Interview anxiety is keeping me unemployed

[MissKatie]

I'm good at what I do work wise but I'm also a fast learner who wants to learn.
I know I'd be at the very least competent at any job I did.

But I just can't get past the having to call to arrange an interview and then the interview itself likely to be a phone or video call these days.
If say an interview was arranged by email or text and it was a physical interview I'd be absolutely fine but that phone call or multiple ones are just too much for me to deal with.

I've been unemployed now for three months and I've had maybe five interview offers but I just can't go them.

Bleugh.

[Ronnie_Pickering]

interviews are a nightmare. I think teams interview is kind of a lazy way of interviewing someone these day.

[Dougella]

Hello Miss Katie!

Interviews are so difficult, I don't think anyone likes them.

You know you're very good at your job and a fast learner like you say, any company would be lucky to have you as a worker.

I'm quite surprised that places are needing you to call to arrange an interview rather than just email, I would have thought emailing would be more common now. Is there ever an option for email or text?

[Aelwyn]

It's amazing how different we all are with SA - I'm OK with phone calls, but face to face interviews are very difficult for me.

The Very Well Mind website has some useful information about phone anxiety.
https://www.verywellmind.com/afraid-...s-tips-3024317

Maybe try some of the suggestions they give for exposure therapy?

[Percy]

Good luck Miss Katie, hope you develop the courage to pick up that phone

[anewyear]

I absolutely hate interviews but ironically, I'd probably rather a Teams one rather than in-person. It has the opportunity that you can plaster the wall behind with post-it notes as a prompt!

[MissKatie]

Originally Posted by Ronnie_Pickering

interviews are a nightmare. I think teams interview is kind of a lazy way of interviewing someone these day.

That's the online facetime thing right?

Originally Posted by Dougella

I'm quite surprised that places are needing you to call to arrange an interview rather than just email, I would have thought emailing would be more common now. Is there ever an option for email or text?

You'd think wouldn't you? I had one interview that was done by an AI and text which was great. Then they wanted to call me to arrange a person interview.

Originally Posted by Aelwyn

It's amazing how different we all are with SA - I'm OK with phone calls, but face to face interviews are very difficult for me.

Ha you're right there. My anxiety is 90% phone calls and 10% people in power I don't know. The rest just faded away with time.

Originally Posted by The Devil, Probably.

Personally I'm sick and tired of everyone assuming anyone can just "pick up the phone". Companies, health services, complaints departments...

Oh yeah! I tried to set up a payment plan for a credit card but they wouldn't accept my emails and kept telling me to call so in the end I told them I had to sell my phone to pay the rent and to only contact me via post or email haha.

Originally Posted by Percy

Good luck Miss Katie, hope you develop the courage to pick up that phone

Thanks I think if I had a few drinks beforehand I could manage but they always call when I have no money haha

Originally Posted by anewyear

I absolutely hate interviews but ironically, I'd probably rather a Teams one rather than in-person. It has the opportunity that you can plaster the wall behind with post-it notes as a prompt!

Haha that's not actually a bad idea. Brain freeze can be so crappy in a situation.


Thanks for your replies all

[biscuits]

I used to have this and maybe my strategies are a bit neurotic, but they worked for me. I used to write down scripts of what I was going to say on the phone and rehearse it a few times. Then I cut it down to bullet points of things to remember to say.

You could email to say you have anxiety and would they mind emailing the questions to you prior to the interview so you have time to think of answers without the pressure. They might not agree to this, but it's worth a try

Or perhaps request an in person interview instead.

p.s Love your new pic, Katie :D

[MissKatie]

Originally Posted by biscuits

I used to have this and maybe my strategies are a bit neurotic, but they worked for me. I used to write down scripts of what I was going to say on the phone and rehearse it a few times. Then I cut it down to bullet points of things to remember to say.

You could email to say you have anxiety and would they mind emailing the questions to you prior to the interview so you have time to think of answers without the pressure. They might not agree to this, but it's worth a try

Or perhaps request an in person interview instead.

p.s Love your new pic, Katie :D

It's something I definitely do when I can plan the call. For example I need to call the electric people, I've got a rough idea of what they'll say so I can literally read a script back to them haha.

It's a bit different with interviews I think. You're all busy talking about your experiences with work and suddenly they ask "in what situation would you use the word obsequious best?"
Um what? Haha

I'll get there. I'm going to do a sneaky from Tuesday and always have some money spare to buy alcohol, if I miss an interview call, I can rush to the shop, buy two ciders and then call.
It's not a good solution but I'll know I'll be fine actually IN the job so it's not like it'd be a regular thing.

Also thank you It took many years but I've finally learned how to use the lighting and angles to make a photo I like. I wish I looked like that all the time, but we take any victories we can right?

[Dougella]

^ Maybe you could use a bit of a script (and a little alcohol) to phone to arrange an interview and ask for an in person interview if at all possible.

I'd be really surprised if the majority of places are doing phone interviews these days, because surely they want to actually meet the person they're interviewing.....you would think. But then I haven't had to apply for jobs recently, so things may have changed mre than I realise.

[MissKatie]

Well I'm still unemployed, I didn't actually look at all for a full week as my brain just couldn't take it.

Someone I know got two interviews in a week and that just felt like kicking me when I was down haha

[Avocado]

Maybe start with an interview for a job you don't really want. I say this because whenever I look for a job I always mess up the first interview. After that I get into the swing of it. Maybe you can find somebody, perhaps a fellow SA-er, who would do a mock interview to get you started?

[catlover]

I've lost out on several jobs because I panicked during the in-person interview. Horrible experience.

[choirgirl]

That's a good tip Avocado.

[citizen_erased]

I was unemployed for a pretty long spell after my previous long-term job ended. I kept applying for jobs and had several in-person interviews but just kept getting knocked back and I'm positive a lot of it was down to my anxiety.

Then the pandemic hit and I stopped applying for jobs for a while cos I figured due to Covid and all the lockdowns nobody would be hiring anyone anyway. Then when some of the restrictions started being lifted I decided to start applying for a few jobs again and one of the first ones I applied for invited me to do a Zoom interview. I was so nervous, esp as i had never done a video interview before but it clearly went a lot better than I thought as I got the job and I've been there almost 2 years now!

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