Having worked most of my career in mental health, some of it as a therapist, I would agree with the comments and suggestions provided by Nancy Barbour.
Social anxiety and any of the other anxiety-related disorders can be debilitating for those who suffer from it. And suffer is a good word. Their anxiety sucks out any enjoyment of their life.
I’m going to take a little different approach to answering the question though.
Interviewing for a job is not something we do every day. It is difficult to become self-confident in an activity that we are likely performing in a less than an equal capacity with our interviewer.
I’m currently working on creating an on-line course entitled You’re Hired! Job Search Strategies that Work. It will be at hosted at VirversitY. It should be up and running in the next two weeks.
While social anxiety can certainly be debilitating, not knowing how to perform in a job interview, can produce its own level of stress.
Being self-confident in any endeavor can help reduce anxiety levels, at least to a manageable level.
You would be well-advised to learn how to participate in a job interview. This includes researching the job you are applying for and knowing what the key competencies that the employer is looking for.
It also means developing a series of questions that the interviewer is likely to ask to assess your capabilities of performing in the role. Role playing answering questions prior to the live version can go a long way in reducing your anxiety.
Fear of the unknown is a common fear. If you practice in advance, you can help reduce your anxiety. Performance anxiety is also common. You are better off to build your confidence in practice sessions, before you go live.
Make no mistake. Looking for work is work! You have the added challenge of social anxiety. When you land your job, guess what … your social anxiety will still be there and will likely affect your day-to-day working conditions.
That’s where the psychotherapy comes in.
Good luck in overcoming this challenge. You can do it!