Aligning Your Career with Your ADHD Traits

Jan 5

For generations, adults with ADHD have struggled to find workplaces and career paths that allow them to succeed, and usually ended up feeling like a square peg in a round hole. Those who have been able to figure out where their ADHD strengths fit best often did so after years of trial and error or were lucky enough to have a coach, mentor or parent who pointed them in the right direction. But what if job crafting for ADHD strengths was accessible for all?

I came across an article in ADDitude magazine about ADHD and job crafting and decided to reach out to the author. Mark is a licensed psychologist in private practice, a professor of psychology at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and the lead researcher on an innovative project to help individuals craft careers in alignment with their ADHD strengths. He's currently working on a book that expands on these ideas, combining personal anecdotes, professional insights, and extensive research.

Episode Overview:

Occupational Typecasting for ADHD: Mark discusses the myth that certain jobs naturally align better with ADHD traits, but this doesn’t mean individuals with ADHD can't excel in other fields.
Job Crafting: Introduction of "job crafting" or "curating" as a method where individuals map out their job tasks to align with their strengths and seek support for more challenging tasks.
Misinterpreted Symptoms: How symptoms like boredom and disengagement are misinterpreted as laziness rather than a need for more meaningful work.
Underachievement Relative to Potential: The focus on disruptive behavior over subtle signs of ADHD in settings like schools and workplaces
Delayed Diagnosis, Especially Among Women: Examination of how societal standards and internalized negative feedback can result in delayed ADHD diagnoses.
ADHD as a Superpower: Critique of the "ADHD as a superpower" narrative and its oversimplification of individual experiences.

Mentioned by Dr Sciutto during the interview:

Buzz: a Year of Paying Attention by Katherine Ellison

ADDitude magazine article on Scott Eyre, pitcher

Want to find out more about Mark Sciutto’s work or his upcoming book?

Click here for his email address.

If your search for an ADHD-friendly career path has lead you to small business ownership or entrepreneurship, you are not alone. But are you using your ADHD strengths as business assets? You are exactly who my coaching framework, The Boss Up Breakthrough was designed for.

Take advantage of my fast action bonus by booking a free consultation with me during the month of January. Click here to find out more.

ADHD traitsneurodivergentADHD entrepreneur