Too scared to get a job - what to do

Congratulations on getting a first!

Do you have a plan or an interest in what career you want to take? Make sure you have some good experience you can note down on your CV - did you do any internships, volunteering, past employment. Write a CV and send off applications to jobs you are interested in. It might help to use your careers service as they can check things through and suggest improvements if necessary.

The next step, should you be successful, is interviews. Interviews can be nerve-wracking, but they are necessary to get a job. If you get offered an interview, make a list of potential things they might ask you and prepare answers for them. It might help to get a friend or family member to practise interviews with you so you get used to it and feel more relaxed for the real thing.

Congrats on your result.

Now get over your 'fear'. I assume you're 21+, you're an adult. You can't go through life doing nothing. Google 'too scared to apply for jobs' and decide what you're going to do next.

I want to apply for ESA and live off that for the rest of my life. I cant handle life.

People have pointed out to me about my shaking hands on a number of times now. I think i have an anxiety disorder.

I want to apply for ESA and live off that for the rest of my life. I cant handle life.

People have pointed out to me about my shaking hands on a number of times now. I think i have an anxiety disorder.

So i’ve finished uni with a first

(Yay)

But whatever. What am i supposed to do now cos i am too scared to apply for jobs. I think i have an anxiety problem. I am too scared to go to interviews. What should i do?

Thank you, but i feel like it wont count for anything because of this anxiety. I do have a little bit of experience in jobs like retail

But i plan on doing some voluntary work now. I really need some confidence.

Applying for jobs and even voluntary work makes me incredibly anxious. I would even avoid their phone calls if they were to invite me for an interview

I am not sure what to do and feel like applying for any old random job. I just want a job so that i can build some confidence atm. Im thinking of supermarkets/retail.

And would you think it’s ok to mention anxiety in an interview? :/

So i’ve finished uni with a first

(Yay)

But whatever. What am i supposed to do now cos i am too scared to apply for jobs. I think i have an anxiety problem. I am too scared to go to interviews. What should i do?

I'm a few years behind you at starting second year of uni but I also have that anxiety. Can't help but just wanted to add that there are plenty of people like this, I imagine.

So i’ve finished uni with a first

(Yay)

But whatever. What am i supposed to do now cos i am too scared to apply for jobs. I think i have an anxiety problem. I am too scared to go to interviews. What should i do?

That's not a sensible plan.

Go see a GP and take steps to get yourself assessed. You need to deal with this, you can't just hide from life.

Please don't do this. Make an appointment with your GP and explain how you're feeling, they can refer you for counselling and/or prescribe medication that can aid with the physical symptoms. Don't let anxiety hold you back from living your life.

Hiding from the world will not help. You need to see your GP for help with your anxiety. Do not let it ruin your life.

Anxiety and mood disorders aside, which are the purview of medical professionals. It doesn't matter that you're afraid. It matters that you're not brave enough to face your fears. You need to prove to yourself that you're competent enough to deal with your fears. You do this through gradually climbing your hierarchy of fear. Start off with something small, like handing your CV in, then try a phone call, then when you're sure you're good at those things, go to an interview. You're probably not going to do so well at first, but that's fine. Go again and get practice until you succeed. At the very worst, you'll be bored of trying, but at least you can't be scared if you're bored.

Good luck.

If your anxiety poses a severe problem in your life, it might be worth talking to your GP or a counsellor to find a way to treat this.

How did you find university? Meeting new people, talking to tutors, presentations, attending interviews, group work, organising dissertation and research projects...

It might take small steps to get to where you want to be, but ignoring phone calls and giving up is not the way forward. Why not try volunteering to build some confidence? Also, what did you study for your degree?

So university wasnt too bad. I was a commuter student and i basically only turned up to uni for tutorials, labs and workshops. I didnt go to lectures because they were recorded and put online.

It was largely fine, albeit uncomfortable at times. I had a big problem walking around campus during first year. But by third year, walking around campus was largely ok. Group work was fine. I did the odd presentation here and there, which were ok but they would make me very anxious and i would struggle to breathe properly when giving some of them. Sometimes i could barely speak a sentence without struggling for air. I didnt really do any interviews. In my third year, i had to do a presentation about my dissertation to the whole class, and i just backed out of it. In the end, i had to present in my tutor’s office, where there were no other students. I knew something was wrong when practically everyone else managed to present to the class. I was one of the very, very few who didnt do it.

Yes, i plan on doing some voluntary work. I’d rather not tell everyone what course i did, so i’ll let you know by pm

You guys have said very similar things and seem to be on the exact same page. It is true that i have let this rule my life. And it is incredibly sad. I have lost years of my life because of this.

I dont like going to the GP, but i can force myself to go. Thing is, because i dont really go out much, my family always ask me where im off to when im heading out of the house. I dont want them to find out and Im not going to lie to them. And i dont want to come home and try and hide some anxiety medication from them or try and lie about going to counselling appointments

And i hate asking for help and being dependent on others. I like to deal with whatever issues life throws at me by myself. I am a male and this anixety thing makes me feel pathetic, weak and useless, so i would hate to talk about it with someone in real life, even if that maybe a GP who may understand that it’s something that is (somewhat) beyond my control

So i’ve finished uni with a first

(Yay)

But whatever. What am i supposed to do now cos i am too scared to apply for jobs. I think i have an anxiety problem. I am too scared to go to interviews. What should i do?