I have been accepted to attend an interview to take up the job role as an engagement officer ! Their main tasks are raising awareness in the university community and informing students what support is available for people who have physical and mental health disabilities. They do this by organising and running events in front of staff and students. They also attend meetings and do computer work too.
It sounds pretty scary to me :,) but I am very passionate about well being and trying to reach out to people who need support. It would be great to step out of my comfort zone, but it has really been eating me up inside ever since I got accepted for an interview 🙁
I am very bad at communicating with people and engaging in conversation because I have social anxiety and probably a speech and cognitive problem because I struggle to speak and get my words and sentences right. I will literally freeze like a scared goat that tips over and falls, and I will stay silent when I don’t say things the way I thought I would in my head. Which is all the time tbh. It is pretty embarrassing and the nervousness makes me feel so scared and ashamed of myself, even when I am speaking to someone close to me. I cannot hold long lines of speech, it is really bad 🙁
I would really love to accept this offer but I am extremely terrified of the events to come never mind the ten minute presentation I have to do in front of the panel peeps followed by an interview afterwards :/
Any advice?
2 comments
Think about what life youre choosing if you dont accept. You reinforce your fear and it will be even harder to accept the next opportunity, so you will likely decline that one to
Where does that path take you?
I was also like you. Socializing is like a muscle, you won’t get better unless you practice.
Like 7 years ago I was in your same position and now I’m nearly a social butterfly.
It’s okay to be socially awkward, I am one of 3 graduate assistants at my job, the other two are lovely, just not experts at socializing, they have different roles and are valued members of the team. My directors send me to do most of the talking.
I hope you accept the offer, me accepting roles I wasn’t super comfortable with because of social anxiety really really helped me improve