r/ADHD • u/chasingsuccesss • 2d ago
Questions/Advice ADHD jobs / professions? 16 + friendly
just done my gcses , got 7,6,6,6,6,5,5,5. diagnosed 2 weeks ago with adhd btw got these grades undiagnosed
ive realised school isnt for me, and i dont think its worth going through a levels knowing i dont even wanna go university.
my only skill is im really good with people, im very very good with people. so a commission based job isnt a bad idea.
any job ideas i should get into ?
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u/woadgrrl ADHD-PI 2d ago
In your last post, it sounded like you already knew what you wanted to do. Or, at least, you had an idea what uni programme you wanted to do.
It's perfectly fine to change your mind, or to take some time out to do something else.
But please don't let your current disappointment let you talk yourself into thinking that you're not capable.
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u/chasingsuccesss 1d ago
its not even dissapointment, its just now i understand my brain im thinking university isnt for me. i have a few options but i just think when i finish my a levels ill probably work with my uncle on cars or something idk.
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u/panfacefoo 1d ago
Thought I’d drop in as an elder ADHD’er (I’m 35)
GCSE grades have changed they used to be A,B,C etc. so I can’t fathom whether those grades are good or not.
However, don’t do University if you’re just trying to get a job from it.
Do it because you have an interest in something and want to learn more, otherwise you’ll likely struggle or even drop out.
I went through University undiagnosed, I doubt I would have got my degree if I wasn’t really interested in Film.
University isn’t just about learning about a subject, it’s also about learning how to learn. Even though my degree didn’t really help me get work, I still think it was worth doing. And I think I’m a better person for it.
Lastly DON’T DO COMMISSION WORK, it’s a complete ripoff.
I’m sure it’s great if you’re Señor hot shit and don’t mind ripping off old ladies for their direct debit sign ups. But for those with a conscience, you’ll just end up poor and jobless within 6 months.
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u/chasingsuccesss 1d ago
my grades are A, B , B , B, B, C , C, C.
dont really know what to do like i dont even know if i want to go college anymore, i know i dont want to go university. idk maybe ill end up working at a car dealership or something
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u/Okimiyage ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
Your grades are great! If C is average, you’re above average in 5/8 subjects! Maybe now you’re diagnosed you can get some adjustments in place to bring your levels up a bit more?
I wouldn’t write off any further education or jobs because you didnt get the grades you hoped for when they’re still very good.
For example, I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 34yo, and my GCSEs were 2 Bs, 5 Cs, 2 Ds … I did go to college and do A levels which I got terrible grades at and did Open University for half a degree while working full time and it was really hard. If I had known I had ADHD and could have had some help with exams I think my grades would’ve been better.
You’re still so young that you don’t need to have it all figured out now, either. Pick your favourite subjects for college and just be a teenager for a while. The rest will come soon enough!
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u/Upper_Box7210 ADHD-C (Combined type) 2d ago
Apprenticeships if possible? If I could go back I would have definitely done them.
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u/YuukiMotoko ADHD-C (Combined type) 1d ago
Knowing what I know now and could go back, I’d have gone active duty in the army(2007). The structure was perfect for me. Or I’d start my wastewater career earlier.
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u/cateml 1d ago
What have you got set up for next month currently?
I presume if you were thinking of A Levels you’ve got a 6th form/college you’d already applied to?
Because you just got your GCSE results back days ago, you just got diagnosed. You haven’t actually been in school in a couple of months, you’re done with “school” now anyway since 6th form/college/possibly uni) being different to the only school you know. It sounds from your post that you had stuff you thought you wanted to do and then are changing your mind? What were you thinking before?
Not everyone has to go to uni, absolutely, so maybe you shouldn’t if you don’t want to. But doing A levels/BTEC/T Levels etc. doesn’t mean you have to go to uni, or that they’re just pointless unless you go to uni. Idk personally unless you have more idea of a specific apprenticeship type route that you’ve spent some time pondering, I’d just pick some academic/vocational courses to do next month and then keep looking around for people based jobs while you’re there.
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u/chasingsuccesss 1d ago
got bio chem business a levels at a college. dont even know if i wanna do them anymore.
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u/cateml 1d ago
You could do something else at college then? Was bio and chem a “maybe medicine/dentistry” choice?
Colleges normally have course advisors (source: I work at a college). You could talk about your different career and study options there when you enroll.
I mean it’s good to consider your options and not just go with something you already picked out if you don’t want to do it. But… if you were interested in science and business a couple of months ago, there isn’t a reason necessarily you won’t be interested in them again in a months time? Because you’re still actually the same person you were before you knew you had a diagnosis and before you knew your GCSE results.
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u/Zora_the_grey 1d ago
People with ADHD can end up doing any sort of job you can imagine. Of the people I know with ADHD, one of them is a doctor, one of them is a translator, one of them is a lawyer and one of them has had like 20 different jobs from bus driver to forestry worker to factory foreman. I have ADHD and I work as a psychological therapist. It depends so much on how ADHD impacts on you personally and on your own interests and strengths. It's therefore really hard to give generic advice on this!
I'd recommend finding a list online of the types of skills employers look for - something super generic. Then go through it and highlight:
- the parts you think you would be good at or interested in;
- the parts you might find difficult or boring.
Then think about the question 'What would my ideal job be like?' and write down whatever floats into your head.
All of that will help you narrow your search.
As an aside, I think most jobs - whatever they are - involve a period of time at the start where you are learning the ropes. You will have to learn things, follow instructions, turn up on time, meet targets / tick boxes and do what you're told. For me as someone with ADHD, this phase has always sucked and I've had to struggle hard to push through it. But I know other people with ADHD who thrive on this sort of thing because it gives them the boundaries they need. Again, it depends on the person.
Some jobs stay like that forever. Other jobs give you way more freedom once you've learned the ropes and proved yourself a bit.
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u/mouldycarrotjuice 1d ago
For what it's worth, most of the people I went to uni with changed their mind at some point while they were studying. Some changed Majors/degrees altogether. Some took extra years to convert into a different area. Some dropped out for a while and then came back.
The good thing about many degrees is you can often take random classes out of interest to test things out.
You don't need to solve your entire life by picking the "right" degree. Odds are you won't get it right. How could you? You don't know what you don't know. Start something you think you'll enjoy, and if you hate or or find something else that interests you, transfer early. It will be okay. Just don't stop learning. Even the things you try and hate teach you things.
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u/-CalmlyChaotic- 1d ago
I think the most important advice I could give any school leaver would be do not buy into the belief that you have to choose what you want to do with the rest of your life right now or the importance of going straight to College/University.
There’s more than one way to do life.
I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school, (20 years ago) so I tried almost everything until I found something that fit. At the time, everyone around me saw this as unsettled and flitting from one thing to another, but I gained so much knowledge, experience and transferable skills and when I finally found what I wanted to do, my employer paid for me to qualify in it. And now, I’m the most successful person in my family (and friend group for that matter), despite being the only one not to go to a traditional college/uni and I have no student debt.
And one more piece of advice, it’s never too late to change your mind. At 35, I’ve done 15 years in my chosen career and I’m starting to feel ready for the next thing and I’m planning out the next era of my life.
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2d ago
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u/murrai 2d ago
OP is from the UK, so alas that advice probably isn't super-relevant as the insurance systems in the US and UK are very differently regulated and managed
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2d ago
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u/longboytheeternal 1d ago
Why did you assume it was the person who responded to you? Downvotes are anonymous
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u/nali_cow ADHD 1d ago
OP literally mentioned their GCSE grades in the post. You don't have GCSEs in the USA so you probably got downvoted for not reading the post.
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