Please share your scary first day/week of work experiences!

I suffer from generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and have always struggled with low self-esteem since I was in middle school. I have recently left my job as a Jewelry Associate at Kohl's, which was simple and routine (but barely gave me any hours at all) to a new job as a Customer Service Representative at a birdfeeder company that pays 11.00 per hour and is 30 hours a week.

This is great and all...but as a person with anxiety, I'm bombarded by negative feelings. I was a giant ball of stress the two weeks leading up to the job, and today I've finished my first day. Needless to say it was overwhelming. The people were nice and understanding, but there was SO much information to take in, so many new things to learn, and I am beginning to think that I'm just not cut out for this job and worrying that I will disappoint the people that hired me.

Not to mention the position I will be holding: Customer Service Representative. Social Anxiety + Constant Phone Calls + Dealing with potentially unsatisfied people = Not a good combination. I have always dreaded calling strangers OUTSIDE of work, just the thought of it would make my heart race, and it would take all my courage to get through that call. And now I'm going to do it for a living? What was I thinking?? Plus, the phone itself has a bunch of buttons and functions and is intimidating itself, as if the actual talking wasn't enough. When I returned home I felt mentally exhausted, discouraged, and dreading tomorrow since I have to go back of course.

I'm trying my hardest to be optimistic about this job. I was brave enough to apply in the first place and get through the interview, with something I KNEW would involve phones and talking to people I don't know. Now I'm afraid I've made a mistake by applying in the first place.

Could anyone with social anxiety share their experiences in a new job? How was your first day, or your first week? Did you eventually adjust and how long did it take to do so? Even better, is there anyone here with social anxiety that is currently working a job that requires answering a lot of phone calls, or dealing with strangers on a regular basis?

I hate the first couple weeks of a new job. You don't know anything and don't wanna ask and you're not sure what's expected of you. A lot of it depends on the people you're working with. I've had one job where i had an awesome first day. Others i just got used to over time. Keep in mind that you're not expected to be perfect during the first months on a new job. I'm sure you'll do good :thumbup:

Hi mist
You are brave. You have inner strength.
Just by reading your post I can see this and I admire you for it.

Starting a new job is one of the most stressful things anyone can do I think, let alone someone who has SA.
I too have a CSR position, I'm the first point of contact when ever someone else needs something from our area.
So I can really understand how you feel about this.

As stressful as it is now, (and I'm sure you know this) as you learn the job it will become a little easier.
The position of CSR, treat as what it is - a job.
If people call up complaining, don't take it personally.

In all honesty as hard as it can be, being out in the workforce can be a good place to learn how to deal with SA because it's a structured environment.

And remember why you are doing it... For the money xD
Good luck, be brave, I'm sure you can do this

People in person terrify me much more than people over the phone, so I'm not the best to advise. But I've worked a similar job in the past and had to have my desk plastered with sticky notes so I can remember all the buttons' functions and other info I need. It wasn't a particularly pretty sight but it worked fine for me.

Not my first week, but a few weeks into the job, I was given some observations by the manager, mostly about talking too fast, talking sometimes in an incomprehensible voice, etc. I knew this was probably my anxiety. I was devastated. I went to the bathroom and started crying like mad. But the manager was nice and told me it's all part of the job. Employers (reasonable ones at least) don't expect employees to be perfect on their own. It's part of their job to give you constructive comments. So it took me some time to get the hang of it but it eventually worked out and it made me much more phone-friendly!

I also noticed that customers, specially unhappy ones, like to feel that you can identify with them and that you're giving them the service/solution you would get if it were you. Saying things like "aha," "I understand," "it happened to me too," etc helps. They're also not interested in judging you personally; they're too focused on what they're calling for. So don't worry about judgment.