10 Good Jobs For Social Anxiety Sufferers [Which One Is Right For You?]

There are times when we all want to be alone or in the company of people we trust.

This is where we can be our confident selves.

Meeting new people can cause nervousness in many. This is natural.

Having a few butterflies while anticipating what will happen is normal.

Social anxiety may be present when that nervousness turns into a fear of interaction.

Social anxiety can even cause sufferers to reduce their intimate circles so that there are very few, if any, people that they actually trust.

This leads to isolation, loneliness, and other negative emotions.

It is the third-largest mental health care problem that is in the world today.

What causes such an intense nervousness?

For many, it is a fear of being judged.

There is a heightened level of self-consciousness which arises from a feeling of being closely watched or criticized by other people.

Holding down employment while battling feelings like these can be extremely difficult.

Many jobs call for at least some level of social interaction on a regular basis.

Initiating those interactions when avoidance is preferred can reduce the effectiveness of how someone completes their professional responsibilities.

There are certain jobs for social anxiety sufferers that can help keep the nervousness and fear at manageable levels.

By working independently in an environment that is comforting or familiar, it becomes possible for someone with Social Anxiety Disorder to earn a good living without added stress.

What is a good job for someone with social anxiety? Here are the options to consider.

#1. Digital Work

The Internet has opened up numerous opportunities to work digitally.

This can be telecommuting, freelancing, or e-commerce.

Telecommuting opens up a number of new career options that offer the opportunity to work from home.

Although there may be team meetings and work functions which require attendance, a majority of the communication and interaction occurs through a Virtual Private Network.

If telecommuting is still too much personal interaction, then freelancing is an excellent opportunity.

This is especially true if you can find work as a blogger or a coder.

Interactions are often limited to emails. Many digital freelancers never meet their clients in person.

E-commerce is an emerging digital opportunity to work from home as well.

By running your own store, you can earn a living selling things you make on your own.

This includes affiliate sales for products or services you support.

#2. Household Service

People lead very busy lives today.

They don?t have time to clean their homes, prepare meals, or perform the general maintenance on their homes that is needed to maintain its value.

This is the perfect opportunity for a job when social anxiety is an issue.

Many household service jobs are worked independently at various locations throughout a community.

Opportunities in this category include plumbing, housekeeping, handyman services, personal chefs, and other forms of skilled work.

There may be specific certifications that must be held in order to work independently.

Many plumbers, for example, must go through an apprenticeship in order to be qualified to work.

This means not every job may allow you to work with complete independence.

#3. Janitorial Work

Many janitorial responsibilities happen after the first shift goes home.

That means you?re working either second shift or third shift.

Since most of the world puts in a 9-5 grind, you?re automatically working with fewer people already.

Many janitorial jobs are also very independent.

You might be working with a team, but the only time you?d likely see them is when you take a break.

Even then, you can choose to eat lunch on your own if you wish.

A growing segment of the janitorial industry involves independent contracting.

A private janitorial company would sign a contract to clean a specific building.

Then they?ll hire a contractor to perform those duties while providing them with the cleaning supplies that are needed to get the job done.

For smaller buildings, like a community bank, you?d be assigned to work on your own.

Agree to work enough contracts like that over the course of a week and you?ll have a full-time job that limits triggers for your social anxiety.

#4. Consultation

For many social anxiety sufferers, the issue is a matter of control.

Because you are unsure of how you?ll be judged or criticized, you avoid the situation because that affords you a certain level of control over it.

This is why consultation work can be very rewarding for people with Social Anxiety Disorder.

You get to be in full control of the relationship.

Your employer comes to you for advice on your field of expertise.

Consultation work also frees you from the responsibility of having direct reports in most circumstances.

Being in a leadership role can limit the anxiety that you feel, but it won?t completely eliminate it.

After all, if you?re a manager or a supervisor, you will likely be called upon to fire someone at some point.

That process can make even the most confident people squeamish, so be sure you?re comfortable with that potential outcome if you have social anxiety and are considering a leadership role.

#5. Landscaping

There are plenty of opportunities to work outside with plenty of personal space.

Landscaping just happens to be one of the best jobs for social anxiety sufferers because of its unique attributes.

You get to be out in the sunshine. You get to build walkways, mow lawns, and plant flowers.

The job duties can be quite relaxing.

Landscapers can work independently as an entrepreneur or be directly employed by certain companies or organizations.

Golf courses are often a top place to find work in landscaping that is consistent and pays quite well.

If you have allergies to grass or pollen, or perhaps you?re not a fan of building things, then there are support positions that are very independent in the landscaping industry as well.

Landscaping companies need business managers, for example, to coordinate supplies, contracts, and schedules.

You can also provide materials to landscapers, such as mulch, flagstone, or decorative natural materials.

There is work available in the creation of those natural materials as well.

#6. Accounting

If you?re good with numbers, then working as an accountant is an excellent option for social anxiety sufferers.

You can work on your own, work for a service provider, or be directly employed by an organization.

Accountants may be assigned a specific task when working for an organization, such as processing payroll or handling the accounts payable and receivable.

If working independently, accountants will manage the books for companies and individuals while ensuring regulatory compliance.

This may include filing taxes, managing investments, or other specifically requested tasks.

Although there is some level of interaction that must occur, the interactions involve the numbers you?re working with more than a social engagement.

This creates a satisfactory level of comfort for most who suffer from social anxieties.

#7. Foreclosure Cleaning and Repair

Have you ever heard of an FRCO? It stands for ?Foreclosure Clean Out.?

When homeowners are unable to make the payments on their mortgage, a foreclosure is initiated.

There is a time after the bank or rights-holder takes over the property before they attempt to sell it where cleaning and repair is required.

It is more than just a janitorial job, though there is a cleaning aspect to it.

There are carpentry tasks, general contracting duties, and other miscellaneous tasks that are required.

At one home, you may be asked to clean the carpets and fix a fence.

At another, you could be asked to add a lock to a gate and build a handrail for a set of stairs to a porch.

No two properties are exactly the same.

Each task that you are asked to complete will have an assigned cost to it.

By providing this service, you help the structure recover from the foreclosure so that the new owner can recoup a majority of the property?s value.

Once you?ve finished the cleanout and repair, you may also be called upon to maintain the property if it fails to sell immediately.

Some services in this job opportunity are contracted through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in the United States, so it is a government contracting opportunity.

Sub-contracting opportunities are also available in many areas, allowing for independent work.

#7. Animal Care

Although caring for animals can sometimes involve interacting with strangers, this isn?t always the case.

You can work at an animal shelter, for example, or a nature preserve and limit contacts so that your social anxiety doesn?t flair up.

If you don?t mind a little personal interaction, working as a pet groomer, veterinarian technician, or at a zoo can all be rewarding as well.

There are also animal training opportunities that are available for those who suffer from social anxiety.

Dog and horse training are the most common options to consider, but virtually every animal requires a trainer if it lives in some form of captivity.

#8. Creative Arts

Sometimes the best way to overcome social anxiety is to pretend that you?re someone else.

This is why the creative arts is an excellent job opportunity for those who suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder.

Engaging the mind with a creative tasks encourages the use of one?s imagination.

It may also allow you to express your worries or fears in a way that is safe.

There is some risk in working at a creative job.

More criticism tends to be leveled on creative work, such as art, writing, photography, or acting, than other career options receive.

On the other hand, most of the criticism that is received doesn?t come from person-to-person interactions, so the social anxieties can often be held at bay.

#9. Delivery and Transportation

If you?re not a fan of interacting with others, but you still want to earn a solid wage, then delivery and transportation jobs are worth considering.

You won?t be interacting with many people when you?re driving a semi-trailer across the country on a regular basis.

Delivery drivers are often on their own as well.

You could run a postal route for the US Postal Service, look for jobs at UPS or FedEx, or even become an independent contractor for one of these organizations.

The amount of money that you can earn in this career option often depends on how much home time you want to have.

If you wish to be home every day, then you can earn an average of about $40,000 per year.

Drivers who are willing to be on the road a little longer can earn up to 50% more on average.

Many driving and transportation opportunities do require you to obtain a Commercial Driver?s License.

#10. Information Technology

Those who have social anxieties often turn to the field of IT for a career.

It?s understandable, considering you can code at a computer all day and never really speak with anyone.

You can also get into web development, software engineering, and network administration and earn a good salary.

What is unique about this opportunity is that social anxieties tend to fade away because there is so much respect for this specific skill set in the world today.

It is possible to combine an IT emphasis with other opportunities, like starting a digital business.

You could start a troubleshooting digital business where people submit their computer issues to you via email with a payment and then you can send back a resolution.

Many IT jobs do require a college or graduate degree.

A specific certification may also be required.