u/DiscountFluffy7550

I worked on the corporate side of Amazon at HQ and was part of the layoffs. I was only in the role briefly, and it was a newer area for me (program management/enablement), but not something that felt beyond my capabilities.

During this season of layoffs and transition, I’ve done a lot of soul-searching. At 40, I was newly diagnosed with ADD as a woman. So many things in my life suddenly make sense now — which feels both validating and bittersweet.

It’s made me reflect on workplace environments and how differently neurodiverse brains operate. Can a female neurodiverse brain with ADD truly thrive at Amazon or similar setting?

What should I do going forward to thrive in a role?

For example, I was told by my manager that I had to work only at my desk, even though changing work locations helps my focus and productivity. I was also told I couldn’t use the Pomodoro symbol/status in Slack during focus blocks and needed to remain constantly available on Slack throughout working hours, without protected focus time.

I’m genuinely curious how other neurodiverse employees have navigated this, especially women with ADD/ADHD in high-demand corporate environments.

This rich community of PMs might be able to guide me. I was recently at almost 40 year old female diagnosed with ADD. So much of my life makes sense now. Question: is project management just not the best field for me?? I’m working on my PMP now and have been in some form of project management my when career but recently struggled as a tech PM and was <thankfully> laid off before it got too bad.

Is project management even possible with ADD?

Finally —- if I needed extra time during the PMP, is it hard to get that accommodation?