10 Best Jobs for People With ADHD: Tips From an ADHD Therapist

How ADHD Can Positively Impact a Career

Although not often acknowledged, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can positively impact a person’s career. Beneficial ADHD characteristics include an ability to think abstractly, quick problem-solving skills, high energy, and creativity. When an individual with ADHD is placed in a role where these qualities are necessary, they often can excel in their career.¹

ADHD characteristics that can positively impact a person’s career include:

• Emotional vulnerability: People with ADHD often have an increased ability to be emotionally vulnerable due to the accumulated time they have had to struggle with and receive help for their ADHD symptoms. Emotional vulnerability allows a person to be open and honest throughout communication with coworkers.
• High risk tolerance: Since ADHD is due to differences in brain chemistry and causes differences in executive functioning, people with ADHD are often open to taking risks when they think differently. This is beneficial at work because it makes a person with ADHD more adaptable to changes and thinking outside the box when stuck on a task or problem.
• Hyperfixation: Hyperfixation can be an ADHD superpower in which the person can intensely focus on a particular task. This is beneficial at work as it allows individuals to concentrate until completion.
• Resilience: People with ADHD can be more resilient because of their ability to change their thinking patterns and think abstractly. This benefit allows a person to work through challenges that arise on the job and think quickly on their feet to solve a problem efficiently and effectively.
• Self-awareness: People with well managed ADHD will often have a heightened self-awareness because of the challenges they face due to their challenging symptoms.
• Spontaneity: People with ADHD often have lower impulse control, which allows them to be more spontaneous. This is beneficial at work as new tasks arise or plans need to change or pivot in a workflow.

How ADHD Can Negatively Impact a Career

ADHD symptoms can negatively impact a person’s career due to difficulties in executive functioning, including organizing, decision-making, and time management. If a person has difficulty with impulsivity and disorganization, this can often cause errors and lapses in completing tasks, impacting a person’s job and career.²

ADHD symptoms that can negatively impact a person’s career include:

• Paralysis: ADHD paralysis can make it difficult to begin a task or move through a task due to feeling overwhelmed or feeling of failure. This will impact a person’s career if it takes a person a while to start a task and therefore take time for them to complete.
• Time blindness: Individuals with ADHD often struggle with time blindness, which is characterized by an inability to recognize the time it will take to do a task or how close they are to a particular time in the day. This can negatively impact deadlines if a person is hurrying to complete a job or role and, in turn, will cause errors.
• Procrastination: Individuals with ADHD are prone to procrastination and often wait until the last minute to complete a task. This can negatively impact a career if others are looking to rely on that person to complete their tasks and roles.
• Rejection sensitivity dysphoria: People with ADHD often have rejection sensitivity dysphoria, which makes it difficult to hear negative comments towards themselves or their work. This can impact a person’s career as they often look to be perfect in all they do, and hearing feedback of any kind can be difficult for them and cause them to feel they are failing.
• Inattention: Individuals with inattentive ADHD will struggle with completing tasks efficiently because they are not focused on the task at hand. This can negatively affect a person’s career if they miss critical elements of their role.
• Communication issues: A person with ADHD often struggles with communication due to fear that if they speak up about their ADHD limitations, they may be called lazy. When this happens, it can negatively impact a job when communicating with coworkers is necessary.
• Difficulty with attention to detail: Inattentiveness can make paying attention to detail difficult. This will negatively impact their work because they may easily miss a step or part of a job and can cause issues and errors within their role.
• Hyperactivity: A person with hyperactivity is negatively impacted in their career because they can often disrupt their workflow and the workflow to their coworkers. This can result in poor time management to get tasks completed.
• Easily distracted: Individuals with ADHD can be easily distracted, which makes it difficult to complete tasks, and may also be likely that there can be some errors in the work that is completed.
• Forgetfulness: ADHD can cause forgetfulness which may cause a person to miss deadlines or small details of a project they are working on.

Ideal Work Environments for People With ADHD

An ideal work environment is crucial for people with ADHD to ensure they follow through with tasks and expected roles. An ideal work environment will include minimal distractions and flexibility and provide structure with clear and concise instructions. Individuals with ADHD will also thrive in a space with open communication and highly motivated colleagues.³

Ideal work environments for people with ADHD include:

• Creative jobs: Creative jobs are a helpful way for people with ADHD to remain stimulated. The ability to have a creative outlet lets a person with ADHD express themselves.
• Empathic careers: People with ADHD are often compassionate by nature and having an empathic career allows people with ADHD to tap into this trait and use this as a positive impact.
• Fast-paced jobs: A fast-paced job allows a person with ADHD to continuously move from one task to another without settling into boredom. It is important for people with ADHD to remain stimulated in order to complete a task.
• High-energy jobs: A high-energy job is helpful for people with ADHD as it is a strong motivator to remain stimulated to complete tasks.
• Innovative jobs: In an innovative role, a person with ADHD can be in an environment that is typically fast-paced, which is helpful to remain stimulated and, in turn, remain on target to complete a task.
• Structured jobs: A structured job gives a person with ADHD the opportunity to follow rules and guidelines, which is helpful when their mind can wander easily and not complete tasks.

10 Best Jobs for People With ADHD

Individuals with ADHD have the ability to think quickly on their feet, and it is important for them to stay motivated and stimulated to do so. Roles that encourage a continued change of pace, change of interaction, and change of environment are great for individuals with ADHD as they provide the stimulation needed to complete tasks.

Here are the ten best jobs for people with ADHD:

1. Fire Fighter

An emergency role such as a career as a firefighter is ideal for someone with ADHD as it has a role to think quickly on your feet and with unexpected outcomes. This change of pace and variety is excellent for someone with ADHD as the environment is ever-changing and is continuous stimulation.

2. Chef

As a chef, a person with ADHD has the creative outlet to navigate new recipes in which they can blend tastes and textures. A chef also often works in a high-pressure environment which is usually good for people with ADHD as it encourages multitasking and attention to detail which engages individuals to move their area of focus intermittently.

3. Artist

A person with ADHD enjoys having a creative outlet, and being able to do this as a professional allows for that outlet. No matter the type of creative outlet or career as an artist, this type of role will enable people with ADHD to feel that they can express themselves more freely and feel empowered in their role.

4. Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur, a person with ADHD can develop new roles and jobs that allow them to have flexibility in completing tasks and setting deadlines that work for themselves. Entrepreneurs often have a rush of dopamine as they continue to come up with new ideas and business ventures.

5. Event Planner

An event planner is someone who has the opportunity to be creative and use this skill set in a defined set of tasks. Being an event planner allows a person to have a hyper-focused role and can help a person with ADHD hone in on one large event at a time.

6. Fitness Instructor

The role of a fitness instructor is a profession that can help a person with ADHD release endorphins, which helps to boost mood and remain focused. This is a great job for a person with ADHD as it provides an outlet for energy and an opportunity to tap into creativity.

7. IT Specialist

Individuals with ADHD often solve problems quickly, which is a component of an IT Specialist. Cyber security or software development and administration can provide continuous on-the-spot thinking, which helps a person with ADHD to have stimulation. Individuals with ADHD often excel in technology-related roles.

8. Salesperson

With enthusiasm and thinking on their feet, a person with ADHD will fit the role of a salesperson as they are often friendly, energetic, and persuasive. Regular interactions with new people allow people in this role to change their social surroundings often and continue with stimulation.

9. Therapist or Counselor

A therapist or counselor is a great role for someone with ADHD as it allows the individual to bring their unique insight into the impact of others. An individual with ADHD processes their challenges firsthand, and being able to use this experience allows them to be empathetic, which is a trait needed in the role of a therapist.

10. Beautician

New clients that provide a creative outlet to work with is an excellent role for someone with ADHD. The varied social interactions for someone who is a beautician will keep a person with ADHD on their feet and allow them to be stimulated. The turnover of clients in a setting allows a person to feel that they are working fewer hours than they are.

How to Manage ADHD Symptoms at Work

Managing ADHD symptoms at work is important for a person to shine to their fullest potential. Struggling with ADHD at work can be incredibly taxing, but ADHD symptoms can be managed through proper treatment and learned coping skills. Treatment will help to reduce symptoms in the long term while coping skills can help to manage symptoms when an individual is at work and needs to focus immediately.

Treatment options for people with ADHD include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT for ADHD is a useful treatment as it allows a person to understand better their thoughts and how they are impacting their actions. CBT will help a person improve executive functioning.
• Medication: ADHD medication can help a person to manage their ADHD symptoms. Whether it be a stimulus or non-stimulant medication, depending on the individual’s need, these medications can help reduce the symptoms that are impacting overall executive functioning.
• Group therapy: Taking time in group therapy will allow a person the opportunity to meet with others who have also been impacted by ADHD in their careers and learn skills that they might not have otherwise thought about.

Coping skills for people with ADHD include:

• Minimize distractions: A person with ADHD might get easily distracted, and it is, therefore, best to minimize the potential distractions that can arise. This can be done by checking the environment and ensuring its free from noises, objects, or smells that would otherwise have a person with ADHD deter from completing their task.
• Follow a routine: Having a routine allows a person with ADHD to follow a set of smaller tasks to complete a larger task at hand. This will help a person stay on target in their personal life so that their professional life can also flourish.
• Take breaks: Taking time for breaks allows the brain to recharge and replenish and can help prevent burnout which often occurs in people with ADHD.
• Set goals: Setting realistic goals allows a person with ADHD something to look forward to and feel accomplished when completed. These goals can help a person with ADHD stay motivated.
• Exercise regularly: Physical activity regularly helps a person to release endorphins and can result in a mood boost. This will improve focus over time for a person with ADHD.
• Practice mindfulness: Using mindfulness skills helps when feeling flustered at work. This skill should be routinely practiced so it is easier to get grounded in the heat of a moment while on the job.
• Use organizational tools: Tools such as calendars, reminders, and stopwatches are helpful tools for a person with ADHD to remain on task and take the burden of remembering things off the top of their mind.
• Break up tasks: Breaking up tasks into smaller tasks allows a person to feel that the tasks are more manageable and, in turn, can allow a person to be more motivated.

When to Seek Professional Support

A person should seek professional support when they notice that their ADHD symptoms negatively impact their role at work or their career. It is important that an individual find a neurodiverse-affirming therapist who will understand their needs and specializes in ADHD treatment. They can do so through an online therapist directory or online therapy platform. An online psychiatrist option is a good choice for finding ADHD medication management if this is a treatment that is needed.

In My Experience

When a person with ADHD enjoys the work that they are doing and does not feel pressured or overwhelmed by a job, they have a much more likely chance to be able to continue to succeed in their role. In my experience, a person who has been diagnosed with ADHD can find helpful support from a therapist that will specialize in working with them. This can have a greater outcome on the impact of their work.