July 20
ADHDers tend to be good at a bunch of different things, but just because we're good at something doesn't necessarily mean it's the right career path for us. In fact, career counselor Shell Mendelson is here to ask us: forget about the things you’re good at, what are the skills you love using?
As a career coach and counselor of 30 plus years, Shell specializes in supporting ADHD adults in building lasting, fully satisfying careers and businesses. She has developed a unique career counseling system based on Richard Bolles’s book What Color is Your Parachute? that involves taking a deep dive into all the aspects of what would make up an ideal job on an individual level.
During our conversation Shell shares her own ADHD backstory before getting into how to identify whether you’re in the wrong job, why building a career foundation based on what excites you is so crucial for ADHD health and happiness, ways to advocate for your specific needs during the hiring process, and much more.
Shell believes in focusing on the skills that bring us joy rather than simply what we excel at, a simple yet important mindset shift that just may have you considering a whole new career path. more.
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"It's not about what you're good at, it's not about your strengths. It's about, what skills do you love using?"
- Shell Mendelson
"I feel like people with ADHD, underneath it all that's who we are, we're the movers and shakers. We're the ones that develop the products and the services, the things we come up with, the ideas for these things. And we sometimes follow through and get them done."
- Shell Mendelson
"You don't have to reveal that you have ADHD, but you can say ‘when I have these kinds of conditions, I will perform beyond your expectation."
- Shell Mendelson
- Shell was not diagnosed with ADHD as a child but was later diagnosed as having all types of ADHD, without any co-occurring conditions like anxiety or depression.
- Shell describes herself as an introvert who had friends in high school but found socializing challenging. She later experienced worsening symptoms during perimenopause and menopause, including inattentive type ADHD symptoms and difficulty with working memory and focus.
- Shell shares her experience of transitioning to career coaching for ADHD individuals, emphasizing the importance of clarity and decision-making.
[25:18 - 40:25] Career assessments and work environment preferences
- Shell discusses the importance of evaluating a workplace based on non-physical factors such as company mission, clear instructions, flexibility, and work-life balance.
- Shell's personal foundation was education, which led to various branches such as curriculum development, teaching, and online course creation.
- Shell offers a coaching program for women with ADHD to help them discover their passions and hyperfocus on what's truly important to them.
- Shell advises job seekers to ask the interviewer if the position they're interviewing for is the same one they'll be doing on day one, and to watch how the interviewer responds to this question to gauge the company's culture and support for employees.
- Shell discusses challenges faced by employees with ADHD in the workplace, including a lack of accommodations and unfair treatment in performance improvement programs.
- Shell emphasizes the importance of identifying and leveraging one's strengths and passions, rather than solely focusing on weaknesses or skills that are not enjoyable.
Website: www.careercoachingwithshell.com
Facebook: Career Coaching with Shell
LinkedIn: Shell Mendelson
Gmail: shell.mendelson@gmail.com
Tracy’s program: Your ADHD Brain is A-OK
