I’ve been working in real estate for 4 years as an analyst and went to a top 25 university before that. 2 years in asset management and 2 years in acquisitions. People generally regard me as intelligent but one thing that has tripped me up is unforced errors as my boss likes to call them. Because I make these tiny mistakes I’ve been under a lot of stress and it’s resulted in my being passed up for promotions. In an effort to change I’ve been triple checking my work which slows down my work output and exhausts me.
One night after a particularly hard week of small errors I was so mad at myself I started researching how to be more detail oriented when I saw an article about dealing with dyslexia. I called my mom to see if I had ever seen a doctor for this since I noticed I fit a few of the symptoms. I had passing thoughts sometimes I was dyslexic but had always brushed it off since I was near the top of my class. Turns out I was diagnosed in the first grade and was told I was dyslexic but it was never explained to me and was never brought up again.
I found out a month ago and it’s shocking news but makes total since in retrospect. I think my parents didn’t tell me because they want me to take over the family real estate business someday and at a higher level my dyslexia won’t be an issue. That being said being an analyst is absolute hell for me. I’ve been debating a career change but I’m not even sure what entry level doesn’t require being detail oriented.
Not sure anyone on this forum can relate but I thought I’d at a minimum vent. I’m going to continue not telling any of my coworkers I have dyslexia because I would assume it’s career suicide for an analyst. What would you guys do in my position?
I think it's very brave for you to be sharing this even on an anonymous forum. Kudos to you. I think the only person that can make that decision is you. I have a difficult time being detail oriented due to ADD but I work extra hard to stay focused and review my work thoroughly. I could never imagine a career change due to the fact that this industry is my passion. Wish I could offer more advice.
Don't think it matters - you've clearly been able to perform more than adequately while dealing with it. Don't start using it as an excuse now - you're only a victim if you view yourself that way.
When you're running the family business no one is going to give a fuck that you missed an oxford comma.
You missed a comma between "business" and "no". JK.
He right. OP must be a work horse to be top of class at a natural disadvantage. Like running a mile with weights on and still finishing top quartile. Dude will be fine.
Don’t give up. Many of the skills needed to succeed as a junior RE pro (like attention to detail, modeling or other process oriented tasks) are almost wholly irrelevant to succeed as a more senior pro (VP and up). People skills, relationships and creativity/strategic thinking become must-haves, which you may naturally excel at already as a dyslexic. In fact, many consider dyslexia to be a tremendous gift, as dyslexics tend to be better problem solvers, critical and abstract thinkers, more imaginative, and good empathizes/conversationalists. There’s no shortage of examples of hyper successful dyslexics in business, academics, the arts, or any other profession (eg, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Charles Schwab, Gary Cohn, Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Henry Ford, da Vinci, Picasso, and on and on). I have a cousin who’s dyslexic and is a very successful engineer, where attention to detail is critical.
As for what I would do in your shoes: I actually would tell your coworkers and boss. With your peers, I think you can simply shrug your shoulders and tell them you were recently diagnosed with dyslexia (no big deal). With your boss(es), I would sit down with him/her in private and be very transparent about the situation. Basically retell your boss the story that you posted here about how you’ve been frustrated by your unintentional errors, have been doing your best to triple check your work, and have been researching methods to fix these challenges, and that in your search you suspected dyslexia and were formally diagnosed with the condition by a medical professional (you should get a medical opinion if you haven’t already).
I would also tell your boss that you’re determined to succeed and that you’ve been able to persevere up to this point without aid or knowledge of being dyslexic, and that this newfound knowledge will help you to be more effective in devising strategies to address the issues you’ve been having (you should do some digging and thinking to figure out what these strategies could be).
Despite many positives, dyslexia is a legitimate disability with certain skills and your boss should appreciate your candor and desire to fix your challenges. I’m not sure why you think this would be career suicide since there’s more to a successful RE pro than minute details or process work (and, by the way, dyslexia is protected under the American Disabilities Act). If you approach sharing the info with your colleagues per above, I think people will be supportive and much more understanding.
The real question is how bad do you want to be in this business and are you willing to work harder than others to overcome your challenges. If you have a genuine passion for this business, a great attitude, and get along well with your colleagues, that will shine through and more than overcompensate for perceived shortcomings in a narrow skill set that won’t be all that important in the future anyway.
I want to say I appreciate your response and everyone else's response. Growing up, I always thought I had no talent, and it made me so angry at myself because I thought I wasn't trying hard enough. In response, I put in longer hours than my classmates and now my fellow analysts. Finding out I'm dyslexic is such a wave of emotions that I feel sad and relieved simultaneously. In the end, nothing did change, so I'll keep moving forward.
I know this sounds like a stupid question, but aren't you protected from discrimination? I assume your employer is an EEO.
Another reply suggested that as well. While I make dumb mistakes, I don't think it's bad enough to get fired. I am more worried because real estate is such a small industry that potential employers will learn about my dyslexia from the people I work with.
I read securitized products prospectuses every day and cannot begin to imagine what that’s like with dyslexia. Sounds really rough but impressive tbh
W parents. If they had told you that you were dyslexic you would have blamed dyslexia for many academic failures "Oh well, I guess I got a B because I'm dyslexic" and you may even skipped college becase "it's too academically focused and I will struggle".
Sometimes we limit ourselves and your story is a great example of how the stories we told ourselves (or not) determine who we become. Don't stop and don't let this concern stop you, your past is a clear indicator that you're able to succeed regardless of it.
Hi, thanks for sharing this post! I am also a dyslexic analysts and can completely understand the struggle. In college I was an overachiever & tried to overcompensate for my learning disabilities. I never received any accommodations in school and haven’t in my career either. It feels awful to have your work picked apart for grammatical/ spelling errors and can be so frustrating. On the bright side I have found that my dyslexia has given me a huge math / analytical advantage. There’s so many successful people out there that are different, don’t beat yourself up about something you can’t change :)
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