, which makes your professional life fruitful and purposeful.

Journalist

This job can provide a rush of adrenaline and be exciting as it involves covering breaking news, traveling to exotic spots, and other enticing opportunities. Further, it aids creative expression through writing. The downsides include unreliability and unrewarding pay while freelancing. 

Graphic designer

Although a challenging career to start with as it requires an educational degree, the creative expression this profession enables is massive. This job taps into the creative juices that people with ADHD have to offer.

Challenges in Employment

We will look at common challenges related to employment that people with ADHD face. Additionally, we will list suggestions for each issue. 

Distractibility

A chaotic environment can contain several distracting stimuli, ranging from loud conversations to rumors and gossip. If you have social problems, you may get frustrated with pointless meetings that require conversations with coworkers you may find annoying.

Suggestion:

Use noise-cancellation earphones to listen to ambient music. You can also request to have a designated desk at a more peaceful area in the workplace. Come in earlier than everybody else to get a headstart on your work. 

Disorganization and Short-term Memory Challenges

These are known challenges of ADHD. Jobs requiring attention to detail can be problematic and overwhelming for you. 

Suggestion:

Take note of everything to tackle disorganization. Carry a notepad and pen or your phone with you at all times to quickly jot down ideas and things to do so that you do not worry about having to rely on your memory. Further, make use of calendars and planners to keep track of tasks and timelines. 

Time Mismanagement

People with ADHD are known for their procrastination. Combating this symptom in light of tight work pressure can be overwhelming. They tend to push everything to the wire, which can cause more strain on their mental health.

Suggestion:

Make use of organization tools, such as alarms, stopwatches, timers, and checklists. These tools can help you stay on top of things and disallow you to forget essential responsibilities and deadlines. Nowadays, these tools are accessible and easy to use.

Boredom

Work that induces boredom seems uninteresting, repetitive, and monotonous can exhaust individuals with ADHD. Sitting all day in front of a screen can be cognitively strenuous.  

Arduous tasks can be challenging for individuals with ADHD, which can affect performance and productivity. If the responsibility is too dull, you may become restless. 

Suggestion: 

Develop a structure. Compartmentalize long-term goals into several short-term tasks with tight deadlines. Deadlines add a sense of pressure, which can be chaotic goodness for people with ADHD. 

Success Strategies

There are a few suggestions that would help while choosing and succeeding in your career, such as:

Do What You Love

It is crucial to find a job that caters to what you enjoy and love doing instead of merely depending on willpower to get through your career. 

If you do what interests you, it can increase productivity and motivation levels. This statement is even more applicable to people with ADHD. You may be prone to boredom and frustration, making it more challenging to keep up with work. 

Before choosing a career, understand the following:

• What you are good at;
• What pays well;
• What you enjoy doing. 

The career in which you can succeed the best will cater to all three of these. 

Play to Your Strengths

ADHD manifests differently in different people. You may become restless or get distracted a lot. It can even make you so immersed in the work that you find shifting attention across tasks challenging.

Therefore, look for jobs that play to your strengths. 

• Look for originality

Being creative, you can solve problems in distinctive ways. Look for jobs that tap into your originality and imaginative thinking, such as artist, designer, teacher, or inventor. 

• Consider self-employment

Self-employment allows you to work independently, be creative, motivated, and take risks, which cater to ADHD symptoms. You can outsource daily tasks like bookkeeping, which requires organization skills. 

• Socialize

If you thrive in social spaces, consider careers related to interpersonal interactions, like a salesperson, public relations officer, customer service executive, or teacher.

• Look for a fast-paced environment.

To avoid monotony, boredom, and distractions, choose a career that involves a dynamic, fast-paced environment. When the responsibilities continuously change, it increases engagement and interest. These jobs may be paramedics, emergency responders, television producers, to name a few.

Address Your Limits

If boredom often hits you, you may have to be careful while considering working for corporates that require you to follow the rules and do piles of paperwork.

Although treatment may help manage your symptoms better, it is best to harness your strengths. 

Do Your Research

Once you have narrowed down on jobs that interest you, understand more about them. Talk to people who are already in that field to get a better insight into their roles and responsibilities. 

The nuances of a job are essential. For instance, if you are eager to perform social work, you may also be required to do massive amounts of paperwork, which you may not enjoy. Therefore, by finding out more about the job, you can understand which positions suit you best. 

Get Guidance

Remember that you can seek help from a psychologist, a counselor, or a life coach to gain insights into working better. They could also assist in finding a more suitable employer for you.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we came to know the best jobs for people with ADHD. Then, we understood the various challenges individuals with ADHD face at work and found out strategies to succeed in a career. 

Frequently Asked Questions: Best Jobs for People with ADHD
What is the ideal job for people with ADHD?

Being a teacher is the most ideal job for people with ADHD. Most people with ADHD love working with children, making teaching a suitable job. It also enables them to apply their creativity.

References

https://www.adhd.org.nz/16-good-jobs-for-people-with-adhd.html

Great Job! A Career Happiness Formula for Adults with ADHD

https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/best-jobs-adults

https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/jobs-for-people-with-ADD