At Canada Career Counselling, I often meet clients who live with ADHD and are exploring their career direction. Many arrive feeling frustrated with time management, follow-through, or not doing the things they know they need to do. It’s easy to fall into self-judgment, but ADHD is not laziness or brokenness. It’s simply a diff
erent way of processing the world, one that brings real strengths into the workplace.
A fantastic resource in the ADHD and career world is The ADHD Guide to Career Success: Harness Your Strengths, Manage Your Challenges by Kathleen G. Nadeau, PhD, a clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD. In it, she reframes common ADHD traits as career assets:
- High energy can fuel entrepreneurship and active roles
- Hyperfocus allows intense concentration for designers, engineers, musicians, and scientists
- Crisis competence means staying calm and resourceful under pressure—ideal for first responders, restaurant managers, or military aid roles
- Quick thinking supports adapting rapidly when plans change
- Creativity and enthusiasm help generate ideas and inspire teams
Research also offers an evolutionary perspective. In the podcast episode The Evolution of ADHD with Dr. Anna McLaughlin, they discuss how ADHD traits may have been adaptive in hunter-gatherer societies. Those with hypervigilance and rapid alertness were perhaps central to early tribes being the first to detect dangers or changes in the environment: skills that helped protect their communities. Modern environments may not reward these traits as clearly, but they can still be powerful workplace assets in the right context.
The key is not finding one “right” career but selecting work environments where these strengths shine. With the right fit, individuals with ADHD are not just capable but exceptional. If you’d like a free 15-minute career counselling consultation to explore your strengths, challenges, and best-fit paths, please reach out to us to book that.
REFERENCES:
Nadeau, K. G. (2016). The ADHD guide to career success: Harness your strengths, manage your challenges. Routledge.
McLaughlin, A. (Guest). (2023, September 21). The evolution of ADHD with Dr. Anna McLaughlin [Audio podcast episode]. In Rethinking neurodiversity by Noetic. Acast. https://shows.acast.com/rethinking-neurodiversity-by-noetic/episodes/the-evolution-of-adhd-with-dr-anna-mclaughlin
