Looking for job suggestions?

[MyProfile]

Hi all,

I'm having a good day, ergophobia wise, having a few lately, and really keen to try and get back into work, give it a go at least, so I can work on the anxiety. But I keep hitting hurdles in going back to work:

1. I have limited qualifications, I am an education assistant for special needs, but I REALLY REALLY REALLY do not want to go back to it, it is way too stressful on it's own, let alone dealing with ergophobia. I actually do not like working in schools full stop - it's not a supportive environment, it's a very dog eat dog world.

2. I am pregnant and will only be able to work for another 5 -6 months before I want to stop and prepare for baby. I also don't want a very physical job because of this.

3. I don't want full time or weekend or night work.

4. I want an easy going environment (even if the pay reflects this) so I can work mostly just on being in the work environment and battle my anxiety, rather than being overwhelmed by job stress so I can't manage my ergophobia at the same time.

I'd love to work from home, or even a retail job that's a few days during the week, but I feel like I don't have the experience or the luck to land my perfect "safe" job, and it's disheartening because I am finally ready after 10 months of not working to try again.

Please share any suggestions or tips, help me keep this positive feeling going 🙂

Thanks

[Jacko777]

Hi MyProfile,

I don't have much for you except to say...you are doing great. Keep searching and thinking, make some small steps each day towards your goal and above all, maintain your calmness. Perhaps there won't ever be a 'perfect' job but you can keep working on your ability to respond to the imperfections.

Jack

[CMF]

Hi there and welcome,

my younges is almost 4 and i am starting to think about what i want to do to return to work. I also have limited qualifications, cannot do full time,weekend/evening work and would love to work from home. I was considering doing a course to work as an education assistant!

I think retail may be a bit tricky as you generally need to be available weekends and late night shopping, you will also be on your feet all day. You don't need any special skills but there is often sales pressure. You could look for a part time office admin job. If you are wanting to work to try and overcome your anxiety perhaps volunteer work would be good as you wouldn't have the pressure of set hour and demands of being available. You can do volunteer work in hospitals, ringing to check up on patients or clerical duties or you could do it at an op shop or charity venue. Call centre work is ok too as you wouldn't be on your feet all day or you could go to an agency to do temp work. This way you will get short term contracts where you are filling in for staff.

Hope this is of some help. Good on you for wanting to give it a go and best of luck with your little one.

Baby Steps x

[MyProfile]

Hi Jack,

Thanks for taking the time to reply and offer your encouragement. I certainly will try to work on coping with the imperfections 🙂

All the best,

MP

[MyProfile]

Hi Baby Steps,

Thanks for responding to my post.

I hope my "really really really don't want to go back" to a school doesnt put you off trying to be an EA if that's what you want to do. It certainly isn't for everyone but some people love it, plus you can always try to get a job in mainstream, which can also be stressful but less emotionally draining. Good luck with finding a job.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think admin will be the way to go, or even call centre. I haven't done admin for over ten years and don't know if anyone would hire me with that experience so long ago. But I won't know until I try, right?

The idea of doing temp work terrifies me, going to places with new people and new environments is way too much for me, it takes me ages to feel safe somewhere. I've done relief work in schools, which in a way is temp-ing, and you go in not knowing enough to be able to help out 100%, which triggers my anxiety really bad. On the other hand I've gone into relief thinking "it's only one day, and if I do so badly I don't have to go back". Haha. I wish I could just not think or feel, go to work and be a robot.

Anyway, all the best for you.

MP

[CMF]

Hi MP,

No you haven't put me off, I'm not sure what to do yet. I didn't realise what ergophobia was so i give you even more credit for trying as you are. I too have a bit of anxiety about returning to work but i have had bad experiences with bullying , sales pressure and just nasty people in my last few jobs.

There are a few short courses you can do to upgrade your admin skills, like courses in MYOB, EXCEL. I am considering these also as i too have not worked in an admin roll for quite some time.

I'm wondering, has something caused you to have ergophobia? Quite ok if you do not want to talk about it, but perhaps dealing with the cause may help overcome it? Just a thought 🙂

BS

[MyProfile]

Hi Baby Steps,

Thanks for the suggestion of doing a short course to upgrade my admin skills. It had crossed my mind too and perhaps I should consider it more seriously .

I'm sorry to hear you had bad experiences at work. I truly hope that when you venture back out there that you'll find a good place to work with kind people around you and if not that you can cope and realise that it's not a reflection on you, but on those other people who are treating you badly.

You ask if something contributed to me having ergophobia. That's quite a can of worms really and I guess why it's been so difficult and lengthy in dealing with it. It got me thinking though, but only led me to thinking that I've always been scared of people and I'm weak and inferior etc and I have too much to fix to ever get better. I don't know if there is a root cause that I can fix. But I have to be positive, and even if I never get better I can still try and be happy.

Hope you have had a great weekend.

MP