Job ?

[nickyyyy61]

So I haven’t worked in a couple years due to my anxiety and depression i use to work when i was younger but ever since i just let myself go i feel like a complete failure and disgrace to my family 💔 i think about it so much and it makes my anxiety and depression much much worse cause i do wanna work and i do wanna be successful but i get scared of working it’s not because im lazy im just scared and i hate feeling this way i want to apply onlinee for jobs near me and im so scared of interviews what if I don’t know how to answer a certain question? What if i stutter, all these what ifs come to mind ! Would they understand if i told them i have anxiety and depression? I need help can you guys please give me some feedback 😩😩😩😩😩it will mean alot !♥️

[Kkimm]

Hi nicky

First of all anxiety and depression is a serious illness and you are not lazy or a failure if you find it hard to work while you have them.

It is however understandable that you worry what your family think because you are not working because it is difficult for people who have not suffered from them to know what you are going through.

It is great that you want to find a job and it is good to keep trying because that in itself will help your anxiety but do not beat yourself up because you find it difficult and are afraid of interviews. Most people find interviews difficult and it will be even harder when you have anxiety. If you only look at jobs you can apply for online you will limit your opportunities alot and with a little advice you may well be able to cope with interviews.

I developed an anxiety disorder nearly two years ago following 2 life traumas and am almost fully recovered now. I am retired from full time work but when I did work I often sat on interview panels and can perhaps give you some advice about how to help yourself prepare for interviews and reduce your nerves.

Preparing is really important even if it does make you abit more anxious because it will impress the people who are interviewing you and help them to see you are really interested in their job. They will not mind if you stutter or stumble over words because they expect you to be nervous and it shows you care alot about their job. Most people worry that their mind will go blank due to nerves when asked an interview question. The secret here is preparation. Firstly read or find out as much as you can about the job you are applying for and the business of the company or service in the case of council jobs etc. Then think really hard about the sort of questions they could ask you and have a go at writing out the answers. Read those over and over and practice saying the answers out loud as well. You may think you don't know what they will ask but if you think carefully and perhaps discuss it with a friend or family member, you will be nearly right on quite a few you come up with. For example you are almost certain to be asked why you have applied for the job and you can offer and will want to show your interest and enthusiasm as well as your skills, knowledge, previous experience etc. If you have never done a job like this before think about either slightly similar jobs things you did at school, college or university or voluntary work etc you may have done.

The reason for thinking about this and writing it down is that when you are very nervous and your mind goes blank you are more likely to be able to call on an answer you have already prepared. It will also show you as a thoughtful, person who is interested and committed to the role you are applying for and the company or service. It helps you to be able to showcase yourself and your skills and reminds you that you are a strong candidate with relevant skills and experience. This will build your confidence and make you less nervous.

Give yourself enough time of days or weeks before the interview to start this preparation, depending on the type of job you are going for, so you have plenty of time to prepare. The night before, give yourself a rest if you know that over focussing on it will make you more nervous. Just read through your answers to the prepared questions a few more times then try to do something relaxing that will stop you worrying. Get an early night and give yourself lots of time for the journey there. You may also need to have prepared for this if it is an unfamiliar or long journey. I always make sure I get there early and then sit in my car or in a cafe nearby reading through my prepared answers again. If this will make you too nervous however you may not wish to do that. Alot of this may be obvious to you so apologies if that is the case.

I used to be very nervous of interviews when young and certainly did some terrible ones where my mind went blank and I stumbled over words or could hear myself rambling on about something completely off topic. I still apply for temporary roles now and find this method is very helpful and when well prepared I feel excited rather than scared beforehand. But I am a really old hand at it now and have had a long career. I have done quite a few over the years which makes it much easier.

If you still feel you need to rule out jobs where you have to be interviewed, go for online ones first as it is a step in the right direction and you may be successful or if not it will certainly help to build your skills and confidence towards feeling ready to tackle interviews. Alot of the advice above applies to an online applications as well with regards to reading about the job and company and selling yourself well.

Very good luck with your job hunt.

I am sure you will do very well.

Kim