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Software Engineering is a really forgiving field for those of us with ADHD and I feel lucky that it’s my chosen profession but I’m certain that it still has a m

by jnovek 3y ago

Software Engineering is a really forgiving field for those of us with ADHD and I feel lucky that it’s my chosen profession but I’m certain that it still has a much higher stress impact for us than it does for our neurotypical colleagues.

spelunker 3y ago
Agreed. I still hit all kinds of issues, and recently struggled to fill a "lead" role on a project because I couldn't keep track of everything. That was part of my motivation to finally do something about it.
hirvi74 3y ago
> Software Engineering is a really forgiving field for those of us with ADHD We have wildly different experiences then. It's almost made me reconsider my life choices. I love programming, but it does not love me apparently. All the meetings, tickets, remember to do this, do that, focus on X and not Y, etc..
- aidenn0 3y ago
  If I worked in a factory, I would not have reached 40 with all of my limbs, so at least there's that...
  - hirvi74 3y ago
    What point are you trying to convey? You were built for software engineering solely because you can't be maimed by software?
- seba_dos1 3y ago
  It really depends. There is no shortage of startups out there with minimal meetings and plenty of fires for you to choose from at any given time to take care of. There are also companies where you can't do anything unless you get a formal approval of your manager and their manager and their manager's manager. It's a whole spectrum (ha).
  - jnovek 3y ago
    This has been my experience. It depends on your role and on the org you're with (and often the size of the org). I've worked exclusively for startups my entire career and, for me, it's easier to hide my ADHD symptoms in the chaos of a startup. Further, there's tons of novelty in startups and many opportunities to learn something that was previous outside your wheel house. Of course, there are downsides to startups (e.g. career stability) so it's not for everyone.

by jnovek 3y ago

spelunker 3y ago

Agreed. I still hit all kinds of issues, and recently struggled to fill a "lead" role on a project because I couldn't keep track of everything. That was part of my motivation to finally do something about it.

hirvi74 3y ago

> Software Engineering is a really forgiving field for those of us with ADHD We have wildly different experiences then. It's almost made me reconsider my life choices. I love programming, but it does not love me apparently. All the meetings, tickets, remember to do this, do that, focus on X and not Y, etc..

aidenn0 3y ago
If I worked in a factory, I would not have reached 40 with all of my limbs, so at least there's that...
- hirvi74 3y ago
  What point are you trying to convey? You were built for software engineering solely because you can't be maimed by software?
seba_dos1 3y ago
It really depends. There is no shortage of startups out there with minimal meetings and plenty of fires for you to choose from at any given time to take care of. There are also companies where you can't do anything unless you get a formal approval of your manager and their manager and their manager's manager. It's a whole spectrum (ha).
- jnovek 3y ago
  This has been my experience. It depends on your role and on the org you're with (and often the size of the org). I've worked exclusively for startups my entire career and, for me, it's easier to hide my ADHD symptoms in the chaos of a startup. Further, there's tons of novelty in startups and many opportunities to learn something that was previous outside your wheel house. Of course, there are downsides to startups (e.g. career stability) so it's not for everyone.