Jobs that require multi-tasking, that embrace a passion, or that allow you to call the shots are a few of your favorite things.
> If possible, find a boss and coworkers who are a bit spontaneous, not completely regimented. Also, don’t tell a prospective employer about your ADD during the interview. Most people don’t understand ADD, and won’t hire you if they imagine it to be something it isn’t. Your talents, spontaneity, and creativity will soon make you invaluable.
Larry, North Carolina
> Start your own business. I love teaching, so I started a business that tutors mentally challenged children. It’s a small company, but I call the shots. The toughest thing about having ADHD is the unwillingness to take orders from others. I got around that obstacle—and I am good at giving myself orders.
Saralyn, Hawaii
> Find a job that requires multitasking. I spent 20 years in the Coast Guard, and then nearly four years as a city manager. Now I am a teacher. My ADHD helped me excel in all three careers.
Walter, Alaska
> Find your passion—and embrace it. I’ve always enjoyed being behind the wheel, so I applied for a job as a city bus driver. The concentration needed to navigate heavily-trafficked streets, keep a schedule, collect fares, announce stops, and program the fare box and radio—all in one- to two-hour bursts, with short breaks in-between—was exactly what my ADD needed. My mind doesn’t have time to wander.
Joseph, Washington
> Being a hairdresser is a good career option for ADDers. You see someone new every 45 minutes—and you have to complete the task or your client will voice her unhappiness.
Sandy, Ohio
> Find out which workplace conditions will enable you to excel. Then ask questions of your potential employer to see whether your strengths match up with the responsibilities of the job you’re interviewing for.
Rhonda, Tennessee
> Any job could be ADD-friendly—if you see your ADD traits as gifts, not disabilities.
Ronald, Florida
