Jobs for Social Anxiety sufferers?

inner_dwellings

New member
Hey,

I am 20 years old, and really need a part-time job. I have had plenty (I have worked at McDonalds, Walmart, a dollar store, an eye wear centre, and most recently Michaels)...yet none of them have lasted more than a week, because I let my social anxiety get to me. When I'm there, I feel like I just want to run away..like I can't deal with it.

However, there must be some jobs out there that aren't so closely dependent on social skills..I just can't think of anything.

Any suggestions/help would be GREATLY appreciated!
 

Regnier

New member
If your good with computers

You could do data entry type work, it's pretty tedious typing in numbers into little boxes over and over, but you pretty much sit in front of a computer all day... which may be better than having to face/talk to people all day, lotsa computer jobs like that, but they tend to be quite tedious.

There are job networks that specialize in helping people with disabilities, not just physical, psychological too, you could try one of them, they can help you find work that suites you rather than shoving you into the first job that comes along.
 

inner_dwellings

New member
zeroday said:
inner_dwellings,

how far are you from oshawa? i know 2 callcenters that are hiring right now. are you ok talking over the phone?

if you know computer programming, i know someone who wants some work done for a website.

if not theres manual labour, if you're near in the whitby area, i know a friend that has a business laying down drywall, i might be able to link you up with a job like that and get him to train you.

I live in Oshawa...

And I'm not sure how I would be on the phone..I'm assuming better than in person..
 

IceLad

Well-known member
inner_dwellings said:
However, there must be some jobs out there that aren't so closely dependent on social skills..I just can't think of anything.

I'm currently in the same position as you inner_dwellings. Like you said, it's very hard to think of any job suitable for people with SP. I was in my last job for nearly five years, and I felt so desperate some days.

The first few weeks when starting a new job are stressful for everyone, but this is even worse if you happen to have SP!

It's already been suggested, but the only thing I can think of is data entry, but surely there must be others :?: :?
 

Goofball

Member
Not sure how good you are with your hands, but auto repair kept me going for quite a while until I got out of college. Rotating tires, mount & balancing them and changing oil is pretty easy. Plus most shops dont allow customers in the work area. If your ever approached by a customer, you just point them to the nearest tech or service manager.
 

4leafclover

Member
I wanted to do data entry, but most of these jobs require you to use the phone. I have a phone phobia also.

One thing i've always wanted to do is write books - be an author. That is one career you can work from home in.

I found this homeworking site a while back where employers posted their home based jobs on, the site was free, but I can't remember what it was called.

You could also set up a website and do freelance work.

I'm finding it almost impossible to get a job :(, it seems everything requires you to use the phone or alot of communicating. Although I have been looking at fruit picking for instance, but there are no jobs like that round here :(
 

jamez

Well-known member
Social anxiety is really just a fear of people and particular social situations. You shouldn't base your work on this unless you really hate people and prefer working alone, not because your scared of em. Eventually you need to get over this fear.
 

SilentType

Banned
I think its totally fine to find a job that suits your social phobic lifestyle. Just make sure you have common social interactions with friends, family, etc and I don't think it would be a problem. It would be beneficial in the fact that the social phobic wouldn't have to seal with the stress and still have a good income (therea re some good jobs out there that you can do online, I'm studying to do medical transcription at the moment).

pEACE
 

RNB

Active member
Social anxiety is really just a fear of people and particular social situations. You shouldn't base your work on this unless you really hate people and prefer working alone, not because your scared of em. Eventually you need to get over this fear.

Easier said than done.
 

KiaKaha

Banned
I used to be a postman. Money was rubbish but at least I was alone. I am unemployed at the moment because I am in a similar position.
 

Section_31

Well-known member
As an IT network admin, i consider myself super lucky. I have an office with a locking door and a sign saying we dont accept walkups, to call the IT support line. I then work on computers remotely. I do have to interact with people on the phone, but i get paid to be left alone and just fix computers.

I had the same problem, and i fled a few jobs on the first or 2nd days because of my anxiety.

Just hang in there and keep trying, eventually you will end up where you need to be.
 

Agent_Violet

Well-known member
i'm in an office all day in front of my computer. i do have to talk on the phone with patients and insurance companies but it isn't all that horrible.

it's a small office and every knows i like to be left alone unless i seek out company. my husband does pop in to give me a kiss or to tell me he loves me but mostly i'm alone.
 

Richey

Well-known member
I wanted to do data entry, but most of these jobs require you to use the phone. I have a phone phobia also.

One thing i've always wanted to do is write books - be an author. That is one career you can work from home in.

I found this homeworking site a while back where employers posted their home based jobs on, the site was free, but I can't remember what it was called.

You could also set up a website and do freelance work.

I'm finding it almost impossible to get a job :(, it seems everything requires you to use the phone or alot of communicating. Although I have been looking at fruit picking for instance, but there are no jobs like that round here :(

while i agree with data entry, be careful because sometimes it can be tied into admin assistant and that requires being the social centrepoint for phone calls and logistics and documents with staff, organising social events and so forth ...i suppose it varies depending on the job, it can be high pressure and tricky to handle.

to be honest as long as its not a corporate setting in an open plan office then i can handle it.
 
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RoomBound

Well-known member
You could be a newspaper carrier. That's what I do while writing manuscripts that'll hopefully go public someday.

If you live with others, you can pay your regular bills, like credit cards, car insurance, food, etc with the paper job. If you have to pay for full rent yourself, though, only if you live in a big city with lots of customers/subscribers could you probably swing it.
 

coyote

Well-known member
truck drivers, especially OTR (over the road) drivers, get to spend most of their time alone in their truck

they get to move about, seeing lots of cool things, and listen to the radio all day

and interaction with others is very minimal
 

Ellybelly

New member
I know how you feel! I've just finished high school and couldn't manage the university course that I'd applied for. I've been job searching for months, but you either need experience, it's in a high stress fast paced environment, or it's a huge franchise in which you get lost in the system :S If you do find something, I'd love to hear about it! Good luck, hope it all goes well. :)
 
Hey,

I am 20 years old, and really need a part-time job. I have had plenty (I have worked at McDonalds, Walmart, a dollar store, an eye wear centre, and most recently Michaels)...yet none of them have lasted more than a week, because I let my social anxiety get to me. When I'm there, I feel like I just want to run away..like I can't deal with it.

However, there must be some jobs out there that aren't so closely dependent on social skills..I just can't think of anything.

Any suggestions/help would be GREATLY appreciated!

I realise that this is an ancient thread, but almost any workplace is going to have some level of social interaction. Rather than looking for work that avoids having to communicate too much, people wanting to overcome their social anxiousness can use work as a place to challenge their fears and subdue these with repetitious exposure. Its most likely to be successful though if it is undertaken while practising cognitive behaviour therapy or the like so that bad thought patterns are reprogrammed
 

Darkness_'82

Well-known member
I work as a part-time cleaner and I have ZERO interaction with other people on the job. Because it's after-hours and everyone else has gone home. I was also a window cleaner some years ago. But that was awkward because I had to do some places during the day when people were there. But cleaning is perfect for me (and probably anyone with SA). It's easy and there is nobody else around.
 
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