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Is going to trade school really worth it? What career field would be best for someone who is neurodivergent?

Im not going to college and will most likely end up having to work nonstop manual labor my whole life, so I want to know some positives and negatives.

career job cv23 trade tradeschool neurodiversity postsecondary
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Todd’s Answer

Neurodiversity is a spectrum, so it depends on where you are within that spectrum. If you're talking ADHD, motivation is a challenge and largely based upon interest. Finding a career that can capture your interest, make use of your times of hyperfocus, and keep your attention can be most beneficial. Think about what your current interests are now and how you can pursue them within an industry. There are a lot of opportunities out there, so finding the right opportunity may mean starting from the ground up in an industry that offers the chance to learn and grow. Experiment now while you're young so you can make informed choices as you get older.
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Elizabeth’s Answer

Hey Claudia, hope you're doing well! I'm going to answer this question from my own point of view as someone who is neurodivergent & found a career that works well for me. I hope that by sharing my own personal experience, you can get a few ideas for how to forge your own unique path :)

The way that I found my current career was almost accidental! I fell into it after many years consisting of a lot of experimentation with different projects, freelance gigs, and roles. If ever I had a curiosity, I would follow that curiosity and dive right into learning about the topic. Your mileage may vary, but I find that for myself, I learn best through creating & completing short-term projects. Personally, I never thrived in a traditional learning environment, but with Google, YouTube, and countless other online resources for learning, I was able to self-teach myself photography. Being a photographer eventually led to gigs as a photo retoucher & an online writer. Then, being an online writer exposed me to the world of content marketing, digital analytics, front-end development and digital content management for the first time.

Eventually, I ended up booking a contract job for a small boutique looking for someone to photograph & upload products to their website. They liked that I had experience in photography/writing/analytics, and were willing to get me trained up on anything else I needed to succeed in this first-ever eCommerce role. The rest is history! I've loved working in the eCommerce field because it is fast-paced and there is a lot of variety - not just in the day-to-day operations but there's also a wide variety of roles available within the eComm industry.

So, I'd say keep following your curiosities, keep learning about the things you are passionate about, and keep completing fun projects for yourself. The experimentation you do early on will likely be so helpful for understanding what you do - and what you don't - enjoy.
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Blanche’s Answer

I have to say, there are careers that don't follow the traditional college route and pay really well. My husband got a certification in Safety/Safety Management from OSHA and he makes minimum 35.00 an hour and he doesn't do physical labor. There are other roles like pipecoder that make even more. I personally got a certification from PMI and I got a 14,000 increase from my previous salary as an Admin at the same company. Certifications are the way to go if you don't want to go to college. Good luck.

Blanche recommends the following next steps:

Check out the OSHA website or google the term certifications for jobs that pay well.
Think of what you are interested in doing and google opportunities that don't require a college degree
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Briana’s Answer

Hi, Claudia.

I also consider myself neurodivergent, and I went the university/professional degree route. That's not to say you have to do that, I just want to make it clear that neurodivergence is often not as much of a roadblock as some may believe. I would give you the same advice I give everyone looking into the best career path: Know yourself. Be honest about your interests, goals, motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. Then look into career options that suit those traits and help you grow. Many neuroatypical people find it difficult to navigate "office culture," for example, so maybe one of your priorities should be to find a career path that facilitates independent work or work from home.

Someone already pointed out that certifications are a great way to spend less time/money on a specialization that still makes a decent income. Trade schools like for welding, HVAC, electricians, and mechanics are also an option. If you would rather not do a labor-centric job, start looking into trade schools and certifications in administrative or tech work. Working from home has opened up many doors for those types of well paying jobs.
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Emmanuel’s Answer

Hey Claudia,

I just want to let you know that you did a wonderful job asking your question. I believe you have potential despite being neurodivergent. I agree with Blanche. It starts with what drives you. The things that you would be excited to wake up in the morning and do.

I wish you well in your career endeavors.

Emmanuel
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Maria’s Answer

The Lime Network is a fantastic resource that can guide you through the career and college readiness process. It provides information on career opportunities, social events, fellowship programs, and much more! Keep in mind, having a disability often brings unique advantages. For example, it encourages you to find creative solutions and be resourceful when facing challenges.
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Eric’s Answer

Speak with your counselor on going to college or a trade school; they have the resources to find out for you. A good way to find out what you like and your capabilities is to do an assessment. Your state should have an employment agency that can help you with a trade or courses that you may find interesting. One site I would recommend taking a look at is: https://askjan.org/info-by-role.cfm#for-individuals:job-seekers
There is a lot of great information that can help you decide what career path you would like to take. Another great avenue to pursue is Job Corps:
https://www.jobcorps.gov/train They will teach you and give you on-the-job training in many career fields. You are taking the right steps to inquire and seek out information to find out what works best for your. I wish you well in finding the right career for you.

Eric recommends the following next steps:

https://askjan.org/info-by-role.cfm#for-individuals:job-seekers
https://www.jobcorps.gov/train
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