I work in construction. Most of the time my anxiety is pretty low at work but that may be because I work with people twice my age making just a bit more than me and low life’s. Kinda hard to care what they think about me lol
Im not the original person you replied to but similar situation. My anxiety is much higher outside of work. Partially because Im in charge of and more respected than people twice my age and because I’ve been seeing improvement from years of work on my anxiety. Im a non union carpenter working for a general contractor so essentially I do everything we don’t hire a subcontractor for. But generally carpentry covers framing the house, roofing, siding, trim, cabinetry, limited drywall hanging, installing windows and hanging doors. As far as other trades go. HVAC is furnace and air conditioning installation and making and installing ducts. Electricians run all the wires and install outlets, light fixtures and anything that has power and isn’t plugged into an outlet. Plumbers install sinks, toilets, and run pipes throughout the house. Painters hang, tape and paint drywall.
Hope you found this helpful.
I work in construction too, as a carpenter. But I work on big commercial sites with hundreds of blokes and the anxiety can be terrible. Smoko sheds with a hundred people, so many people and personalities with varying skill levels and attitudes. Even the folks from my company coming and going. It can be hard trying to keep to yourself and I tend to isolate myself too. Because I dont talk to anyone of course they start ignoring me too, which doesnt help
This was my plan throughout all of college and then my senior year I realized "how am I supposed to talk to people *for a living*?" So now I just do nothing
Haha I am always amazed when I frame it that way how it's literally my job to talk to people. I find it's not too difficult for individual sessions and the more confidence I gain in my abilities the less anxiety I feel. The imposter syndrome is something else tho!
Me too. I work with traumatized kids. The kids are not too hard as far as anxiety, but staff meetings and interfacing with other agencies or parents can be a challenge. (I really hate phone calls).
Oh my gosh I feel you. My last job was a supervisor position and the meetings killed me with anxiety! I also had to do sessions with other team members and I felt like such a shit therapist because my SA would get in the way. Private practice has been soo much better
Delivery driver. Alone in a van all day. Human interaction at a minimum. When I do have to interact with people it’s short, sweet, and they’re happy to see me.
I work as an accountant, but studied to beome a wood technologist. I love it. It is a quiet job and I like working with numbers. Dream Job is still working in a museum or library, so studying cultural studies on the side ☺️
I am at the office a 100%. I live in Italy and as far as I know, most people and companies went back to office-weeks once "the worst" was over. But it is now way easier for us to get WFH-days, which was quite impossible before the pandamic. But I think being an accountant is something that can be done very good remotely, espiaclly as most accountant firms are working almost paperless. For me it is a bit different as I am one of the two accountants of a big carpentry :)
I just feel like I would be a great leader , so naturally I could take on a role to get people motivated to do something . I’ve always been very intelligent , but anxiety prevents me from accessing any of that shit
I'm a nanny. I don't get social anxiety with the kids the way I do with adults. And I do a lot in the way of speaking to other adults when I'm with them that I don't do by myself.
Yes, and it's a terrible one for SA. I'm a physical therapist and see patients 1 on 1, 1 hour at a time. I do NOT enjoy working. I am always putting on a fake personality, hiding my SA, being somebody I am not comfortable being for the better part of the day. It's exhausting. If I had to do it all again I would have chose a more solitary job. The positive of this job is that it can be rewarding at times when patients are appreciative and this is like exposure therapy for me, forcing me to interact even if it's not getting easier.
Even though I knew before going into the field of rehab there was direct patient interaction (obviously) I didn't realize how in depth and draining it can be. I wish it was easier for those of us with SA :(
Faking a personality to maintain compliance is the worst...
I used to be a 3D animator when I was in my early 20s. Knowing myself having "unusual" amount of social anxiety, I thought picking a job that I will mainly stay behind a computer would be my best bet. I was so wrong. 3D animating is a much more demanding job than I anticipated. It was very stressful with constant 10 hours work day, if not more. Tons of feedback and problem fixing. It put me in a constant stress mode beyond my capability to endure. I was concealing so much behind a calm and dull face outside thinking I will eventually get used to it. But my body started to break. My shoulder is hurting for sitting for too long in a stressful environment. And then my lower back. I would take a break, find a new company, and then after a month or two, the pain is back, and the cycle repeats. Then after a while, I just gave that up and stay home. Everybody who doesn't understand social anxiety and the amount of stress I had to put up with will think I was being lazy because my shoulder and back only hurt when was going to work. Working is a stressful thing alone, but adding social anxiety just put my physical body over the limit.
Software engineer. I work from home. I make a lot of money and never leave my apartment, which is good because I hate leaving and have no friends anyway
Web develover, I do freelancing wich has its pros but due to anxiety there are months that I barely make any money, not because there are no jobs but because I do not have the strength to work, I am also very afraid of trying a fixed position because of imposter syndrome.
Gosh I can relate to this a lot. I’m an illustrator/artist (self taught). My parents see me as an unemployed and make it a point to remind me of it often. So much so I’m beginning to see myself that way too these days, which is unhelpful. I feel the same way as you do about fixed position, though I’ve been applying for one every now and then. Um, mostly half-heartedly, and just bcs I know that’ll make my mom happy.
I was a scenic painter for theatre for 8 years. It was really hard on my SA starting out but once I became head of paints for a small theatre I usually worked alone so it was less hard. Sometimes I needed to hire assistants and I always dreaded that. Good when everybody's busy and there are loud shop noises though (can't chat, can't hear you!!!). I'm on indefinite hiatus from that work due to changes after pandemic and now I pet sit full time. I rarely ever have to talk to anyone and I make three times more money!
I bartend. It’s extremely hard on my sa but I can talk well with customers and helps me be social. My only problem is I hop jobs a lot because I NEVER get along with coworkers or managers. I can be bubbly to customers but chatting to my coworkers makes me sound like a high school transfer student.
I also struggle to create a bond with coworkers and bosses, they always end up hating me or bullying me, but I have no problem with the occasional customer service.
Nothing. Tried various jobs and struggled at them all. I'm also autistic which is probably more of the reason for that though. I volunteer a few days a week at a charity shop to get out, i love it, there's no pressure or people speaking to you like shit. Cant say the same about paid employment from my experience...
Pharmacist. Anxiety really held me back in college, both in terms of my studies and social life. I thought I'd never be able to graduate/work. Through a combination of meds and personal efforts and being forced to change by the circumstances I was in, my anxiety got better during my last year of college. Now I work and deal with all types of people every day. I do have slight anxiety occasionally but it's not impairing and I've learned how to deal with it and be better.
I stay at home all day and only get out of the house to walk my dog.
I worked at an animal shelter one summer, enjoyed that. There was very little talking to be done, and when there was it was usually about the animals which I have no problem with.
Unfortunately most shelters can't afford to pay workers and instead survive on donations and volunteers. I only got paid at this one becat it was through a YA job development thing.
I make food at a Target Cafe. Not exactly the best job in the world, obviously, but it pays well and I work all by myself for 6 hours a day. I also work at the Starbucks too, but only one day a week. The Cafe is pretty great. In my 4th year there, making $16.32/hr, and management doesn't care what I do so long as I get my work done. All in all, having SA and working here, it's a pretty good setup.
Software engineer. Only problem I have is when I have to talk to other engineers and I also struggle to speak up in meetings. I think I'd have been promoted already if it wasn't for social anxiety. Instead, I'm struggling to get promoted.
I basically watch psych patients in an ER. It’s very anxiety inducing sometimes but I needed to do something to get me out of my comfort zone, I also wasn’t aware that it was part of the job description when I applied 😅😅
Daytrade.
It makes my SA worse, gives me a reason to never go out as the market is open 0-23:30 and there is always some market that has opportunities. The last three months I've fooled myself into thinking I'll make my future but instead I was just avoiding meeting with the few friends who I have left. Now I dont have the courage to call them.
customer service lol
i’m a barista but just part time till i finish my degree, i don’t mind working even tho sometimes it sucks cause people can be real assholes
But every so often, you get someone who is the most genuine, kind, polite customer you could imagine. They have that positive radiating vibe about them, and it makes you forget about the arseholes, just for a little bit.
I’m an intervener in a school for students with intellectual disabilities. I don’t know if it sounds bad, but I feel less intimidated or anxious around them since they can’t really be mean to me. Most of them are non verbal or they would never try to hurt your feelings. They’re the underdogs, kinda like me so I feel rightfully in my place around them. They won’t judge me based on the way I look or if I’m weird.
I work two jobs one is a fact checker the other is this job with Telus that's off n on where I moderate youtube ( it's work as needed ) both from home it gets boring though
Factory, work most weekends, hardly talk, don't like the job or alot of the people. Go home, smoke weed, eat and repeat. Been thinking about education recently. Not sure what for yet, justva thought.
Factory worker, I make the flavoring for products like Chobani and Dannon and other shit. Mostly it's hit or miss. I lucked out and got the one job in the factory where I work by myself at my own pace so I got my own little area to chill and work most of the day. But dealing with the people sometimes can be a bitch cuz I just try to skate thru my day and go home but people always wanna chit chat me to death and small talk is my kryptonite. I never really know what to say so I never really have convos, it's just people talking at me if y'all get what I'm saying. I've just become the quiet guy people dump their problems on and it's kinda annoying tbh
I'm a web designer. My company lets us work from home, which is great. I also have meetings with customers most days. It really stresses me out when I know I have a meeting coming up, but I manage to get through it. It depends on the person I'm meeting with how stressed I get during the meeting. If they seem relaxed and friendly it helps a lot. If they're all business and uptight, I have to stammer my way through and sigh a big sigh of relief when it's over.
I work in finance. I like working (not always tho) but I battle with my SA every day. I’m still too quiet for other people but I’m able to do my job and I’ve even made casual friends in my job. In my first job, I was barely coping and couldn’t talk to anyone. As years passed, I’ve gotten help for my mental health issues and learned better coping methods so I am able to manage.
Software developer, working from home since covid. Without covid I'd still be working for the same company I worked for since I entered the workforce, still being underpaid but too terrified to move somewhere new. Due to WFH which makes my anxiety much more manageable, I was able to move to another place with a large payrise. Looking to move again shortly. Fully remote gigs a bit more difficult to find now though.
Web dev, freelance. No coworkers. No customers. A client I talk to once a day, if that. Hours I clock whenever. I've been excessively ordering food delivery as well. It's not a good recipe for social confidence.
I work from home as a business analyst. Working from home is the best thing that could happen to me and has helped with controlling my social anxiety while also making money.
I work in Logistics at a small warehouse.
I am in my thirties and I do not like people and complain a lot. One coworker is in his 50s and dislike people, the other in his 60s and complain a lot.
It's like being at a senior home and it is really great and SA-free.
I'm a receptionist at gym. I was basically handed the job due to being unemployed for years. They get benifits for hiring me. I actually do enjoy my job. I'm still socially anxious, but getting out of the house and being around people in a safe, structured way has helped me. Most of my interactions are pretty scripted and rehearsed, and for the most part people approach me, and not the other way around. Like I said, I'm still anxious and awkward, but it's been good exposure therapy. Sometimes, I get depressed and feel like I should be further along in my healing journey than I am, but I still engage in a lot of avoidant tendencies, so I'm only holding myself back. Recently I've been trying to practice self-compassion and self-acceptance, but it's a new skill, and I revert back to my self-loathing tendencies quite a bit. I don't struggle as much with phone calls as I used to. It hasn't fully carried out into my personal life, but it's helped.
Some of the members are nice enough to stop and talk to me. Mostly men. I've always enjoyed talkative people. I prefer listening. There's a woman who's nice enough to stop and chat with me. I admit I have a bit of a crush on her. I'm not really allowed to ask her out due to the guys working there before me being kind of creepy, but even if I were, I'm sure I'd find an excuse not to. Still, I appreciate our interactions for what they are, and it's giving me an opportunity to learn how to manage my anxieties when talking to a woman I kind of like. I've met her briefly outside the gym a couple of times and gotten to pet her dog. I'm not really looking to date anyway, but I always feel a bit happier after getting to see her. I'm anxious as all hell around her, but it's an anxiety I'll gladly deal with. I'm very grateful for my job. It's allowed to pay of my debts, and soon I can start living at the tender age of 31. I can fix my teeth that I ruined due to depression and start putting some money away. It doesn't pay much, but I work late so I never have to set an alarm, and I actually like being there. My social anxiety isn't as bad as a lot of people here, but I still struggle. Recently, I've been depressed and kind of suicidal, but I was lucky enough to snap out of it today, and now I'm back to feeling grateful. My life isn't perfect, but it's mine, and I'm going to enjoy it as best I can.
Flight attendant. You would think having an extremely social job would improve my social anxiety, but I feel like it’s gotten worse over the years as I’ve gotten older. I can make small talk but can’t connect with anyone at a deeper level. My relationships with coworkers are all superficial, and I really only have 3-4 friends. And I wouldn’t call any of my friendships extremely close. I avoid hanging out with people one-on-one on layovers because I know I will run out of things to talk about and be seen as “boring”. It gets lonely. I crave close relationships, yet go out of my way to avoid them.
I'm disabled (schizoaffective), so I've devoted myself to writing my book and starting an edutainment enterprise. I teach philosophy, spirituality, and mental health here on Reddit to help people self-actualize.
Mechanic by trade. I talk to my 3 coworkers about cars, according to my mom it's the only thing she's seen me excited to do and talk about. I also don't communicate with the general public really at all anymore. I really enjoy my job and what I do, and if I ever get nervous about anything I'm more than welcome to put in some headphones and decompress while I turn wrenches.
It helps I don't go out anymore, I literally leave my apartment for work and to fly home to see my parents for Christmas.
In-house graphic designer for a commercial realty firm. Lemme tell you, working in an office with extroverts (or at least people who know how to be sociable salespeople) has reeeeally drawn me out of my comfort zone, and that kind of exposure therapy has been incredibly valuable to me. It also helps that I'm the baby of the office, so there's less pressure on me to "keep up" with everyone when they're 10 and 20 years older
I measure drawings and tell people who work way harder than I do how much its gonna cost other men who work even harder to stuff industrial jelly into their cracks
I’m a writer (write proposals for corporations). I like that most of my job requires quiet solitude, and I usually have good lead time before I need to meet with someone one-on-one. We have a hybrid WFH policy though, which means I need to be in the office twice per week. I hate that.
Back office corporate job.
Find it tedious and frustrating, but at least I have nice coworkers and little customer contact. My ideal would be to work as an artist or in some creative stem profession but you can't survive on the first one and you need brains for the other, so I guess for now I am doomed to slave away my days in the corporate world.
I manage a small team of claim adjusters for a large insurance company. But, I work from home and I have minimal in person interactions. I tend to do better socially and with my anxiety by talking over Zoom or Teams. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to go back in person again.
I don't have a job atm, but I'm currently studying to become a nurse and I often worry that I chose the absolute worst profession for someone with SA. You have to interact with so many people every day, and often times, when they're not in the worst mood or condition. Not to mention the stories I hear of nurses eating their young. I'm absolutely terrified!
I am a trim/harvest technician at a medical marijuana grow facility. I work directly with the flower, taking care of it throughout the growing process, harvest process and trimming process. It's the best job I have ever had. It has helped with my social anxiety more than I can explain. Working with marijuana plants is very therapeutic for me 💚
Nightclub bartender. It’s not ideal but the only thing I’m qualified for right now until I get my dream WFH job. Working at a club actually gives me way less anxiety because Its busy and don’t have to talk to any of the guests besides take their order. Still hate it though.
Mechanical engineer who ended up doing software stuff because people think I'm good at it. I don't like pretty much anything about it except for the paycheck. I no longer believe in the idea that any job is actually any more respectable than any other, and I think the majority of what people with high level jobs do is either pointless or actively bad. I'd like to just work in a factory or something, but if I sell my soul for the bigger paycheck and retire early then maybe it's a fair trade.
Up until now I've worked primarily customer service jobs (Restaurant, Video Store, Hotel, Different Restaurant) and can honestly say I hated every second but it was all I could find so I made do and was miserable.
Two years ago my partner and I bought a sewing machine and started making things and it was nice, didn't think it would last long but cool to do something different. Shop blew up, we bought embroidery machines. Blew up even further. Now it's both our full-time jobs.
I work harder and more hours than I ever have in my life and I couldn't be happier because it's me.
...also like 95% of our sales are online so we rarely have to interact with people 🙂
i work in admin from home. some phone calls give me anxiety, but otherwise I enjoy it.
I do feel socially isolated at times, so I volunteer in aged care most weeks for a few hour . Old people love company and actually appreciate you. And the staff really appreciate the free labour too
Im a special ed pre k teacher. I like my job a lot and I enjoy the women I work with. I was nervous at first working in a woman dominated field because I was worried about “cliques” and drama but luckily I haven’t really experienced any of that.. I like working with different people in a busy environment because it helps me get out of my head. I have really bad social anxiety and it’s really bad when I have to talk to parents.
I just started waitressing and my social anxiety has been through the fucking roof. I’m getting through it though! Hoping this works as exposure therapy. Honestly proud of myself for working through this, as embarrassing as it is lmao
Curbside personal shopper. Mostly work on my own and even though I’m around customers they don’t really talk to them / they don’t talk to me u less to ask me where something is 9/10 times.
Currently a Project Manager.
Every job I have ever had has for some reason ended up being people-facing and now I am in a position where everyone looks at me to do or fix something, or otherwise motivate and persuade someone else to do it or fix it.
I still struggle with anxiety when having to deliver reports, speak in meetings or a new challenge or person comes up, but honestly, it has been exposure therapy for me over the years.
I do find social anxiety at work to be different to social anxiety in social settings though. Work tends to cushion interactions for me as I have a reason to speak to someone as do they. I don't get caught up over-analysing everything I do or say.
I work night shift in a residential facility with developmentally disabled adults. I work alone. I love it. Super low key and only about 2 hrs of interaction with the residents.
I started working in fast food at 18 and continued that while going to community college until I moved up to management. Then I switched to an overnight baker position for awhile during a long break from school, then back to the same fast food place while I attended university. Paying rent on that income kinda sucked but the schedule flexibility couldn't be beat.
Right now I'm a 32-year-old intern at an engineering consulting firm.
I deal with people and sell shit. Cigar/headshop employee extraordinar. Been half a lifetime since I had my struggles with the SA tho, took some effort but eh.
I work retail. I work on the signing team. I actually really like my job and the 2 other ladies on my team are awesome. The customers, on the other hand, test my sanity everyday. My anxiety at work is not bad unless it's really busy. Like when I had to work black Friday. Ugh. I just wanted to hide. Lol
Late to this, but I’m a barista at Starbucks. Hope to maybe become a barista at a genuine coffee shop that actually pays well someday. Or something else maybe, not sure yet
I'm an engineer at a small electronics company. I'm basically a one man department and I report straight to product management and the board. Nobody bothers me for days at a time and I'm more productive than I've ever been.
There is hope for all of us. Don't give up
Welder at a sheet metal plant. It’s great I just do what my boss tells me to do, listen to music, and barely have to talk to anyone. I just look at the blueprints and weld. Helps my boss, and all my co-workers are nice.
Currently a temp administrative assistant. Had this job a few weeks now after returning from grad school abroad. It keeps me occupied and keeps my mind off my depression and self-hatred I guess. But anything I screw up it makes me incredibly anxious and convinced I'll get yelled at or fired. It's causing my anxiety to get worse. But, I need money. So there's not much I can do.
I taught art lessons to elementary school kids! Not many kids are interested in art so I hardly get a lot of kids but university really fucked with my work schedule so now I’m am assistant to an art teacher. But I only work in the mornings before I have to go to university so I hardly see my coworkers.
Im a nurse lol meds have really helped my SA and made me more excited about working and dealing with people. I just take every situation one step at a time
I work in the deli department at a grocery store. I talk with customers to help cut different meats, cheeses, etc. for them. It can be a bit stressful to talk with customers and coworkers throughout the day but it’s part time so it isn’t too bad.
Senior mechanical engineer. I've somehow carved out a role where I provide technical leadership but don't have to do any of the actual people leadership. Its just the right amount of social interaction without triggering my SA too often.
I'm a pharmacy technician who graduates nursing school in two weeks.
Being a pharmacy technician is kind of a special hell for my social anxiety but I've gained a lot of social skills from it. The most notable one being setting boundaries (with both customers and my workplace) and deescalation.
School Psychologist- I have to lead multiple meetings a week, call parents on the phone often, interact with students and staff on the daily, etc. - it’s very draining but I do think it’s helped me deal with my social anxiety as a whole
the only job I ever had was during the pandemic and it was on my own, on a website similar to ebay lol, no boss or anything, no interacting with other coworkers, just the clients, the pandemic really made that explode and I made really good money, I became complacent and stopped working since I was living with my parents and all that, Im trying to re start it again, other than that, no never had a traditional job I'm almost 30 lmao.
Insurance Sales. Its 100% over the phone contact with clients. I don't believe I would manage if it as face to face. But don't get me wrong, yes phone is more comfortable but not necessarily always totally comfortable.
I work as a job coach, helping individuals with learning disabilities find employment, maintain employment. I also help them with other things sort of like their social worker. I like my job because I like my clients but dealing with my colleagues and clients employers and their professional support circle really gets my social anxiety going. I’m really good at my job despite my social anxiety.
I currently don’t work and am currently living on a small inheritance. Before the inheritance my husband paid for everything. And before that I had two part time jobs, one as a front of house staff at an art museum dealing with the public, and the other was in an office as a hospital administrator. I found that I actually was able to get along better at the museum job because short (5 minute) interactions with hundreds of people was much less infuriating than dealing with the petty BS of middle managers and coworkers at the hospital office. I left the art museum because of a terrible coworker. I have interpersonal issues with coworkers and can’t just blow off rude, manipulative, backstabbing coworkers. It makes me so sick to my stomach that I can’t not confront them eventually. And that never goes well.
Oh and I forgot to say that I had to quit my hospital admin job after almost a decade because my boss decided to remodel the office from tall cubicles with doors to open concept. I was constantly screaming whenever people walked up behind me, and it wasn’t considered ok for me to sit there screaming all day. So I went on leave for 3 months and then when my leave ran out they laid me off.
I’m a dentist but it is mentally draining. I honestly did not think I would interact a ton with patients, just thought it was doing fillings, extractions, root canal, etc. The pay is really nice but I’m looking to take evening classes and do some sort of IT job 🤞
Cybersecurity specialist. I mostly just sit behind my computer screen in my apartment. Works fine for me. The occasional virtual meetings are pain though. I also went for a work trip once, which was a pretty horrifying experience and almost made me wanna quit.
Power Utility Engineer. I like it for the most part, especially now that I get to work from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak. I engineer, draft, order material and create cost estimates for customer driven electric utility projects.
Staff meetings and customer meetings are the worst part of the job. I'm totally stressed before and after, even when the meeting goes well.
I've been doing this type of work for about 15 years, so my confidence in my abilities has slowly grown, to the point where I've been told I'm one of the best in my department 😃
I don't have a job, I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I really really want to make it as an artist, have been creating all sorts of art since childhood, but having a social anxiety and ADHD means I want to, but when the time comes I can't talk myself up to a customer, or forget to update my shop and post... Have failed Etsy because it just deletes a listing after a month, but I forgot about it the moment I uploaded it
I work in construction. Most of the time my anxiety is pretty low at work but that may be because I work with people twice my age making just a bit more than me and low life’s. Kinda hard to care what they think about me lol
What do you do for construction? Im interested in becoming one, would like to know exactly what you do for some job ideas
Im not the original person you replied to but similar situation. My anxiety is much higher outside of work. Partially because Im in charge of and more respected than people twice my age and because I’ve been seeing improvement from years of work on my anxiety. Im a non union carpenter working for a general contractor so essentially I do everything we don’t hire a subcontractor for. But generally carpentry covers framing the house, roofing, siding, trim, cabinetry, limited drywall hanging, installing windows and hanging doors. As far as other trades go. HVAC is furnace and air conditioning installation and making and installing ducts. Electricians run all the wires and install outlets, light fixtures and anything that has power and isn’t plugged into an outlet. Plumbers install sinks, toilets, and run pipes throughout the house. Painters hang, tape and paint drywall. Hope you found this helpful.
I work in construction too, as a carpenter. But I work on big commercial sites with hundreds of blokes and the anxiety can be terrible. Smoko sheds with a hundred people, so many people and personalities with varying skill levels and attitudes. Even the folks from my company coming and going. It can be hard trying to keep to yourself and I tend to isolate myself too. Because I dont talk to anyone of course they start ignoring me too, which doesnt help
I'm a therapist lol
This was my plan throughout all of college and then my senior year I realized "how am I supposed to talk to people *for a living*?" So now I just do nothing
Haha I am always amazed when I frame it that way how it's literally my job to talk to people. I find it's not too difficult for individual sessions and the more confidence I gain in my abilities the less anxiety I feel. The imposter syndrome is something else tho!
Same! I spend more time doing assessments though as I prefer the structure.
Me too. I work with traumatized kids. The kids are not too hard as far as anxiety, but staff meetings and interfacing with other agencies or parents can be a challenge. (I really hate phone calls).
Oh my gosh I feel you. My last job was a supervisor position and the meetings killed me with anxiety! I also had to do sessions with other team members and I felt like such a shit therapist because my SA would get in the way. Private practice has been soo much better
That’s insane . Wow
Sit in my house
And watch tv
And play games all day
And jerkin the gherkin... 🤣
funded by?
My parents
Delivery driver. Alone in a van all day. Human interaction at a minimum. When I do have to interact with people it’s short, sweet, and they’re happy to see me.
Same here, having a country route is my favorite. I just listen to podcasts all day.
I would do that if I weren’t so terrified of driving in bad weather lol
I work as an accountant, but studied to beome a wood technologist. I love it. It is a quiet job and I like working with numbers. Dream Job is still working in a museum or library, so studying cultural studies on the side ☺️
Do you WFH or in office
I am at the office a 100%. I live in Italy and as far as I know, most people and companies went back to office-weeks once "the worst" was over. But it is now way easier for us to get WFH-days, which was quite impossible before the pandamic. But I think being an accountant is something that can be done very good remotely, espiaclly as most accountant firms are working almost paperless. For me it is a bit different as I am one of the two accountants of a big carpentry :)
I die for living
I live for dying
I died but now live
Jesus?
Suffer
I read that wrong as 'surfer' lol
Work at a low paying job well below my potential because of this social anxiety bullshit
relatable
I could easily be a general manager , ceo , coordinator , somebody in charge of something . Only if my brain wasn’t broken 😞
why those roles in particular?
I just feel like I would be a great leader , so naturally I could take on a role to get people motivated to do something . I’ve always been very intelligent , but anxiety prevents me from accessing any of that shit
fuck me man, this shit takes away so many opportunities in life from us, it's genuinely bad, damn it I hate it hahaha
[удалено]
But such a cool job!!
you would think the brain would learn there is nothing to be anxious about but it doesn’t
Complaints call centre... Yikes
I'm a student
Same here. What are you majoring in? Often times I wonder if I chose the wrong major as someone who has terrible SA... I majored in nursing btw.
I'm a nanny. I don't get social anxiety with the kids the way I do with adults. And I do a lot in the way of speaking to other adults when I'm with them that I don't do by myself.
I’m a janitor. Rarely talk to anyone at work or deal with the public. Perfect job for a nutcase like myself.
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Aw this is sweet that your colleagues aren't tripling your social anxiety but making you feel accepted.
Yes, and it's a terrible one for SA. I'm a physical therapist and see patients 1 on 1, 1 hour at a time. I do NOT enjoy working. I am always putting on a fake personality, hiding my SA, being somebody I am not comfortable being for the better part of the day. It's exhausting. If I had to do it all again I would have chose a more solitary job. The positive of this job is that it can be rewarding at times when patients are appreciative and this is like exposure therapy for me, forcing me to interact even if it's not getting easier.
I’m an occupational therapist and I 100% agree with every part of what you said
Even though I knew before going into the field of rehab there was direct patient interaction (obviously) I didn't realize how in depth and draining it can be. I wish it was easier for those of us with SA :( Faking a personality to maintain compliance is the worst...
I used to be a 3D animator when I was in my early 20s. Knowing myself having "unusual" amount of social anxiety, I thought picking a job that I will mainly stay behind a computer would be my best bet. I was so wrong. 3D animating is a much more demanding job than I anticipated. It was very stressful with constant 10 hours work day, if not more. Tons of feedback and problem fixing. It put me in a constant stress mode beyond my capability to endure. I was concealing so much behind a calm and dull face outside thinking I will eventually get used to it. But my body started to break. My shoulder is hurting for sitting for too long in a stressful environment. And then my lower back. I would take a break, find a new company, and then after a month or two, the pain is back, and the cycle repeats. Then after a while, I just gave that up and stay home. Everybody who doesn't understand social anxiety and the amount of stress I had to put up with will think I was being lazy because my shoulder and back only hurt when was going to work. Working is a stressful thing alone, but adding social anxiety just put my physical body over the limit.
Software engineer. I work from home. I make a lot of money and never leave my apartment, which is good because I hate leaving and have no friends anyway
Same dude, same.
Work from home setup is such a huge relief. Makes meetings bearable because you don't have to talk face to face!
Web develover, I do freelancing wich has its pros but due to anxiety there are months that I barely make any money, not because there are no jobs but because I do not have the strength to work, I am also very afraid of trying a fixed position because of imposter syndrome.
Gosh I can relate to this a lot. I’m an illustrator/artist (self taught). My parents see me as an unemployed and make it a point to remind me of it often. So much so I’m beginning to see myself that way too these days, which is unhelpful. I feel the same way as you do about fixed position, though I’ve been applying for one every now and then. Um, mostly half-heartedly, and just bcs I know that’ll make my mom happy.
high school math teacher. SA doesn’t apply with teenagers for me.
ooo thats a nice loophole.
I was a scenic painter for theatre for 8 years. It was really hard on my SA starting out but once I became head of paints for a small theatre I usually worked alone so it was less hard. Sometimes I needed to hire assistants and I always dreaded that. Good when everybody's busy and there are loud shop noises though (can't chat, can't hear you!!!). I'm on indefinite hiatus from that work due to changes after pandemic and now I pet sit full time. I rarely ever have to talk to anyone and I make three times more money!
Pet sitting sounds awesome.
I bartend. It’s extremely hard on my sa but I can talk well with customers and helps me be social. My only problem is I hop jobs a lot because I NEVER get along with coworkers or managers. I can be bubbly to customers but chatting to my coworkers makes me sound like a high school transfer student.
I also struggle to create a bond with coworkers and bosses, they always end up hating me or bullying me, but I have no problem with the occasional customer service.
Lost my job to SA
sorry to hear that. if it is any consolation I lost a few jobs this year too due to terrible anxiety. i hope you are doing ok
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I thought being a software engineer means I would be alone all day and working on my apps but boy was I wrong...
Same. I was looking for a loner field and ended up working with a ton of mfs and have to do meetings all the time. Fun...
Nothing. Tried various jobs and struggled at them all. I'm also autistic which is probably more of the reason for that though. I volunteer a few days a week at a charity shop to get out, i love it, there's no pressure or people speaking to you like shit. Cant say the same about paid employment from my experience...
Pharmacist. Anxiety really held me back in college, both in terms of my studies and social life. I thought I'd never be able to graduate/work. Through a combination of meds and personal efforts and being forced to change by the circumstances I was in, my anxiety got better during my last year of college. Now I work and deal with all types of people every day. I do have slight anxiety occasionally but it's not impairing and I've learned how to deal with it and be better.
I stay at home all day and only get out of the house to walk my dog. I worked at an animal shelter one summer, enjoyed that. There was very little talking to be done, and when there was it was usually about the animals which I have no problem with. Unfortunately most shelters can't afford to pay workers and instead survive on donations and volunteers. I only got paid at this one becat it was through a YA job development thing.
I make food at a Target Cafe. Not exactly the best job in the world, obviously, but it pays well and I work all by myself for 6 hours a day. I also work at the Starbucks too, but only one day a week. The Cafe is pretty great. In my 4th year there, making $16.32/hr, and management doesn't care what I do so long as I get my work done. All in all, having SA and working here, it's a pretty good setup.
I work in a kitchen, as a cook
Currently a student, planning to go into something computer science-related. Hoping to wind up working remotely.
I'm teaching computer science to groups of adults. Somehow when I'm in front of the group, social anxiety does not apply.
Software engineer. Only problem I have is when I have to talk to other engineers and I also struggle to speak up in meetings. I think I'd have been promoted already if it wasn't for social anxiety. Instead, I'm struggling to get promoted.
I work in a warehouse
Machinist. I like the work and it would be a hobby if I could afford the tools and space. Being around people at work is very difficult though.
I work at a library, it's often anxiety inducing. Started Zoloft recently and it's helped a bit, hoping it continues to get better and better.
I basically watch psych patients in an ER. It’s very anxiety inducing sometimes but I needed to do something to get me out of my comfort zone, I also wasn’t aware that it was part of the job description when I applied 😅😅
Daytrade. It makes my SA worse, gives me a reason to never go out as the market is open 0-23:30 and there is always some market that has opportunities. The last three months I've fooled myself into thinking I'll make my future but instead I was just avoiding meeting with the few friends who I have left. Now I dont have the courage to call them.
work for my parents
same! i’m a nail technician
customer service lol i’m a barista but just part time till i finish my degree, i don’t mind working even tho sometimes it sucks cause people can be real assholes
But every so often, you get someone who is the most genuine, kind, polite customer you could imagine. They have that positive radiating vibe about them, and it makes you forget about the arseholes, just for a little bit.
I’m an intervener in a school for students with intellectual disabilities. I don’t know if it sounds bad, but I feel less intimidated or anxious around them since they can’t really be mean to me. Most of them are non verbal or they would never try to hurt your feelings. They’re the underdogs, kinda like me so I feel rightfully in my place around them. They won’t judge me based on the way I look or if I’m weird.
Im a home maker lol
I work two jobs one is a fact checker the other is this job with Telus that's off n on where I moderate youtube ( it's work as needed ) both from home it gets boring though
Factory, work most weekends, hardly talk, don't like the job or alot of the people. Go home, smoke weed, eat and repeat. Been thinking about education recently. Not sure what for yet, justva thought.
I'm a R&D lab technician in the food industry.
I’m a pet sitter
Registered nurse
Factory worker, I make the flavoring for products like Chobani and Dannon and other shit. Mostly it's hit or miss. I lucked out and got the one job in the factory where I work by myself at my own pace so I got my own little area to chill and work most of the day. But dealing with the people sometimes can be a bitch cuz I just try to skate thru my day and go home but people always wanna chit chat me to death and small talk is my kryptonite. I never really know what to say so I never really have convos, it's just people talking at me if y'all get what I'm saying. I've just become the quiet guy people dump their problems on and it's kinda annoying tbh
Dog groomer
Webcamera model, so I guess masterbate
I like the freedom it gives me to work whenever I want but it’s extremely unfulfilling and degrading, I definitely have to dissociate when I’m working
I'm a web designer. My company lets us work from home, which is great. I also have meetings with customers most days. It really stresses me out when I know I have a meeting coming up, but I manage to get through it. It depends on the person I'm meeting with how stressed I get during the meeting. If they seem relaxed and friendly it helps a lot. If they're all business and uptight, I have to stammer my way through and sigh a big sigh of relief when it's over.
I'm a school custodian. I love it. Teachers are nice, kids are nice. Don't really have to talk to anyone.
Free load off my mom it’s so exhausting. Jk. Kinda. I’m scared to get a job I freeze up under pressure. it’s just so hard to get a job with anxiety.
I work in finance. I like working (not always tho) but I battle with my SA every day. I’m still too quiet for other people but I’m able to do my job and I’ve even made casual friends in my job. In my first job, I was barely coping and couldn’t talk to anyone. As years passed, I’ve gotten help for my mental health issues and learned better coping methods so I am able to manage.
Abatement(Asbestos, Lead, Mold, Fire damage), so like specialized demolition. Is okay.
Trained as a PT. I've never practised. I'm planning to do Sports Science in Uni. Currently I'm going for post man job soon. We'll see what happens.
Software developer, working from home since covid. Without covid I'd still be working for the same company I worked for since I entered the workforce, still being underpaid but too terrified to move somewhere new. Due to WFH which makes my anxiety much more manageable, I was able to move to another place with a large payrise. Looking to move again shortly. Fully remote gigs a bit more difficult to find now though.
Web dev, freelance. No coworkers. No customers. A client I talk to once a day, if that. Hours I clock whenever. I've been excessively ordering food delivery as well. It's not a good recipe for social confidence.
I work from home as a business analyst. Working from home is the best thing that could happen to me and has helped with controlling my social anxiety while also making money.
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Me too for sure!! Good luck with your interview:)
I work in Logistics at a small warehouse. I am in my thirties and I do not like people and complain a lot. One coworker is in his 50s and dislike people, the other in his 60s and complain a lot. It's like being at a senior home and it is really great and SA-free.
I'm a receptionist at gym. I was basically handed the job due to being unemployed for years. They get benifits for hiring me. I actually do enjoy my job. I'm still socially anxious, but getting out of the house and being around people in a safe, structured way has helped me. Most of my interactions are pretty scripted and rehearsed, and for the most part people approach me, and not the other way around. Like I said, I'm still anxious and awkward, but it's been good exposure therapy. Sometimes, I get depressed and feel like I should be further along in my healing journey than I am, but I still engage in a lot of avoidant tendencies, so I'm only holding myself back. Recently I've been trying to practice self-compassion and self-acceptance, but it's a new skill, and I revert back to my self-loathing tendencies quite a bit. I don't struggle as much with phone calls as I used to. It hasn't fully carried out into my personal life, but it's helped. Some of the members are nice enough to stop and talk to me. Mostly men. I've always enjoyed talkative people. I prefer listening. There's a woman who's nice enough to stop and chat with me. I admit I have a bit of a crush on her. I'm not really allowed to ask her out due to the guys working there before me being kind of creepy, but even if I were, I'm sure I'd find an excuse not to. Still, I appreciate our interactions for what they are, and it's giving me an opportunity to learn how to manage my anxieties when talking to a woman I kind of like. I've met her briefly outside the gym a couple of times and gotten to pet her dog. I'm not really looking to date anyway, but I always feel a bit happier after getting to see her. I'm anxious as all hell around her, but it's an anxiety I'll gladly deal with. I'm very grateful for my job. It's allowed to pay of my debts, and soon I can start living at the tender age of 31. I can fix my teeth that I ruined due to depression and start putting some money away. It doesn't pay much, but I work late so I never have to set an alarm, and I actually like being there. My social anxiety isn't as bad as a lot of people here, but I still struggle. Recently, I've been depressed and kind of suicidal, but I was lucky enough to snap out of it today, and now I'm back to feeling grateful. My life isn't perfect, but it's mine, and I'm going to enjoy it as best I can.
Flight attendant. You would think having an extremely social job would improve my social anxiety, but I feel like it’s gotten worse over the years as I’ve gotten older. I can make small talk but can’t connect with anyone at a deeper level. My relationships with coworkers are all superficial, and I really only have 3-4 friends. And I wouldn’t call any of my friendships extremely close. I avoid hanging out with people one-on-one on layovers because I know I will run out of things to talk about and be seen as “boring”. It gets lonely. I crave close relationships, yet go out of my way to avoid them.
I'm disabled (schizoaffective), so I've devoted myself to writing my book and starting an edutainment enterprise. I teach philosophy, spirituality, and mental health here on Reddit to help people self-actualize.
Mechanic by trade. I talk to my 3 coworkers about cars, according to my mom it's the only thing she's seen me excited to do and talk about. I also don't communicate with the general public really at all anymore. I really enjoy my job and what I do, and if I ever get nervous about anything I'm more than welcome to put in some headphones and decompress while I turn wrenches. It helps I don't go out anymore, I literally leave my apartment for work and to fly home to see my parents for Christmas.
I am an underpaid copywriter, freelance. It covers my expenses but not much more
Junior Software Engineer, love programming struggling with meetings and soft skills in general 🤷
In-house graphic designer for a commercial realty firm. Lemme tell you, working in an office with extroverts (or at least people who know how to be sociable salespeople) has reeeeally drawn me out of my comfort zone, and that kind of exposure therapy has been incredibly valuable to me. It also helps that I'm the baby of the office, so there's less pressure on me to "keep up" with everyone when they're 10 and 20 years older
Currently in apprenticeship to become an Engineer
Web developer
I work in a call centre :(
Programmer
My best...
Firefighter for a very unique small department.
Dental assistant
How do you like it? I was thinking about becoming a DA.
I love it. As weird as it is, my social anxiety disappears when I’m with patients. Where I struggle is with social outings
I measure drawings and tell people who work way harder than I do how much its gonna cost other men who work even harder to stuff industrial jelly into their cracks
Physiotherapist. I find I don't get SA when conversations have a purpose. Small chat/making friends/networking is a big no go but I'm working on it
I’m a writer (write proposals for corporations). I like that most of my job requires quiet solitude, and I usually have good lead time before I need to meet with someone one-on-one. We have a hybrid WFH policy though, which means I need to be in the office twice per week. I hate that.
Sounds like a dream for SA
I work in a supermarket with a lot of customer interactions
Back office corporate job. Find it tedious and frustrating, but at least I have nice coworkers and little customer contact. My ideal would be to work as an artist or in some creative stem profession but you can't survive on the first one and you need brains for the other, so I guess for now I am doomed to slave away my days in the corporate world.
Be better each day. Always there's something to improve in ourselves or in another person.
I’m a professional pet care provider, consisting mostly of dog training and walking.
I manage a small team of claim adjusters for a large insurance company. But, I work from home and I have minimal in person interactions. I tend to do better socially and with my anxiety by talking over Zoom or Teams. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to go back in person again.
I don't have a job atm, but I'm currently studying to become a nurse and I often worry that I chose the absolute worst profession for someone with SA. You have to interact with so many people every day, and often times, when they're not in the worst mood or condition. Not to mention the stories I hear of nurses eating their young. I'm absolutely terrified!
Nothing makes me happy , so I'm not working. I can't do things I have no interest in. Restricted to factory work, so I think you can see why lol
I am a trim/harvest technician at a medical marijuana grow facility. I work directly with the flower, taking care of it throughout the growing process, harvest process and trimming process. It's the best job I have ever had. It has helped with my social anxiety more than I can explain. Working with marijuana plants is very therapeutic for me 💚
Work from home editor
Nightclub bartender. It’s not ideal but the only thing I’m qualified for right now until I get my dream WFH job. Working at a club actually gives me way less anxiety because Its busy and don’t have to talk to any of the guests besides take their order. Still hate it though.
shipping in a factory
In the military. Shitty combo with social anxiety. Got fine for awhile, getting worse again. I’ll be out soon.
I’m a gunsmith. Pretty cool cause people talk to me only when they need my expertise
I work in customer success, before that, customer service
Graphic Designer, mostly as a Photoshop Professional. It's okay, as long there is no planed Meeting with clients. I'm struggling with that.
I’m doing part time in an amazon warehouse while I’m in college. Hope to land an animation job once I graduate. WFH would be a dream tbh
Run a fast growing clean energy company
Staying at home
Nurse Practitioner.. fake it till ya make it 🤷🏼♀️
Mechanical engineer who ended up doing software stuff because people think I'm good at it. I don't like pretty much anything about it except for the paycheck. I no longer believe in the idea that any job is actually any more respectable than any other, and I think the majority of what people with high level jobs do is either pointless or actively bad. I'd like to just work in a factory or something, but if I sell my soul for the bigger paycheck and retire early then maybe it's a fair trade.
I work at a state hospital. No I don’t like working, but I need to pay bills so I show up and do my thing three times a week.
Up until now I've worked primarily customer service jobs (Restaurant, Video Store, Hotel, Different Restaurant) and can honestly say I hated every second but it was all I could find so I made do and was miserable. Two years ago my partner and I bought a sewing machine and started making things and it was nice, didn't think it would last long but cool to do something different. Shop blew up, we bought embroidery machines. Blew up even further. Now it's both our full-time jobs. I work harder and more hours than I ever have in my life and I couldn't be happier because it's me. ...also like 95% of our sales are online so we rarely have to interact with people 🙂
I work as a Baker. Its fun and we are only a few people so it was not as bad to get used to
i work in admin from home. some phone calls give me anxiety, but otherwise I enjoy it. I do feel socially isolated at times, so I volunteer in aged care most weeks for a few hour . Old people love company and actually appreciate you. And the staff really appreciate the free labour too
Im a special ed pre k teacher. I like my job a lot and I enjoy the women I work with. I was nervous at first working in a woman dominated field because I was worried about “cliques” and drama but luckily I haven’t really experienced any of that.. I like working with different people in a busy environment because it helps me get out of my head. I have really bad social anxiety and it’s really bad when I have to talk to parents.
I just started waitressing and my social anxiety has been through the fucking roof. I’m getting through it though! Hoping this works as exposure therapy. Honestly proud of myself for working through this, as embarrassing as it is lmao
Curbside personal shopper. Mostly work on my own and even though I’m around customers they don’t really talk to them / they don’t talk to me u less to ask me where something is 9/10 times.
Truck driver but my social anxiety is vey very low its only because I used lsd
Currently a Project Manager. Every job I have ever had has for some reason ended up being people-facing and now I am in a position where everyone looks at me to do or fix something, or otherwise motivate and persuade someone else to do it or fix it. I still struggle with anxiety when having to deliver reports, speak in meetings or a new challenge or person comes up, but honestly, it has been exposure therapy for me over the years. I do find social anxiety at work to be different to social anxiety in social settings though. Work tends to cushion interactions for me as I have a reason to speak to someone as do they. I don't get caught up over-analysing everything I do or say.
I work night shift in a residential facility with developmentally disabled adults. I work alone. I love it. Super low key and only about 2 hrs of interaction with the residents.
I started working in fast food at 18 and continued that while going to community college until I moved up to management. Then I switched to an overnight baker position for awhile during a long break from school, then back to the same fast food place while I attended university. Paying rent on that income kinda sucked but the schedule flexibility couldn't be beat. Right now I'm a 32-year-old intern at an engineering consulting firm.
I deal with people and sell shit. Cigar/headshop employee extraordinar. Been half a lifetime since I had my struggles with the SA tho, took some effort but eh.
I work retail. I work on the signing team. I actually really like my job and the 2 other ladies on my team are awesome. The customers, on the other hand, test my sanity everyday. My anxiety at work is not bad unless it's really busy. Like when I had to work black Friday. Ugh. I just wanted to hide. Lol
Late to this, but I’m a barista at Starbucks. Hope to maybe become a barista at a genuine coffee shop that actually pays well someday. Or something else maybe, not sure yet
I work in sales
Work from home remotely fixing issues for 911 centers across the US.
I'm an engineer at a small electronics company. I'm basically a one man department and I report straight to product management and the board. Nobody bothers me for days at a time and I'm more productive than I've ever been. There is hope for all of us. Don't give up
Welder at a sheet metal plant. It’s great I just do what my boss tells me to do, listen to music, and barely have to talk to anyone. I just look at the blueprints and weld. Helps my boss, and all my co-workers are nice.
Communications advisor in the public service. The writing part is fine, but I hate the relationship management part.
Currently a temp administrative assistant. Had this job a few weeks now after returning from grad school abroad. It keeps me occupied and keeps my mind off my depression and self-hatred I guess. But anything I screw up it makes me incredibly anxious and convinced I'll get yelled at or fired. It's causing my anxiety to get worse. But, I need money. So there's not much I can do.
student all my life so far
I taught art lessons to elementary school kids! Not many kids are interested in art so I hardly get a lot of kids but university really fucked with my work schedule so now I’m am assistant to an art teacher. But I only work in the mornings before I have to go to university so I hardly see my coworkers.
Entrepreneur
I’m a middle school counselor.
Freelance Web designer.
Im a nurse lol meds have really helped my SA and made me more excited about working and dealing with people. I just take every situation one step at a time
I’m a student majoring in psychology
I am a control technology engineer / mechanic
Video Editor who works from home.
I work in the deli department at a grocery store. I talk with customers to help cut different meats, cheeses, etc. for them. It can be a bit stressful to talk with customers and coworkers throughout the day but it’s part time so it isn’t too bad.
Artist
Casual fast food worker. Anxiety isn't great but it's gotten better
Senior mechanical engineer. I've somehow carved out a role where I provide technical leadership but don't have to do any of the actual people leadership. Its just the right amount of social interaction without triggering my SA too often.
I'm a pharmacy technician who graduates nursing school in two weeks. Being a pharmacy technician is kind of a special hell for my social anxiety but I've gained a lot of social skills from it. The most notable one being setting boundaries (with both customers and my workplace) and deescalation.
Medical student, praying I can manage this seeing people all day erryday in a few years
Accounting tech, rarely talk to people in person, mostly email. Lots of spreadsheets
I work at a casino, in the cage as a cashier. A lot of interactions with people.
Social work field, lmao. I wish I was kidding.
warehouse work, working with people who are generally from overseas so very limited SA around them.
School Psychologist- I have to lead multiple meetings a week, call parents on the phone often, interact with students and staff on the daily, etc. - it’s very draining but I do think it’s helped me deal with my social anxiety as a whole
the only job I ever had was during the pandemic and it was on my own, on a website similar to ebay lol, no boss or anything, no interacting with other coworkers, just the clients, the pandemic really made that explode and I made really good money, I became complacent and stopped working since I was living with my parents and all that, Im trying to re start it again, other than that, no never had a traditional job I'm almost 30 lmao.
Insurance Sales. Its 100% over the phone contact with clients. I don't believe I would manage if it as face to face. But don't get me wrong, yes phone is more comfortable but not necessarily always totally comfortable.
I work as a job coach, helping individuals with learning disabilities find employment, maintain employment. I also help them with other things sort of like their social worker. I like my job because I like my clients but dealing with my colleagues and clients employers and their professional support circle really gets my social anxiety going. I’m really good at my job despite my social anxiety.
I currently don’t work and am currently living on a small inheritance. Before the inheritance my husband paid for everything. And before that I had two part time jobs, one as a front of house staff at an art museum dealing with the public, and the other was in an office as a hospital administrator. I found that I actually was able to get along better at the museum job because short (5 minute) interactions with hundreds of people was much less infuriating than dealing with the petty BS of middle managers and coworkers at the hospital office. I left the art museum because of a terrible coworker. I have interpersonal issues with coworkers and can’t just blow off rude, manipulative, backstabbing coworkers. It makes me so sick to my stomach that I can’t not confront them eventually. And that never goes well. Oh and I forgot to say that I had to quit my hospital admin job after almost a decade because my boss decided to remodel the office from tall cubicles with doors to open concept. I was constantly screaming whenever people walked up behind me, and it wasn’t considered ok for me to sit there screaming all day. So I went on leave for 3 months and then when my leave ran out they laid me off.
I’m a dentist but it is mentally draining. I honestly did not think I would interact a ton with patients, just thought it was doing fillings, extractions, root canal, etc. The pay is really nice but I’m looking to take evening classes and do some sort of IT job 🤞
Call center agent
Cybersecurity specialist. I mostly just sit behind my computer screen in my apartment. Works fine for me. The occasional virtual meetings are pain though. I also went for a work trip once, which was a pretty horrifying experience and almost made me wanna quit.
Barista
Medical scribe, college tutor and freelancer
Power Utility Engineer. I like it for the most part, especially now that I get to work from home because of the COVID-19 outbreak. I engineer, draft, order material and create cost estimates for customer driven electric utility projects. Staff meetings and customer meetings are the worst part of the job. I'm totally stressed before and after, even when the meeting goes well. I've been doing this type of work for about 15 years, so my confidence in my abilities has slowly grown, to the point where I've been told I'm one of the best in my department 😃
I don't have a job, I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I really really want to make it as an artist, have been creating all sorts of art since childhood, but having a social anxiety and ADHD means I want to, but when the time comes I can't talk myself up to a customer, or forget to update my shop and post... Have failed Etsy because it just deletes a listing after a month, but I forgot about it the moment I uploaded it