Organizing the ADHD Job Search: Get Help

Well, I didn’t get the job I interviewed for last week.  But that means that my ADHD job search series will be all the more real!  It will be an honest, up-to-the-minute look at what I’m actually doing for my actual job search!  Yay!

Sigh.

Since I didn’t get the job, I’m going back to my Job Search Plan.  After a few months of job search frustration, it’s occurred to me that I should follow my own advice about coping with ADHD: Get help.  Ask for advice.  Don’t try to go it alone. I didn’t get organized by myself — I had a clutter buddy to give me advice and support.  I didn’t learn time management by myself — I worked with an ADD coach.  Since I don’t know jack about finding a decent job, why the heck would I think I should rely solely on my own resources?

So while I’m trying to settle on the sort of work I’m looking for, I’m also fixing up my LinkedIn profile.  If you haven’t heard of LinkedIn, it’s a professional networking site where you can create a profile based on your resume, and by importing your e-mail address book, you can figure out who you know, where those people work, and who they know.  This is a great way to figure out who you can network with in various industries, or even at specific companies.  It’s completely free, which is always a good thing when you’re unemployed.

Ever since I looked for my first job, I’ve been told that only a tiny number of job seekers find work through ads.  According to this site, the actual figure is 5%, and only 15 or 20% of jobs are even advertised in the first place.  This is why networking is so important.  You’re much more likely to find a job through someone you know than through any other means.  And so, I am finally putting myself out there, talking to people I know, asking them for advice and assistance.

This is a hard thing for someone with my history.  Like a lot of learning disabled or ADHD adults, I was blamed for my own problems from an early age.  When I asked my teachers for help I was scolded and ridiculed, told that I didn’t “really need” help, because I wouldn’t be having trouble if I’d “paid attention the first time”.   This is why I’ve never been able to network effectively before now — I’m only just now getting to a point where I have the confidence not to see myself as a troublesome, needy nine-year-old child.

Even though I was turned down for the job I interviewed for last week, it turned out to be a valuable experience in one important way.  I realized that I was incredibly excited about the company I was applying to — and that’s valuable information, especially to an ADD adult who’s too overwhelmed to figure out what sort of work even to look for.  The things that attracted me to the company are that it’s small, it’s a creative environment, and it’s built around a really innovative idea.  Now, at least, I know that those are the things I should be asking my network about.