The Student Room Group

I don’t want a job

I don’t want a job. Not because I don’t want to fall in with society or because I don’t think having a job is fun or valuable. My issue is my self-esteem. I don’t want a job as I feel to stupid and incompetent to be hired and don’t feel that I’m valuable enough to deserve to be earning money. The idea of working gives me a huge amount of anxiety as all I can imagine are a hundred ways I could mess up and the person employing me will think that I’m useless and will laugh at my inability to even do the simplest of tasks without messing it up. I’m to afraid to get a job but know I can’t not get one. Someone please help. Note: Going to a therapist is not an option as I don’t want my parents to know that I have any issue. Thank you so much in advance.
Reply 1
I experienced that too, it scared me to work because I will be speaking to other people and makes me worried that I will mess up. Okay let’s say your first day it will be scary but you will get used to it , the next day and the next will be much more fun because you will enjoy it. It gets really fun trust me.
Well the tough reality is that you’re going to have to get one. How are you going to provide for yourself in the future without one?

My advice would be to take some baby steps, think about what you’d like to do and what you don’t want to do. You absolutely are valuable enough to earn money. Try something part time to begin with to build your confidence to see how it works, remember you can always change jobs but don’t quit immediately (ie first week) as you won’t know truly know what the job is like in the first week. Jobs like retail (I’ve worked retail) don’t often have huge responsibilities so that might be a start.

Good luck!
(edited 5 years ago)
Reply 3
Fear holds us back from doing so many things. by having courage, we get to explore our abilities and potentials and discover so many things we never thought possible. You don't want to spend half of your life thinking I should have done that or I should have just gone for it. It's okay to mess up sometimes but that's what teaches us and pushes us to do better. we must learn from our mistakes. Each of us has been laughed at over something petty and we have also done same to others but there is nothing wrong in asking for help because we weren't created to be alone. Also, your family is there to support and help you so if don't tell them, they will never know how to help or what to do.
Good luck for the future. pm me if you need any help.
Original post by Searchingforsome
I don’t want a job. Not because I don’t want to fall in with society or because I don’t think having a job is fun or valuable. My issue is my self-esteem. I don’t want a job as I feel to stupid and incompetent to be hired and don’t feel that I’m valuable enough to deserve to be earning money. The idea of working gives me a huge amount of anxiety as all I can imagine are a hundred ways I could mess up and the person employing me will think that I’m useless and will laugh at my inability to even do the simplest of tasks without messing it up. I’m to afraid to get a job but know I can’t not get one. Someone please help. Note: Going to a therapist is not an option as I don’t want my parents to know that I have any issue. Thank you so much in advance.


Those feelings will go away with experience. I felt similar before I got my first job too. You will make mistakes and that's okay as long as you learn from them. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

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