Question by:
Анастасія
Age:
36
Fear of returning to work
Hello!
I haven’t worked officially in about six years. At first, I was on maternity leave, then the pandemic started, followed by the full-scale war. Now I feel ready to go back to work and want to find a remote position.
I’ve already put together my resume, browsed job listings, and even sent out a few applications. There were interviews—sometimes we just didn’t suit each other, and other times they simply didn’t call back. I understand that’s a normal part of job hunting.
But now I’m facing a problem. I find a job posting, but I’m too afraid to apply. I freeze up. I’m scared they’ll call me, invite me for an interview, start asking questions, and I’ll get flustered, won’t be able to answer well, will come across as incompetent, or won’t meet their expectations.
At the same time, I know that adjusting to a new job takes time and that I’ll figure it out and learn. During the time I wasn’t working officially, I did freelance work—sewing to order and handling SMM for stores (I’m actually an economist by training). So I wasn’t completely out of work, but returning to official employment is causing me a lot of anxiety.
I’m no longer considering freelancing because I want a stable job and steady income.
I’d like to understand how to deal with this.
I haven’t worked officially in about six years. At first, I was on maternity leave, then the pandemic started, followed by the full-scale war. Now I feel ready to go back to work and want to find a remote position.
I’ve already put together my resume, browsed job listings, and even sent out a few applications. There were interviews—sometimes we just didn’t suit each other, and other times they simply didn’t call back. I understand that’s a normal part of job hunting.
But now I’m facing a problem. I find a job posting, but I’m too afraid to apply. I freeze up. I’m scared they’ll call me, invite me for an interview, start asking questions, and I’ll get flustered, won’t be able to answer well, will come across as incompetent, or won’t meet their expectations.
At the same time, I know that adjusting to a new job takes time and that I’ll figure it out and learn. During the time I wasn’t working officially, I did freelance work—sewing to order and handling SMM for stores (I’m actually an economist by training). So I wasn’t completely out of work, but returning to official employment is causing me a lot of anxiety.
I’m no longer considering freelancing because I want a stable job and steady income.
I’d like to understand how to deal with this.
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