10 Best Jobs for People with ADHD [+ Tips in Job Hunting]

It is thought that 2.5% of adults have ADHD. Even so, it can still be tricky to find suitable jobs for people with ADHD. 

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. While symptoms vary, ADHD is often associated with struggling to focus, impulsive decisions, disorganization, and bouts of energy. With simply sitting being a challenge, it’s no wonder that usual office jobs just aren’t suitable careers for people with ADHD.

Regardless of whether you’re an early detection or a late bloomer, ADHD can have a profound impact on your organizational skills, ability to complete tasks, and social interactions within the workplace. Thankfully, with a little bit of forethought (and this article!), it’s not impossible to find high paying careers for ADHD job seekers.

So, read on to uncover the best working environments for people with ADHD, what jobs are good for people with ADHD and why, and tips to find good careers for people with ADHD.

The best jobs for people with ADHD are where there is a suitable working environment. This can differ on personal preference, but good jobs for people with ADHD generally feature:

Dynamic and fast-paced settings

People with ADHD often have trouble focusing for long periods of time, making a fast-paced environment a great way to avoid getting bogged down with one task. As this setting demands flexibility, and engagement with multiple tasks, fast-paced ADHD careers can actually be beneficial.

These kinds of jobs for people with ADHD are also a great way to implement problem solving into the daily routine, ensuring that there is no boredom in sight!

Collaborative environments

While people with ADHD can be creative and successful all on their own, collaborative environments are better in jobs for people with ADHD. That’s because, even though ADHD can impact effective communication, people with ADHD actually perform well in groups. This is especially so when collaborating to achieve a certain task.

Jobs with clear and organized structures

Structure is probably the biggest asset in jobs for people with ADHD. Having a clear and organized structure in the workplace can ensure steady and manageable work flows, decreasing the chances of chaotic work that ends up being unfinished (which is a common result for people with ADHD).

Creative environments

Creativity is, without a doubt, one of the best outlets for ADHD. Regardless of the field, a creative environment offers careers for people with ADHD a space to let loose the build up of energy and stress, diverting attention to matters that may even require problem solving skills, adaptability, and curiosity.

Calm environment

Noise and light can both be distractions to someone with ADHD, causing their work productivity to be impacted. Having a calm (aka not too noisy), de-cluttered, and well-lit environment is an easy way to ensure that people are comfortable in the working environment. 

The best jobs for people with ADHD allow you to showcase your naturally heightened skills like problem solving, creativity, and adaptability. However, the thing that separates the good jobs for people with ADHD from the truly great is how deep your interest goes. Too little, and you’ll get easily distracted. Too much and - there’s never too much.

So, what jobs are good for people with ADHD?

1. Journalist

Journalism is a job for people with ADHD that needs you to be creative, energetic, adaptive, and social. You’ll need to feel comfortable socializing with different kinds of people, and be adaptive enough to work out solutions from different angles and viewpoints.

2. Teacher

Teachers need to be creative, outgoing, adaptive, and good at problem solving. That’s because the workload and demand in these jobs for people with ADHD is constantly changing and fast-paced, making it less likely that you’ll get bored or distracted at work.

3. Artist

There’s so much more to being an artist than painting on a canvas. In addition to creativity, these jobs for people with ADHD can be fast-paced, often requiring you to follow a clear structure and routine. 

4. Small business owner

When thinking about ‘what are people with ADHD good at?’, the first thing that comes to mind is problem solving. That and creativity is essentially all you need for this role, along with a passion for your business and flexibility.

5. Athlete

A common symptom of ADHD is increased, almost uncontrollable, energy. Exercising is a great way to dispel and release some of that, making being an athlete among the best jobs for people with ADHD.

6. Chef

While there definitely can be some repetition, cheffing it up in the kitchen is a great place to unleash your creativity and energy. It’s also a good job for people with ADHD that demands focus without long-term commitment, and multitasking. Being a chef also sometimes has flexible hours, making this among the good careers for people with ADHD.

7. Retail worker

It’s hard, it’s tough, but being a retail worker is among the worthwhile jobs for people with ADHD. From problem solving to sociability and energy, being a retail worker is a good career for people with ADHD. 

8. Designer

From UX to UI design, the jobs for people with ADHD wanting to specialize in design are endless - as long as you’re creative! More frequently offering rigid organizational structures, routines, and environments, working as a designer can give people with ADHD a greater sense of control.

9. Hospitality worker

Like in the retail industry, being a hospitality worker requires problem solving and adaptability. Always up on your feet and always with a different task in hand, there’s never a dull moment for these ADHD careers.

10. Computer Technician

Being a computer technician is among the most well known and good careers for people with ADHD. That’s because ADHD is often associated with computer-smarts and problem solving, which is basically this role. 

While there are plenty of good careers for people with ADHD out there, following these three tips will ensure that you find the very best jobs for people with ADHD:

💡 Tip 1: Search for jobs that align with your strengths

It’s no good applying for a job specializing in a field or topic you won’t enjoy, especially if you’re looking into careers for people with ADHD. That’s because people with ADHD actually perform better when they’re dealing with things that interest them.

So, if you’ve ever wondered ‘What are people with ADHD good at?’, it’s really whatever you think you’re good at.

💡 Tip 2: Craft your resume

When looking for jobs for people with ADHD, ADHD careers seekers need to go through the same processes just like any other jobseeker. From finding a suitable work environment to an interesting job, it all still boils down to that pesky cover letter and resume. 

Make your resume stand out with CakeResume’s free resume builder, filled with loads of stunning resume formats to help you stand out from the crowd.

💡 Tip 3: Prepare for the interview

Getting ready for an interview? Regardless of how far along you are in your application for jobs for people with ADHD, do yourself a favor and start preparing early.

Conclusion

Just because you have ADHD does not mean that you can’t find good jobs for people with ADHD. In fact, with the variety of suitable workplace environments and different career paths available, there are plenty of jobs for ADHD jobseekers. 

From fast-paced and collaborative environments to cheffing it up and journalism, there are so many jobs for people with ADHD. Find yours today on CakeResume’s job portal!

— Originally written by Eva O'Mara —