Potential new job and neurodiversity

[BrokenRice]

I’m trying to think things through and come to a decision about a career move and this seems like the best place to get sensible advice on MN.

The background is that I am being assessed for ADHD (appointment in less than 2 weeks). There’s a very significant family history of neurodiversity and my career history has been blighted by issues that are either ADHD or just me being totally useless.

On the surface, it looks like I’m doing quite well. I (somehow, eventually) managed to complete multiple degrees. I had an academic career for c. 15 years and then switched over to a public sector role more recently. But the whole thing has been a huge struggle, with all sorts of issues throughout. None of it has been smooth sailing and I have spent most of the time feeling like I’m just about to be sacked for being too useless.

I left higher education because it had become clear that it was untenable for me. I took a 30% pay cut to move into a new role. This isn’t enough to afford my life, especially as my marriage has imploded so I find myself a single parent with FT nursery bills and a mortgage and having to claim UC to get by.

I’ve been offered a new job in a different sector. It’s much better paid - I’ll almost double my current salary. Money will still be a bit tight while I’m paying nursery fees with no free hours at all (and as I’ll no longer qualify for any benefits), but not unworkably so. In the longer term, I’ll be much better off and there are opportunities for promotion and pay rises too. So long as I don’t mess it all up.

It sounds like an obvious yes BUT my current job is brilliant. I seem to have stumbled into a team in which ND is not just tolerated, it’s positively celebrated. At least half of the team have diagnoses of some kind and my managers (one has DCD and ADHD, the other is autistic) have been so supportive and helpful. They’ve encouraged me to seek a diagnosis but are happy to organise work so that I can draw on my strengths. It’s the only time in my life that I’ve ever felt like I’m actually thriving in a role.

So I’m trying to make a decision. I do need to earn more and the job I’ve been offered is a really good job and it seems to be a great company to work for. But I’m scared to move from a role where I feel
genuinely supported and valued for me. And potentially to go back to buggering everything up and feeling like I’m teetering on the edge of unemployment again.

I thought asking on the ND boards might be best because people are more likely to understand my fears around this.

A diagnosis and possibly medication might be helpful for the new role, I guess. It is an industry that’s notoriously awash with neurodiversity too, which might help.

Are there any possibilities for promotion/career development in your current job?

Currently I’m a civil servant. I work in a pretty niche team in a role with few close alternatives in the civil service. So, there are promotion opportunities and career development… but it’s not going to be quick. I’d have to move up 2 or 3 grades to be looking at the salary for the other role. That’s not going to happen quickly!

There aren’t any progression
opportunities within my team right now. It’s a great team and really supportive but there definitely still that civil service thing of ‘you’re new; you need to learn the ways of the civil service’ thing going on. So even if a role at the next grade up were to come
up, there are longer serving people who’d be promoted before me. Even the bottom of the pay scale for 2 grades up isn’t as high as this - and there’s precisely no possibility of being appointed to that.

There are pension contributions that could offset the difference in pay to some extent (making the next grade up almost equivalent to the package, but without bonus potential). But, in my current circumstances, a higher current salary would be a significant advantage over the long game that is the pensions difference.

Also, the role I’ve been offered in the private sector would give me experience that, after a couple of years, would probably make it possible to look at more senior civil service roles within the GDS framework (which tend to have additional salary bonuses etc anyway). So I could potentially earn a
similar amount to the private sector salary and have the pension contributions at that point. At that point the childcare costs would be hugely reduced too so the pensions/salary trade off would be more
sensible than right now.

BUT that’s all assuming I don’t screw it all
up. And, given my experiences of working with ADHD, I don’t feel confident of that.

I had adhd diagnosis about a year ago late 50s after a lifetime of feeling chaotic and useless.

It seems to me there's an explosion of awareness and learning in orgs about neurodiversity and the value we can and do bring, as well as reasonable adjustments. So while former employers might not have been great, times are changing and it may be the new org will be on a learning curve and be aware and open to ND peoples needs. It's seems to me also that with your diagnosis (assuming it is that)!you can also access medication and /or adhd specific coaching, plus your own understanding of how to work with the condition rather than your sense of being crap just cos you're crap, if that makes sense. So I'd say, go for it. Arm yourself with a diagnosis, disclose that on the confirmation of appointment and not before. And be prepared for it to go well.

This sounds really tough and I would also be nervous about leaving a very supportive environment to leap into the unknown!

In terms of timing, you have your appointment coming up so maybe just apply for the new role, put your best foot forward and you can make a decision after your assessment.

I am also moving jobs and about to be assessed. My hope is that the new job will be a better environment generally, but also that I may have accessed meds and/or coaching by the time I start which make things more manageable.

Good luck