If, like me, you received your ADHD diagnosis in adulthood, it likely brought with it both answers and questions. Many of the questions may relate to your career, and whether you are in the right one.
Research has found that prior to diagnosis, individuals perceive their career decisions to have been made impulsively.
They also reported that they have historically engaged in minimal career planning activities, and this has resulted in ‘poor’ outcomes.
Their diagnosis became a turning point and provided them with the opportunity to reflect upon their career, and in some cases, construct a new career based on this diagnosis (Kugler, 2025).
Four stages
This same study identified four stages through which individuals pass after receiving an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood relating to career: 1. grief 2. acceptance 3. intention 4. action
Whilst many engage in stages 1 and 2, fewer engage in stages 3 and 4 (Kugler, 2025). In other words, you know something needs to change, but what and how?
What needs to change?
As children and adolescents, our parents / caregivers are one the most influential forces upon our career choice (McMahon & Patton, 2022).
As adults however, we are often left to make these big career decisions ourselves, despite never being taught how to do so.
Add to this more responsibilities, a brain that is excellent at big picture, abstract thinking but may not be as adept at systemic decision-making (Mowinckel et al., 2015), and the greatly increased likelihood of burnout in the ADHD community (Turjeman-Levi et al., 2024), and it is not hard to see why many do not progress to the intention and action stages.
Will a change affect my prospects?
Another concern is ‘will my resume look messy with (another) career change?’
This is a valid concern however, research shows that the average person will have 5 different careers across 17 different employers in their lifetime (Austin et al., 2022).
That is true for both neurotypical and neurodivergent people.
How to decide
When making big decisions, I am a huge fan of a decision-making framework. This protects me from ‘shiny new thing’ syndrome (the propensity to follow a certain path because it seems interesting, without considering all the factors).
When it comes to career, the most important thing is that it fits in with our life as it is and as we want it to be. How do we do this? By identifying our values and our goals (Amundson et al., 2020).
What are my values and my goals?
Goals differ to values in that a goal is something you strive for and attain, whereas values are what matter to you and guide how you live and work.
So, firstly ask yourself what your values are. Is it time with family, helping others, a flexible schedule or job security? Start by listing your 5 top values.
Now do the same with your goals. For example, you might value financial security with the goal being to own a home or pay off your mortgage in the next 10 years. Alternatively, you might value time with family with a goal being to take your family on an overseas trip each year.
Key requirements for someone with ADHD
Now you have your values and goals sorted, let’s look at some other key requirements for someone with ADHD to have a sustainable career (Note – this is not an exhaustive list!):
Find your ‘right difficult’ – Our brains need challenge and novelty, so find work that both interests and challenges you. (Hallowell, 2023)
Person-Environment Fit - in ADHD terms, this relates to a career that can work with your accommodation needs. For example, if you need a hybrid working environment, a career in frontline emergency services may not meet this requirement. (Holland, 1997)
The work is the reward – Given our propensity for social justice thinking, a career that aligns to your values will help you stay engaged even during more mundane tasks – seeing the why in our work is the key. (Hallowell, 2023)
Once you have your values, goals, interests, accommodations, and your why listed, you can firstly assess your current career. Maybe with a few tweaks you can have the work life you really want!
Alternatively, maybe a change is on the cards. If so, use the above to guide your decisions and avoid the ‘shiny new thing syndrome’ that has almost led me into many weird and wonderful careers!
REFERENCES
Austin, K., O’Shea, S., Groves, O., & Lamanna, J. (2022). Best-practice career education for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Final report. National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, Curtin University.
Hallowell, E., (2023), ADHD Explained: Your Toolkit to Understanding and Thriving. Dorling Kindersley.
Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources.
Kugler, M. (2025). Game changer ADHD diagnosis in adulthood: reflections on subjective career success, career crafting and career outcomes. Career Development International, 30(7), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1108/CDI-04-2025-0165
McMahon, M., & Patton, W. (2022). The systems theory framework of career development: News of difference and a journey towards acceptance. Australian Journal of Career Development, 31(3), 195–200. https://doi.org/10.1177/10384162221120464
Mowinckel, A. M., Pedersen, M. L., Eilertsen, E., & Biele, G. (2015). A Meta-Analysis of Decision-Making and Attention in Adults With ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 19(5), 355–367. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054714558872
Niles, S. G., Amundson, N. E., Neault, R., & Yoon, H. J. (2020). Career recovery: Creating hopeful careers in difficult times. Cognella Academic Publishing
Offer, M. (1999). [Rev. of Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments]. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 27(1), 153.
Turjeman-Levi, Y., Itzchakov, G., & Engel-Yeger, B. (2024). Executive function deficits mediate the relationship between employees’ ADHD and job burnout. AIMS Public Health, 11(1), 294–314. https://doi.org/10.3934/publichealth.2024015
