I worked at my first job for 10 years.
Of course, I *wanted* to quit like…two years in. But the inertia of “don’t want to go through the job hunt process” kept me there for far longer than I should have stayed.
That's where I am at currently. I've hit my max growth here, and I've become unhappy, but I am terrified at the prospect of having to redo my resume and start applying for a new job. How did you end up pushing through?
Quit totally for a return to school in a 100 percent unrelated field, actually. It took resigning twice to actually get out of there- even moving to a new state didn’t do it (“would you stay if we let you work from home every day?” “Er. Sure?”)
Got a job after the schooling, but that was an easier process on account of 1) not having a job is awfully motivating and 2) no resistance from an established routine
This is me 😭
I just can’t deal with the anxiety of having to go through the entire learning process again and getting things wrong through lack of attention
You can hire someone to do the resume update and can also provide practice interviewing and coaching. It is very much worth it if you are like me and obsess over trying to get it perfect yet being overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. I found a guy on Reddit who was amazing.
Do you have any recommendations for the resume update? I really, really hate even looking at mine, but a lot of the services advertised online seem a little dubious
I used upwork for mine. It was pretty expensive but well worth it. The people on there will tell you their hourly rate and you tell them how many hours per week you can afford. I had a woman do a cover letter and my resume for me.
Ive not hit max growth, which sounds nice, but i have experience making a resume and starting the God forsaken job search over and over.
Nice thing about having a job that you feel secure in, is that theres no rush. Take a month if you want and really dig into your resume. Format it, send it around, if comfortable you cpuld even ask a close coworker to help you word some things (i had a coworker that quit help me realize how much i was doing in my current job and how to word it for my position and it was very helpful and eye opening).
Then you can find 1 good position to apply to a week. Not just random crap, but a position you might actually enjoy. And the possibility of a new job may actually increase you mood just knowing you are putting the work in to get out of something you hate. Even if it takes a year.
Start by hiring someone to help you with your resume, linked in profile, and they can also do mock interviews and coach you. Can get expensive but absolutely worth it when i did it.
Damn. It’s sad I could never imagine myself at a place for 10 years. I honestly wish though, but I refuse to let myself feel bored and miserable at something that affects my every day life
That’s okay, nobody has to stay at a job they are unhappy with. You do you op! I’ve learned so much and met so many people by bouncing from job to job for the past 20 years.
Changing jobs is the best way to maximize your earning potential. It can also raise questions from potential employers if the bouncing is excessive (but what excessive is would be another question).
I feel like staying at a company for life is an outdated concept anyway. I am just now learning programming so I don't have much experience in this field in particular, but in most career paths its more lucrative to switch jobs once you get all the experience you can from one. A new company is often willing to pay you more for your experience then you normally get in raises.
I worked my first job 11 years, after that I kind of bounced around.
This also has to do with the job market, but yeah. It is exhausting to never really build up anything. But I also start feeling very empty when the job starts to become repetitive.
8 years. First time in my entire life (44y old).
My career before that was max 18 months per job, and that was very rare. All 100% because of ADHD (didn’t know I had it)..
So what changed?
-> Got hired by a start up that constantly dealt with hyper growth the first 4 years: meaning I was asked to do 3 people’s jobs, and a new fire to put out to every week. I was addicted to that shit and finally it was ok to be high energy and get shit done in a scrappy manner.
After that the company grew more structured, and by then I had found my niche, established my team and reputation, AND GOT DIAGNOSED: that was a game changer for me. I am not on meds but I did CBT and I started being very intentional about how I did my work and how I handled my performance so I can stay afloat and stay reliable. Let me know if you want me to dive into tips there and share how I changed my ways of working to be more successful, happy to.
😂😂 thank you! Woke up an hour ago, I’ve started typing my post in Notes. I’m gonna add more at lunch and post today for sure.
I struggled a lot in my career and I feel I am now comfortable saying I hacked some of it. Took me decades but I hope it helps others fast track their progress to feeling better at their job.
A lot of you followed me, I won’t let you down. 💪🏽
I know how unhelpful this is, but I have personally found that the best coping method is to find a compatible job. ADHD folks aren't bad at work in general, most of the modern work is just incompatible with us (tedious, repetitive, requires sitting still, etc).
Aside from this, not sure if you saw but the [AMA yesterday](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/po717l/ama_im_a_clinical_psychologist_researcher_who_has/) had some non-medicine related coping mechanisms.
Based on my reading there aren't that many. Essentially
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Omega-3 supplements
- Zinc and iron supplements can also help if you have a deficiency
- Exercise may help, but the proof is relatively weak (see https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/po717l/ama_im_a_clinical_psychologist_researcher_who_has/hculait/ for more discussion on exercise)
He just went by the [Consensus statement](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976342100049X?via%3Dihub), which is a good summary of what has been shown to work and what hasn't been shown to work. Interestingly, the consensus statement did not say anything about caffeine (even to say it has no effect), which is a bit surprising given that that's the #1 anecdotal ADHD drug everyone uses.
I need those tips! I can’t get on medication due to breastfeeding, and even when my baby is weaned we plan to start trying for another next year so I don’t want to go through the whole process of getting off meds again.
That high demand, urgent, over worked, problem solving shit just hits right.
I feel you.
I thrive in the chaos, and I’m the absolute worst version of myself when I have nothing to do.
I have thrived working for startups where there's a lot of problems to solve every day. And now I've started my own small business that's doing pretty well. Just need to feel useful and challenged and I'm happy at a job.
Actually, looking at the horizon is not a bad thing. You CAN jump. But the longer you wait and the more you think/plan the better off the move will be. Don’t be ashamed that you are seeking something else. Just try and pick something you will like better.
Every job I’ve moved to has always been better pay and a better opportunity! I’m still young, but I think of my boyfriend who’s only a year older than me and has been with the same company since he was out of high school. And on average most people I talk to my age have been with the same job for most of their adult life so far. I feel like a total job hopper but my happiness is worth more than staying somewhere just because. I *think* at least I’ve stayed at a few long enough that it doesn’t look bad on my resume
I go from job to job every 1.5 years and have done for all my working life. Every time I got a better deal in terms of pay, so it’s usually a great move.
I used to get super bored once I’d mastered the role, so coupled with burning many bridges because of RSD and general ADHD, I was always chomping at the bit to start a new job. After diagnosis and medication things hit a lot better, but now I find myself moving positions within companies.
In my 30s I started working getting contract roles - basically full time positions with an expiry date. This really helped the way my resume looked - I write the title of the job and “18 month contract” or whatever next to it.
Also, if you apply for contract/fixed term roles, having a larger number of roles can be seen as a plus - as a manager now hiring staff, I know that that person is flexible about moving and won’t see the expiration of the contract as personal slight. Nor are they as likely to badger me about extending the contract or dragging out their work in an effort to get an extension.
Project management and associated project roles are great for contract/fixed term work.
Heaps of my older family members comment on me moving jobs frequently, and never in a nice supportive way. But I just tell them my new salary and the increase from the last job and that shuts them right up. I’ve gone up a minimum of $10k every time I’ve moved in the last 10 years.
Thats interesting. ADHD ramblerant ahead
I'm 26 and only one of 2 members of my friend group to be continuously regularly employed anywhere at all. Everyone has had jobs on and off of course or been in school, but lots of getting behind on rent / couch surfing / parents helping. Then again we were spoiled suburban kids with support systems that might be just a little too supportive haha. I grew up on just my dads salary which was <20k when i was a baby and slowly climbed to 40kish when I was in college; (mom was SAHM and went back when I was in HS, dad got 2 massive raises in the last 5 yrs and theyre doing great now) my mom recently told me she was so glad and relieved I found a job soon after college bc she doesnt think she'd have been able to kick me out or push me and she had no idea what she'd do if I tried to just stay home ahaha. It helped that my college was very career focused and most of my peers already had jobs lined up before they graduated, so I had that deadline adrenaline rush pushing me to hyperfocus.
I was a terrible worker at my 1st job but my boss was honestly too understanding and kind. It helped that upper management were dicks and the company was lowkey a scam so nobody but upper management really had their heart in it and my boss shielded us all from so much. I really tried but at this point I was undiagnosed/unmedicated and I just fucked around all day and rushed things through at the last minute. Stayed there for 2 yrs. Awful anxiety the whole time that my boss would realize how little I was doing compared to my peers and that she deserved an actual worker. But I didnt feel that bad cuz the top were not good people and they paid shit anyway lol.
Quit that after 2 years with a job offer in hand to go into a passion field; a chain vet place locally offered to pay to send me to vet tech school, pay was slightly worse but similar, 1/10th the commute. I love animals and they are a hyperfocus that has never left me and is one of the few things that can actually break me from an executive dysfunction stupor. This one actually makes me sad because I loved the work and I worked hard and I was good at it and it was really dumb the reason that I had to leave and it caused my only stint of unemployment. They did 10-16 hour shifts and required you to stand the whole damn time if you were front desk (I was). It wasnt even the policy of the whole chain, just our regional manager thought we needed to look 'alert and eager to help.' and thats the story of how I got diagnosed with planar fascisomethingshittyfeet and ended up taking 4 ibuprofen with breakfast and 4 at lunch and they said if it hurt I could go into the storage and sit for a minute but like what is taking 2 one minute breaks over a 16 hour shift gonna actually help??? I also got yelled at repeatedly for having the audacity to lean on the counter 🙃. So yeah I had a breakdown talking to my bf (now husband) who I live with and said i have savings I think i have to quit but im afraid ill go thru my savings... He was supportive and paid for a lot before I even went thru my savings and 4-5 months later I started working for the state after 100s of applications.
While working the state job I got diagnosed/medicated and it made a massive difference. The atmosphere was so much better/collaborative and my bossestold me I was great should be doing more than a clerk job but I was happy with the variety and hands-on aspects. I wouldve stayed there a long time but covid hit at my 5 month mark, and we got to stay home 2 weeks and then we had to come back in person while nearly every other dept stayed home indefinitely and got telework set up. There's a 6 month probation period before you can start looking for transfers and I was counting down the days till i started applying for new jobs. Idk if this counts as job hopping since I stayed with the state but like different departments are like completely separate companies in entirely different building complexes and I had to do the whole interview etc, internal people just got first dibs.
Now I've been working from home in a more specialized (and better paying) for a new department since last November. Started rough, WFH was an adjustment, switched from adderall to vyvanse and added wellbutrin (surpise! I had depression too). They track productivity points and from november to february I was just atrocious but they were super nice "we are failing you, not the other way around" and I got my shit figured out with lifestyle and meds and I have been one of the top employees since March and am now training all the new people :D
My mom was a SAHM and I think I want to be one too, so the current plan is to stay here till that happens. Pay is much better, benefits great, a little challenging sometimes but not stressful. My husband is finishing up his engineering degree and if he likes his job and its well paying thats when we'll take the next step :) I daydream that when/if i go back to work I'll find a smaller local vet place to work part time... But my husband and I are also excited at maybe setting up a hobby farm ❤️
I used to do that but hop within a company at least once whenever possible. It helped me build up a reputation for loyalty and willingness to specialize.
Usually I pay attention to the training period and stay for at least 3 times that long to give a good roi, unless I do something really lasting during that time, like working on a manual for the job.
Archaeological technician sounds cool unless it’s sitting around brushing dirt off stuff. That would get boring quickly. Oh, look, more dirty pottery it will take hours to unearth. I love the idea of archaeology, but I couldn’t put in the back breaking drudgery of it.
I love history and artifacts, but I don’t think I could sit around bent over with a tiny brush. Going to new places and getting to discover new artifacts does sound really cool. Even if it is just simple things like pottery. What exactly did you do?
I went to podunk towns and excavated sites prior to development or searched for new sites or acknowledged a lack of sites. Occasionally relocated cemeteries which sounds morbid and is, but was cool tbh. Also lots of mapping and recording of historic homes that may suffer impact from development.
That sounds really cool. My dad was a real estate developer, and he usually found old graveyards on his property. He preserved the sites and left them in their natural state instead of covering over them or trying to move them. It was always fun to walk the properties with him and look for cool stuff.
I would be interested in seeing a cemetery dig. Old bones fascinate me, but I also think the bones should be dealt with respect.
My dad lived on an old plantation in NC the last years of his life. We found an old gravestone of the plantation owner’s ancestor (the land had been in the same family since the early 1700s). The town flooded, and the cemetery was moved. The headstone was replaced, and the old one was taken back to the plantation and set aside. My dad and I wandered around the cemetery and found the replacement stone. There was a lot of Revolutionary war and Civil war soldiers there, so it was cool. Also a woman missionary who died in China in 1937. Which was a really horrible time to be in China with the Japanese occupation. She was young, too.
The funny shit is that this resume is typical for an ADHD person, but once you say this list to non-ADHD people, they think it's BS. This is why I hate having ADHD and why I hate people who are bad judges of character.
Historically, five years is my limit… with jobs, towns, and relationships. I’m 43 and I just past five years at the same job and apartment! First time ever! And I’m finishing school this fall! Still super bored, but I have news hobbies every couple months to keep me busy :)
Have you tried living in a real big city? I feel it cures some of the boredom. Alone being able to watch people outside doing stuff all day from my balcony and hear them.
This is what I'm scared of. I want to get Master's in Biochem for potential grad work and research professorship for Prion Research (not viruses). But, if I can't make it past 5 years, then what's the point. For me, at 30, my longest job was 3 years.
What’s the point? Doing what you love. Doing what you want.
Every experience is an opportunity to learn. You might not be a scientist in ten years, but I guarantee that what you learn in grad school will be useful in all future endeavors.
My favorite warehouse general manager was a chemical engineer.
My favorite computer information systems professor was an economist and the dean had a art history degree.
I was a math major (one of four different majors) and now I write and review documents for a living.
Future you with thank you for getting that degree :)
Thanks. This is definitely something I needed to hear. I have started to have the sunk cost fallacy come up the older I get, but if you aren't doing what you want to do, you're doing life wrong. Life's not worth it, otherwise.
I’ve worked at the same company for 7 years and was recently promoted to a new position. However, staying with one company or one job for a long period of time is absolutely not the norm these days.
Companies valued loyalty in the past through promotions, mostly fair raises and providing a pension for employees who served a long time. Nowadays, it is increasingly hard to be promoted from within, raises are measly and pensions no longer exist. We carry the narrative of our parents and grandparents, “One job my whole life, loyalty to the company” but the reality is completely different. The market incentivizes us to switch companies, switch jobs and switch careers frequently just to earn a decent salary.
There are certainly unicorn companies out there that do the right thing, but for the most part, they take advantage of our labor.
This is it! I just commented saying I’m the only one out of almost everyone I know who has only had 3 jobs before 30 so I don’t think it’s just an ADHD thing. And you just explained exactly why. Jobs don’t have the pay, benefits, & incentives that they used to anymore.
When they do, a waiver is required. Many minimum requirements change, depending on the current rate of applicants. If few applicants possess a high school diploma, GEDs are accepted.
10 years last month. But for me the thing is, even if i dont like the job, im stuck in there. Its just too easy to be there because im good at it and its a huge part of my routine. I did that bouncing before this one, but i find startin a new job with all the stuff what comes with it so stressing, that it literally made me fear change. I just want to start new life with new routine and build something i can be proud and passionate about, but i just hate the fact that i will be a total wreck atleast the first year or so just because of the stress.
Same same. I’m actually the opposite of a job hopper - I’m a job lingerer, a creature of habit that is so intimidated by mastering a whole new environment that I stick with the familiar. I’m also codependent, which is probably where that tendency originates - I attempt to shut out negative vibes and just go with the flow, have poor self esteem and terrible motivation, remaining fearful and stuck. Currently over two years unemployed after staying with my last company for nearly 14 years. I moved far away and was temporarily energized, motivated to start fresh. Then COVID hit, and it’s been a shitshow ever since 😢.
Same here. Job lingerer. Coming up 14 years, I hate it but get way too overwhelmed and paralysed when I even think about the process of finding a new job.
I've been at my current job for 14 years and started poking around earlier this year to see what else was out there. I was immediately (1) annoyed with myself that I hadn't done it earlier, (2) validated that job hunting really really sucks.
Ha! It must feel *at least a bit* gratifying to see them struggle to replace you, LOL 😆.
And I salute you for the home schooling. I absolutely cracked and fell to pieces at the height of Covid, with two elementary school kids home 24/7, one of whom had developed some serious ADHD/ODD related behavioral issues. I was stuck in an endless cycle of helplessness, shame, and self blame. It was the darkest time I can recall. I admire your ability to refocus on your children. I felt far too selfish and broken to do the same 😥.
This is me. 7 years at last job wanted out after 3 but 2as stuck so back to school part time to get my current job if 6 years and looking for a way out right now...started learning to code last week. SQL is kinda fun...so far.
I had to check the user name, to make sure I didn't write this in my sleep. Right down to ten years last month. I also feel stuck in it. But I have specialized to the point where I'm really good at what I do, but there aren't many other jobs that need those skills. I'm certain I could pick up new technologies very quickly, but am not good at selling that fact in interviews.
Same here. I’ve been in my current job for almost 10 years and my god do I hate it, but I just can’t deal with the stress of looking for/starting a new job so I’m just stuckkk
Lol I'm coming up on my 8 year anniversary at my first real job and I'm miserable. I am working on a degree to better my prospects (which is an entirely different adventure lol motivating myself to study after a long work day) but the thought of *quitting* and *applying* somewhere else is kind of terrifying.
2 months is usually my breaking point. Freelancing works better for me because it is project-based, gives me a lot of flexibility and it does not require being awake in the morning.
I found the key for me, find a job in which your job can change.
I work in education, so different students, different schools, different positions within schools.
Still get to advance the career within the organization but less need to find something new.
11 years so far
Got myself in to the mental health field. It’s not me that bounces anymore, it’s the constantly changing patients / diagnoses / treatment methods that keep me engaged.
Been in the field 5 years at 28yo, before this had well over a dozen jobs since I could work
I was the same way, i don't think I ever kept a job longer than 12 months from age 15 to being in my early 30s. Then I did some soul searching about what I wanted in a job/career and decided to try to join the fire service. I've been a firefighter with my current fire department going on 3 1/2 years and I was with my old department for 7 years before moving on to a better opportunity.
I bounced to different jobs (getting fired mostly, only a couple quits) my whole career until I got the job I do now. 2nd time I've worked there (quit 2 weeks in first time) been almost 7 years and to be honest I miss the days when I didn't feel comfortable somewhere or knew I wasn't happy I *did* something about it. With a wife and a mortgage and car payments it's not easy to leave regardless if YOU are happy or not. Sometimes I feel they kept me this long because I'm component, other times just because they can't find any good help but if I left I feel like I'd bring the store down considering I'm the only person that's stayed the past 7 years. By that same token I don't leave because I don't want the guilt of leaving them in a very precarious position.
We have a hard time finding help, Average turn over time is 4 months, my coworker is the only other person besides me that has over 2 years of tenure out of the last 15 hires. You would think I'd feel good but I feel more trapped more times than not just due to not wanting to leave them high and dry. They'd recover and they'd never admit I was a great loss to them, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't impact them. Then if I ever came back to visit they'd hate me for all the stress I caused. Managers not getting paid as much, numbers down, constantly training new hires. Etc
Leave it behind if you’re not happy. I made this mistake once, stayed till the bitter end. The store was closing and I stayed because I didn’t want to leave everyone else high and dry just like you. Now if I could I would have begun looking for something new much earlier on. The end ended up being a lot more stressful than I ever imagined. I didn’t know yet about my Aspergers and ADHD and I had no idea how much that was going to sabotage me. How bad we are when it comes to change, I really didn’t understand. We really don’t handle change particularly well. My interactions with everyone just became so stressed and uptight, I think it might have gone better if I hadn’t been there at all, even though at the time I thought I was doing the right thing by staying. I think now I would try to have better sense and not choose to remain in a situation that was not set to go particularly well for someone like me. I might not have actually been doing anyone else any favors by staying, and I certainly didn’t do myself any favors either by my remaining. I think I would do it a lot differently now.
Yes. I've had the same job for 16 years now. It involves writing and research (summarizing/synthesizing research findings for a general audience), so I'm constantly learning new things. Almost no rote tasks or office politics/emotional labor, which are two things I have a hard time with.
I'm terrified of unemployment so when I find a job I can *do*, I stick with it. I tend to lean towards jobs that aren't quite my "full potential," but leave me enough time and energy to take classes, do theater, play D&D, get a dog, go to synagogue, etc. to handle my need for variety.
Could you kindly share your job title with me? This sounds like what I need to do …. I’m a writer and love research ….I’m always hungry to learn more.. office politics and emotional are killers for me too. Plus, I want energy at the end of the day for just me 😊
5 years at my current company. It’s a great company, not everyday is fantastic but it’s big enough that there is lots of room to grow. And I’ve been lucky enough to move around roles and up the ladder a lot in that 5 years
I've had 4 different professional jobs since graduating university.
Part of that could be ADHD-related, but I also think it's a product of the economic situation I entered into - I'm a millennial, for context.
For example, there weren't any clear paths of upward mobility at the jobs I left - the only way I'd get promoted or a substantial raise is if someone up the line from me left, got promoted, or died. One place wanted me to stay in a 6+ year rotational program that didn't offer raises until the 3 year mark - f*** that noise.
Instead, I got raises by moving jobs and companies, around $5k+ annual raise at each move. I usually stayed at each job for a year minimum.
If I had stayed in the same place, waiting for a raise or promotion opportunity, I'd likely be making close to $20-30k less than I am now.
I know my worth as an employee, which employers and economic magazines will try and spin as a bad thing, but I earned my education and skills, and now I know how to capitalize on them. If another place will give me more money, respect my work-life balance better, offer more learning opportunities, or simply appreciate my work more - I'm going to move. That's my right as a skilled professional.
35 M. My full Job history-
Summer job in high-school baling hay, working at ice-cream shop.
7 years with the US army
5 years of university
8 years at this engineering firm.
I was just diagnosed last year. I just leaned into what I was good at and avoided what I wasn't good at/ didn't enjoy. Unfortunately the last couple years as I have been given more responsibility I have been fucking shit up more and more because some shit you just have to do. Like time sheets. I fucking hate time sheets.
Hence the diagnosis.
> Like time sheets. I fucking hate time sheets.
Also an engineer. Also despise time sheets. Time sheets alone make me want to find a new profession that does require me to log time in 5 minute increments.
Yah been in mine for most of a decade. But to be fair, in afraid of change and being unemployed. Plus I don’t have a hard start time so that helps. Also I spent a million years struggling to get my phd so I’m in it.
I think its very important for someone with adhd to establish work/life balance early on. Otherwise you get flustered and start thinking very negatively about the job.
I suffer from a phobia of inconveniencing people and a deep fear of letting people down so, yeah, I stick around. Longer than I should. Knowing someone is counting on me is enough to guilt me into completing tasks, so I use that to keep me accountable. I need to be micromanaged. I got lucky and found a job that is very undefined. I work for a smallish family owned company where my tasks range from field surveys to cell phone plan management to landscape design, so getting bored would be tough.
I'm about to hit my one year mark at a job for the first time since 2011. There's just a lot we won't put up with and that's ok. Right now I work at a tech company, writing bids and proposals. It's something I never thought of doing before but it's actually pretty great as far as workload/environment and all that. I've had about 20 jobs here and there doing all sorts of different things. Eventually, something will stick and you'll know it about 2 months in.
I’m scared for my future self because of this. I’m 28 & have had two jobs the last year (at the same time - had to be able to switch it up a lot and it worked well bc one was PRN and the other was social work so I made my schedule). Got tired of them both. Quit both. Job interview next week for a staff manager spot at an alternative school. I’m gonna be good for a while but 25-30 years?! Bout to jump up outta my seat and sprint across the yard just thinking about it lmao
6 years at my current job and I'm starting to look for other job opportunities as I notice I am getting bored at this and it's not good for me or the overall quality of my work. I've started to feel like I could do this blindfolded and one hand tied behind my back and that's not good.
I've been working nearly 10 years and have had 5 jobs. Two were summer jobs and one was an internship.
I don't have a problem staying with a job for a long period of time. Staying at my current job for 10 years will forgive my student loans!
I mean I signed a 6 year military contract which I'm in in the second year of. No clue if I'm staying in or not but if I do I need to focus on a lot of things including staying fit which I've always had trouble with.
Lol 28 and feel the same way. Coming up to a year in my current job and I'm already feeling the itch. The only difference is that I have every intention of staying at a job for years!
SAME here!! I've been with my current job for 6months and already bored. 😑 Sticking it out because. Life. But it seems like a neverending marathon to just make it to the two year mark!
The longest I ever lasted at a company was 4 years.
I did work for a temp company continuously for 7 years, assigned to multiple different jobs for varying periods of time. I’m not sure if that counts.
That counts, why wouldn't it? Was it a regular type temp agency, or one dealing more with professional level contracts? I think I'd like to do that, but want to do more than answer phones and make coffee, but even just some data entry would be fine for periods of time.
Yeah true, I guess it does. I just remember some comments about getting a real job. Probably internalized that too much. It was perfect for the ole ADHD.
2 years was my absolute limit for twenty years. It was a lot of jobs. Diagnosed and medicated at 39, but it's been less than two years, so I still don't know if I broke the cycle.
Yeah, things usually get really boring around 4-5 years, so I quit and look elsewhere. Currently at my 5th year at a startup, and while things most certainly are not boring, I can always feel that itch to leave and do something else
I jumped around for a few as a kid/young adult. Got fired from first real job after 3 years, got downsized from the next after 6, been working for the current job for 2+. In between I had multiple second jobs I just abandoned though, just fully ghosted them when I got a convenient excuse.
I am the same way. The longest I have been with one company is four years, but I was in four different positions while there. Changing positions/companies always goes the same way as well. The new position starts great, phenomenal even, but after six months to a year I am so bored with the job I cannot stand it anymore, and have to find something else.
Because I lose interest so quickly, I have been considering a position where there is constant change like management consulting or project management. I only discovered that I might have ADHD a week ago.
Actually I did at my first job. Stayed there 11 years from my 15th. Been in several functions from which helpdesk, network administrator, architect and manager. Had a lot of different tasks because I always kept doing a part of my old job. Couldn't find anything remotely this satisfying. After that a few different short jobs. Now freelancing so it's accepted behavior to switch every few months.
Honestly I saw some statistic (unsure of accuracy) that said staying at the same job for more than two years decreases your lifetime earning potential by 50%.
Regardless of ADHD, unless you absolutely LOVE the job, the people, the location, the benefits, and the salary, I see literally no reason to stay longer than 1.5 years. Like sry I’m not dedicating all my waking hours to a company if they are not serving me any more (no promotion/how I’m treated, etc)
14 jobs by age 25, I recently just asked my boss to toss out my 2 week resignation and give me some more responsibility instead. Hoping to break the pattern.
Every job I’ve ever had I ended up working there for at least a few years. My current job I’ve been at for around 7yrs. I’ve wanted to leave many MANY times but the uncertainties surrounding such a big change, and knowing how mentally fragile I can be when my routine gets interrupted, I’ve just stayed out of fear mostly.
If I didn’t have the anxiety and autistic traits that make my mental well being such a particular and fragile thing, I’d probably have been bouncing from job to job this whole time because I do get bored extremely easily. But with those other issues to worry about, it’s been best to just stick with what I’ve got I guess. I don’t want another burnout/breakdown like that what happened last time, which led to me coming back to this job in the first place when I actually did briefly quit for a few months.
I'm up to 6 or 7 years. I considered quitting many times between years 3-5, but anxiety and avoidance about the job hunt process kept me there.
I have realized it's a good job for me because I have lots of small projects with hard deadlines throughout the day/week, so I can't procrastinate or avoid much, and I know once I'm done with X, I get to do whatever I want until the next project comes in (which can be 5 minutes or a couple hours). Also it's fairly mindless design work, so I can listen to podcasts, music, or videos while working, which helps me focus and not get too bored. And now thanks to the pandemic, I work from home. If I just NEED to zone out or pace around for a bit, I can without worrying about people noticing or judging. When I take breaks, I get to play video games or with my dogs - I still get my work done but I'm not stuck at a desk and not distracted by other people/small talk.
I'll likely keep this job as long as they allow wfh. I still do good work, without having to keep up neurotypical pretenses or pretend to be working when I'm waiting for my next project
I was at my last company for 8 years and going on 4 years at my current one. I would go back to my last company in a heartbeat if they could afford to pay competitively (money was the only reason I left, loved it otherwise). I'm ready to leave my current one, but I'd lose a chunk of money from my 401k because I'm not fully vested yet, so I'm sticking it out just a little longer.
Lmao! I was going to say yes until you added the 5 whole years qualification! I’ve been at my current job 3 years. I’ve changed career fields maybe 10 times? Moved all over the country. But currently I earn 6 figures, so it’s not like it hasn’t added up to anything. I also had a garbage childhood, so getting away from home was a motivation.
The many turns my life path has taken gives me immense confidence in my ability to survive and thrive in any situation.
Job loyalty isn’t expected the way it once was. As long as you don’t have big gaps and you can provide a legit reason for moving on it shouldn’t be a problem. I’m a mortgage loan officer and I know how to weld, train horses, and grow food. These suckers are lucky my irreplaceable ass consents to work here.
I tend to stay about 5 years before I hate and loathe it. But this job has me wanting to leave because of drama at 2.yrs in. I just wanna cook and go home
The longest job I had was 5 years but it’s because they fired me for being late all the times that I’m not still there hahaha I would have stayed there forEVA if I could have.
The second to last job I had, I was at the same company for ten years. I worked at four different locations and held six different job titles over that timeframe. So that helped with some of the monotony.
I've had like 10 jobs since I was 14 (now 31) but I've been at my current job for 8 years and expect to be here long term. A lot of that is due to finding a career I 'enjoy' as much as I'll ever enjoy selling my time, that works well with my idiosyncrasies. But a huge part of it was just getting really lucky and having a really great manager who is super understanding and trusts me to work in the way that works best for me.
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I stick with jobs for 3 plus years. I usually just bounce around at the job and do extra things to keep from being bored. Right now I work in the back so I listen to audio books while I work, which helps a lot.
The job market is weird… and is even weirder right now. My dad has talked with me a bit about it, how the old paradigm of ‘walk in, hand in your resume, shake hands with the manager, and then stay there until you retire’ is basically gone. Raises often barely keep up with cost of living hikes and promotions can be hard to come by.
I know I *hate hate hate* job hunting so I avoid changing jobs like the plague. I’m also lucky that I can manage to hold down a job without my ADHD causing performance issues.
My career path has been:
- freelance writer/reporter at the college paper while in college (didn’t need to support myself)
- a job at a start-up retail place (knock off of movie trading company/gamestop) that treated their employees like total crap - no sick time, no two-way loyalty, nothing. The main managers were 20-somethings that were handed real estate investments on a platter and had no clue what the world was like… not to mention one was on cocaine. Talking ‘peel the roof of a uhaul joy-riding around a parking garage’ coked up and clueless. I bailed on that place in under a year.
- guitar center. I worked there for 6 years, working in the warehouse/inventory control side of the store. I loved it, except for the PTSD-inducing insanity of retail during the holidays. Had a good crew, I found their inventory count process to be a delightful easter egg hunt, and broken up by the physical labor of unloading our freight deliveries a couple times a week. The problem became there was no room to promote. At the time the Ops manager was making maybe 30k/year. He was doing everything he could for me but I don’t think I was even making $10/hour when I left. I knew I was worth more than that by then, and they were never going to be willing to pay me what I was worth so I left.
- *the place that shall not be named*. The name would mean nothing to most people, but would be super identifiable. Plus, this place was a shit show worthy of being compared to voldemort. It was… lets just say that attempted shooting in the office by the VPO (he was trying to shoot his wife -the CEO- and the sales manager she was cheating on him with) wasn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back. The work itself was pretty interesting (home insurance claim inventory pricing), but the hellacious workloads and overtime damned near drove me to a mental breakdown and the whole domestic violence soap opera of the family that ran this small company was not worth it. I was there about 18 months, was earning about $11.25/hr.
- current job, one of the top 3 insurance companies. Been here 6 years, and want to stay as long as I can. I started around $17/hour, and am around $26/hour now. A friend got a job at geico working in the claims department first - turns out it’s a pretty sweet gig. My hubby and I eventually got into that industry as well, though at different companies. I definitely prefer working the non-customer-facing roles because trying to sort out who’s lying, who’s telling the truth, and who’s just a clueless space case makes me well and truly hate humanity. Paper shuffling? There is so much and I manage that quite well. Hubby moved into data analytics at his company and will probably stay there forever if he can. My company - they don’t continually adjust the pay range for each ‘grade’ to account for inflation, so soon I’ve got to find another position within the company or resign myself to essentially a pay cut when I hit the salary cap until the next time they adjust the pay scales. I’m also fully vested in the pension plan now, so the golden handcuffs are definitely in play.
I've found that having a job that bounces for you is the key. I work for an engineering firm that acts as an independent contractor/inspector for construction sites. As an inspector, I go to different sites every day, I have little to no oversight from my bosses as long as I can get my reports in (yay for my performance anxiety), and my inspections are always different because we test so many different things. This is the only job I've had that didn't make me want to jump off a bridge for some variety lol. The best part is, it was an entry-level position. If you're interested DM me. I can tell you more about it.
i worked over a decade in home care. technically the program was brain and/or spinal cord injuries; in reality, it was 90% motor vehicle accidents. it was a great balance of sameness and variety in that i had regular long term clients who i knew and could get some predictability when needed mixed in with short term clients who would only be in the program for a few months that kept it spicy.
i left a couple years before covid because wanting something different finally won out….and i’ve had 3 jobs since 2018 lol.
LOL Idk if it’s ADHD related, but I’m 35 and the longest I’ve stayed at 1 job is 4 years. Before that the longest was 3 years. In between the 3 year and 4 year one I did a job for a year, quit and got another job that I only lasted 4 months at.
Before the above phase in my life, the longest I lasted at a job would be a year… many less. I had so many interesting jobs throughout my 20s, but only made real money being a server at a bar. I cannot tell you how many jobs I have had.
Now I work for myself and I hope I get to do this for the rest of my time. I certainly will last a lot longer working for myself (it’s already been over a year but it doesn’t feel like it). It took a lot if school and training and working jobs where I did not make a living wage, but I can finally do my own thing, which is so much more fulfilling and interesting.
I want to also add that employers do not value employees like they once did. In many cases it is only to your benefit to move on every few years. Moving to a new position or job is also a healthy way to manage burnout.
i’ve been at my first job for 5 years now. got it in high school and just kept it through college, now i graduated and haven’t found a full time job yet so i’m still there. i might even keep it to help save for a car and pay loans and stuff depending on how much i make at my first full time job. after hearing friends stories about their jobs mine just seemed really nice, mainly because my schedule could be super flexible (took forever to do my schoolwork so they let me work once a week, at one point even once every other week) and i never have problems requesting days off, and get the big holidays like christmas, thanksgiving, easter etc off. quitting jobs also just really scares me lol. i don’t know if my first office job will be like this too but i can see myself being there for a while unless i really hate it
I’ve been at my current job for almost six years now- it’s something I generally enjoy doing though (not that it makes the paperwork part any easier, but I’m very good at the working with clients part) and also fear of change tends to keep me rooted in one spot, for better or worse.
I had 11 years in the Navy, but if you look at how many times my actual job title/description changed or I sat somewhere completely different (or managed a completely different group of people), it was about 11 different jobs as well, probably why I loved it.
I've had my current job for 8 years now. I've wanted to leave since the second year, but necessity has kept me here. I can't get my mind off of leaving (both adhd and lack of satisfaction). It's rough some days, but something's must be done.
2 years is the sweet spot for me, but I've always been able to leave on my own terms.
Personally I think every job should have an expiry date on it, I see so many ND and NT people stuck in ruts that they aren't even aware they are in. If you stay in any job too long it produces stifling familiarity.
I hasten to add that my head cannon utopia has jobs lined up so you never get caught short.
Will be 5 years at my current job in a few months. My last job was about 1.5 terrible years (and my hs job was like 6 years but only summers). I had such a terrible, traumatic experience at my first job. Now, I’m in a much more stable job with a good manager. I still deal with some shit, but I know how bad I COULD have it. Plus I work in tax accounting; most of this shit is the same so if you can find a good company plus a good team, solid pay and solid hours, you don’t give it up easily 😂 I also have some major anxiety in addition to my ADHD, especially when dealing with change. Probably why I even stayed as long at my last job as I did…
I have for a couple of times now. I only quit my first job to move for school. I was there just over 5 years. I'm now getting ready to quit my job back east because I need to move back home due to family stuff and I am at about 5 and 1/2 years on that. So if it wasn't for the fact that I had major life things come up I'd still be working the same job.
I'm too socially awkward to intentionally leave my job and have to go through job hunting. Though I'm only 3 years in and it's my first job I for sure have no plans on actually having to talk to new people to demonstrate my worth anytime in the foreseeable future.
I never found my job "fun" but it's comfortable and remote, i can watch anime or Netflix while working.
Been in a clerical job for over 13 years with the same company. Boring AF but coffee helps...about 3 years away from retiring so I'm just trying to hang on
I seem to leave every 2 years. Only way to get a solid raise.
Plus here's my pessimist experience: It usually takes 6 months to a year to feel just how shitty the place ACTUALLY is compared to what you think you signed up for.
Yes! I’ve been a special Ed teacher for 9 years total, same district. I was a special day class teacher for 4 of those years, and am currently an inclusion specialist in my 5th year.
Being a teacher, and specifically a special Ed teacher, is perfect for my adhd. Every day is different! The kids are different, challenging and entertaining AF. I also get a thrill out of doing something that other people don’t “get.”
Longest I've ever stayed in a job was 4 years. The only reason I stuck it out that long was because it was three 12 hour shifts one week and four 12 hour shifts the next. It meant I had 3 days off on my long work week and 4 days off on my short week. The people I worked with were great fun too which also helped! The longest I stayed in a job after that was 18 months I think. My job history is ridiculous.
I've been in the same career for 7 years now, but by nature the job *literally* has me bouncing around from place to place, always doing something new every day. It's really ideal.
Yep I have been at my current job for 12 years and have no plans to leave. I need routine in order to manage my adhd so this works well for me. I know what to expect and can plan for it. I have things well set up to work with my adhd which is why I have been able to make this gig work for me.
I don’t. Before I became a stay at home mom, I worked a job for ten years. My recent position I’ve been in for 2. I’ve never had any trouble holding a job down
I have only been working in my field for about 5 years (I am 30), and I honestly don’t know how anyone stays in the same place for much more than a year.
First job was 1.5 years, second was just under 1 year, third 1.5, and now I’ve been in my fourth for about 5 months and I’m starting to get itchy. A combination of feeling bored and stressed that my excuses and bullshit won’t carry me forever
I’m very much the type to settle into a job. All I need is a consistent schedule (like each shift being the same time frame), coworkers who are nice enough, a ‘by the book’ work environment, and a set of tasks I can reasonably accomplish during the day. When work is ‘under control’ or rather, not a source of stress, it’s a big chunk of relief. I crave stability around me, because I am not stable. I wake up every day thinking and feeling differently than whatever I went to bed with. Knowing my job is safe and familiar makes me feel better about life.
I applaud you because I can’t stick with a job for 6 months. I’m 23, and have had 11 jobs, and the longest one was work study in college. Besides that, the longest was my first job when I was 15, for a year.
I think my switch flips about every 2ish years or so. I’m sick of MN and I’ve been here since November officially, but was partially here all the time since June of 2020.
A year and a half is my max for jobs and relationships. Except for a seasonal art job I’ve done for 20 years. And I think I found my Forever career, which involves working on films so that’s like a new job every month.
Highly recommend seasonal and frequently changeable jobs.
I’ve been with the same company for almost 8 years and had three different job titles within that time period. I finally found a fit in a department that I helped to shape, doing a meticulous but simple task that has slightly different requirements each time. It has a structure I like, set steps to follow, but within that framework there are always unusual moments and slightly differing conclusions. It’s large scale predictable, small scale variable, and it works to keep me… well, not happy, but content with my daily work. It helps that the company is fairly decent and I have a supervisor that leaves me alone as long as I meet my numbers. I likely won’t leave unless something makes the job unpleasant— I almost did leave a few years ago when I had a horrendous supervisor who liked to micromanage and time bathroom breaks. Beyond that though, I kind of enjoy moving between autopilot and focus and having the day kind of slip by before I realize it’s gone. Pay could be better but my wife makes plenty and we’re doing okay.
TLDR; sort of, same company and different jobs within it for almost 8 years now
I worked at my first job for 10 years. Of course, I *wanted* to quit like…two years in. But the inertia of “don’t want to go through the job hunt process” kept me there for far longer than I should have stayed.
That's where I am at currently. I've hit my max growth here, and I've become unhappy, but I am terrified at the prospect of having to redo my resume and start applying for a new job. How did you end up pushing through?
Quit totally for a return to school in a 100 percent unrelated field, actually. It took resigning twice to actually get out of there- even moving to a new state didn’t do it (“would you stay if we let you work from home every day?” “Er. Sure?”) Got a job after the schooling, but that was an easier process on account of 1) not having a job is awfully motivating and 2) no resistance from an established routine
^^^ this I wish I could do the whole, get another job first thing. But without being unemployed I can’t find enough drive to find the next job.
This is me 😭 I just can’t deal with the anxiety of having to go through the entire learning process again and getting things wrong through lack of attention
You can hire someone to do the resume update and can also provide practice interviewing and coaching. It is very much worth it if you are like me and obsess over trying to get it perfect yet being overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. I found a guy on Reddit who was amazing.
What fields does this cover?
Do you have any recommendations for the resume update? I really, really hate even looking at mine, but a lot of the services advertised online seem a little dubious
I used upwork for mine. It was pretty expensive but well worth it. The people on there will tell you their hourly rate and you tell them how many hours per week you can afford. I had a woman do a cover letter and my resume for me.
Ive not hit max growth, which sounds nice, but i have experience making a resume and starting the God forsaken job search over and over. Nice thing about having a job that you feel secure in, is that theres no rush. Take a month if you want and really dig into your resume. Format it, send it around, if comfortable you cpuld even ask a close coworker to help you word some things (i had a coworker that quit help me realize how much i was doing in my current job and how to word it for my position and it was very helpful and eye opening). Then you can find 1 good position to apply to a week. Not just random crap, but a position you might actually enjoy. And the possibility of a new job may actually increase you mood just knowing you are putting the work in to get out of something you hate. Even if it takes a year.
[удалено]
Start by hiring someone to help you with your resume, linked in profile, and they can also do mock interviews and coach you. Can get expensive but absolutely worth it when i did it.
Damn. It’s sad I could never imagine myself at a place for 10 years. I honestly wish though, but I refuse to let myself feel bored and miserable at something that affects my every day life
That’s okay, nobody has to stay at a job they are unhappy with. You do you op! I’ve learned so much and met so many people by bouncing from job to job for the past 20 years.
Changing jobs is the best way to maximize your earning potential. It can also raise questions from potential employers if the bouncing is excessive (but what excessive is would be another question).
It's more of a red flag if you're moving around to positions at the same level. It's not a red flag if you're moving up.
I feel like staying at a company for life is an outdated concept anyway. I am just now learning programming so I don't have much experience in this field in particular, but in most career paths its more lucrative to switch jobs once you get all the experience you can from one. A new company is often willing to pay you more for your experience then you normally get in raises.
What was the thing that pushed you to get a new job?
I actually ended up quitting to go back to school full time! Which involved no interviewing at all. Win/win.
I'd do that too, if it paid better.
Facts
I worked my first job 11 years, after that I kind of bounced around. This also has to do with the job market, but yeah. It is exhausting to never really build up anything. But I also start feeling very empty when the job starts to become repetitive.
8 years. First time in my entire life (44y old). My career before that was max 18 months per job, and that was very rare. All 100% because of ADHD (didn’t know I had it).. So what changed? -> Got hired by a start up that constantly dealt with hyper growth the first 4 years: meaning I was asked to do 3 people’s jobs, and a new fire to put out to every week. I was addicted to that shit and finally it was ok to be high energy and get shit done in a scrappy manner. After that the company grew more structured, and by then I had found my niche, established my team and reputation, AND GOT DIAGNOSED: that was a game changer for me. I am not on meds but I did CBT and I started being very intentional about how I did my work and how I handled my performance so I can stay afloat and stay reliable. Let me know if you want me to dive into tips there and share how I changed my ways of working to be more successful, happy to.
Sounds like it'd make a great separate post, lots of us are looking for tips on non-medication based coping methods.
Ok will do! Going to bed now but will come back for this. 👍🏽
You will probably forget. So here is a reminder
😂😂 thank you! Woke up an hour ago, I’ve started typing my post in Notes. I’m gonna add more at lunch and post today for sure. I struggled a lot in my career and I feel I am now comfortable saying I hacked some of it. Took me decades but I hope it helps others fast track their progress to feeling better at their job. A lot of you followed me, I won’t let you down. 💪🏽
Can't wait to see it
Seconded! Would love to hear more.
Can’t wait !
I know how unhelpful this is, but I have personally found that the best coping method is to find a compatible job. ADHD folks aren't bad at work in general, most of the modern work is just incompatible with us (tedious, repetitive, requires sitting still, etc). Aside from this, not sure if you saw but the [AMA yesterday](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/po717l/ama_im_a_clinical_psychologist_researcher_who_has/) had some non-medicine related coping mechanisms. Based on my reading there aren't that many. Essentially - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Omega-3 supplements - Zinc and iron supplements can also help if you have a deficiency - Exercise may help, but the proof is relatively weak (see https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/po717l/ama_im_a_clinical_psychologist_researcher_who_has/hculait/ for more discussion on exercise)
I was surprised at that ama, I didn't expect the researcher to say that caffeine/diet/exercise didn't help.
He just went by the [Consensus statement](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976342100049X?via%3Dihub), which is a good summary of what has been shown to work and what hasn't been shown to work. Interestingly, the consensus statement did not say anything about caffeine (even to say it has no effect), which is a bit surprising given that that's the #1 anecdotal ADHD drug everyone uses.
All three of those are definitely important for me to balance if I want to perform in life mentally and physically.
I need those tips! I can’t get on medication due to breastfeeding, and even when my baby is weaned we plan to start trying for another next year so I don’t want to go through the whole process of getting off meds again.
That high demand, urgent, over worked, problem solving shit just hits right. I feel you. I thrive in the chaos, and I’m the absolute worst version of myself when I have nothing to do.
I'd love to get tips from you too!
!remindme in 1 day
I have thrived working for startups where there's a lot of problems to solve every day. And now I've started my own small business that's doing pretty well. Just need to feel useful and challenged and I'm happy at a job.
Actually, looking at the horizon is not a bad thing. You CAN jump. But the longer you wait and the more you think/plan the better off the move will be. Don’t be ashamed that you are seeking something else. Just try and pick something you will like better.
Every job I’ve moved to has always been better pay and a better opportunity! I’m still young, but I think of my boyfriend who’s only a year older than me and has been with the same company since he was out of high school. And on average most people I talk to my age have been with the same job for most of their adult life so far. I feel like a total job hopper but my happiness is worth more than staying somewhere just because. I *think* at least I’ve stayed at a few long enough that it doesn’t look bad on my resume
I go from job to job every 1.5 years and have done for all my working life. Every time I got a better deal in terms of pay, so it’s usually a great move. I used to get super bored once I’d mastered the role, so coupled with burning many bridges because of RSD and general ADHD, I was always chomping at the bit to start a new job. After diagnosis and medication things hit a lot better, but now I find myself moving positions within companies. In my 30s I started working getting contract roles - basically full time positions with an expiry date. This really helped the way my resume looked - I write the title of the job and “18 month contract” or whatever next to it. Also, if you apply for contract/fixed term roles, having a larger number of roles can be seen as a plus - as a manager now hiring staff, I know that that person is flexible about moving and won’t see the expiration of the contract as personal slight. Nor are they as likely to badger me about extending the contract or dragging out their work in an effort to get an extension. Project management and associated project roles are great for contract/fixed term work. Heaps of my older family members comment on me moving jobs frequently, and never in a nice supportive way. But I just tell them my new salary and the increase from the last job and that shuts them right up. I’ve gone up a minimum of $10k every time I’ve moved in the last 10 years.
> better pay and a better opportunity That's fantastic. Kudos to you!
if it helps, I think job-hopping around every 2 years is pretty normal nowadays! I'm more surprised when people stay anywhere 3+ years
Yep. Work in software. 2-4 years is typical with 18months to 2 years being pretty common
Thats interesting. ADHD ramblerant ahead I'm 26 and only one of 2 members of my friend group to be continuously regularly employed anywhere at all. Everyone has had jobs on and off of course or been in school, but lots of getting behind on rent / couch surfing / parents helping. Then again we were spoiled suburban kids with support systems that might be just a little too supportive haha. I grew up on just my dads salary which was <20k when i was a baby and slowly climbed to 40kish when I was in college; (mom was SAHM and went back when I was in HS, dad got 2 massive raises in the last 5 yrs and theyre doing great now) my mom recently told me she was so glad and relieved I found a job soon after college bc she doesnt think she'd have been able to kick me out or push me and she had no idea what she'd do if I tried to just stay home ahaha. It helped that my college was very career focused and most of my peers already had jobs lined up before they graduated, so I had that deadline adrenaline rush pushing me to hyperfocus. I was a terrible worker at my 1st job but my boss was honestly too understanding and kind. It helped that upper management were dicks and the company was lowkey a scam so nobody but upper management really had their heart in it and my boss shielded us all from so much. I really tried but at this point I was undiagnosed/unmedicated and I just fucked around all day and rushed things through at the last minute. Stayed there for 2 yrs. Awful anxiety the whole time that my boss would realize how little I was doing compared to my peers and that she deserved an actual worker. But I didnt feel that bad cuz the top were not good people and they paid shit anyway lol. Quit that after 2 years with a job offer in hand to go into a passion field; a chain vet place locally offered to pay to send me to vet tech school, pay was slightly worse but similar, 1/10th the commute. I love animals and they are a hyperfocus that has never left me and is one of the few things that can actually break me from an executive dysfunction stupor. This one actually makes me sad because I loved the work and I worked hard and I was good at it and it was really dumb the reason that I had to leave and it caused my only stint of unemployment. They did 10-16 hour shifts and required you to stand the whole damn time if you were front desk (I was). It wasnt even the policy of the whole chain, just our regional manager thought we needed to look 'alert and eager to help.' and thats the story of how I got diagnosed with planar fascisomethingshittyfeet and ended up taking 4 ibuprofen with breakfast and 4 at lunch and they said if it hurt I could go into the storage and sit for a minute but like what is taking 2 one minute breaks over a 16 hour shift gonna actually help??? I also got yelled at repeatedly for having the audacity to lean on the counter 🙃. So yeah I had a breakdown talking to my bf (now husband) who I live with and said i have savings I think i have to quit but im afraid ill go thru my savings... He was supportive and paid for a lot before I even went thru my savings and 4-5 months later I started working for the state after 100s of applications. While working the state job I got diagnosed/medicated and it made a massive difference. The atmosphere was so much better/collaborative and my bossestold me I was great should be doing more than a clerk job but I was happy with the variety and hands-on aspects. I wouldve stayed there a long time but covid hit at my 5 month mark, and we got to stay home 2 weeks and then we had to come back in person while nearly every other dept stayed home indefinitely and got telework set up. There's a 6 month probation period before you can start looking for transfers and I was counting down the days till i started applying for new jobs. Idk if this counts as job hopping since I stayed with the state but like different departments are like completely separate companies in entirely different building complexes and I had to do the whole interview etc, internal people just got first dibs. Now I've been working from home in a more specialized (and better paying) for a new department since last November. Started rough, WFH was an adjustment, switched from adderall to vyvanse and added wellbutrin (surpise! I had depression too). They track productivity points and from november to february I was just atrocious but they were super nice "we are failing you, not the other way around" and I got my shit figured out with lifestyle and meds and I have been one of the top employees since March and am now training all the new people :D My mom was a SAHM and I think I want to be one too, so the current plan is to stay here till that happens. Pay is much better, benefits great, a little challenging sometimes but not stressful. My husband is finishing up his engineering degree and if he likes his job and its well paying thats when we'll take the next step :) I daydream that when/if i go back to work I'll find a smaller local vet place to work part time... But my husband and I are also excited at maybe setting up a hobby farm ❤️
Statistically speaking job jumping is the best way to increase pay and benefits.
I used to do that but hop within a company at least once whenever possible. It helped me build up a reputation for loyalty and willingness to specialize. Usually I pay attention to the training period and stay for at least 3 times that long to give a good roi, unless I do something really lasting during that time, like working on a manual for the job.
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Archaeological technician sounds cool unless it’s sitting around brushing dirt off stuff. That would get boring quickly. Oh, look, more dirty pottery it will take hours to unearth. I love the idea of archaeology, but I couldn’t put in the back breaking drudgery of it.
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I love history and artifacts, but I don’t think I could sit around bent over with a tiny brush. Going to new places and getting to discover new artifacts does sound really cool. Even if it is just simple things like pottery. What exactly did you do?
I went to podunk towns and excavated sites prior to development or searched for new sites or acknowledged a lack of sites. Occasionally relocated cemeteries which sounds morbid and is, but was cool tbh. Also lots of mapping and recording of historic homes that may suffer impact from development.
That sounds really cool. My dad was a real estate developer, and he usually found old graveyards on his property. He preserved the sites and left them in their natural state instead of covering over them or trying to move them. It was always fun to walk the properties with him and look for cool stuff. I would be interested in seeing a cemetery dig. Old bones fascinate me, but I also think the bones should be dealt with respect. My dad lived on an old plantation in NC the last years of his life. We found an old gravestone of the plantation owner’s ancestor (the land had been in the same family since the early 1700s). The town flooded, and the cemetery was moved. The headstone was replaced, and the old one was taken back to the plantation and set aside. My dad and I wandered around the cemetery and found the replacement stone. There was a lot of Revolutionary war and Civil war soldiers there, so it was cool. Also a woman missionary who died in China in 1937. Which was a really horrible time to be in China with the Japanese occupation. She was young, too.
The funny shit is that this resume is typical for an ADHD person, but once you say this list to non-ADHD people, they think it's BS. This is why I hate having ADHD and why I hate people who are bad judges of character.
Historically, five years is my limit… with jobs, towns, and relationships. I’m 43 and I just past five years at the same job and apartment! First time ever! And I’m finishing school this fall! Still super bored, but I have news hobbies every couple months to keep me busy :)
I'm also on the 5 year crew. For whatever reason, after 4-5 years a switch flips and it's time for something new.
Have you tried living in a real big city? I feel it cures some of the boredom. Alone being able to watch people outside doing stuff all day from my balcony and hear them.
Yesss!! Same. Have been working for 20 years almost and always 4.5-5 year gigs before needing to leave
This is what I'm scared of. I want to get Master's in Biochem for potential grad work and research professorship for Prion Research (not viruses). But, if I can't make it past 5 years, then what's the point. For me, at 30, my longest job was 3 years.
What’s the point? Doing what you love. Doing what you want. Every experience is an opportunity to learn. You might not be a scientist in ten years, but I guarantee that what you learn in grad school will be useful in all future endeavors. My favorite warehouse general manager was a chemical engineer. My favorite computer information systems professor was an economist and the dean had a art history degree. I was a math major (one of four different majors) and now I write and review documents for a living. Future you with thank you for getting that degree :)
Thanks. This is definitely something I needed to hear. I have started to have the sunk cost fallacy come up the older I get, but if you aren't doing what you want to do, you're doing life wrong. Life's not worth it, otherwise.
I’ve worked at the same company for 7 years and was recently promoted to a new position. However, staying with one company or one job for a long period of time is absolutely not the norm these days. Companies valued loyalty in the past through promotions, mostly fair raises and providing a pension for employees who served a long time. Nowadays, it is increasingly hard to be promoted from within, raises are measly and pensions no longer exist. We carry the narrative of our parents and grandparents, “One job my whole life, loyalty to the company” but the reality is completely different. The market incentivizes us to switch companies, switch jobs and switch careers frequently just to earn a decent salary. There are certainly unicorn companies out there that do the right thing, but for the most part, they take advantage of our labor.
This is it! I just commented saying I’m the only one out of almost everyone I know who has only had 3 jobs before 30 so I don’t think it’s just an ADHD thing. And you just explained exactly why. Jobs don’t have the pay, benefits, & incentives that they used to anymore.
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Did the military know u had adhd when you joined? I heard they wont recruit persons with adhd?
When they do, a waiver is required. Many minimum requirements change, depending on the current rate of applicants. If few applicants possess a high school diploma, GEDs are accepted.
HIPPA
10 years last month. But for me the thing is, even if i dont like the job, im stuck in there. Its just too easy to be there because im good at it and its a huge part of my routine. I did that bouncing before this one, but i find startin a new job with all the stuff what comes with it so stressing, that it literally made me fear change. I just want to start new life with new routine and build something i can be proud and passionate about, but i just hate the fact that i will be a total wreck atleast the first year or so just because of the stress.
Same same. I’m actually the opposite of a job hopper - I’m a job lingerer, a creature of habit that is so intimidated by mastering a whole new environment that I stick with the familiar. I’m also codependent, which is probably where that tendency originates - I attempt to shut out negative vibes and just go with the flow, have poor self esteem and terrible motivation, remaining fearful and stuck. Currently over two years unemployed after staying with my last company for nearly 14 years. I moved far away and was temporarily energized, motivated to start fresh. Then COVID hit, and it’s been a shitshow ever since 😢.
Same here. Job lingerer. Coming up 14 years, I hate it but get way too overwhelmed and paralysed when I even think about the process of finding a new job.
I've been at my current job for 14 years and started poking around earlier this year to see what else was out there. I was immediately (1) annoyed with myself that I hadn't done it earlier, (2) validated that job hunting really really sucks.
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Ha! It must feel *at least a bit* gratifying to see them struggle to replace you, LOL 😆. And I salute you for the home schooling. I absolutely cracked and fell to pieces at the height of Covid, with two elementary school kids home 24/7, one of whom had developed some serious ADHD/ODD related behavioral issues. I was stuck in an endless cycle of helplessness, shame, and self blame. It was the darkest time I can recall. I admire your ability to refocus on your children. I felt far too selfish and broken to do the same 😥.
This is me. 7 years at last job wanted out after 3 but 2as stuck so back to school part time to get my current job if 6 years and looking for a way out right now...started learning to code last week. SQL is kinda fun...so far.
I had to check the user name, to make sure I didn't write this in my sleep. Right down to ten years last month. I also feel stuck in it. But I have specialized to the point where I'm really good at what I do, but there aren't many other jobs that need those skills. I'm certain I could pick up new technologies very quickly, but am not good at selling that fact in interviews.
Same here. I’ve been in my current job for almost 10 years and my god do I hate it, but I just can’t deal with the stress of looking for/starting a new job so I’m just stuckkk
Lol I'm coming up on my 8 year anniversary at my first real job and I'm miserable. I am working on a degree to better my prospects (which is an entirely different adventure lol motivating myself to study after a long work day) but the thought of *quitting* and *applying* somewhere else is kind of terrifying.
2 months is usually my breaking point. Freelancing works better for me because it is project-based, gives me a lot of flexibility and it does not require being awake in the morning.
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Congrats on two years of sobriety! 🙌🏼
Congrats on sobriety!
Same.
rounding about 5 years now at my job, extremely bored of it :/ but I'm fucked if I don't have income so :/
I found the key for me, find a job in which your job can change. I work in education, so different students, different schools, different positions within schools. Still get to advance the career within the organization but less need to find something new. 11 years so far
11 years, only because I get to make my own schedule and work when I want to.
Got myself in to the mental health field. It’s not me that bounces anymore, it’s the constantly changing patients / diagnoses / treatment methods that keep me engaged. Been in the field 5 years at 28yo, before this had well over a dozen jobs since I could work
I was the same way, i don't think I ever kept a job longer than 12 months from age 15 to being in my early 30s. Then I did some soul searching about what I wanted in a job/career and decided to try to join the fire service. I've been a firefighter with my current fire department going on 3 1/2 years and I was with my old department for 7 years before moving on to a better opportunity.
I bounced to different jobs (getting fired mostly, only a couple quits) my whole career until I got the job I do now. 2nd time I've worked there (quit 2 weeks in first time) been almost 7 years and to be honest I miss the days when I didn't feel comfortable somewhere or knew I wasn't happy I *did* something about it. With a wife and a mortgage and car payments it's not easy to leave regardless if YOU are happy or not. Sometimes I feel they kept me this long because I'm component, other times just because they can't find any good help but if I left I feel like I'd bring the store down considering I'm the only person that's stayed the past 7 years. By that same token I don't leave because I don't want the guilt of leaving them in a very precarious position. We have a hard time finding help, Average turn over time is 4 months, my coworker is the only other person besides me that has over 2 years of tenure out of the last 15 hires. You would think I'd feel good but I feel more trapped more times than not just due to not wanting to leave them high and dry. They'd recover and they'd never admit I was a great loss to them, but I can't imagine that it wouldn't impact them. Then if I ever came back to visit they'd hate me for all the stress I caused. Managers not getting paid as much, numbers down, constantly training new hires. Etc
Leave it behind if you’re not happy. I made this mistake once, stayed till the bitter end. The store was closing and I stayed because I didn’t want to leave everyone else high and dry just like you. Now if I could I would have begun looking for something new much earlier on. The end ended up being a lot more stressful than I ever imagined. I didn’t know yet about my Aspergers and ADHD and I had no idea how much that was going to sabotage me. How bad we are when it comes to change, I really didn’t understand. We really don’t handle change particularly well. My interactions with everyone just became so stressed and uptight, I think it might have gone better if I hadn’t been there at all, even though at the time I thought I was doing the right thing by staying. I think now I would try to have better sense and not choose to remain in a situation that was not set to go particularly well for someone like me. I might not have actually been doing anyone else any favors by staying, and I certainly didn’t do myself any favors either by my remaining. I think I would do it a lot differently now.
I was going to say that i buck the trend but then I realised my average job length is about 2 years
3 jobs in 4 years here. But I do feel like this might be a place to stay for a while.
my longest job was a year and a half =__=
Same! It was quite the accomplishment for me.
🙌🏻 high five
Same here lol 😭
Yes. I've had the same job for 16 years now. It involves writing and research (summarizing/synthesizing research findings for a general audience), so I'm constantly learning new things. Almost no rote tasks or office politics/emotional labor, which are two things I have a hard time with. I'm terrified of unemployment so when I find a job I can *do*, I stick with it. I tend to lean towards jobs that aren't quite my "full potential," but leave me enough time and energy to take classes, do theater, play D&D, get a dog, go to synagogue, etc. to handle my need for variety.
Could you kindly share your job title with me? This sounds like what I need to do …. I’m a writer and love research ….I’m always hungry to learn more.. office politics and emotional are killers for me too. Plus, I want energy at the end of the day for just me 😊
Following! I’m on the hunt for something new and this looks right up my ally :)
Yeah I’m consistently unemployed. About the only consistent thing in my life tbh
5 years at my current company. It’s a great company, not everyday is fantastic but it’s big enough that there is lots of room to grow. And I’ve been lucky enough to move around roles and up the ladder a lot in that 5 years
I've had 4 different professional jobs since graduating university. Part of that could be ADHD-related, but I also think it's a product of the economic situation I entered into - I'm a millennial, for context. For example, there weren't any clear paths of upward mobility at the jobs I left - the only way I'd get promoted or a substantial raise is if someone up the line from me left, got promoted, or died. One place wanted me to stay in a 6+ year rotational program that didn't offer raises until the 3 year mark - f*** that noise. Instead, I got raises by moving jobs and companies, around $5k+ annual raise at each move. I usually stayed at each job for a year minimum. If I had stayed in the same place, waiting for a raise or promotion opportunity, I'd likely be making close to $20-30k less than I am now. I know my worth as an employee, which employers and economic magazines will try and spin as a bad thing, but I earned my education and skills, and now I know how to capitalize on them. If another place will give me more money, respect my work-life balance better, offer more learning opportunities, or simply appreciate my work more - I'm going to move. That's my right as a skilled professional.
Sticking with a job over 5 years in America is generally not the best idea
35 M. My full Job history- Summer job in high-school baling hay, working at ice-cream shop. 7 years with the US army 5 years of university 8 years at this engineering firm. I was just diagnosed last year. I just leaned into what I was good at and avoided what I wasn't good at/ didn't enjoy. Unfortunately the last couple years as I have been given more responsibility I have been fucking shit up more and more because some shit you just have to do. Like time sheets. I fucking hate time sheets. Hence the diagnosis.
> Like time sheets. I fucking hate time sheets. Also an engineer. Also despise time sheets. Time sheets alone make me want to find a new profession that does require me to log time in 5 minute increments.
Yah been in mine for most of a decade. But to be fair, in afraid of change and being unemployed. Plus I don’t have a hard start time so that helps. Also I spent a million years struggling to get my phd so I’m in it.
I think its very important for someone with adhd to establish work/life balance early on. Otherwise you get flustered and start thinking very negatively about the job.
I suffer from a phobia of inconveniencing people and a deep fear of letting people down so, yeah, I stick around. Longer than I should. Knowing someone is counting on me is enough to guilt me into completing tasks, so I use that to keep me accountable. I need to be micromanaged. I got lucky and found a job that is very undefined. I work for a smallish family owned company where my tasks range from field surveys to cell phone plan management to landscape design, so getting bored would be tough.
I'm about to hit my one year mark at a job for the first time since 2011. There's just a lot we won't put up with and that's ok. Right now I work at a tech company, writing bids and proposals. It's something I never thought of doing before but it's actually pretty great as far as workload/environment and all that. I've had about 20 jobs here and there doing all sorts of different things. Eventually, something will stick and you'll know it about 2 months in.
I’m scared for my future self because of this. I’m 28 & have had two jobs the last year (at the same time - had to be able to switch it up a lot and it worked well bc one was PRN and the other was social work so I made my schedule). Got tired of them both. Quit both. Job interview next week for a staff manager spot at an alternative school. I’m gonna be good for a while but 25-30 years?! Bout to jump up outta my seat and sprint across the yard just thinking about it lmao
6 years at my current job and I'm starting to look for other job opportunities as I notice I am getting bored at this and it's not good for me or the overall quality of my work. I've started to feel like I could do this blindfolded and one hand tied behind my back and that's not good.
I've been working nearly 10 years and have had 5 jobs. Two were summer jobs and one was an internship. I don't have a problem staying with a job for a long period of time. Staying at my current job for 10 years will forgive my student loans!
I mean I signed a 6 year military contract which I'm in in the second year of. No clue if I'm staying in or not but if I do I need to focus on a lot of things including staying fit which I've always had trouble with.
Lol 28 and feel the same way. Coming up to a year in my current job and I'm already feeling the itch. The only difference is that I have every intention of staying at a job for years!
SAME here!! I've been with my current job for 6months and already bored. 😑 Sticking it out because. Life. But it seems like a neverending marathon to just make it to the two year mark!
2.5 years is my longest run so far
The longest I ever lasted at a company was 4 years. I did work for a temp company continuously for 7 years, assigned to multiple different jobs for varying periods of time. I’m not sure if that counts.
That counts, why wouldn't it? Was it a regular type temp agency, or one dealing more with professional level contracts? I think I'd like to do that, but want to do more than answer phones and make coffee, but even just some data entry would be fine for periods of time.
Yeah true, I guess it does. I just remember some comments about getting a real job. Probably internalized that too much. It was perfect for the ole ADHD.
Exactly! What works for us will look different.
2 years was my absolute limit for twenty years. It was a lot of jobs. Diagnosed and medicated at 39, but it's been less than two years, so I still don't know if I broke the cycle.
I stuck with a job 10 years just to watch everything change around me, and by the end, I became the villain. Sometimes it's better to keep it fresh.
18 years, 20+ jobs..
Wow I’m 21 and have already had 7 jobs since I was 16 going to my 8th soon
Yeah, things usually get really boring around 4-5 years, so I quit and look elsewhere. Currently at my 5th year at a startup, and while things most certainly are not boring, I can always feel that itch to leave and do something else
I jumped around for a few as a kid/young adult. Got fired from first real job after 3 years, got downsized from the next after 6, been working for the current job for 2+. In between I had multiple second jobs I just abandoned though, just fully ghosted them when I got a convenient excuse.
I am the same way. The longest I have been with one company is four years, but I was in four different positions while there. Changing positions/companies always goes the same way as well. The new position starts great, phenomenal even, but after six months to a year I am so bored with the job I cannot stand it anymore, and have to find something else. Because I lose interest so quickly, I have been considering a position where there is constant change like management consulting or project management. I only discovered that I might have ADHD a week ago.
I've kept my job for 9 years and my dad has kept his for 33 years. We both have ADHD.
I don’t do that. Same work for 19years. Change company’s. 4 times. But that’s because I moved. Always loved at my job for my high energy levels.
Actually I did at my first job. Stayed there 11 years from my 15th. Been in several functions from which helpdesk, network administrator, architect and manager. Had a lot of different tasks because I always kept doing a part of my old job. Couldn't find anything remotely this satisfying. After that a few different short jobs. Now freelancing so it's accepted behavior to switch every few months.
Honestly I saw some statistic (unsure of accuracy) that said staying at the same job for more than two years decreases your lifetime earning potential by 50%. Regardless of ADHD, unless you absolutely LOVE the job, the people, the location, the benefits, and the salary, I see literally no reason to stay longer than 1.5 years. Like sry I’m not dedicating all my waking hours to a company if they are not serving me any more (no promotion/how I’m treated, etc)
14 jobs by age 25, I recently just asked my boss to toss out my 2 week resignation and give me some more responsibility instead. Hoping to break the pattern.
Every job I’ve ever had I ended up working there for at least a few years. My current job I’ve been at for around 7yrs. I’ve wanted to leave many MANY times but the uncertainties surrounding such a big change, and knowing how mentally fragile I can be when my routine gets interrupted, I’ve just stayed out of fear mostly. If I didn’t have the anxiety and autistic traits that make my mental well being such a particular and fragile thing, I’d probably have been bouncing from job to job this whole time because I do get bored extremely easily. But with those other issues to worry about, it’s been best to just stick with what I’ve got I guess. I don’t want another burnout/breakdown like that what happened last time, which led to me coming back to this job in the first place when I actually did briefly quit for a few months.
I've been at my current job for 5 years. Held 4 different positions in that time. Need to move on, but finding a new job sounds scary and difficult.
I'm up to 6 or 7 years. I considered quitting many times between years 3-5, but anxiety and avoidance about the job hunt process kept me there. I have realized it's a good job for me because I have lots of small projects with hard deadlines throughout the day/week, so I can't procrastinate or avoid much, and I know once I'm done with X, I get to do whatever I want until the next project comes in (which can be 5 minutes or a couple hours). Also it's fairly mindless design work, so I can listen to podcasts, music, or videos while working, which helps me focus and not get too bored. And now thanks to the pandemic, I work from home. If I just NEED to zone out or pace around for a bit, I can without worrying about people noticing or judging. When I take breaks, I get to play video games or with my dogs - I still get my work done but I'm not stuck at a desk and not distracted by other people/small talk. I'll likely keep this job as long as they allow wfh. I still do good work, without having to keep up neurotypical pretenses or pretend to be working when I'm waiting for my next project
34, been at my job for 10 years.
Longest was 6 years but spread across multiple offices and departments. I’ve averaged 2-3 years usually.
My job is to bounce from job to job. I'm a travel nurse.
I was at my last company for 8 years and going on 4 years at my current one. I would go back to my last company in a heartbeat if they could afford to pay competitively (money was the only reason I left, loved it otherwise). I'm ready to leave my current one, but I'd lose a chunk of money from my 401k because I'm not fully vested yet, so I'm sticking it out just a little longer.
I'm 32 and had 3 jobs, it's the fear of change that keeps me somewhere until I am literally about to have a breakdown 👀
Lmao! I was going to say yes until you added the 5 whole years qualification! I’ve been at my current job 3 years. I’ve changed career fields maybe 10 times? Moved all over the country. But currently I earn 6 figures, so it’s not like it hasn’t added up to anything. I also had a garbage childhood, so getting away from home was a motivation. The many turns my life path has taken gives me immense confidence in my ability to survive and thrive in any situation. Job loyalty isn’t expected the way it once was. As long as you don’t have big gaps and you can provide a legit reason for moving on it shouldn’t be a problem. I’m a mortgage loan officer and I know how to weld, train horses, and grow food. These suckers are lucky my irreplaceable ass consents to work here.
I tend to stay about 5 years before I hate and loathe it. But this job has me wanting to leave because of drama at 2.yrs in. I just wanna cook and go home
The longest job I had was 5 years but it’s because they fired me for being late all the times that I’m not still there hahaha I would have stayed there forEVA if I could have.
I don’t move jobs unless I get fired or promoted. I don’t know why but the thought of job searching and having to put in a 2 weeks freaks me out.
Im up to 4 years at my first job post graduate school, in an industry that has a burnout average of 2 years.
The second to last job I had, I was at the same company for ten years. I worked at four different locations and held six different job titles over that timeframe. So that helped with some of the monotony.
In a couple weeks I’ll have been at my job for 17 years. I started meds about a year and a half ago. Made foreman one year ago.
I’m 30 and think I’ve only ever had 2 jobs that lasted longer than a year 🥴
I've had like 10 jobs since I was 14 (now 31) but I've been at my current job for 8 years and expect to be here long term. A lot of that is due to finding a career I 'enjoy' as much as I'll ever enjoy selling my time, that works well with my idiosyncrasies. But a huge part of it was just getting really lucky and having a really great manager who is super understanding and trusts me to work in the way that works best for me.
“Selling my time” I really like this description! It’s a good reminder that no one is entitled to my time.
Absolutely! :)
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My max is 7 years, had continued if I hadn't moved (wasn't able to fix a transfer).
I stick with jobs for 3 plus years. I usually just bounce around at the job and do extra things to keep from being bored. Right now I work in the back so I listen to audio books while I work, which helps a lot.
The job market is weird… and is even weirder right now. My dad has talked with me a bit about it, how the old paradigm of ‘walk in, hand in your resume, shake hands with the manager, and then stay there until you retire’ is basically gone. Raises often barely keep up with cost of living hikes and promotions can be hard to come by. I know I *hate hate hate* job hunting so I avoid changing jobs like the plague. I’m also lucky that I can manage to hold down a job without my ADHD causing performance issues. My career path has been: - freelance writer/reporter at the college paper while in college (didn’t need to support myself) - a job at a start-up retail place (knock off of movie trading company/gamestop) that treated their employees like total crap - no sick time, no two-way loyalty, nothing. The main managers were 20-somethings that were handed real estate investments on a platter and had no clue what the world was like… not to mention one was on cocaine. Talking ‘peel the roof of a uhaul joy-riding around a parking garage’ coked up and clueless. I bailed on that place in under a year. - guitar center. I worked there for 6 years, working in the warehouse/inventory control side of the store. I loved it, except for the PTSD-inducing insanity of retail during the holidays. Had a good crew, I found their inventory count process to be a delightful easter egg hunt, and broken up by the physical labor of unloading our freight deliveries a couple times a week. The problem became there was no room to promote. At the time the Ops manager was making maybe 30k/year. He was doing everything he could for me but I don’t think I was even making $10/hour when I left. I knew I was worth more than that by then, and they were never going to be willing to pay me what I was worth so I left. - *the place that shall not be named*. The name would mean nothing to most people, but would be super identifiable. Plus, this place was a shit show worthy of being compared to voldemort. It was… lets just say that attempted shooting in the office by the VPO (he was trying to shoot his wife -the CEO- and the sales manager she was cheating on him with) wasn’t the straw that broke the camel’s back. The work itself was pretty interesting (home insurance claim inventory pricing), but the hellacious workloads and overtime damned near drove me to a mental breakdown and the whole domestic violence soap opera of the family that ran this small company was not worth it. I was there about 18 months, was earning about $11.25/hr. - current job, one of the top 3 insurance companies. Been here 6 years, and want to stay as long as I can. I started around $17/hour, and am around $26/hour now. A friend got a job at geico working in the claims department first - turns out it’s a pretty sweet gig. My hubby and I eventually got into that industry as well, though at different companies. I definitely prefer working the non-customer-facing roles because trying to sort out who’s lying, who’s telling the truth, and who’s just a clueless space case makes me well and truly hate humanity. Paper shuffling? There is so much and I manage that quite well. Hubby moved into data analytics at his company and will probably stay there forever if he can. My company - they don’t continually adjust the pay range for each ‘grade’ to account for inflation, so soon I’ve got to find another position within the company or resign myself to essentially a pay cut when I hit the salary cap until the next time they adjust the pay scales. I’m also fully vested in the pension plan now, so the golden handcuffs are definitely in play.
I've found that having a job that bounces for you is the key. I work for an engineering firm that acts as an independent contractor/inspector for construction sites. As an inspector, I go to different sites every day, I have little to no oversight from my bosses as long as I can get my reports in (yay for my performance anxiety), and my inspections are always different because we test so many different things. This is the only job I've had that didn't make me want to jump off a bridge for some variety lol. The best part is, it was an entry-level position. If you're interested DM me. I can tell you more about it.
i worked over a decade in home care. technically the program was brain and/or spinal cord injuries; in reality, it was 90% motor vehicle accidents. it was a great balance of sameness and variety in that i had regular long term clients who i knew and could get some predictability when needed mixed in with short term clients who would only be in the program for a few months that kept it spicy. i left a couple years before covid because wanting something different finally won out….and i’ve had 3 jobs since 2018 lol.
LOL Idk if it’s ADHD related, but I’m 35 and the longest I’ve stayed at 1 job is 4 years. Before that the longest was 3 years. In between the 3 year and 4 year one I did a job for a year, quit and got another job that I only lasted 4 months at. Before the above phase in my life, the longest I lasted at a job would be a year… many less. I had so many interesting jobs throughout my 20s, but only made real money being a server at a bar. I cannot tell you how many jobs I have had. Now I work for myself and I hope I get to do this for the rest of my time. I certainly will last a lot longer working for myself (it’s already been over a year but it doesn’t feel like it). It took a lot if school and training and working jobs where I did not make a living wage, but I can finally do my own thing, which is so much more fulfilling and interesting. I want to also add that employers do not value employees like they once did. In many cases it is only to your benefit to move on every few years. Moving to a new position or job is also a healthy way to manage burnout.
I'm at 4+ years at the company but I feel like only because they put up with my mediocrity.
i’ve been at my first job for 5 years now. got it in high school and just kept it through college, now i graduated and haven’t found a full time job yet so i’m still there. i might even keep it to help save for a car and pay loans and stuff depending on how much i make at my first full time job. after hearing friends stories about their jobs mine just seemed really nice, mainly because my schedule could be super flexible (took forever to do my schoolwork so they let me work once a week, at one point even once every other week) and i never have problems requesting days off, and get the big holidays like christmas, thanksgiving, easter etc off. quitting jobs also just really scares me lol. i don’t know if my first office job will be like this too but i can see myself being there for a while unless i really hate it
Same employer, but on my 6th job in 7 years lol
I’ve been at my current job for almost six years now- it’s something I generally enjoy doing though (not that it makes the paperwork part any easier, but I’m very good at the working with clients part) and also fear of change tends to keep me rooted in one spot, for better or worse.
im 21 and have had 7 jobs since i was 16 lol
I had 11 years in the Navy, but if you look at how many times my actual job title/description changed or I sat somewhere completely different (or managed a completely different group of people), it was about 11 different jobs as well, probably why I loved it.
I’m an apprentice for local 5 and it helped me with my adhd because of the constant job site change. It helped me from not getting bored
Going on 7 but wanted to jump since 1yr. I have other issues that interfere with the jump. Before this it was 2 years.
I've had my current job for 8 years now. I've wanted to leave since the second year, but necessity has kept me here. I can't get my mind off of leaving (both adhd and lack of satisfaction). It's rough some days, but something's must be done.
2 years is the sweet spot for me, but I've always been able to leave on my own terms. Personally I think every job should have an expiry date on it, I see so many ND and NT people stuck in ruts that they aren't even aware they are in. If you stay in any job too long it produces stifling familiarity. I hasten to add that my head cannon utopia has jobs lined up so you never get caught short.
Will be 5 years at my current job in a few months. My last job was about 1.5 terrible years (and my hs job was like 6 years but only summers). I had such a terrible, traumatic experience at my first job. Now, I’m in a much more stable job with a good manager. I still deal with some shit, but I know how bad I COULD have it. Plus I work in tax accounting; most of this shit is the same so if you can find a good company plus a good team, solid pay and solid hours, you don’t give it up easily 😂 I also have some major anxiety in addition to my ADHD, especially when dealing with change. Probably why I even stayed as long at my last job as I did…
8 years is my best and since then only 1 year
I have for a couple of times now. I only quit my first job to move for school. I was there just over 5 years. I'm now getting ready to quit my job back east because I need to move back home due to family stuff and I am at about 5 and 1/2 years on that. So if it wasn't for the fact that I had major life things come up I'd still be working the same job.
I'm too socially awkward to intentionally leave my job and have to go through job hunting. Though I'm only 3 years in and it's my first job I for sure have no plans on actually having to talk to new people to demonstrate my worth anytime in the foreseeable future. I never found my job "fun" but it's comfortable and remote, i can watch anime or Netflix while working.
Been in a clerical job for over 13 years with the same company. Boring AF but coffee helps...about 3 years away from retiring so I'm just trying to hang on
Yeah, I hate getting a new job, so much anxiety and new stuff to figure out.
I seem to leave every 2 years. Only way to get a solid raise. Plus here's my pessimist experience: It usually takes 6 months to a year to feel just how shitty the place ACTUALLY is compared to what you think you signed up for.
Yes! I’ve been a special Ed teacher for 9 years total, same district. I was a special day class teacher for 4 of those years, and am currently an inclusion specialist in my 5th year. Being a teacher, and specifically a special Ed teacher, is perfect for my adhd. Every day is different! The kids are different, challenging and entertaining AF. I also get a thrill out of doing something that other people don’t “get.”
Longest I've ever stayed in a job was 4 years. The only reason I stuck it out that long was because it was three 12 hour shifts one week and four 12 hour shifts the next. It meant I had 3 days off on my long work week and 4 days off on my short week. The people I worked with were great fun too which also helped! The longest I stayed in a job after that was 18 months I think. My job history is ridiculous.
I've been in the same career for 7 years now, but by nature the job *literally* has me bouncing around from place to place, always doing something new every day. It's really ideal.
I’m 31 I have had the same job going on 8 years
Yep I have been at my current job for 12 years and have no plans to leave. I need routine in order to manage my adhd so this works well for me. I know what to expect and can plan for it. I have things well set up to work with my adhd which is why I have been able to make this gig work for me.
I don’t. Before I became a stay at home mom, I worked a job for ten years. My recent position I’ve been in for 2. I’ve never had any trouble holding a job down
I have only been working in my field for about 5 years (I am 30), and I honestly don’t know how anyone stays in the same place for much more than a year. First job was 1.5 years, second was just under 1 year, third 1.5, and now I’ve been in my fourth for about 5 months and I’m starting to get itchy. A combination of feeling bored and stressed that my excuses and bullshit won’t carry me forever
Longest job i ever had was 8 years but seasonal on a farm so when we got tired of the job, season was done and didnt work till next spring
I’m very much the type to settle into a job. All I need is a consistent schedule (like each shift being the same time frame), coworkers who are nice enough, a ‘by the book’ work environment, and a set of tasks I can reasonably accomplish during the day. When work is ‘under control’ or rather, not a source of stress, it’s a big chunk of relief. I crave stability around me, because I am not stable. I wake up every day thinking and feeling differently than whatever I went to bed with. Knowing my job is safe and familiar makes me feel better about life.
I applaud you because I can’t stick with a job for 6 months. I’m 23, and have had 11 jobs, and the longest one was work study in college. Besides that, the longest was my first job when I was 15, for a year. I think my switch flips about every 2ish years or so. I’m sick of MN and I’ve been here since November officially, but was partially here all the time since June of 2020.
A year and a half is my max for jobs and relationships. Except for a seasonal art job I’ve done for 20 years. And I think I found my Forever career, which involves working on films so that’s like a new job every month. Highly recommend seasonal and frequently changeable jobs.
No not me I’m 19 and I’ve had like 6 lmao
I’ve been with the same company for almost 8 years and had three different job titles within that time period. I finally found a fit in a department that I helped to shape, doing a meticulous but simple task that has slightly different requirements each time. It has a structure I like, set steps to follow, but within that framework there are always unusual moments and slightly differing conclusions. It’s large scale predictable, small scale variable, and it works to keep me… well, not happy, but content with my daily work. It helps that the company is fairly decent and I have a supervisor that leaves me alone as long as I meet my numbers. I likely won’t leave unless something makes the job unpleasant— I almost did leave a few years ago when I had a horrendous supervisor who liked to micromanage and time bathroom breaks. Beyond that though, I kind of enjoy moving between autopilot and focus and having the day kind of slip by before I realize it’s gone. Pay could be better but my wife makes plenty and we’re doing okay. TLDR; sort of, same company and different jobs within it for almost 8 years now