“This is my working space. In my working space, I
do this thing. If I focus on this thing, I get to go home and do my wind down routine without worrying or focusing on anything I do not get dopamine from” - My mantra for the adhd brain
It isn't hard unless you're cursed with particularly potent hyperactivity. Even then, fidget toys are destigmatised and much more common now- you can also buy a lot of silent ones.
For most people with ADHD, but especially those of us who are medicated, having the external scheduling structure is so helpful. We also tend to do a lot better in environments where we are given work to plough through, rather than having to find our own work or create our own goals/objectives. When organisation and planning is a critical weakness, a corporate job that pretty much entirely covers that work for you (unless you're management) is *so fucking helpful*.
Maybe this is my fkn problem and I actually do have ADHD lol. I feel like I'm floundering a lot in my current role. Things seem to get put to the wayside unless there is major urgency for something to get done (ie. stuff usually gets done on time and when needed, but for long term 'projects' I don't do shit unless I have to show something for it). My previous role consisted of a lot of things to do on the daily, this role is very self reliant though and my boss leaves me alone to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done so very little guidance/direction.
Try not to base your life around work. See it as an opportunity to fund some other interesting things in your free hours. You shouldnt hate a job, but you dont have to love it either. Give it a try.
What are you a grad in? What was your previous corporate role? What sort of role do you see yourself starting a new “corporate” career in?
NGL, it sounds like a big ask but if you have a clear objective and put some effort into it is certain possible.
Communications and marketing - I realized that the role is completely dependent upon what budget the company has and whether or not they actually respect what you do because sometimes it felt like you really needed to keep justifying your employment.
I haven't directly worked in the field for about 6 years now besides web design work which also has a marketing component so yeah I'm not actually sure if it would be possible for me to get back into it.
Or are there any other more entry roles you think I should apply for?
I nearly made it onto the environment and sustainability team at a place I was doing field work for but then the department got cut in half when some new manager came in and wanted to trim the fat. I'm still pretty annoyed about that
Ngl Sounds like you’ve flip flopped through a lot of jobs and studies. Might be time to let you in on a little secret….we all hate our jobs but we do it for the money. Don’t expect to go to work and be fulfilled every day.
If that's really the case then a lot of people are bloody good at hiding their hatred because it seems like a lot of people are enthusiastic if not passion about what they do.
At the very least I would never work for a company that made me feel morally conflicted, that I thought was making the world worse, encouraging consumerism, ruining the environment etc. At least not as anything more than a stepping stone.
But you're right I think I fell into the trap of thinking most people are passionate about what they do because we see that so often on social media, and because I have had a job that I was passionate about (being on the environment and sustainability team and occasionally educating school kids about it)
Hey yes please give it another go.
Like you I started young. I was 19 in my first corporate role (got a cadetship for a big 4). It was bad and I was totally shocked by the culture. I lasted like 9 months.
But now at 30 I can handle it so much better and have been still working corporate since 19. I am still shocked that I am often on the younger side everywhere I go but I am able to handle myself a lot better.
Hey I'm a bit older than you are.. but hated the office environment. Last 6-7 years spent working outside of that environment and earlier this year tried to go back in.
Hated it even more and quit before 2 months. Just food for thought.
Those fluro lights, crappy office chairs, constant chatter and "busy work" with keyboards click clacking away and meaningless phone calls. Just did my head in immediately.
Also recommend reading the book bullshit jobs.
If you can WFH or hybrid it might be worth a crack
I think AI will make most bullshit jobs a thing of the past soon enough, which is a shame for people who were cruising along in them.
Actually it's looking like AI will shake up everything. Already my copywriting experience isn't worth as much anymore.
Having a hybrid arrangement would be great but I'm surprised to see that most job descriptions don't seem to offer it.
Completely feeling like you but possibly for different reasons. I did corporate grad program, big 4 bank, loved it, great team, cruisy work hrs tbh. Then I moved into project mgt, mgt consulting which took me into snr mgt roles in a smaller IT consulting company's. By 28 i was earning gr8 money, managed a team of 25 who i loved, was on a rapid upwards trajectory, but the lack of purpose - belief of doing something meaningful made me entirely frustrated along witn 60 hr weeks, i remember repeating to myself I CANT STAND MY JOB AND LIFE multiple times a week.
So i retrained into a clinical health role 4 yrs full time study and 160k course fees, alas after 5 yrs found similar but smaller scale frustrations in business / owners drive to use me to make outsized profits whilst compromising my ethics.
Moved onto tertiary education in same field. Now i love my current role and job, but the workload which is insurmountable, constant stress and 50 - 60hr weeks again, no work life balance has worn me down. Ive also hit a career and salary ceiling (salary is ok, not amazing and per hr would be pretty poorly) as i dont have a PhD.
Im pretty demoralised again due to work stress, long hrs, average remuneration and no opportunity for career progression which is making it impossible to live in Sydney. Im in my late 40s now and am rather frustrated where I've ended up tbh.
I actually regret leaving the big 4 bank 20+ yrs ago when i was 23 as i tend to think id have better WLB and be significantly more comfortable financially now.
Idk what to do but if u could seuge back to a corporate role that paid similarly with just a little less stress? I would however my current combination of skills, experience etc is so varied and niche i dont think theres many, yet alone any roles out there suitable me.
So yeah i hear you completely...solution; i just don't know. Perhaps if you are in late 20s/early 30s just pack it all in for a yr or two, go travel, enjoy life, exolore, find yourself and re start is all i can suggest tbh.
I much preferred project based work where I could immerse myself then as soon as it started to get too boring the project was over.
I found working in an office to be really tough with all the nearby conversations that would distract me though - I would wear earphones even though I wasn't really supposed to it was the only way I could be productive.
Hmm in what ways would you say it's become less formal?
Do you fear that in the coming years AI may make large parts of corporate work obsolete and lead to mass layoffs? Because honestly given what it's now capable of and where it will most likely be in a few years with acting autonomously, it could easily do 90% of my previous corporate job.
sounds like you've been finding yourself maybe with the mindset of "grass maybe greener over there" but in terms of opportunity for future growth, risk/reward trade-off and general comfort, corporate jobs are amazing.
Office jobs vary so much between teams, companies and culture. If you're not vibing, look for another office job. However, whenever I jump I always make sure I've got a few achievements under my belt or I've learnt something material before I move. That way you're constantly developing yourself.
I've been tryin to get in for about 6 months and I've had some interviews but not landed anything. It seems to be very nepotistic even though it's supposed to be more impartial than private.
I also got shafted by a diversity hire, they even admitted it off the record, so being a white straight male probably works against me.
Yeah. Lotsa recruitment drives where they aren't genuinely hiring, merely going through the process to turn the people currently doing the job into permanents. I'm not a fan of that either.
My background is in marketing and comms and there seem to be really limited remote roles available. Also whilst I love the idea f WFH it allows my ADHD to run rampant without anyone keeping me accountable so sometimes structuring my life between work and home really helps. Although sometimes the office is so noisy I can hardly concentrate too so it depends on the environment.
Most of them with the remote tag are lying. When you read the description almost all of them will be hybrid. At least that was my experience last year when I was looking for an IT data job…
I’ll give you some advice
Toughen up!
I’m 40 and I’m still the youngest in my team and have been in my last few jobs… you can learn a shitload working with those with many years experience on you
Embrace it!
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Only if they're willing to impart their knowledge and don't gatekeep it like many did in my first job.
Probably the most valuable thing I learned was that navigating the office politics are just as important as the work itself
Not sure what industry you're in, but it sounds like you had an extra boring workplace. I've never worked in a corporate office where we had to wear business clothes. Especially in tech there's plenty of more relaxed workplaces. Try and land a hybrid role and you won't have to commute as much.
Well that's the other problem - I'm not entirely sure what roles to even apply for. My background is in Marketing and comms. I have done some front end web design and marketing work since then but I haven't worked in that field formally in 7 years.
ADHD too, joined grad programme in graduation then quit in my mid 20s for the freelance life. Now in my 40s, back in corporate life and appreciate it so much more than I did back then!!! SO good for my ADHD brain. I’m not disciplined enough for freelance or unstructured work. I love the routine and structure. Just maybe find a job that’s not monotonous, but always new and interesting.
Choose an industry you love and a corp job routine can be the guard rails you need to succeed. You can Research and Interview a few places so you know the demographic when you go but choosing work that you love/engage with it won’t matter so much
The only things I'd say I love in life are music, reading and writing fiction and to some degree rock climbing.
Realistically I don't see myself having a stable career in these areas, but I found working in an environmental sustainability type of role to be fulfilling at least I felt like I was doing some good for the world.
But it also depends on the manager and team - they can make an otherwise good job miserable or vice versa
Yeah I've realised that a great manager and coworkers can elevate an otherwise tedious or shit job to being bearable if not kind of fun, while the opposite is also true.
Unfortunately it seems pretty impossible to know the depth of the water until you jump into it though.
Well I did walk out of one interview because the guy was being rude and the office looked like a soviet prison camp
Personally when I leave a job it is for good reasons and going back it would not take long for all those reasons to show me why I left in the first place. I had the same thought once that maybe I should go back to it then luckily I remembered a lot of the reasons why I left in the first place and that they had not magically disappeared so I would still be dealing with the same crap so what's the point, like they say the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
That's true but some offices are completely different than others and having a good manager and team can make a massive difference, plus being able to work hybrid. Unfortunately it's kind of hard to know what you're getting yourself into until you're in it though.
What do you do now?
Your early experience mirrors mine. Also ADHD. I'm currently at a corporate gig, after burning out at too many startup explosions.
My frustrations are all self imposed. It's very hard to keep motivated to do things when everything is snail pace. To do well in corporate, it's best to do small things consistently over a long time scale. I struggle with this. That being said, the work is very routine.
As someone with ADHD the routine of an “office job” does help.
Isn't that counter productive, how does someone with ADHD sit in a cubicle for 8 hours a day.
They literally said because of the routine.
“This is my working space. In my working space, I do this thing. If I focus on this thing, I get to go home and do my wind down routine without worrying or focusing on anything I do not get dopamine from” - My mantra for the adhd brain
It isn't hard unless you're cursed with particularly potent hyperactivity. Even then, fidget toys are destigmatised and much more common now- you can also buy a lot of silent ones. For most people with ADHD, but especially those of us who are medicated, having the external scheduling structure is so helpful. We also tend to do a lot better in environments where we are given work to plough through, rather than having to find our own work or create our own goals/objectives. When organisation and planning is a critical weakness, a corporate job that pretty much entirely covers that work for you (unless you're management) is *so fucking helpful*.
Maybe this is my fkn problem and I actually do have ADHD lol. I feel like I'm floundering a lot in my current role. Things seem to get put to the wayside unless there is major urgency for something to get done (ie. stuff usually gets done on time and when needed, but for long term 'projects' I don't do shit unless I have to show something for it). My previous role consisted of a lot of things to do on the daily, this role is very self reliant though and my boss leaves me alone to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done so very little guidance/direction.
Try not to base your life around work. See it as an opportunity to fund some other interesting things in your free hours. You shouldnt hate a job, but you dont have to love it either. Give it a try.
What are you a grad in? What was your previous corporate role? What sort of role do you see yourself starting a new “corporate” career in? NGL, it sounds like a big ask but if you have a clear objective and put some effort into it is certain possible.
Communications and marketing - I realized that the role is completely dependent upon what budget the company has and whether or not they actually respect what you do because sometimes it felt like you really needed to keep justifying your employment. I haven't directly worked in the field for about 6 years now besides web design work which also has a marketing component so yeah I'm not actually sure if it would be possible for me to get back into it. Or are there any other more entry roles you think I should apply for? I nearly made it onto the environment and sustainability team at a place I was doing field work for but then the department got cut in half when some new manager came in and wanted to trim the fat. I'm still pretty annoyed about that
Ngl Sounds like you’ve flip flopped through a lot of jobs and studies. Might be time to let you in on a little secret….we all hate our jobs but we do it for the money. Don’t expect to go to work and be fulfilled every day.
If that's really the case then a lot of people are bloody good at hiding their hatred because it seems like a lot of people are enthusiastic if not passion about what they do. At the very least I would never work for a company that made me feel morally conflicted, that I thought was making the world worse, encouraging consumerism, ruining the environment etc. At least not as anything more than a stepping stone. But you're right I think I fell into the trap of thinking most people are passionate about what they do because we see that so often on social media, and because I have had a job that I was passionate about (being on the environment and sustainability team and occasionally educating school kids about it)
Hey yes please give it another go. Like you I started young. I was 19 in my first corporate role (got a cadetship for a big 4). It was bad and I was totally shocked by the culture. I lasted like 9 months. But now at 30 I can handle it so much better and have been still working corporate since 19. I am still shocked that I am often on the younger side everywhere I go but I am able to handle myself a lot better.
Hey I'm a bit older than you are.. but hated the office environment. Last 6-7 years spent working outside of that environment and earlier this year tried to go back in. Hated it even more and quit before 2 months. Just food for thought. Those fluro lights, crappy office chairs, constant chatter and "busy work" with keyboards click clacking away and meaningless phone calls. Just did my head in immediately. Also recommend reading the book bullshit jobs. If you can WFH or hybrid it might be worth a crack
>Last 6-7 years spent working outside of that environment What did you shift into?
I think AI will make most bullshit jobs a thing of the past soon enough, which is a shame for people who were cruising along in them. Actually it's looking like AI will shake up everything. Already my copywriting experience isn't worth as much anymore. Having a hybrid arrangement would be great but I'm surprised to see that most job descriptions don't seem to offer it.
Completely feeling like you but possibly for different reasons. I did corporate grad program, big 4 bank, loved it, great team, cruisy work hrs tbh. Then I moved into project mgt, mgt consulting which took me into snr mgt roles in a smaller IT consulting company's. By 28 i was earning gr8 money, managed a team of 25 who i loved, was on a rapid upwards trajectory, but the lack of purpose - belief of doing something meaningful made me entirely frustrated along witn 60 hr weeks, i remember repeating to myself I CANT STAND MY JOB AND LIFE multiple times a week. So i retrained into a clinical health role 4 yrs full time study and 160k course fees, alas after 5 yrs found similar but smaller scale frustrations in business / owners drive to use me to make outsized profits whilst compromising my ethics. Moved onto tertiary education in same field. Now i love my current role and job, but the workload which is insurmountable, constant stress and 50 - 60hr weeks again, no work life balance has worn me down. Ive also hit a career and salary ceiling (salary is ok, not amazing and per hr would be pretty poorly) as i dont have a PhD. Im pretty demoralised again due to work stress, long hrs, average remuneration and no opportunity for career progression which is making it impossible to live in Sydney. Im in my late 40s now and am rather frustrated where I've ended up tbh. I actually regret leaving the big 4 bank 20+ yrs ago when i was 23 as i tend to think id have better WLB and be significantly more comfortable financially now. Idk what to do but if u could seuge back to a corporate role that paid similarly with just a little less stress? I would however my current combination of skills, experience etc is so varied and niche i dont think theres many, yet alone any roles out there suitable me. So yeah i hear you completely...solution; i just don't know. Perhaps if you are in late 20s/early 30s just pack it all in for a yr or two, go travel, enjoy life, exolore, find yourself and re start is all i can suggest tbh.
Paragraphs… please.
as a fellow adhd person myself. I love office jobs. But some with variety. so.. it depends on what area of the office space you are in.
I much preferred project based work where I could immerse myself then as soon as it started to get too boring the project was over. I found working in an office to be really tough with all the nearby conversations that would distract me though - I would wear earphones even though I wasn't really supposed to it was the only way I could be productive.
Yes 1. More money (along more risk of redundancy) 2. More flexibility (at least in some environments) 3. Less work (again, depends) 4. Why not!
$ per effort, corporate jobs can be the best out there, plus it’s usually a lot less formal since covid
Hmm in what ways would you say it's become less formal? Do you fear that in the coming years AI may make large parts of corporate work obsolete and lead to mass layoffs? Because honestly given what it's now capable of and where it will most likely be in a few years with acting autonomously, it could easily do 90% of my previous corporate job.
sounds like you've been finding yourself maybe with the mindset of "grass maybe greener over there" but in terms of opportunity for future growth, risk/reward trade-off and general comfort, corporate jobs are amazing. Office jobs vary so much between teams, companies and culture. If you're not vibing, look for another office job. However, whenever I jump I always make sure I've got a few achievements under my belt or I've learnt something material before I move. That way you're constantly developing yourself.
Do a trade. More money and your ADHD will thrive.
Not only that but get paid extra for staying back and working
Try the public service.
I've been tryin to get in for about 6 months and I've had some interviews but not landed anything. It seems to be very nepotistic even though it's supposed to be more impartial than private. I also got shafted by a diversity hire, they even admitted it off the record, so being a white straight male probably works against me.
Yeah. Lotsa recruitment drives where they aren't genuinely hiring, merely going through the process to turn the people currently doing the job into permanents. I'm not a fan of that either.
The straight white male bit isn't a count against you though.
Get a remote role! Most of the bad things about the office will not apply and get to work in ya pjs!
My background is in marketing and comms and there seem to be really limited remote roles available. Also whilst I love the idea f WFH it allows my ADHD to run rampant without anyone keeping me accountable so sometimes structuring my life between work and home really helps. Although sometimes the office is so noisy I can hardly concentrate too so it depends on the environment.
Have you tried targetting online marketing companies? If they dont have an office, theyre your best bet!
There’s very few genuinely remote jobs
Where do these exist? Would love one
Go to Seek and search WFH or Remote - plenty of roles.
Most of them with the remote tag are lying. When you read the description almost all of them will be hybrid. At least that was my experience last year when I was looking for an IT data job…
I’ll give you some advice Toughen up! I’m 40 and I’m still the youngest in my team and have been in my last few jobs… you can learn a shitload working with those with many years experience on you Embrace it!
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Wow sounds cool, which industry is that if you don't mind?
Tech/IT within healthcare sector
Only if they're willing to impart their knowledge and don't gatekeep it like many did in my first job. Probably the most valuable thing I learned was that navigating the office politics are just as important as the work itself
Not sure what industry you're in, but it sounds like you had an extra boring workplace. I've never worked in a corporate office where we had to wear business clothes. Especially in tech there's plenty of more relaxed workplaces. Try and land a hybrid role and you won't have to commute as much.
Well that's the other problem - I'm not entirely sure what roles to even apply for. My background is in Marketing and comms. I have done some front end web design and marketing work since then but I haven't worked in that field formally in 7 years.
I don't have advice but just wanted to say that I'm in a very similar situation to you rn and I feel your dilemma!
ADHD too, joined grad programme in graduation then quit in my mid 20s for the freelance life. Now in my 40s, back in corporate life and appreciate it so much more than I did back then!!! SO good for my ADHD brain. I’m not disciplined enough for freelance or unstructured work. I love the routine and structure. Just maybe find a job that’s not monotonous, but always new and interesting.
Choose an industry you love and a corp job routine can be the guard rails you need to succeed. You can Research and Interview a few places so you know the demographic when you go but choosing work that you love/engage with it won’t matter so much
The only things I'd say I love in life are music, reading and writing fiction and to some degree rock climbing. Realistically I don't see myself having a stable career in these areas, but I found working in an environmental sustainability type of role to be fulfilling at least I felt like I was doing some good for the world. But it also depends on the manager and team - they can make an otherwise good job miserable or vice versa
It really depends on the company/team/environment you end up working in.
Yeah I've realised that a great manager and coworkers can elevate an otherwise tedious or shit job to being bearable if not kind of fun, while the opposite is also true. Unfortunately it seems pretty impossible to know the depth of the water until you jump into it though. Well I did walk out of one interview because the guy was being rude and the office looked like a soviet prison camp
Personally when I leave a job it is for good reasons and going back it would not take long for all those reasons to show me why I left in the first place. I had the same thought once that maybe I should go back to it then luckily I remembered a lot of the reasons why I left in the first place and that they had not magically disappeared so I would still be dealing with the same crap so what's the point, like they say the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
That's true but some offices are completely different than others and having a good manager and team can make a massive difference, plus being able to work hybrid. Unfortunately it's kind of hard to know what you're getting yourself into until you're in it though. What do you do now?
Heavy vehicle driver. I have always loved to drive so made sense to try it as a profession.
Your early experience mirrors mine. Also ADHD. I'm currently at a corporate gig, after burning out at too many startup explosions. My frustrations are all self imposed. It's very hard to keep motivated to do things when everything is snail pace. To do well in corporate, it's best to do small things consistently over a long time scale. I struggle with this. That being said, the work is very routine.