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If you are someone who struggles in your career, whether it’s performance-related or choosing the right career, then today’s blog post is for you. This is a hot topic in our community. I hear about it all the time from viewers, readers, and my clients, and I’ve also dealt with it myself. So I’m going to share two perspectives from two different readers in the community. One is at the start of their career, and one who’s making a transition after 20 years.
ADHD Job Challenges
Career-related challenges are common for those with ADHD. Whether you’re constantly job hopping or wondering if you’re doing the right thing, these struggles are real and affect many of us. Let’s kick off with a comment I recently received on YouTube.
The reader mentioned that they chose a career in software development before they knew they had ADHD. That was eight years ago, and while they’ve learned a lot about programming, they realize it doesn’t excite them.
They also note that it will never give them the dopamine boost their brain needs. So the question is, should they continue on that career path even though they haven’t finished their degree and have student loans, or switch to something else that provides that dopamine boost?
ADHD + Chasing Novelty (This is WHY we Job Hop)
Let’s unpack this. If you let your ADHD brain, which craves novelty due to low dopamine levels, drive your career decisions, what do you think will happen?
Based on both logic and personal experience, if you let the craving for novelty drive your career, you’ll always end up exactly where you are right now. Novelty is, by definition, not static. Things are novel and new until they aren’t anymore. So if you decide to chase novelty, you’ll spend your entire life doing so. You’ll never get far in any one direction because there’s always a newer, better, brighter thing just ahead.
Here’s the takeaway: we don’t just do this in careers. We also do this in relationships, with the things we buy, and our general interests. This is a real problem for those of us with ADHD and a primary reason many feel they’re not reaching their potential. The issue is that you’re chasing the wrong thing: novelty.
ADHD’ers Should Chase Self-discovery, Not Novelty
We often don’t take the time to truly understand our interests, strengths, proclivities, and needs. Instead, we look outward at what others are doing, think it looks cool, chase it until it’s no longer novel, and then move on to the next shiny thing.
Instead if we spent more time learning about ourselves, we’d be able to make choices that align with our strengths and interests, rather than chasing bright sparkly distractions.
The Value of Finishing What You Start
Coming back to the reader’s question about whether they should stick with their current career path or move on to something that satisfies their dopamine needs, here’s my advice….
In this specific situation, I fully support pushing through and finishing the degree for a couple of reasons. First, even though having a degree isn’t the end-all-be-all these days, it signals to an employer that you can start something self-directed and finish it. More importantly, it signals to yourself that you can start something and finish it.
ADHD individuals are often hard on themselves for starting things and not finishing them. This could be great practice for developing self-confidence that you can follow through on the things you start. However, don’t force yourself into a career that doesn’t excite you.
Beyond the Career Label
It’s also worth reinforcing that just because you train for something doesn’t mean you have to be that thing now or in the future. Think broader than just being a “web developer.” I’ve spent most of my career in tech, and I can say with confidence that with a software development skill set, there are tons of career paths open to you that involve a lot more than just web development.
For instance, you could go into project management, user experience design, product management, communications or even consulting. Those skills make you incredibly invaluable and give you the flexibility to move around in your career. If you want to work in corporate, or even start your own business, those skills can take you in numerous directions.
So in your case, yes, I would finish that degree. If you’re still unsure, project yourself five or ten years down the line. When job hunting, will your future self be grateful that you have a degree to add to your portfolio of skills? Take time to reflect on this.
Exploring Your Strengths and Interests
Understanding your strengths, natural interests, and consistent themes in your life is so important for ADHD’ers. Our brains are novelty-driven, and our interests ebb and flow. However, some things remain consistently true for us. Knowing those inherent strengths and interests will help you make better career choices and enable you to stick it out when it gets boring.
I recommend doing the the 16personalities test. Completing it will give you a great reflection of who you are as a person. I also recommend a values assessment. Understanding what’s truly important to you acts as a compass or guide in making choices in your life.
Take time to get really curious about who you are, what lights you up, and what interests you. Think about times in your life when you were happiest. It doesn’t even have to be work-related. Identify the circumstances that led to that feeling. Maybe it was because you were in a structured environment or around a lot of people. These insights will guide you towards a career that matches your inclinations.
If you use these insights to direct your career choices, you’ll have a more satisfying career than if you chase novelty. Chasing novelty is a rat race—you’ll get exhausted and burned out.
Transitioning Careers at Midlife
Now, to underscore all of this, I received another message from a reader further along in her career:
“Hi Karen, my issue is transitioning from an employee mindset to an entrepreneur mindset at age 47. I have experienced burnout many times and am now leaving a nursing career of 20 years to start a career that works for me, not against me. However, I’m finding it hard to focus and make progress on my ideas. I start one thing and then get another idea. My progress is slow, and I can be very scattered in my thinking.”
I can definitely relate to her struggle. Fundamentally, she deals with the same issue as the first reader: the compulsion to go from one thing to the next. This novelty-seeking brain is something we’ve got to learn to manage.
Building Essential Skills
So what do we do about this? Alongside building regular career skills, there are several soft skills every ADHD individual needs to prioritize:
1. Self-awareness
You are doing this right now by reading this blog. Understand that you have a novelty-seeking brain. Remind yourself whenever you want to drop something and move to the next. This is just an emotional state, and it doesn’t have to be followed through.
2. Self-Discernment
Being aware is one thing, but discerning when to act or stay put is another. Sometimes it makes sense to finish a degree, sometimes to switch careers. It’s about figuring out what’s best in the long term.
The second reader has already decided to leave her nursing career. She’s struggling with jumping from idea to idea. This likely stems from a lack of clarity about her end goal. Before she can move forward, she needs a clear vision and solid plan.
Planning and Taking Action
Make sure you are clear on your end goal and have a plan. Whether you need support from a group, a coach, or some structure, build what you need. Moving from a highly structured career like nursing to an entrepreneurial role requires patience and skill.
Take steps to know what you need to thrive. Structure, support, and the right environment are key.
How to Navigate the ADHD Urge to Job Hop – Actionable Takeaways
Finish What You Start: If you’ve invested time and resources in a career or degree, consider finishing it to build self-confidence.
Broaden Your Horizons: Your degree doesn’t define your career. Focus on developing skills that can be used across diverse fields.
Understand Yourself: Take personality and values assessments to know what drives you.
Build Soft Skills: Cultivate self-awareness and self-discernment to manage your novelty-seeking tendencies.
Plan and Support: Have a clear goal, create a plan, and seek support to achieve it.
If you have found meaning in your work, please share how you did it. Those still searching can benefit from our insights and stories. I hope this was helpful. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next post!
Bye for now.
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“Understanding your strengths and aligning them with your career path is crucial for a fulfilling life.”
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