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Anne G. Davis wrote:
> In any case, my question is, where to go from here.
> Do I continue to try to make my ADD brain fit a
> highly-focused, attention-to-detail technical
> writing career
Maybe you just need to find the right tech writing job (or jobs). If
you want to remain in tech writing, maybe you need to be a contractor.
You would definitely have frequent changes of scenery :-)
Are you self-motivated? can you stick with a project you have assigned
to yourself? In that case, set yourself up with a small home network
and teach yourself some tech skills. Are you artistic/creative? maybe
aim for learning some graphic design skills. A few minor tech certs,
together with your 10-year background, might make you very marketable.
> even though it's been a struggle for 10 years with
> no promotions, 5 layoffs (some were due to the economy,
> but not all), and numerous difficulties on the job
> with frustrated coworkers and bosses, not to mention
> the work itself--or search for a completely different
> career path.
This may have nothing to do with ADD/ADHD. Check the archives for
plenty of similar stories.
Trust me, none of your experience has been wasted. You now have ten
years of education learning what doesn't work. There are new companies
starting up every day who haven't learned your lessons and continue to
make the same mistakes. Even a checkered employment history provides a
breadth of experience that can be very valuable. True, that's a tough
point to sell on your resume, but if you find an employer who "gets it"
that employer will find your insights very helpful.
I have a similar employment history; in my case the solution was to set
myself up as a consultant. I'm now much happier working for myself.
With hindsight I realize that in my multiple prior jobs, I packed in
way more experience than if I had stuck with a single employer. Now all
those different experiences are paying off for me; maybe you can
arrange things the same way for yourself.
Disclaimer: I don't know anything about ADD/ADHD apart from what I've
read in the press.
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