There Is Wisdom In The Multitude Of Counselors

Neighbors & Friends, I have a question: Would you have some advice, or have you encountered this?

First, don't worry, I'm not on the holy-rolling preaching faith on the blog here. I didn't grow up in a church per se, but my mom did, and over the years I have been quoted quote after quote, etc, in relation to a life event, and how it applies. 

So I pulled out the good book, (KJV) and checked. I found that Proverbs 11:14 reads as so: "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety"

As I saw on the internet, the title quote is a misinterpretation of the verse, but I get the point of both, as they make sense. I am interested to know if any of you have some suggestions.

Without a whole life story, I have ADHD. I was diagnosed formally last year, and my medication has made a tremendous change for the better, and I am thankful for that. I have always been bright, but I was also the kid that was paying attention to the irrelevant details, and would be labeled as "distracted" (ask my mom.)

Late to class? Late to work? Turned in A papers that went to a C strictly because of time penalties? Yep, I had all of that. Talking before thinking? No, I've never done that. Needless to say, its been a learning experience in the identification of what the hell has been going on all these years. Other interesting confirmation came from my niece's babysitter who holds a Master's Degree in Child Development and Psychology. She asked my mother when picking up my niece (with no prior knowledge of my diagnosis), "How long has Daron been ADHD?" She was then able to tell my mom about me growing up, and she said she had figured it out within the first 15 minutes of meeting me. The same with my psychiatrist. He explained things that happened, as if he had known me all of my life. 

Maybe someone in your life, or you yourself has ADHD, or have dealt with this, and perhaps you might have some suggestions that would help. I wrote my blog post about wages, and some of the reason behind that is I'm frustrated with what has happened in my life - 16 jobs in 16 years. The track record doesn't look good. 

Today I interviewed with a catering company, and for the first time in my life, I was straight up front, and took the approach of "i don't give a shit, i'll tell them exactly what the deal is." Sure enough, the owner said her son was, and she was very familiar with the condition. She looked at my resume and pointed out that there was a year or less at most of the jobs. I said yes, that's the truth. I've been fired, I've quit, I've had jobs that have closed. I don't think I'll get the job, but that's ok. The help today was that I was able to be up front, and clear about what the hell has gone on. She said she would call in a week, and that she had 3 other interviews today. (Usually, when you get the job, you get hired or made an offer a lot faster)

So I'm asking if anyone has suggestions. Maybe you are a hiring manager, and you have to deal with employees like me. What is the most effective way to address my work history? If I am completely honest, I will end up showing a complete pile of shit resume. If I lie, well I'm lying. However, there is something to be said about all these jobs - maybe I don't have the experience in longevity, but I have learned a tremendous amount. 

How does one highlight that? I had a former boss tell me that he completely fudged his resume when he landed the best job he had ever had. It worked. As time went on, he became increasingly valuable to his company, and actually made his location the most profitable of any in the entire country. (this is not a lie) ((Name and company withheld for obvious reasons))

As an applicant, should I declare ADHD on the application, as it is protected by the ADA act? But if I declare it, would you hesitate to hire me? I am smart, bright, intelligent, and I can be that employee that will leave you baffled thinking what the hell is wrong with this guy?

If you have any suggestions, anything would help. If you have a child with ADHD, take time to remember that they are not fighting you to be difficult. The same applies to employees. You can't judge us with the same stick, and I'm sorry that its difficult. Medication has helped me, and though I'm not an M.D., there are options. I want to achieve success, and any help or suggestions would greatly help. If you know of a crafty way to highlight the positives and negatives in a good way, let me know. 

Thanks Altadena. 

Daron