My name is Michael and I’m a Content Strategist at Accenture. I joined Accenture in May 2022. In 2019 I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and a couple of years later, ADHD – a common comorbidity of BPD.
My career journey to date has been varied and fulfilling for different reasons.
Straight out of university, I teamed up with a friend to work in and eventually run a digital agency. Together we had been making videos in school and turned our talents into a business, eventually expanding into more content as well as software development. We were of an age where we were too young to know whether what we did was right or wrong, and fearless enough to just crack on anyway. In the 6 and a bit years we worked together, we dipped into all sorts of projects. I became a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’ but really found my strengths in relationship building and strategy.
Eventually, I left the business to go my own way and become a freelance brand and marketing strategist for a number of my own clients. Again, these saw me producing an eclectic mix of work, from company rebrands to hosting a sustainability-focused podcast.
At the start of the pandemic, I made another hop into the world of news media, producing content for a growing news business. I naturally fell back into the role of strategy, guiding the company through a much-needed reinvigorating rebrand. This was intense work and I found myself burning out, like many people with ADHD do.
I eventually stepped away from the role and fell into photography, which had been a hobby for a few months up to that point. It now became my main source of income and enabled me to take some incredible opportunities to work and travel at the same time.
And that was all before I got a call out of the blue about a role with Accenture – a company I had known about for most of working life. It seemed like the right opportunity and timing for me to step into such a role.
The recruitment process was very straight-forward. However, when I got the questionnaire through asking if there was any condition I wanted to declare, I froze.
Plenty of us over-think things, and that’s exactly what I started to do. I was in two minds as to whether I said anything, worried that I may get a message out of blue saying that the job offer had been retracted for ‘xyz’ reasons, but I’d know the real reason.
However, I eventually did decide to properly declare my diagnosis for two reasons:
Some advice a friend gave me. They said if I did disclose my diagnosis and that was a reason for not getting the job, then it wasn’t the place for me, not me being unsuitable for the role.
As part of researching the role and the company, I stumbled across a wealth of content about Accenture’s openness towards people with disabilities. The number of stories and campaigns that I sifted through made me feel so much more comfortable about disclosing, but also about myself and my own condition – that I would be stepping into an environment that would support me. To this day, I am very grateful for everyone who took the time to share their experiences, because it really made a difference to me.
Since joining the business, I’ve been lucky enough not to need to reach out for any support related to my diagnosis. However, I have always felt comfortable with the idea that, if needed, I could speak with my team without hesitation.
There are some fantastic disability networks at Accenture, which meet regularly to offer support, guidance and share helpful information about various conditions.
I’ve also been lucky enough to get involved in one of the campaigns, sharing my story as well as using my skills to help amplify the experiences of others.
What unique skills and strengths has your disability given you which have been an asset in the workplace?
Focusing on tasks: One of the blessings of ADHD is that when you can get your brain to properly focus, it doesn’t half fire quickly. I find tasks that require researching and synthesising information to spot trends and patterns incredibly rewarding.
Streamlining processes: The desire to see and understand the bigger picture of any given situation makes finding efficiencies in processes and designs quite straight forward.
Building relationships: whether mirroring is a strength or a skill, it does make forming relationships easier and teamwork relatively frictionless.
What advice would you give to disabled students applying for graduate positions/ going through the recruitment process?
Firstly, I’d suggest looking at what the prospective employer says about disabilities. If they have tonnes of content that promotes inclusivity and diversity, then be prepared to take them at their word and remind them of what they have said, if required.
Secondly, I would give the same advice as my friend: don’t be afraid or ashamed to disclose your disability. It is a part of who we are, and we deserve to bring 100% of ourselves to each day.
If disclosing your disability would preclude you from a role, then it’s not about you failing to fit the role, it’s the company that’s not the right fit for you.