Noted psychologist and author Mel Levine once pointed out that the only time in your life when you are expected to be good at everything is when you are in school. Working adults have some flexibility to choose a career that is tailored to their particular strengths and talents. On the flip side, if you have a particular weakness, you have the option to choose a job that does not use that skill. Are you great at spatial relations but terrible at singing? You won’t be an opera singer, but you might be an architect.

Everyone, with ADHD or not, is better at some things than at others, and likes some things more than others. As you think about your career choices, or even just a summer job while you’re still in school, you’ll want to keep your strengths and weaknesses in mind.

Think back to the most interesting thing you’ve ever worked on. It might be something in school, a project around the house, something connected to a hobby or something you tried on vacation. What was it about it that was great for you? What kind of thinking did it require? How much did you move around or sit still? Did you have to concentrate on one thing, switch your concentration often, or keep track of multiple things at once? What academic skills did it use? Was it inside or outside? What did you have to wear? All of these answers will help you figure out what kinds of things you both like and are good at.

Now think about the things you’ve never enjoyed or always been pretty bad at. Answer the same questions. This will help you steer away from jobs that won’t be good for you. Keep in mind, however, that every job, no matter how wonderful, will have some aspects that aren’t perfect. The question is, are these things you can get through and live with, or will they make you miserable or unsuccessful?

If you have ADHD, you have a disability. You are covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act. This means that, in most cases, an employer cannot refuse to hire you, fire you or discipline you because of your ADHD if you can otherwise perform the essential functions of the job. It also means that the employer must provide reasonable accommodations to help you be successful in your job.

So, what’s a reasonable accommodation? It’s something that is fairly easy for your employer to do or provide that will make it possible for you to do your job. Let’s say, for example, that your ADHD makes it hard for you to get work done if others are talking. And let’s say that your new office has some cubicles that are out in a common area and some offices where you can close the door. It is a reasonable accommodation for you to get an office instead of a cubicle.

Keep in mind, however, that not everything you might need is a reasonable accommodation. To use this same example, if you can’t get work done if it’s noisy and your job is to sell funnel cakes at an amusement park, there really isn’t a reasonable accommodation that will help you. Amusement parks are noisy, and if you can’t be around noise you can’t do that job.

The vast majority of things you’ll need to be successful on the job won’t be things your employer does for you, however. They’ll be things you do for yourself. You’ll need to really be aware of what helps you succeed so you can help yourself and ask for any outside help that you need. All the advocacy skills and self-awareness you hopefully practiced in school will come in handy again on the job.

Keep in mind the various strategies that tend to work for you, as well as the types of things that tend to trip you up, as you think about your job or learn about a new one. Identify the parts of your job that are likely to give you the most trouble. What kinds of things can you do ahead of time to help yourself? For example, if you have trouble keeping track of papers and materials, color coded folders or stacking trays might help keep you organized so this won’t become a problem at work.

Many people are embarrassed to ask a boss or coworker for assistance at work. You might be afraid that people will judge you or think you’re not smart. In most cases, however, if you’re very specific about the help you need, people are happy to assist. It’s also important to remember that, very often, the consequences of not asking for help might be worse.

Let’s say, for example, that it’s hard for you to proofread your own writing. You might not be a great speller, or maybe it’s just hard for you to concentrate on the minute details of where the commas are supposed to go. You have a choice – you can ask someone to help with proofreading, or you can turn out letters or reports with mistakes in them. Most people don’t mind helping a colleague who says, “I’m really bad at spelling. Can you check this for me?” When the final product has mistakes, they’re much less forgiving and more judgmental.

Be aware of the types of work and assignments that are hard for you, and the types of help that can get you over that hump. You’ll be amazed just how smart people may think you are, simply because you really know what you don’t know!