15 Best Jobs for People With Social Anxiety & Tips to Make Any Job Work

The best job for an individual struggling with social anxiety is one that allows the person to contribute their skills and pursue their dreams without being put into a situation that exacerbates their mental health issues. Many of these jobs allow someone to deal with people in small numbers. However, those wishing to challenge themselves may choose a career field that pushes them to work with and overcome their anxiety over time.

Social anxiety manifests as a fear of dealing with people in certain social environments, such as the workplace. As an employee, social anxiety may cause symptoms while thinking about work, when working with customers or employees, or after dealing with a stressful situation in the workplace.

13 Tips for Navigating Any Job With Social Anxiety

Several therapists cautioned us against limiting the kinds of jobs one might choose when struggling to overcome social anxiety. Instead, they offered tips for dealing with social anxiety on the job.

Here are 13 tips for dealing with social anxiety in any workplace:

1. Remember That Social Anxiety Is Treatable

“Social anxiety is quite treatable with thorough counseling and/or medication. It should not forever relegate you to a position that avoids social situations. The ideal job while suffering from symptoms is likely a position that currently has limited social engagement but the potential to expand into more and more social functions. As treatment progresses, those suffering from social anxiety could then actively participate in exposure based therapies.” – Jared Healthman, MD, Texas Online Psychiatrist, White Coat HQ

2. Focus on What You Want, Not Your Anxiety

“Someone who experiences social anxiety and is looking for a new job should focus first on what they want do, what kind of job they want. That should be their first consideration. In most cases it isn’t necessarily beneficial to choose a career or job through the filter of social anxiety. People who experience social anxiety should consider pursuing the life they want to live rather than limiting their lives to accommodate social anxiety. Sometimes it may be necessary to choose a job that someone has identified fits into a healthy boundary for them based upon their history and the work they have done with regard to social anxiety.” – Frank Thewes, LCSW

3. Choose a Job With Flexibility

“Although it might seem that remote or isolated work would be best, that would be unlikely to improve the condition and might aggravate it. If the condition progresses to complete isolation, a high risk is created of serious depression. The best type of job, therefore, would be one that was flexible so that the socially phobic employee can attend therapy sessions and gradually increase or decrease interpersonal contact as treatment progress dictates.” – John F. Tholen, PhD, Retired Psychologist and author of Focused Positivity: The Path to Success and Peace of Mind

4. Pay Attention During Interviews & Watch for Toxic Culture

“The best fit job for someone with social anxiety often has to do more with company culture and environment than it does with work related tasks. Many workplaces are not supportive, have unhealthy pressures, or are truly toxic in nature. These types of environments are going to make asking for help or getting clear on work expectations incredibly hard, and most people won’t ever feel at ease. Jobs work best when they are something that we find interesting that matches our skill set as an employee. Outside of that, being mindful at interviews or from professional connections exactly which jobs are supportive and which jobs have toxic work cultures can help guide you to better fit jobs.” – Billy Roberts, LISW, Owner of Focused Mind ADHD Counseling

5. Exposure Is Better Than Avoidance

“People with social anxiety can do any number of jobs, so it would be easier to say what types of jobs they might want to avoid. A job in marketing, communications or sales requires a lot of networking and social interaction, whereas a job in accounting, legal, IT or operations tends to be more contained. It really depends on how the anxiety presents itself.

You have to know if you are someone who gets more anxious around strangers or around people you know well. Are you more anxious in large groups or in small groups? Anxiety manifests differently for different people and there are many ways to manage it, so I don’t like to limit people with mental health issues in any way.

The bottom line is that people can do amazing things when they want and I don’t believe in putting limitations on someone’s abilities because of a diagnosis.” – Dr. Joanna Massey, Doctor of Psychology, JDMA Inc

6. Consider Your Goals Regarding Your Social Anxiety

“Is your social anxiety something you would like to address in your next career move or is being less socially-anxious something you are not interested in working on? When you are going on an interview, you are finding out if the company is a match for you and they are finding out if you are a match for them. You can ask questions such as “Approximately how many clients will I help each day?” or “Will participating in public presentations or conferences be a part of my role?” Think of if the answers make sense for what you want to accomplish both professional and personally in this capacity. If you approach the job search in a thoughtful manner, you will find a position that is sustainable for your experience, personality and goals.” – Erica Cramer, LCSW, MBA, Psychotherapist at Cobb Psychotherapy

7. Ask About Training, Mentoring, & Feedback

“When interviewing with the company, ask about their training plan. Check to see if they have a mentoring program. Find out how and how often they provide feedback, making sure that they provide positive and constructive feedback regularly. Inquire about their plan to help you develop your skills and your career. You want to make sure they plan to invest in your career development.” – Lauran Hahn, LMHC, Owner of Mindful Living Counseling Orlando

8. Ask Who to Ask

“When doing the initial HR / training process, establish a point person that will be ready, willing, and able to answer any questions you might have as you begin your employment. Knowing that there is someone you can go to if/when you’re not sure about something and then setting the expectation with them that you may need to do so will be an initial relief.” – Linda Kudla, PsyD

9. Leave Your Door Open

“In many workplaces, it is easy to walk into your office or cubicle and isolate by shutting your door or putting on headphones. These actions may reduce the short-term anxiety, but they only make the long-term anxiety worsen. Spend time each day with the intention of being social, talking to more people, and increasing your accessibility to challenge and overcome your anxiety, rather than succumbing to it.” – Eric Patterson, LPC

10. Manage Your Expectations (Especially of Yourself)

“Most jobs are approachable if we have the right kind of support. When someone has social anxiety, it’s helpful for them to have clear work expectations. This is because uncertainty is usually a trigger for anxiety. One the one hand, this can come from creating structure for yourself at work or clarifying expectations with managers. On the other hand, this can come from managing your own sense of perfectionism. Oftentimes adults with social anxiety have unreasonable expectations of themselves, recognizing that you’re human and being more reasonable about time management can also help manage anxiety at any job.” – Billy Roberts, LISW, Owner of Focused Mind ADHD Counseling

11. Try Graded Exposure

“If you have social anxiety and are planning to get into a profession with as little direct social contact as possible, it would be good to look for little windows of time where you are exposed to others. This might involve encouraging yourself to attend a few meetings in-person (rather than remotely) or choosing to take some time to chat with your colleagues at least once a week. This gradual approach is consistent with what we call ‘graded exposure’ in therapy and it works great for social anxiety. By exposing yourself gradually to what you fear, interaction with others, you have a chance to slowly build your confidence and over time discover not only that social situations don’t need to be feared, but that they can bring fulfillment to your life.” – Dr Raffaello Antonino, Clinical Directory & Counselling Psychologist for Therapy Central

12. Work With a Therapist

“There are different types and sub-categories of anxiety, that’s why seeking a licensed professional mental health expert is important in this job seeking process. Avoid self-diagnosing at all costs to lessen the overwhelming frustration that is often a natural part of the job seeker’s journey. Not only can [a therapist] help you understand your type of anxiety and how to manage it, [they] can also provide ongoing support until you land and successfully transition into the job that leans to your strengths.” – Richale R Reed MA, LCMHCS, LCAS, Founder & CEO, INpower Consulting

13. Change Your Anxiety, Not Your Dreams

“I have seen so many clients who have been able to pursue jobs, hobbies, and activities they thought were not for them because of their social anxiety. Thankfully, they decided the anxiety was what needed to change—not their dreams or desires.” – Casey Cook, MS, LPC

For Further Reading

• CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder
• Social Anxiety Institute
• Social Anxiety Organization
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America
• Anxiety.org