Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career
I have Attention Deficit Disorder (which I find is more of a surplus really). I coach adults with ADD, have an ADD resource website with over 100 pages of information, an ADD blog, and have ADD. So, I’m fairly familiar with ADD. I’ve been using Mac computers for 20 years, sold them for seven, and have spent thousands of hours on the net. So, I’m fairly familiar with the high tech world.
I’ve noticed there are many similarities between the two worlds.
I believe there are many people who work in the high tech industry who have ADD, much more than the average of the population. Approximately five per cent of the population has ADD and 85 per cent of adults with ADD don’t know they have it. It seems to me ADD and the technology industry is a natural fit. The constant change of the high tech world can be stressful and troubling for some people but it’s often stimulating and energizing for the ADDer. A great source of Dopamine hits. Although, there are no specific statistics a number of other ADD experts I’ve talked to agree with my observation.
Many people only see the many problems associated with ADD, and many people, especially men avoid getting diagnosed for ADD. The delay in getting diagnosed is that some people portray it as an almost totally pathological condition, and they view it as just a weakness.
To put it into perspective, I thought I’d write a list of some advantages of having ADD in the wired world to help people in the industry recognize and develop their ADD related strengths as well as managing their ADD challenges.
I also hope this might help those who may be afraid of getting diagnosed and treated (medication, Adult ADD coaching, therapy etc.) for ADD because of the negative stigma promoted by the people that condemn ADD as a moral failure. (i.e., “there’s no such thing as ADD, turn off the TV, stop eating sugar, beat your kid more often, and twirl around 3 times and tap your heels and it will go away). ADD is an inherited neurobiological condition. Every medical and psychological association has stated this. As more people realize the advantages of having ADD, they will be more inclined to seek diagnosis and treatment. Some people believe ADD is related to IQ, the idea that all ADD’ers are slow learners or below average IQ, wrong. I have it and I made the Dean’s Honours list and many PhD’s have it. MENSA has an ADD special interest group with 573 300+ members. It comes down to a difference in brain wiring, and in some fields (high tech, marketing, artists, the media, entrepreneurs) the unique wiring of the ADD brain is a competitive advantage.
Top Ten ADD Advantages in a Hi Tech Career.
1. The Ability to Hyperfocus.
Hours of full engagement and concentration in a task, IF you find it interesting. You can get into the zone and be totally immersed in what you’re doing while the outside world disappears. When I went on the net for the first time in 1993 at an Internet cafe I got on the machine at 8 pm and around 4 am decided it was time to go home.
2. Rapid Fire Mind.
Your brain processes information at hyperspeed. You can do things in 30 minutes on a computer that might take other people hours. Downside if you’re stuck with an old machine and not enough RAM you’ll be frustrated cause it can’t keep up with the speed of your brain.
3. Multitasking at Will.
Able to run 14 apps at a time and effortlessly switch between each without breaking a sweat. Able to do several projects at a time with ease.
4. High Energy Level.
You’re able to keep going on a project (if it’s interesting, ADDers are more into creative and entrepreneurial activities than clerical and repetitive ones). 14-hour days? No problem. Adrenaline is my fuel source:)
5. Highly Creative.
Able to think beyond the idea of a box. This comes naturally for ADDers, while others pay thousands of dollars to try and learn this. Since you take in more information than the average person, and you’re easily distractible, you’re more likely to view a problem from many different angles than vanilla people (non ADDers), and therefore come up with more possible solutions to a problem. Need an idea generator? Find an ADDer.
6. Quick Learner.
IF it’s something you’re interested in. ADD is mainly a condition of boredom; you have no trouble paying attention to something if it’s interesting. Most people find it difficult to do boring or repetitive things but these can often totally shut an ADDer down. Your rapid fire brain + highly creative mind + the ability to hyperfocus equals fast absorption of new information quickly. Dr Ed Hallowell, who has ADD and has written several Delivered from Distraction : Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder, said he stopped teaching Psychiatry at Harvard University because the non-ADDers brains were just to slow and they took so long to get it. He got tired of being continually frustrated waiting for them to catch up to the ADD students.
7. Stimulus Seeking Brain.
A perfect match for the wired world, an under stimulated brain and an over stimulated virtual environment. Being an info junkie can be a good thing. Well, not always:)
8. Constantly Scanning your Environment.
Allows you to notice more and find information and resource that others miss. Also allows you to see possible problems before they arise, and opportunities that others may not see because they have tunnel vision vs. multiplex vision. An ADDer invented the electronic ticket.
9. Great in a Crisis.
High energy intense situation? Lots of chaos and change? Sign me up; I thrive on stimulation, change and chaos. We can create order from chaos effortlessly. We can also create such an environment as well if needed.
10. Risk Taker.
Impulsivity means you’re more willing to take risks and have a bias for action, act now while the opportunity is hot instead of getting into analysis paralysis. Many entrepreneurs have ADD i.e. Paul Orfalea who founded Kinko’s, JetBlue Founder and CEO David Neeleman who attributes his creativity to ADD. Both are Billionaires. Imagine how successful a high tech CEO would be if they didn’t take many risks.
These are just a start of the advantages of ADD, for more go to the list of 151 positive characteristics of people with ADD at my ADD Resource website.
This is not to say there are no disadvantages or real problems associated with ADDers in a high tech career, there most certainly are, and if you don’t learn to manage them (see Top ten ways to manage Adult ADHD), they can a great deal of trouble and grief to your life (and those around you), but that’s another article.
© Pete Quily 2006
If you have or think you have ADD and work in a high tech career, what are your ADD competitive advantages?
[...] ng ADD can be a competitive ADDvantage in a High Tech Career, here’s 10 reasons why. read more | digg story Permalink [...]
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Top 10 Advantages Of ADD In A High Tech Career
Think you might have ADD, and it’s not entirely a bad thing? You’re not alone! Pete Quily writes: I have Attention Deficit Disorder (which I find is more of a surplus, really). I coach adults with ADD, have an ADD…
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[...] hing happening. Or is that just wishful thinking? Been getting a very good response to my Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career post. It g [...]
Pingback by Adult ADD Strengths » Off to Moose Camp and Northern Voice February 9, 2006 @
I was too distracted to read this article
Comment by Josh February 9, 2006 @
Wow, how original. Don’t quit your day job.
Pete
Comment by Pete Quily February 9, 2006 @
Found this great article from digg.com. The whole thing describes me to a “T”! Do I really have ADD? Is there an online test I can take somewhere to find out? I am going to start looking in to this issue now - thanks!
Comment by Anthony February 9, 2006 @
Pete, I have to admit that I have ADD and I fully support what you say in this article because it’s just the truth. I’m in the IT industry and can do so much with ADD, while I find my friends slowing down with information overload. I try to show them pointers and give helpful advice on how an ADD thinks and stimulate their minds. Being a person with ADD does have its advantage and I’m glad article highlights ten definite benefits.
Comment by JosueMedia February 9, 2006 @
Thanks for this! I can attach this to my resume and no longer have to hide from it!
Comment by Maeser February 9, 2006 @
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I would think ADD would be more detrimental than it is helpful.
Sure you get those days where everything just clicks…but I believe you get MUCH MORE days where you are bored out of your mind and can’t focus on anything!
Comment by Willie February 9, 2006 @
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Great article…and will cheer up quite a few ADDers… [...]
Pingback by Mahmood Rattansi » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career February 9, 2006 @
Wow. I have ADD and I work in a high-tech job, and this pretty much perfectly describes me…
Comment by Matt Rix February 9, 2006 @
ADD an advantage in the high tech fields
I just ran across this interesting article about the top ten benefits for people with ADD in the high tech field. It particularly interests me becuase I have diagnosed ADD and am an aspiring web developer. My ADD doesn
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Very fascinating article. Great read.
Comment by P.J. Onori February 10, 2006 @
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Plus we can get the wonderful orange sunshine, Adderall, which turns us into the UberMensch as long as it’s running… but oh what a terrible crash.
Comment by spun February 10, 2006 @
Glad you liked it Anthony. You might want to take the Harvard Adult ADHD Screener test, takes only 5 minutes, I have it on my ADD Resource website here
http://www.addcoach4u.com/adultaddtest.html
Josue thanks for the backup. It is important to recognize the benefits of having ADD not just the disadvantages
But to really know you need a medical diagnosis from a doctor psychologist or psychiatrist.
Comment by Pete Quily February 10, 2006 @
Everyone tells me I have ADD, but I think of it as a blessing rather than a curse. I have always excelled on computers because they can keep up with me. I find that in other situations the world is just too slow. People don’t realize that I can keep up with 10 things at once. This is unconceivable to them, but to me this is the benefit of ADD (i dont believe in ADD, so I use the term loosely) Its nice to see that other people feel free by using computers as well. Great article.
Comment by Matthew R February 10, 2006 @
Wow. I have for myself noticed the fact that the internet and the fast changing world is a natural fit for me while I had tremendous difficulty getting through university. I never diagnosed myself as ADD and I still don’t know whether I should, but the similarities are striking.
Thanks!
Comment by dylan February 10, 2006 @
I think I might have ADD. What kind of blood tests do I need to determine if this neurobiological condition is present in me?
Comment by Marty February 10, 2006 @
Who is WB1EA and why are his/her call-letters plugged into every comment? They’re not in the QRZ.COM database; is he a Silent Key?
Oh. Yeah. Hi. The list sounds pretty accurate as the plus-side for “not living up to his potential” which I grew up with (but then, I’m HS Class of ‘67, and that was what they called ADD back then — ’self-medicated’ for me means ‘coffee: straight, strong and black’).
There’s another ADD-associated trait I’ve noticed in myself and my sons; I’m curious whether others have noticed it. It’s a high receptivity to others’ thoughts and emotions (yes, I know some call that telepathy or empathy, as if you could exclusively assign one or the other on a roll of the game-dice). On the plus side, it means being able to ’synergize’, to work in sync with selected others to the point of generating tasklists from their nonverbal (and even non-present) inferences, finishing their sentences, and singing in exact synchrony with them. On the minus side, it means being vulnerable to others’ loose thoughts and opinions, to the point where sometimes you HAVE to switch tasks because the attention the other person is focusing on the current task you’re doing is so LOUD that you can’t reliably find your fingers (and forget it if they’ve decided that you can’t do the job, because that’s a difficult command to overcome once it’s imported, regardless of your skillset and expertise). Are any of you like that? Do you get badly rattled and distracted from what you’re doing by somebody unexpectedly staring at your back?
Comment by cr February 10, 2006 @
Guys (and gals), everyone here is falling into the trap of unscientific thinking. There is nothing in here that implies a cause and effect situation. Just because these attributes may be common to people with ADD, it doesn’t mean that people without ADD also have these traits and are in the IT field.
You have to have controlled experiments to be able to say whether success in the IT field is anyway correlated with whether you have ADD or not.
Comment by steve February 10, 2006 @
I have to agrgee with Dylan, ive never even thought about add as anyhting other than “some condition -other- people have.” But readiung this and reading your 5 minute test really rings some bells. Love the article!
Comment by Chris February 10, 2006 @
Could ADD just be a type of person or a type of normal because there seems to be a lot of ADD people around ADD people ARE normal and normal people have ADD..
Comment by Anthrox February 10, 2006 @
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I have an Uncle with ADD. I found this article both fascinating and enlightening.
Thank you,
http://www.onlyriddles.com
Comment by Jim Jablonski February 10, 2006 @
Having been diagnosed with ADD about two years ago, a lot of what you wrote in the article has rang true for me. Thanks for sharing it. I’m the creative director for a web development company, and the web is a perfect fit for me. Without medication, I’m not able to stay on task or stay focused. I hope this article encourages those that might have it, or have symptoms of ADD to see a doctor/psychologist for diagnosis.
Comment by Chris Harrison February 10, 2006 @
Screw the Ritalin! Give Me Chaos!
Trackback by The Newest Industry February 10, 2006 @
I most likely have ADD and while you are right there are some positives it not all the bees knees. Sometimes repetitve tasks that come along with my tech job make my brain melt. Also reading some tech heavy books to learn something new can often be a challenge. I almost have to just do it, rather than reading. This takes more time for me to learn, but I also think after I’m done, I know it better than others.
I’ve recently moved more into the creative side of the tech world becoming a creative director. ADDers like me excel in deadline driven work. Co-workers at the end of a deadline are often saying things like, “Stand back, here he goes again.”
Very good blog post…
Question: How do you think the best way to get diagnosed for something like ADD is? What kind of doctor does one talk to about this?
Comment by Jim Renaud February 10, 2006 @
It’s rather humorous that the vast majority of the highlighted points of ADD in this article fit me and yet I have fantastic mental focus and attention to topic and detail for extended periods of time. What’s funnier is that if I were born a few years later, I would be the AD(H)D poster child of the universe, but back then, I was just weird and nothing more was said about it. Certainly nothing medical anyway (^_-)
While those with ADD may have a leg up on these traits over their Attention Disordered bretheren, it’s not inconceivable for someone to exhibit the same or similar traits by simply have an active interest in many fields. The reasonable people my age (23) don’t refer to these traits as ADD or any other pseudo-neurological jibber jabber. We call it multi-tasking.
It’s just a simple fact that those prone to multi-tasking are more prone to being distracted by other tasks. Simple excercises in mental focus allow anyone to keep a sharp mind on any one task at length while reverting back to what’s really fun at a whim. I’m proof of that. (^_^)V
Comment by FiZ February 10, 2006 @
See, all I read were the headers and that was enough information for me, great post.
Comment by Barrett February 10, 2006 @
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It is unfortunate that the disorder is considered a Defecit. I agree that with a little self-awareness someone with ADD can turn this into a strength.
Alternate acronym: Hyper-Attention Syndrome - this wording suggests that it is an affliction, but does not have as much of a negative connotation.
Comment by NG February 10, 2006 @
I’ve been tapering off, but this partially explains why I’m wanting to quit my ADD medicine. My creativity just wasn’t as high, and I felt like my mind was more ‘thinking inside the box’. I was, however, able to get some of my more boring work done.
Comment by Mantari Damacy February 10, 2006 @
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All of you who may have ADD there is something important to understand: While there may be benefits as one person put it “when everything just clicks”, there is in fact more benefit to having it treated.
I have dealt with the effects of ADD for the better part of 28 years. Two years ago, I was prescribed Strattera. Since then, I have put all of that “multi-threading, hyper intellectual” power my ADD brain has and generated focus from it.
Comment by John Vilsack February 10, 2006 @
Top 10 Advantages of ADD in Association Management
Found this post via LifeHack.org: Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career
Which got me thinking: As my CEO often says, in a career in which you can work your tail off all day long and never get to the first item on your to-do list, what are t…
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blood tests don’t diagnose ADD you need a medical diagnosis from a doctor psychologist or psychiatrist who knows ADD.
WB1EA is a problem in my wordpress template that happened when i’ve changed the background color of the comment section of my theme. I’ve tried to get rid of it but haven’t been able to do so. I’ve posted on wordpress support forums but have had no response yet.
ADDers are often very intuitive. many of us (not all) can pick up on other peoples emotions, a kind of hypersensitivity. some ADDers are just very sensitive to their surrounding and not others some are both. Active, not passive meditation can help.
Comment by Pete Quily February 10, 2006 @
Right on Pete! I have two part-time jobs in IT. One as a PeopleSoft Upgrade Analyst (tends to be very tedious UNLESS were in the midst of an upgrade which isn’t often enough) and another building Blackboard (Bb) courses and doing Bb marketing to our faculty and staff which is heavy on the High Creative side. What you said in your article resonates with what I experience at work in my two different functions. And depending on what aspect of my job I’m doing I seem to either be a top notch performer or struggling to keep awake. I especially agree with your examples of Hyper focusing I realize that I do my best at work when I’m under pressure and highly engaged, 14 hours pass like its only been one and I’m all of sudden just too hungry to keep going or feel I ought stop because “oops, it’s been 12 hours.” I do in fact have four computers running autonomously linked together with four monitors linked with multiplicity so I can seamlessly switch between them (it’s for upgrades) but it’s almost not enough and I won’t even ever touch an old machine that doesn’t have enough RAM because it IS too frustrating. I am a scanning addict. One of my favorite things to do is fly airplanes and helicopters. As a pilot one of the most intense things you can do flying is fly instrument approaches. When you’re coming in to land flying by your flight instruments alone in bad weather there is SO much going on its crazy and I love it. You’re flying the airplane, talking and listening to air traffic control, adjusting engine settings, flaps, radios, navigation, monitoring altitude, airspeed, course headings, time, reading approach charts and constantly doing 10 things at a time without end. Oh and don’t forget landing gear…I really can’t put into words how much insane fun it is! I love your take on the ADVANTAGES of ADD. I hope I have it…actually I think I do.
Comment by Jason February 10, 2006 @
ok… ADD doesn’t mean that you will have the energy to work on stuff, i think you’re getting ADHD and ADD mixed up.
Comment by brandon February 10, 2006 @
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Lately I have been hearing people use “ADD” as a synonym for the ability to multitask. But an official ADHD diagnosis includes “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.” That’s not to say that ADHDers don’t have strengths, but this kind of rah-rah for ADHD propaganda confuses the issue. Chaotic and unstable work histories are way more common in ADHDers than great successes — that’s a major reason why I went into treatment (and I do WAY better with my work in IT now that my symptoms are more under control).
Comment by Georgie Paul February 10, 2006 @
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This would explain why my husband used to prefer “computer time” over “family time.” I used to get so jealous of the computer! I just couldn’t wrap my mind around his preference for the computer. He is doing so much better now with counseling. However, once in awhile things get crazy. Oh my, he is so smart!!! He just amazes me with all his extensive knowledge, and his great thinking processes. However, I do consider him to be more laid-back than I by far. We complement eachother very well.
He found this website, and I will be researching to learn more about my husband. Who also, has a career in IT, but also loved cooking in the fast-paced reataurant scene.
Comment by Petra Pettigrew February 10, 2006 @
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The people that say they have ADD and are very energetic, are they on meds? I do not find my husband to be very energetic at all. I am way more energetic than him by far. He does sleep less than me in general. I require 8-9 hours, to keep up with our two young children all day.
Comment by Petra Pettigrew February 10, 2006 @
10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career
I know this is not standard fare around FG, but it made me laugh, and also wonder if I might have ADD, as I fit most of the things mentioned on the list. 1. The Ability to Hyperfocus. Hours of…
Trackback by Forever Geek February 10, 2006 @
One more question… those of you on medication or the spouses of, do you find a change in personality that does not sit well with you?
I found with my husband on Adderall XR, his personality changed to my dislike.
Comment by Petra Pettigrew February 10, 2006 @
My husband (an IT-man) sent this to me because it so adequately describes him. I, however, am a 1st grade teacher and your article has given me a whole new vision of how to teach and utilize the skills that my mini-ADDers have. How great to have such a refreshing view of something that has such a negative stigma.
Thanks for the insight!
~Becky Clifford
Comment by Becky Clifford February 10, 2006 @
“WB1EA is a problem in my wordpress template that happened when i’ve changed the background color of the comment section of my theme. I’ve tried to get rid of it but haven’t been able to do so. I’ve posted on wordpress support forums but have had no response yet.”
Looking at the page-source in Mozilla, and at /wp-content/themes/default/comments-popup.php, line 46, in wordpress-2.0.1.tar.gz, it would appear that you mistakenly altered a character-entity (composed of a sequence of: ampersand, hash, two-to-four-digit decimal number, semicolon), thinking it to be a color-code (hash, red-octet, green-octet, blue-octet). The ‘W’ is the truncated character-entity which remains (ampersand, hash, 87); the ‘B1EA’ characters are probably the green and blue values you put in there, with the ‘B’ causing the browser to stop parsing the character-entity because it’s non-decimal. Fix that line and you’ll probably stop blaming a perfectly innocent (and apparently nonexistent) radio amateur
Too bad WordPress doesn’t have a Preview button — I’d really like to be able to check this comment, and tweak as required, in case it censors out or mangles the non-alphanumerics to deter cross-site script exploiting, before posting.
Comment by cr February 10, 2006 @
I read this article on Lockergnome and, since the 10 advantages describe me to a T, I linked here and took the screening test. According to the test, I don’t have ADD/ADHD, from what I noticed in some of the posts, I fit even more of the ’symptoms’, so what gives? The only unusual thing I know about me is that my IQ is 157.
Comment by William Gardenhire February 10, 2006 @
Good post. Glad to see you were able to put a positive “spin” (for lack of a better word) on ADD. Two of my sons also have it, and traditional schooling environments typically label such kids as hard to manage, etc. The younger one is now doing a homeschool hybrid thing and is finally doing well academically.
Interesting that you should cite Paul Orfalea (pronounced “ORF-a-luh” BTW). I used to work for Kinko’s corporate as one of their last full-time Mac programmers in the early ’90’s. He was one of the first to “get” Desktop Publishing back when it was new and experimental. I probably only talked with him maybe a dozen times, but he is one of the creative geniuses I’ve known in my life that stand out (and I’ve known a few - not dropping any names…).
Comment by Greg Meece February 10, 2006 @
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I just finished getting my PhD in Psychology, and I was diagnosed at age 8. Love the article. I wrote something for my blog, which I have uploaded to Gather that you might be interested in:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976722623
Comment by Abby February 10, 2006 @
Are entrepreneurs all suffering from ADHD?
This is a topic that many of my colleagues and I talk about when we meet face to face, as we also check our email, talk with someone back in our offices, fiddle with a PDA, or skim a magazine: are there characteristics of the clinical diagnosis of Atte…
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Wow, its a great article. It lays out everything.
btw,
“#
I was too distracted to read this article
Comment by Josh WB1EA; February 9, 2006 @
#
Wow, how original. Don’t quit your day job.
Pete ”
They obviously dont have ADD or know what its like… not funny josh.
Comment by Jeremy February 10, 2006 @
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Pingback by midnightBlue » Blog Archive » Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career February 10, 2006 @
Good article. I have always known I have a different mind than everyone else. I tend to over analyse things, especially with computers, which can be a benefit but not good for time and schedules. I think there is a classification for people with ADD that excel in Math and not in English. I also notice I have good spacial recognition and visual memeory. I realize I have better conceptual thought than others. I also have to plug how much greater the Mac interface is or my ADD and visual mind.
Comment by Mitch February 10, 2006 @
ADD is great in a sales environment, it is very easy for me to tune into who has a strong need, service them quickly and close the deal.
Awesome idea for a web site.
Comment by Christopher Lozinski February 10, 2006 @
I have medicated ADD and that describes me exactly some days I just sit there and code hour after hour. Great Article!
Comment by Eric Montz February 10, 2006 @
and, btw, all ‘usual’ ADD/HD meds only put me to *sleep*. (80mg of dextroamphetamine and i’m snoozing . . . ?!) So i can’t take those meds. i’ve yet to figure out what people who can mean by the difference they feel within when they find the right med(s).
h’m — point of fact, nearly every anti-depressant i’ve ever been prescribed, whether for psych or migraine treatment, puts me to sleep. (Wellbutrin/buproprion gives me a constant migraine.)
Ah! And all those advantages are worth diddly/squat if your lead and/or supervisors do not believe in it. They may set up a 504/accomodations with you, but if they don’t *accept* that it exists or that you have it, it won’t help much. Word to the wise.
Comment by aellath February 11, 2006 @
The advantages of ADD in a high tech world
Attention Deficit Disorder Coach Pete Quily thinks that ADD can be an advantage in a high tech career: It seems to me ADD and the technology industry is a natural fit. The constant change of the high tech world can…
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Great article! I, like so many mothers, took my son in for possible ADD and found out I had it. I decided to not medicate my child (until he’s older, if he needs it)but I have been having great success with behavior and medical treatments. I am a full time writer - sort of the same type of work as Hi Tech - always on the computer. Yes, I can sit here with my lap top for hours!
Also, a quick thing to add - my husband has ADD, too and we were both in the military. I think a LOT of military people have ADD - high energy, exciting job and we love the strict routines. Just IMHO.
I will bookmark this site and your others - great reference. Thanks!
militarygrrrl
Comment by Kee Kee February 11, 2006 @
[...] ro « Friends… ADD and the Geek [...]
Pingback by RocketDolphin » Blog Archive » ADD and the Geek February 11, 2006 @
hmm. does this describe me? yes, does it mean i have ADD, maybe, maybe not. this is hardly a valid self-diagnosis web site. while an interesting read nonetheless, it doesn’t mean anyone who matches the observations—in full or for the most part—has ADD.
Comment by matt maier February 11, 2006 @
[...] Sat 11 Feb 2006 A-ADD Posted by Brett under Health Hip-hip hooray for Adult ADD, I guess. [...]
Pingback by brettsky » A-ADD February 11, 2006 @
[...] cle has been to the UK recently. For all of my ADD/ADHD buddies out there, check out this article. I read through it briefly, I didn’t have [...]
Pingback by Gwinnagain’s Blog » Blog Archive » Google Maps February 11, 2006 @
[...] Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tec [...]
Pingback by Lloyd Leung » Blog Archive » Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career February 11, 2006 @
As a person with both ADD and OCD I can tell you that to a degree the article is correct. As a coder, it can be advantageous. However, once you enter management and are no longer a coder, the ADD can become a real hinderance. Unlike coders, managers have to stay focused longer on tasks that are possibly not very interesting. This makes follow through and completion somewhat challenging.
I was always multi-tasking when I was a coder. I would get bored with a task and move on to something else and eventually circle back around. This approach works well within a matrix or other such type of organization in which resources are shared among projects. The reputation as a super-coder was a nice side benefit.
Now, as a manager, I find that I often have no other task or item to which I can turn when I am bored with my current task. Sitting in project meetings, conversing with CEOs and other execs, status reports, and so on. Not being able to focus on these long term tasks makes it difficult to be the best manager I can be. I typically try to assign myself some coding tasks on each project in order to help me cope; however, I am not always able to do that due to budget constraints and so forth.
In summary, in the short run early stage of a coder’s career ADD and to a degree OCD can be beneficial. However as the career transitions from short term task oriented work to long term goal oriented work, ADD and OCD become more of a liability than an asset.
Comment by Dave February 11, 2006 @
[...] ADD Strengths - Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career Here is another cool article talking about how having ADD might not be th [...]
Pingback by Doc Ott’s Apologia Blog » Blog Archive » Adult ADD Strengths - Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career February 12, 2006 @
[...] canning your Environment. Great in a Crisis. Risk Taker. Sound like anyone you know? Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career [Adult ADD [...]
Pingback by Sparky’s Useless Info… » Blog Archive » The advantages of ADD in a high tech world February 12, 2006 @
[...] k in the world - a view from space reveals a 40 meter message in a cornfield (google map). Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career? I like fir [...]
Pingback by Dust my Broom » Blog Archive » Sunday reads February 12, 2006 @
I need scientific facts.
Comment by Tom February 12, 2006 @
[...] #8221; and has “spaz” right in the name of his blog, needs to blog this story. Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career is a well [...]
Pingback by Spazsquatch.com February 12, 2006 @
I love it, now i know why i get in trouble at school for not reading a book because i hate it and there is no action. I love this article and will print out to show my parents. you should make this very poplular because i think people should know this stuff and that it can help them because they will know what makes them, THEM!!!
Comment by Chris February 13, 2006 @
Wow, I am not alone. Everyone tells me I have ADD, and I tell them that my brain simply works faster than theirs.
I am a web designer/coder. Right now I have FTP open, Photoshop open (with 11 documents), IE has 10 pages loaded, Firefox has 5, Surfofflins is spidering a website for an offline .zip file I am making, Winamp is playing, I have 3 folders on my HD open, as well as 12 notepad documents and 11 dreamweaver documents. Multi-tasking is no problem, getting everything finished on time is. I check every scrap of code hundreds of times for security flaws, design, well-formedness etc.
Managing the quirks of my brain has been a lifelong challenge. I got in so much trouble at school trying to stay entertained. While the other kids were struggling to make sense of the lecture, I had already understood the rambling (having heard it before) I had analyzed all the people in the room, noticed all the chips in paint, observed the weather, drew a picture of the tree outside, and started hitting on the girl next to me. Then I get detention or suspension and pass the test while most kids failed it while paying attention and not understanding. The school system needs to seperate fast learners from slow learners. We are not all equal in any sense.
Comment by Scott February 13, 2006 @
[...] [...]
Pingback by 10 advantages of ADD at work at Singer.to February 13, 2006 @
[...] l — admin @ 8:38 am Complete List of Web 2.0 Products and Services - Listable Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career - Adult ADD St [...]
Pingback by Drainedge Links…Simple News » Today’s Links February 13, 2006 @
[...] Popular blog Adult ADD Strengths published an interesting article identifying the Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career. Now, I ha [...]
Pingback by Joshua Herzig-Marx - Something clever here » The ADD finally pays off? February 13, 2006 @
Thanks, as always, for the great article. I thought it dovetailed very nicely with http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/02/mediocrity_by_a.html#comment-13940706. Between the two of them, I’ve been trying to figure out what the right job for me (and my ADD) would be.
http://joshua.herzig-marx.com/?p=47
Comment by Joshua Herzig-Marx February 13, 2006 @
[...] e subject in general. If you have ADD then you’ll probably enjoy this article called Top 10 Advantages of ADD In A High Tech Career. This is [...]
Pingback by Mysk’s Blog » The Positive Sides To ADD (ADHD) February 14, 2006 @
[...] ts
Tuesday, February 14th, 2006Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career
Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tec [...]
Pingback by Internet Brain » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career February 14, 2006 @
[...] tell you it’s a safe bet to assume I have it. This article on the benefits of ADD in terms of working as a techie sounds ab [...]
Pingback by Blah, Blah, Blahg » The upside to ADD in the tech-world February 14, 2006 @
[...] to learn quickly, think fast, observe continuously, take risks, and deal with crisis well. [...]
Pingback by Internet Time Blog » Blog Archive » Adios, Oaxaca February 14, 2006 @
High Tech ADD
Could it be that ADD strikes high tech workers more often?…
Trackback by Mental Health Update February 15, 2006 @
[...] ome attention disorders I may have. I found a really cool and funny article about the advantages of ADD in a high tech world. “It seem [...]
Pingback by Marston Online » Blog Archive » Advantages of ADD for Technies? February 16, 2006 @
Willie, ADD can be a blessing or a curse depending on how you manage it. There definitely are disadvantages to it, no doubt, but most of those are very well known. What I’ve tried to do in the post is to show some real practical advantages of having ADD, to balance the equation. To many people just see the negatives in having ADD and many avoid diagnosis and treatment because of the ignorant stigma of others.
Matthew, thats why I think many ADDers gravitate to high tech careers, low boredom threshold and the need to be in an enviornment to keep up to our fast pace brains.
So Steve are you volunteering to do the double blind studies?
Chris, I hope so too, thats one of the main reasons I wrote it. Pass the word around.
Ng,
Another acronymn I use is attention surplus condition, we don’t have a deficit of attention, we have too much of it.
Mantari, you may just need to adjust the dose of your ADD meds or switch meds, sometimes that’s all you need.
Comment by Pete Quily February 16, 2006 @
Conversations from Northern Voice 2006
Canadian blogging conference Northern Voice always generates many great conversations. The night before the official start of Moose Camp, a small gathering of attendees made their way to Take 5, where we unsuccessfully attempted to stream The Chris Pir…
Trackback by The Chris Pirillo Show February 18, 2006 @
Pete’s got it, so do I … this blog is powered by ADD
I’ve known Pete for about a year now. He sends me stuff now and then. I don’t blog it all the time, but sometimes I …
Trackback by A View from the Isle February 21, 2006 @
Geek News Central Podcast 2006-02-24 #149
Our regular audio file hosting provider was down tonight, and we have the Podcast uploaded to a auxiliary server that we have never tested in a backup situation. Keep me informed if the downloads timeout. Very full show today with…
Trackback by Geek News Central February 24, 2006 @
[...] on the computer so much and most of us have blogs or web sites, so we are pretty Hi Tech. Enjoy it here……. ability to hyperfocus rapid [...]
Pingback by Blog Writes » Blog Archive » Top Ten ADD Advantages in a Hi Tech Career February 24, 2006 @
[...] ADHD and Careers Via Geek News Central: Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tec [...]
Pingback by ADHD and Careers at odd time signatures February 26, 2006 @
Not Just Seth: More Videos from Google
A follow up to my last post: the Google blog has a post pointing to a small but growing batch of other videos from the Googleplex. You’ve probably seen the Googleplex tour video; there’s also a talk by John Battelle and one by Sergey Brin. Fun to wat…
Trackback by SEO Consultant Esoos Bobnar March 5, 2006 @
[...] end? » Top Ten Advantages of Having ADD in a High-Tech Career Top Ten Advantages of Having ADD in a High-Tech Career fr [...]
Pingback by peacechicken.com » Blog Archive » Top Ten Advantages of Having ADD in a High-Tech Career March 10, 2006 @
[...] Scanning your Environment. Great in a Crisis. Risk Taker. Explanations are given over at http://adultaddstrengths.com/2006/02/09/top-10-advantages-of- [...]
Pingback by Andrew Ferguson dot NET » Blog Archive » Advantages of ADD March 19, 2006 @
[...] cific statistics a number of other ADD experts I’ve talked to agree with my observation. read more About this entry You [...]
Pingback by The Fellowship Of The Geeks » Blog Archive » The Advantages Of ADD April 11, 2006 @
[...] 指小兒科的症狀，而 Adult ADD 則表示是成年期的症狀。 在這篇中，作者提及自己也是一個 adult ADD， [...]
Pingback by Yi-Feng Tzeng の Blog » Blog Archive » 注意力不足症在高科技業的十大優點 April 17, 2006 @
Focus is Foolish: Why Entrepreneurs Must Minimize Multitask Overhead
Via the Intuitive Life Blog I came across this post listing ten advantages of ADD for a high tech career. I began to think about multitasking, ADD, entrepreneurship, and the future of business. When I used to run the daily…
Trackback by Businesspundit April 27, 2006 @
Empathy, intuitive, emotionally receptive ADD… Check out Ten most common traits of “Indigo Children and Adults.”
They come into the world with a feeling of royalty (and act like one).
They have a feeling of “deserving to be here,” and are surprised when others don’t share that.
Self-worth is not a big issue. They often tell the parents “who they are.”
They have difficulty with absolute authority (authority without explanation or choice).
They simply will not do certain things; for example, waiting in line is difficult for them.
They get frustrated with systems that are ritual-oriented and don’t require creative thought.
They often see better ways of doing things, both at home and in school, which makes them seem like “system busters” (nonconforming to any system).
They seem antisocial unless they are with their own kind. If there are no others of like consciousness around them, they often turn inward; feeling like no other human understands them. School is often extremely difficult for them socially.
They will not respond to “guilt” discipline (”Wait till your father gets home and finds out what you did”).
They are not shy in letting you know what they need.
An Indigo Child is usually an individual with the following characteristics: (THE CARE AND FEEDING OF INDIGO CHILDREN - Doreen Virtue)
Strong-willed.
Born in 1978 or later
Headstrong
Creative, with an artistic flair for music, jewellery making, poetry, ETC.
Prone to addictions
An “old soul” as if they’re 13, going on 43
Intuitive or psychic, possibly with a history of seeing angels or deceased people.
An isolationist, either through aggressive acting out, or through fragile introversion
Independent and proud, even if they’re constantly asking you for money
Possesses a deep desire to help the world in a big way
Wavers between low self-esteem and grandiosity
Bores easily
Has probably been diagnosed as having ADD or ADHD
Prone to insomnia, restless sleep, nightmares, or difficulty/fear of falling asleep
Has a history of depression or even suicidal thoughts or attempts
Looks for real, deep, and lasting friendships
Easily bonds with plants or animals.
These are my own observations, based on the completed questionnaires.
1. They prefer individual sport, if enjoying sport at all
They bond profoundly with the opposite parent, a son with his mother, a daughter with her father.
They prefer the company of older or much younger (children) people, to their peers.
They have deep, lasting friendships with the opposite gender. Their own gender often makes them feel insecure and misunderstood.
They have a profound “world of their own”, which is either created in the mind, through music, art, fantasy or the computer.
Their emotional intelligence is much more developed as long as they are calm, relaxed and sure of themselves.
They have a very strong connection with the spiritual world; some see auras, angels, guides or energy.
They “pick up” everyone’s emotion and often this causes them great confusion not knowing who’s “stuff” they are dealing with, their own, their parents or others in their space.
They “tune in” to Universal Law, not our Social laws.
They have a very profound connection with the spiritual realm, moving in and out of this realm, comes as easy as breathing. Often they are not aware that others don’t experience life in the same way.
Comment by Pat May 21, 2006 @
[...] outgoing/adultaddstrengths.com/2006/02/09/top-10-advantages-of-add-in-a-high-tech-career/’);” href=”http://adultaddstrengths.com/2006/02/09/top-10-advantages-of-add-in-a-high-tech-career/”>Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tec [...]
Pingback by Mahmood Rattansi » Adult ADD Strengths » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career May 23, 2006 @
Adult Attention Surplus Condition
I consider myself very fortunate to be blessed with Adult Attention Surplus Condition, otherwise known as ADD. Unfortunately, I can’t claim to be the author of “Adult Attention Surplus Condition”…
Trackback by eSelfHelp.com Blog June 2, 2006 @
[...] wraps up with Pete Quily discussing adults with ADD and his recent front page Digg on the Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career. Listen N [...]
Pingback by Conversations from Northern Voice 2006 ~ The Chris Pirillo Show August 20, 2006 @
[...] ing ADD can be a competitive ADDvantage in a High Tech Career, here’s 10 reasons why.read more | digg story [...]
Pingback by Tech Industry » Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career September 8, 2006 @
I wanted to say how grateful I am for your article of the top 10 advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career. It was passed unto me by a friend and I was very quick to share it with my husband (adder) and my son who is 15 is a classic ADHD. Not only is it very comforting, but it was very encouraging. I have 3 children… 2 sons who have both been diagnosed with ADD. The oldest who is 15 fits your description to a “T” and sadly both boys are doing miserably in the school system. They are always bored, completely unorganized and hopeless at fulfilling tasks on time. They end up failing mostly because of these issues than it being a question of intelect. It seems that we are constantly trying to make them “fit” because if they don´t they are branded for life! I find the emotional side of ADHD to be the most problematic while growing up as they seem unable to balance the emotional with their intelectual capacities and get lost. The comments of wellmeaning teachers with little knowledge or paticence to the “non conformist students” can utterly damage the self esteem and hence the future success of these children. Sadly my experience has been exactly that due mostly to the “this is just a question of lack of discipline and not a “real sickness” approach.
My real question is how do I get the boys through school so that they can get into the job that would be the most adequate for them if they constantly flunk?
Comment by Ally September 12, 2006 @
Thanks Ally, you might try looking at my Teaching Students Who Have ADD section of my website, it has Links to 34 Articles & Ebooks
http://www.addcoach4u.com/teachingstudentsadhd.html
You may also want to get the boys dreaming to find out what kind of career they’d like. Then (depending on age) get them to research what they need to do to get there, most cases that involes completing high school. Boys need a reason to do things. That might be one.
Comment by Pete Quily September 12, 2006 @
I have ADD and I live a very happy life.
Comment by Rodrigo November 11, 2006 @
[...] “Lucky” It’s the story of a guy who wakes up in the trunk of a speeding car Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career 85% of adu [...]
Pingback by McKendall Net » Blog Archive » February 10th Dailies November 16, 2006 @
[...] This may be relevant to some of the bloggers at the Northern Voice Blog Conference in Vancouver this Friday and Saturday. Where there probably will be more adults with attention surplus condition than the average 5% in the population. See Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career. [...]
Pingback by Adult ADD Strengths » The Well Organized Web Designer. Physical, Digital, Design and CSS February 22, 2007 @
[...] Hopefully some people at moosecamp and Northern Voice blogging conference may give me some ideas on blog activism or help get the word out about this problem by blogging about it, since there are more techies with ADHD than the average in the population. There are wait lists for many health conditions but here were just talking about getting basic diagnosis let alone treatment. [...]
Pingback by Adult ADD Strengths » 1 year Wait List for a Full Year for Adult ADHD Diagnosis Embarrassing? Solution? Close Down the Clinic. February 23, 2007 @
Pete,
When I read this post in November 2006 and I cried with joy. It was completely me. This was the first time I’d read something that lined up all my strengths in a positive way. For all the things on this list; people had told I was doing things “wrong” and gave me extra dull tasks to “help” me. I can see they were misguided and that I have a special and rare gift. Attempts to have me conform to what others thought failed because that was just not me. It also explains why I’ve been extremely successful as an entrepreneur. I went out on my own in June of 2006 and haven’t looked back once!
Awesome article, I look forward to having you as my coach this spring!
Comment by Adria Richards March 21, 2007 @
Thanks multiple entrepreneur Adria, I look forward to coaching you
Comment by Pete Quily March 22, 2007 @
[...] read about why ADD benefits, yes, benefits tech workers here [...]
Pingback by Matt Gibson : Blog Archive : ADD is a good thing April 12, 2007 @
[...] [NADD] Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career (adultaddstrengths.com, 392 saves) [...]
Pingback by Best of Feeds - 15 links - blogging, google, reader, photo, windows, orthogonality « //engtech April 17, 2007 @
[...] The Free Geek just sent me a link to his post 25 Free Health Tips for Computer Nerds but it’s not just for geeks (there is a difference between geeks and nerds). It’s for anyone who uses a computer and frankly most tips are useful to most people at work, though there are some specific tech examples. Since ADDers are more likely to work in the geek sector because of their ADD superpowers I thought I’d blog it. [...]
Pingback by Adult ADD Strengths » 25 Free Health Tips for Cube Farmers and Web Workers May 1, 2007 @
[...] Top 10 Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career Oddly (maybe not so oddly?), most of my tech friends have ADD…….. (tags: add, tech, interesting, top10) [...]
Pingback by Tech.Chick.Blog » links for 2007-06-05 June 5, 2007 @
[...] two articles are 151 positive attributes of ADD and top 10 advantages of ADD in high tech careers. I hope they stir hope in locals frustrated by how their ADD-driven behaviors are [...]
Pingback by Hope for locals with ADD » Idaho Falls Discussion June 26, 2007 @
[...] I’m adding to the pile.) I can’t help but wonder whether this isn’t a somewhat positive aspect of this so-called disorder I’ve been saddled with. You see, I have many varied interests, and [...]
Pingback by bits of ink » Blog Archive » Making ADD work for you? July 3, 2007 @
The thing about ADD and working in a technological field is that you need to have a fresh supply of coffee. I find that with out coffee, my attention span is very short and I too easily end up surfing the net instead of working.
Comment by Craig August 18, 2007 @
About half of these top 10 apply to me and the other half and are the exact opposite. (I’m not impulsive, I study things to death, I’m nitpickingly detail-oriented, I hate overstimulation, avoid violent movies like the plague, and spend most of my time in silence. I even walk out of stores before I’ve finished if it’s too noisy.)
I was diagnosed by an expert in Tourette Syndrome at a Harvard teaching hospital. Maybe I should get re-diagnosed. I’ve heard that sometimes a mild form of autism can be confused with ADD.
I have the IQ of a baked potato, and that’s without the sour cream, but somehow I managed to get a degree and a key.
Also 2 important points:
- Some doctors can be stubbornly ignorant. Don’t see a primary care physician for something that requires a psychiatrist. They’re simply not qualified to diagnose ADD.
- ADDers are not good at multi-tasking. No one is. It is a common delusion. This has been studied many times. Even people who think that they’re good at multi-tasking perform MUCH worse than if they handled each task exclusively and sequentially.
Comment by Michael October 25, 2007 @
ADDvantages can help you in many areas of life. It is just a case of restructuring what you do, to make it more appealing to your learning style. For example, I’m at college and rather that read a text book in my head, then try to remember it. I read out loud and record it on a dictaphone, that way I can listen back and jot down the important information. So if you listen better than you read, that could work for you. Either way, you will find your own way to use your gift, if you stick at it.
Comment by Chad December 31, 2007 @
Oh and can I just reiterate, ADD is a gift. Yes it does have disadvantages but what doesn’t. The ‘normal’ kid in school will have weaknesses too. However, these will probably fall under our strengths. Such as creativity and so on…
p.s. the comment about multi-tasking being a myth is partly right, the ability to multitask well only really works when the tasks are related to the same end goal.
By the way if you like my way of thinking, check out -http://borntoexplore.org/Positive%20and%20Alternative%20Views.htm
Chad - dark_purple_18@hotmail.co.uk
Comment by Chad December 31, 2007 @
Add is a double edge sword, always known my brain was wired different, hard to deveolop interpersonal skills with “slow brains”, most people when they talk bore me and takes them way to long to get to points. So ADD good and bad, need skills to turn it on and off or it can drive slower minds nuts. (Which is after all pretty much everyone)
Comment by John February 5, 2008 @
This does NOT sound like ADD to me. Very little of it, anyway. I have both Adult ADD and a PhD in Psychology. Read the clinical literature for a more accurate portrayal. Thanks.
Comment by Rich February 8, 2008 @
I’m wondering if there’s an overlap in symptoms between true ADD people and very creative very intelligent people who might not be ADD but who are confined to roles lacking in creativity and intelligence. The colleagues may well be friendly, well-meaning, and smart — it’s then even more frustrating when they say interesting things but just don’t “get” fairly obvious consequences, when everything has to be spelled out (and they still don’t get it).
Comment by Simone April 24, 2008 @
[...] Here’s why: (Hat tip to Peter Quily, author of “Top Ten Advantages of ADD in a High Tech Career”) [...]
Pingback by Multitask Like an Octopus on Crack | Strategic Profits May 29, 2008 @