Hi there:

There are so many great opportunities out there for ambitious people like you willing to put in the time and effort to learn a new trade - it's never too late to change careers! The key, I think, is finding a new job that you're passionate about. If you could take it or leave it, you'll never make the jump or put in the hard work to excel at something new. So, what are you really good at? What do you love doing? (working on cars, working in the garden, helping people, etc.)

Here are some good ADDitude resources to help you brainstorm:

The Right Work for Adults with ADHD: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1497.html

Are You In the Wrong Job?: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1686.html

Secrets of Job Success for Adults with ADD: http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/1808.html

I hope these help!

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You are NOT too old! I know that is easy for me to say and harder for you to believe, but it doesn't make it any less true.

Speaking of the number of past jobs.....from 15 to 18yrs old, I had 18 different jobs. If you got that beat, I'll start adding the ones from 18-40 :P

Seriously though, you aren't too old to change course. You just need to think about what it is you like or dream about no matter how ridiculous you think it might be. I had a really lucrative business and always joked that if I ever went back to school, I would only go back to study the law. When my divorce brought that business to an end it was time to put up or shut up, so I took some legal classes at the community college. Shockingly, it was easy.

Sold everything, moved, and at the tender age of 40 I'm a senior getting ready to graduate and go to law school. It hasn't been all peaches and creme these last 5yrs and I'll be 44 when I finally graduate, but I would have been 44 no matter what.

Don't limit your ideas to what sounds normal or acceptable. It's your life. You wanna cut women's hair (I always thought that would be a cool job), study tropical fish, fight bulls in Spain or whatever. Acquire your target and go for it. Just remember the journey inside is as important as the journey outside.

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Wow Thanks for sharing, Grateful. Love your words, right down to your user name. :-)

I always toy with the idea of going back to school but, like so many other people, get so overwhelmed just thinking what to do, how to plan for it, how to pay for it, how people might react (my dream career, although not THAT unconventional, would be pretty much as polar opposite from my current job as possible)... how I'd be behind everyone else my age!! but you're totally right, in two, four, however many years from now, I'll be older no matter what, so why not take the plunge. The worst is not doing and never knowing...

rvallefa: If you have time, why not try volunteering at a non profit or working at a library where you can put your research skills to good use? A friend of mine does research in an alumni office (looking up donor info) which requires her to recall a lot of details, so something like that would work for you? Try idealist.org. Good luck.

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Grateful said: You are NOT too old! I know that is easy for me to say and harder for you to believe, but it doesn't make it any less true.

Speaking of the number of past jobs.....from 15 to 18yrs old, I had 18 different jobs. If you got that beat, I'll start adding the ones from 18-40 :P

Seriously though, you aren't too old to change course. You just need to think about what it is you like or dream about no matter how ridiculous you think it might be. I had a really lucrative business and always joked that if I ever went back to school, I would only go back to study the law. When my divorce brought that business to an end it was time to put up or shut up, so I took some legal classes at the community college. Shockingly, it was easy.

Sold everything, moved, and at the tender age of 40 I'm a senior getting ready to graduate and go to law school. It hasn't been all peaches and creme these last 5yrs and I'll be 44 when I finally graduate, but I would have been 44 no matter what.

Don't limit your ideas to what sounds normal or acceptable. It's your life. You wanna cut women's hair (I always thought that would be a cool job), study tropical fish, fight bulls in Spain or whatever. Acquire your target and go for it. Just remember the journey inside is as important as the journey outside.

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It's such a strange experience, this existence we endure. Isn't it? We see ourselves in a certain way and create an image we want to have of ourselves, only to find out that who we are does not even come close to who we really are.

I guess for me, the turning point came when I had a semi-nervous breakdown and almost started crying in front of my academic adviser (another man). Being from the mid-west, this just was not acceptable behavior. So I went to the school therapist and the first thing she asked me was what I was feeling "right now". I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. She asked specifically if I was angry, happy, mad, or sad? I looked at her like she was from another planet. Feelings? I told her, "I don't feel anything". And as the words tumbled from my lips, I knew how truly messed up I was. So it began.

The one "advantage" I had was that I never really had the comfort of friends or family so I was able to work completely on myself without the emotional responsibility others might have. Of course, that's a two-edged sword. I quickly realized that if I never "got it together", I probably would never have a lasting job let alone a fulfilling career, never have fulfilling relationship, and generally end up leaving this world amounting to nothing more than a silent whisper.

All of this is a long winded way of saying that you are important enough to make the effort no matter the cost. If you don't think so, say so, and I will remind you that you are.

Again, thank you and everyone else here for letting me know I'm not alone.

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Hello, I'm very new to this and have just joined today. One thing that has always bothered me is the many, many jobs I've had over the years. I could always get them, but would lose them just as fast! Usually because I would get so freeken BORED with them! Or, I would tell my bosses to F off ! I hate unfairness, or injustess and most always would let them know! So there I go looking for yet another job. I wondered how much of this is ADD, and how much is my Bipolar?? My husband says I'm like a rocket on a launch pad waiting to be launched! What sad is I take medication for both and sometimes it works, and sometimes it does'nt! It just takes one asshole to push me over the edge, and I get launched! In my mind, these assholes deserve it! But I must admit, it's been very dificult to have any stability financially in my family! Oh, by the way.. I'm 63... and I've had 143 jobs so far and going strong!! Like I said, I can get them (I'm cutegirl) I just can't hold the freeken things!!!!! Thanks for listening, and let me know if anyone else has the same problem??

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I lost count of how many jobs. The numbers don't matter. I look at my personality, my skills, my likes and interests and consider what works best for me and my ADHD. May I suggest a couple of things. I took the Strong Assessment. Looks at your interests comparing you to others in your gender. Can give you suggestions you might not otherwise consider or affirm things you've thought about. It both confirmed and encouraged me to pursue some of my dreams. Because my dreams aligned with my interests which aligned with others in these jobs I never thought about. Then you can check out what you need for the job, and even variations on the jobs. All available on line.

For me, I had my least succes in jobs with the least autonomy. My last job had none and bumped against all my ADHD symptoms.This may not be true for you. But, I am now looking for virtual jobs,work from home. I am good at setting and keeping schedules, meeting goals, getting things done. All this in the quiet of my home. Having a private space at work is equal to much responsibility these days. I don't have the experience to get the job with the private office. So working from home is my answer.

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I appreciate the comments left by others so far, I can really relate to the feelings and challenges being shared. Although I have not changed jobs as frequently as some, I have been teased by my wife about changing jobs more often than she is comfortable with. This adds further pressure to either like what I do and stick with it.

My current job has a high level of stress, frequent interruption and not terribly flexible. I'd really like to occasionally start my day later on and this job doesn't allow for that. I have come to realize my job is not a good long term fit with my ADHD. I have dabbled in investigating other possible careers, but can't seem to nail down exactly what it is I really like to do.

I've taken a career placement test to determine where I might be a good fit, but the results steer me in the direction I'm already going. Do I like going to work on Monday morning? Sort of. I can explain it like this. Now that I have been there long enough to understand what it is I do and how things work, I am finally in a comfort zone. I don't look forward to work, but don't dread it either. I'm safe. But that's not fulfilling and doesn't seem to make me think I am doing all I could to really thrive.

With a family to support, I can't afford to try out alot and jump around until I find what suits me. So I feel stuck.

How do I nail down what I enjoy? How did you figure out what you enjoy to do?

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We hear you. As a wife of a highly ADD but otherwise awesome guy who can't hold a job I sympathize. He estimates he has had aprox. 75 jobs in the last 15 years. Now with a large family to support we can't afford the constant turn around. One of the most frustrating things is taking those skill/interest tests and being told you are smart enough and talented enough to do anything you want. Don't limit yourself by your age, just accept where you are right now and decide where you are going without defining yourself as "too old." We recently found a medication that actually works for him let me share some insights that are helping him. First, good personality meshes with the boss is almost as important as the job itself. Second, a little flexibility in the job makes dealing with stress and ADD easier. The employer who freaks out if you are 10 min late once in a while is not a good match, so don't even bother. And Third, blaming everything on ADD is not completely accurate either. It is extra important to also look at other emotional issues you may be dealing with because when your ADD kicks in it will only exasperate those other issues. Extra frustrating after you've just hyper-focused and proved yourself "employee of the month" the month before. It has also been helpful for him to realize that he won't be able to just jump into his dream job simply because the current one is boring. Sequencing steps to get from where you are to where you want to be is crucial. Make a good plan (maybe it won't be a perfect plan and it may change - sorry) and then find someone in the industry help you refine it. It would be easier if someone else would be responsible to give you that structure and that interest and then nothing would ever change, but that isn't the society we live in. It took meds to allow my husband to be able to look at the whole picture and put a realistic plan into place.

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a job for us has to be like a diamond: with many facets.... when I did started to have a job after college, I could not resist more than a year in each one... it was boring or I was not in charming for the manager any more... By chance, I ended in a big company, doing something simple but with variety, that reported me 12 years of work in the same company. Being able to have a job that has different sets of tasks, it was my salvation. Also big companies are good to let you do a horizontal change that allows refreshing your environment, including duties, coworkers and boss :-)

Since that time I only had to search for job a second time when I moved countries, so now with the knowledge I had, searched for a job with task variety and with a flexible time. I found it in a big company again and I am happy with good results going into my 5th year. Do not get me wrong, I have a big ADHD... on Mondays I am hyper with great difficulty in focusing, but on Thursday or Friday my hyper focus kicks in and I usually finish an even week :-D So just try to find a good environment, and dare to soar!! Best wishes Liara

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I think all you really need to do is make a list of things you like and things you don't like. This gives you a clear indication of what best career change would be suited for you. Then try matching your interests and likes, and skills, with careers that are likely to interest you and pay you enough. Taking the time to fully research career choices based on your personal preferences for job skills will uncover some interesting surprises. Sometimes you will pull up a career that doesn't share a lot of common ground but is unique and interesting and therefore, fun. Making career change work might mean that most of the fun comes from discovering what new and interesting ideas work for you. Here's an article you can check for steps in changing careers: http://www.gopinoy.com/advice/career-advice/10-steps-to-take-in-making-a-career-change.html

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