People with ADD have a higher rate of changing jobs and being fired. In many jobs, ADD works against you rather than serving as a strength. Not all jobs are created equal—at least not for people with ADD. People with ADD do best in jobs that are:

• fast paced
• include different tasks each day allow you to move around during your work day
• include support from an assistant
• are intellectually stimulating
• take advantage of your ability to multitask
• have firm due dates for projects
• offer frequent feed back
• have clear expectations
• have a flexible schedule
• include interactions with various people
• offer immediate rewards for a job well done (for example, getting a big tip at a restaurant when you have provided good service)

In addition, it helps a lot if your boss has ADD or at least has an understanding of ADD. Jobs such as firefighter, restaurant waitperson, teacher, emergency room physician, and trial attorney or positions in the military are good for people with ADD, because they encompass many of the characteristics of ADD-friendly jobs. To deter mine whether your job is ADD-friendly, consider how well it matches the characteristics listed above.

Identify your ideal job

Finding a new job takes some introspection. To clarify your interests and skills, ask your self the following questions:

• What did I want to be when I was a kid?
• What did I enjoy doing in school?
• What are my best skills and abilities?
• What do I like to do for fun?
• What do my family and friends say are my best qualities?

Discover your job values

What do you value most in a job? To some people, it is very important that they earn a high income. Others value a job that involves physical activity. Do you value a feeling of job security, variety in your work day, or the opportunity to help others? Explore the top three values that are most important to you. See if the job you are interested in matches these three values. If not, it may not be the best job for you.

When you find a job that sparks your interest, you may go full steam ahead, then quit after a month because it was totally different than you expected. One way to avoid this is to shadow some one with the same job before accepting the position. “Shadowing” means attending at least part of a person’s work day so you get a realistic sense of what the job entails.

When talking to some one whose job interests you, ask the following questions:

• What is your typical day like?
• What level of education do you need for this job?
• What skills do you need for this job?
• What personality characteristics do you need for this job?
• How important is the ability to be organized in this job?
• What is the best thing about your job?
• What would you change about your job?
• How did you find this job?

Work with your ADD, not against it

Once you have found a job that fits your skills, interests, and educational level, you need to consider whether you need accommodations to be effective and happy in your work. Accommodations are ways that you can adjust your environment to make it easier to focus and be efficient at your job. You can get accommodations by making adjustments to your work space and work habits on your own, asking your employer for accommodations, or if neither of those options is possible, seeking accommodations through the legal system. The more accommodations you can arrange on your own, the less you will need to disclose your ADD to your employer or face legal struggles with your employer.

Learn the unwritten rules of the office

Many workplaces have employee manuals, but there are also subtle, unspoken rules about how things operate. For example, a secretary may have more influence than her boss in getting things done. People with ADD can have a lot of difficulty learning the unwritten rules. To learn these rules, observe how other people in the office behave. When you are more comfort able in your work environment, ask some one in the know about how certain processes are conducted.

Try these accommodations for the work place

Here are some simple ways to make your job and workplace more ADD-friendly:

• Take breaks during your work day, even if it is just to walk out side for a few minutes.
• Take a walk during your lunch break.
• When scheduling your work day, allow extra time for meetings and other work events so you do not overbook your self.
• If at all possible, hire an administrative assistant to help with organization and detailed paper work.
• Ask for an office that is relatively free from distractions. An office that is out of the main working area is ideal.
• Avoid working in a cubicle. There are too many distractions.
• If distractions are unavoidable, wear ear plugs or noise-canceling head phones while you work.
• Use a white noise machine to block out auditory distractions.
• During meetings, keep your hands busy. Concentrating your physical energy will make it easier for you to focus. This technique is called concentrated distraction.
• If your employer does not assign dead lines, create your own.
• Break large projects into smaller tasks.
• Arrive early or stay late to do paper work when there are fewer distractions.
• When coworkers tell you they need some thing from you, ask them to e-mail it to you so you not only are reminded of it but also have a written record of the request.
• Get requests and orders in writing when possible. Keeping a paper trail helps protect you and your job.
• When your employer gives you an assignment, repeat the request in your own words to make sure you under stood correctly.
• Difficulty with remembering names is common in people with ADD. To remember the names of the people in your office, draw a diagram of the office lay out, including individual offices. Write in your coworkers’ names in the locations where they work.
• Ask your employer for feed back about your performance. Get this feed back in writing. The next time you meet with your employer for a review, bring the feed back sheet from the last review.
• Post a dry-erase board on your office wall. When you think of an important idea, immediately write it down. Write it in red if it is urgent.
• Leave your self voicemail messages or e-mails if you need to remember some thing for the next day.
• If you are a teacher, have your students make name tags for their desks. You no longer need to spend brainpower remembering your students’ names.

excerpt from 10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD: How to Overcome Chronic Distraction and Accomplish Your Goals by Stephanie Sarkis Ph.D.