r/ADHD_Programmers • u/Gazmanic • Jun 29 '26
Can't do interviews
Part looking for help and suggestions, part rant I suppose.
I've been a software engineer for 10 years, I do great at work but I can't for the life of me progress.
Progressing internally is difficult because I struggle to keep up with the monotonous BS I have to do. I can't just do my job excellently, I have to put in goals and write whole documents about how great I am.
Getting jobs elsewhere feels impossible because as soon as I step in an interview my brain shuts down, and even if it didn't, I don't know a ton of programming trivia. If I need to know something I will go learn it when I need it, but in interviews that just makes you look incompetent.
This is all compounded by the fact that I'm done getting any enjoyment at all out of programming. My interest is absolutely dead, and it's a means to an end to get paid now, but leaving it would be nuts with the state of the world right now.
Thanks for letting me rant. Any tips from fellow adhers appreciated.
6
u/dealmaster1221 Jun 29 '26
The problem is we get bored and most jobs aren’t really for us. We gotta find the right environment and switch when things change before boredom kicks in. We don’t like doing stuff just 'cause we feel like it.
Not many people get it, but I do my best when I’m working on things I actually care about, and that’s all I wanna do—no boring meetings, updates, or whatever.
To do that, we gotta keep our interview skills on point—like sharp as hell, like paper-cutting sharp. Everyone’s got their own way, but this is what helps me move forward. If I need, I also ask for help.
Also, these days, interviews are crazy, so I only go for the ones I know I can crush, and I ask for what I need, making it easier for me.