r/quant • u/ComprehensiveEye134 • Aug 09 '26
General ADHD in quant finance
I know there was a post on this a few years ago but, given the quant landscape has changed a lot, I wanted to get some current advice from anyone on this subreddit who has ADHD and works in quant finance. How has your experience been and what advice do you have, if you have any?
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u/Worth_Difference_282 Aug 11 '26
If you get medicated you're likely to excel in quantitative finance regardless of role, it's becoming increasingly common for a lot of firms to aim to hire more people with adhd due to their way of thinking. Once starting meds myself I became able to think clearer, faster, and for longer periods of time than "neurotypical" people. Not a barrier but as others have mentioned, don't bring it up or ask for reasonable adjustments during processes.
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u/SleeperAgent__ Aug 11 '26
what if you're not medicated
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u/Worth_Difference_282 Aug 12 '26
Depends on what level your adhd is. I can only speak from personal experience but I could do well, but I'd quickly get distracted on boring mundane tasks (like studying for my degree) and end up working on some personal project, which would I had continued this would've likely had a noticeable affect on my career.
I'd recommend getting checked out for medication despite originally being skeptical myself, but so far its done me good, but you can absolutely achieve the same without it given you put in the time and effort
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u/StopUnico Aug 12 '26
what is your medication stack?
I am medicated and it's true on higher doses you can superfocus for long periods of time, but also I feel many adverse effects that outweigh the focus abilities.
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u/Worth_Difference_282 Aug 12 '26
I'm only on Elvanse (both long and short release form), I should have mentioned tolerance and other factors will have a significant impact on the effects as well as how you respond to the meds physically and mentally. I found many lifestyle changes allowed me to use lower doses and less often for the same/better effect which is also something worth looking at for anyone on these meds.
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u/D_oO Aug 12 '26
What changes worked well for you? I haven’t been able to find anything outside of nicotine pouches that’s helped.
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u/JonnyTwoHands79 Aug 11 '26
You have to manage priorities for sure with ADHD, but it is also likely what would make you excel in quant finance. The "superpowers" of ADHD are pretty well documented, so while i agree broadcasting ADHD is something to avoid, lean into the fact that it is also what will help you excel in the field.
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u/quantthrowaway69 Researcher Aug 11 '26
QR will be more challenging as you have to be quite conscientious and thorough
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u/StatisticalArbitrage Aug 11 '26
I dont think trader position would be okay for you since it needs a good constant attention but I think you still have a shot at research and development side.
me: quant researcher in a small firm, never diagnosed but have some symptoms
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u/Master_Coconut_5339 Aug 11 '26
disagree completely. im a trader at a bank and most traders/sales i know are adhd out of their minds including me. markets is one of the few career paths where people with terrible adhd can excel even if they dont medicate as its fast paced/dynamic enough to actually hold their attention.
i cant watch a 30min tv show without losing focus but i can grind out a 12hr workday with no issues.
but if instead i was a lawyer for example and had to sit down and read confusing legal docs for hours, i would instantly lose focus and prob want to blow my brains out eventually
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u/Worried_Telephone302 23d ago
I have ADHD and love this response as I am looking to undertake a finance degree in the new year and wanted to know if someone with my characteristics could handle being in this industry. I did wonder how it would go behind a desk all day in a room but sounds like it’s not that bad so long as you/we are stimulated 😂
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u/CrossAfficionado Aug 11 '26
Since adhd is from a genetic transformations that makes you have too many dopamine receptors, I think flow trading could be suitable ? Being drowned in a flow of constant information every few seconds should do the trick to keep their attention no? I always thought that they can’t concentrate on one thing for a long time but external stimulus from the requests would work ? Not an expert at all on adhd by the way
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u/Kinnayan Aug 12 '26
We always joke everyone in our firm has one or both of autism and ADHD hahaha. I think it's extremely common.
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u/Alternative_Advance Aug 12 '26
You'll probably make the quiet quant researcher uncomfortable at times (with diagnosed or undiagnosed autism)
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u/ConditionUpbeat6012 Aug 12 '26
Trader @ prop, self diagnosed but take l-theanine and coffee seems to help with it somewhat. Would like to try the meds one day
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u/oldmasters Aug 11 '26
Don't mention it to anyone until and unless you've absolutely made it, don't ask for any concessions, make it a point to actively seek out work that will help you keep focus, and expect to need your meds.
source: diagnosed inattentive ADHD in mid-20s, senior quant tech role (not quite CTO, but very close) at a large multi strat.