Getting a job with anxiety
Hi I struggle with speaking to people and I get stressed very easy and this makes me really worried about finding a summer job before university. I’m worried about even having to attend an interview and the whole process and I don’t know what to do since I’m going to need to have a job to live next year as I’m going to get minimum maintenance loan ;-;
Does anyone have any tips or advice? 😕
Does anyone have any tips or advice? 😕
Reply 1
Therapy
Reply 2
Hi there!
I completely understand your concerns, as you mentioned, a lot of jobs (especially starting out) will require talking and engaging with people. And that's ok, because there should be support mechanisms in place to help you.
First things first, when applying to any job, it is worth telling the employer if you are diagnosed with anything, as this will grant access to more exceptional circumstances during interviews etc, especially for bigger companies that really push for inclusivity. A lot of the time, it will give you more leeway in examples like eye contact and movement that otherwise you could've been marked down for. It helps me this way as it means I don't have to focus on those areas and instead focus on the interview and what I'm actually saying.
Secondly, be prepared. When starting off any job, it will be a new environment (or might not be! you could see if there's any jobs going around your university when you join!) and it will take a while to adjust, especially in a fast-paced environment. But the staff should be there to support you and you may quickly learn that they become like best friends and family. I know I have had that experience at where I work when I was almost thrown in the deep end and had to learn a lot of things myself, but its worked out really well! Just make sure when starting out, you have your coping mechanisms ready if you need it, for example, whether that's music or just a bit of fresh air for 10 minutes. As long as your employer knows, a lot of the time they are more than happy to let you do that.
Thirdly, once you start university, they should have services to support you. A lot of the time they will have services that support in careers and help you find a suitable job. I know for us, for example, they offer interview skills and support, which might be really useful, as an example, for you to slowly develop so you can ace the actual interviews. And with the skills sessions, there's no pressure! If you mess up, that's fine, you can work on it and know what you can do differently next time.
But most importantly, make sure that you do seek out support wherever you can. The services you can access are all there to support you and maybe when you finish your degree, whatever it is, you could do the same to help other people!
However, if your unsure or have any questions about university life in particular, please don't hesitate to ask!
Koen
YSJ Student Ambassador.
I completely understand your concerns, as you mentioned, a lot of jobs (especially starting out) will require talking and engaging with people. And that's ok, because there should be support mechanisms in place to help you.
First things first, when applying to any job, it is worth telling the employer if you are diagnosed with anything, as this will grant access to more exceptional circumstances during interviews etc, especially for bigger companies that really push for inclusivity. A lot of the time, it will give you more leeway in examples like eye contact and movement that otherwise you could've been marked down for. It helps me this way as it means I don't have to focus on those areas and instead focus on the interview and what I'm actually saying.
Secondly, be prepared. When starting off any job, it will be a new environment (or might not be! you could see if there's any jobs going around your university when you join!) and it will take a while to adjust, especially in a fast-paced environment. But the staff should be there to support you and you may quickly learn that they become like best friends and family. I know I have had that experience at where I work when I was almost thrown in the deep end and had to learn a lot of things myself, but its worked out really well! Just make sure when starting out, you have your coping mechanisms ready if you need it, for example, whether that's music or just a bit of fresh air for 10 minutes. As long as your employer knows, a lot of the time they are more than happy to let you do that.
Thirdly, once you start university, they should have services to support you. A lot of the time they will have services that support in careers and help you find a suitable job. I know for us, for example, they offer interview skills and support, which might be really useful, as an example, for you to slowly develop so you can ace the actual interviews. And with the skills sessions, there's no pressure! If you mess up, that's fine, you can work on it and know what you can do differently next time.
But most importantly, make sure that you do seek out support wherever you can. The services you can access are all there to support you and maybe when you finish your degree, whatever it is, you could do the same to help other people!
However, if your unsure or have any questions about university life in particular, please don't hesitate to ask!
Koen
YSJ Student Ambassador.
Reply 3
It is advisable that you speak to your GP about this.
Reply 5
It feels really positive that you have shared your anxiety around finding a job. We understand that you get stressed when chatting with people and are concerned taht this will be the same when in an interview. If you feel that your anxiety is becoming a barrier to everyday life then talking to your GP would be the next step. This article might be useful as it covers anxiey and interviews but also signposts to other places that might suport you- https://www.verywellmind.com/tips-cope-with-job-interview-anxiety-3024324 Take care and every success in your search for a job, but remember to also enjoy your summer after all of yopur hard work.
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