How To Get Hired When You Have Social Anxiety

Getting hired is even harder when you have social anxiety. You might stutter when you get nervous, or panic at the thought of answering questions during an interview.

You may have some work to do when it comes to public speaking, but don’t let that stop you from applying to incredible job opportunities.

Joining a new team comes with expectations, and that includes going to work events to mingle with coworkers and potential partners. From holiday parties to happy hours, it can be daunting to attend work events when you have social anxiety.

Here are a few tips from experts about what it takes to land your dream job when you experience social anxiety.

Learn About Your Potential Employer

It’s important to get a feel for the culture of the company you are applying to work for. You may be able to find out if you will be expected to lead meetings, do presentations, or host webinars prior to your interview. If you are someone with severe social anxiety, you may not want to take a position where you will be expected to socialize with colleagues outside of work frequently. People with social anxiety should try to find a neuroinclusive work place.

‘‘Look for flexibility and don’t be afraid to ask about efforts around inclusion. An inclusive workplace allows room for people with different lived experiences,’’ says career and life coach Wemi Opakunle.

When you are invited for an initial interview for a job, make sure to have questions prepared for the person interviewing you. Do a little digging and find out about their career. Take a look at their LinkedIn or find their resume online. Make it clear that you took the time to learn about them.

‘‘Research the company and the role in depth. Have they been in the press lately? Have they done any recent work that’s exciting to you? This gives you an opportunity to have a conversation outside of the job description,’’ says Opakunle.

Find Interview Questions

For people with social anxiety, preparation is important. You may feel less nervous about an interview when you know the questions you are going to be asked ahead of time.

You can find questions a company has asked in previous interviews for a position you are applying for by doing a quick Google search. It turns out former applicants often post questions they were asked during interviews. You can also learn more about the company culture by sifting through reviews.

The best way to find questions for an interview is to google the name of the company and write “interview questions” next to it.

‘‘Don’t just find any interview questions, which could be generic and unhelpful in helping you decide if a role is right for you,’’ Opakunle tells Forbes.

‘‘Be clear on what you want to get out of the interview and prepare your questions based on that,’’ says the former recruiter.

In addition, refer to a mentor in your field about the kinds of questions you should be asking at the end of an interview. Consult a mental health professional if your anxiety from the hiring process becomes debilitating.

Conduct Mock Interviews

Practice interviewing with a mentor, former colleague, or family member. Don’t have too much caffeine before because it may make you nervous. You can also go online and find some workbooks and podcasts for working professionals with social anxiety.

‘The more practice people with social anxiety have the better,” says Brooke Schnittman, an ADHD coach who has social anxiety.

She became more comfortable socializing after working in education for 18 years. The ADHD coach and influencer believes that practicing for interviews is important, and that people should be selective about who they practice with.

‘‘They should rely on people who they trust that will give them honest feedback, someone they won’t get anxious with,’’ she says.

Speak to Previous Employees

Don’t be afraid to reach out to a former employee from the company where you are applying for a job. LinkedIn is a great way to connect while keeping it professional. If you cannot directly contact them on LinkedIn, send an email with an eye grabbing subject line.

You can always schedule a time to speak with a previous employee. Make sure to ask them about interview questions, and the expectations that come with the position you hope to fill.

You may feel like you’re cheating in the interview process, but it’s completely normal to use your network to find and keep a job.

You might get anxious about reaching out to someone you don’t know. That’s okay— draft an initial email and read it to a therapist if you can. Then, you can come up with questions for the company’s former employee with a second set of eyes.

Have a Networking Strategy

If socializing makes you anxious, you may want to come up with a plan with a therapist or anxiety coach. In what ways can you make yourself less anxious while in large groups? How do you approach new people? What do you say when you meet new people and are unemployed?

All of these questions can be answered by mental health professionals. To get started, try giving yourself small social homework assignments, and reward yourself when you make professional connections. People with social anxiety don’t need to be afraid to put themselves out there. The less you isolate the easier it becomes to interact with people from all walks of life. Experts agree that people with social anxiety should go into social situations with a game plan.

“With the pandemic a pot of people developed social anxiety. If they didn’t go out and socialize, those anxious thoughts were still there,” she says.

“People with social anxiety should have a networking strategy. If you isolate you are going to feed your social anxiety.’’