What's the best job for someone with AvPd?

I'm 18 years old in college with absolutely no job experience. My options are limited to working at a grocery store, coffee shop, clothes stores... What would be the best place to work at and the job position? Is there anything for me.

Okay...I'm talking about the future not now...

Major in web design, computer graphics, computer programming, accounting, or any business/secretarial stuff. There are loads of opportunities of telecommuting (working at home) with those skills. Also, if they offer a class in debate or communications do that. Something that will teach you the skill of talking to people on the phone.

These days, with technology advancing as fast as it is, there are lots of opportunities to work at home that didn't exist a few years ago. Another thought....brainstorm a list of things you'd like to do. Then go on the Department of Labor and read through what they call their Occupational Outlook Handbook...the entire thing is online at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/. You can put in any job you can think of and it will tell you the skills you need, education requirements, demand for the job, work environment, whether it may be possible to work from home, and beginning salary. You may not be able to work at home the first few years; you may have to "get your feet wet" but there's lots of possibilities out there.

I started a support group for job seekers at http://forums.psychcentral.com/group...b-seekers.html. You're welcome to join if you'd like.

As for now...that's hard. You could beef up your secretarial skills, typing and such, and work in an office part-time. In an office, you'd have limited contact with people most of the time. I'd avoid fast food. Customer service of that nature is very hard for an introvert....been there/done that. A slower paced store may not be too bad though.

Honestly never... it depends on you! What do you like? What do you find to be less stressful or more stressful?

Like.. for me? I hate handling others' money and even though when I was younger I found that job to be really easy.... I hated it because it stressed me out handling people's money.

On the other hand... I'm very good at pretending so I do very well in customer service positions. As long as it was something on the floor where I was just helping someone find things, I was great. I always knew where stuff was and knew the sorts of things that I could recommend, or at least who to direct them to. But if I had been in a customer service job where I was going to have to deal with complaints, I would have quit because I simply can't handle it.

If you're looking for work to do while you attend college, can you look for work on campus? Jobs on campus (or really close to it) are often a lot more willing to work around class schedules, and it'd be fairly easy to go between the two places.

Find the career centre on your campus and they'll be able to help you out a bit, even if it's just with helping you with your resume and to develop some interview skills!

I worked at a library and I really loved it. It's quiet and low-stress and you get to do jobs like go off and shelve books.

This is a bit of a loaded question. For me, I work at home. Which is both a great thing and a not so good thing.

Its great because I work at home. No committing and no aggravation from fellow employees. But its also not a good thing because I have no contact with fellow employes. So I have no reason to develop social skills.

So its a double edged sword.

Less stressful: not having to deal with people or talk to people.

So... any job like that?

No? Okay.

Hi. I do retail merchandising. This is a job where you place product for a third party vendor. I get my schedules and orders, go to the store and place the product, pull tickets for orders, place the orders, and then input my hours all on the company's website. You work independently and set your own hours and schedule. It can be very low stress and your contact with others is limited. The account is your customer; the store's customers are not so you do not have to deal with them. You may have limited contact with store management. There are several websites where you can find these types of jobs like Indeed.com and Merchandiserbuzz.com. Good luck with your search.

Unfortunately, pretty much every job requires contact with at least one other person.

You could be a truck driver and drive across country with cargo. Don't really have to talk much aside from when you're loading up and dropping off.

You could give up money and go be a monk and take a vow of silence.

You could get a job as a park ranger or something like that where you would be out in the bush most of the time.

You could work as a librarian where you will need to help people find things, but it's typically a short and straightforward interaction.

You could work in an office. You'd be around a lot of people, but you'd be mostly working on a computer.

You could work in a factory - where again, you're around a lot of people but you're usually working on your task without much interaction at all.

You could work in the postal service where you would be mostly out delivering mail and only talk to people on the chance that you have to knock on the door to get a package signed.

There are quite a few jobs where you will have minimum interaction. But we could give you all sorts of ideas, but what it comes down to is you thinking about the things that you like doing (which you haven't shared with us) and then to find jobs that will involve those. You also need to consider the things that you want the least (human interaction - but what kinds of interaction cause you the MOST stress? Because if nothing else, you will always have a boss or something to have to speak to sometimes, or to work nearby others).

Like... for me.

Things I like: Science, Reading, being in control of my time, being able to have routine but also having the freedom to be creative. And I do like to be around people.

Things I don't like: being watched/criticized, working too often with the same people, being bored, repetition.

I decided to be a teacher. It gives me human interaction which I enjoy, but because it's almost completely with children, I know I'm not being scrutinzed or criticized. I'm not being evaluated. I can enjoy a variety of subjects and how I teach them and what we do about them is up to me, so I have that freedom. I also can create my own routine and that works well for me - I like to be in control of what I'm doing. I can talk with other adults, but they aren't watching me do my job so the interactions are up to me. So... even though I'm around loads of other people and I am always interacting with them... it's not the kind of interaction that causes me stress.

My mom is a freelance writer. Only contact she makes with people is via the internet. It takes a while to actually make money off it, though. The company she works for, you have to reach a really high level to make an average sized paycheck. She enjoys it, however.

I would think many computer jobs would have limited interaction. However, you still might have to interact with at least one other person. If you're good with computers and/or writing, though, it's something to consider.

If it's easier for you to be around children than adults, a teacher might work out.

If it's easier for you to be around pets than people, then a job working with animals might be an idea (yeah, you have to deal with people, too - but I find it easier to deal with people when animals are in the picture).

Red Panda is right. It comes down to what you want more than anything. There are options, but you should always keep in mind that you will have some form of interaction. Even in my mom's case, although it's all online.

OSFED|MDD/PPD|GAD|gender dysphoria|AvPD

Get into web development if you have a flare that kind of thing. You can make good money and your main function will be dealing with computer code. If you find the right job most conversations will be in regards to computer code, which is easy to talk about even if you have social anxiety problems because it's all factual and very straightforward. But you can't totally avoid human contact and have a job... we have to have things to dream about after all. Good luck.

You could try a night shift at a grocery store or something similar. Since you're in school it may not be a great idea but if you can handle working nights I think it'd be all right. I've never had that job but it's always been attractive to me because I don't think you'd have to interact with other people very much. Just stock shelves, clean up, and whatever else. It also doubles as an excuse for getting out of social events that happen in the evening.

Do you mean temporary? I'd try night stock. If you mean career? Computer programming no doubt. I feel that career is made for people with Social Phobias. Yes, it does require meetings, but it's mainly you and a machine. I love it myself.

Not to mention you'd start off with one of the top 5 baccalaureate salaries. And it's not going anywhere. Computers are taking people's jobs, so why not work with them instead of against? ha.

It's also something you can practice at home, for free, unlike the other engineering disciples. You can sit in a dark room, load up C++, and just write code. If you have access to a computer, any computer really, you can program.

With everything else, like electrical engineering, you need a lot of tools and cannot teach a lot of it to yourself because the instruments are not at your disposal.

Before I left grad school, I'd find dark spots to code my projects while I streamed music. Just me and the screen. No facial expressions to misinterpret. And at the end of the day, if your code works, you "know you will be liked"--huge positive for an AvPD

I'd rank software engineering as the most suited AvPD career.

Having AvPd does not mean:

1) You don't like being around people.

2) You are stupid.

I find the hardest jobs to be the ones in which:

1) I am constantly being judged.

2) I have to work with dominating and controlling people who have poor listening skills and little empathy.

I'm not sure there is any job that is truly suitable.

I work in the social services field, dealing with people every day...so ironic...

Here's a few career possibilities:

- Computer programmer
- Truck driver
- Government clerical worker

For the time being, you may want to try doing light industrial jobs through a temp agency or something like that where you don't have too much stressful contact with people.

It's probably better if you can (or better still if someone pushes you, really hard if they have to) to face your fears? I don't know, I am not a psychologist.

I have been doing customer service over the phone at a call center for several years now. It was hard the first months because you have to do a lot of role play but if you can get past the first few months of training you will do fine. I'm currently studying to become a web developer and trying to figure out ideas on how can I help others like me thorugh it. Best of lucks.

I would advise against trading.
I thought - what a perfect; work from home job.
And it is, if you can trade.

Here's where the hard bit is - as someone with AVPD you are guaranteed to fail at trading.... - Because, trading is an emotional game.
Good control over your emotions,
Not prone to self-sabotage
intricate awareness of the emotions your feeling
Able to have a life to get immersed in - so you don't over-trade
Healthy living habits
Confidence

are just a few of the things you need to be a good trader. So count yourself out if you have AVPD....

Sorry - I'm trying to help on this one. I tried for 18months.
I learnt a ton, but in the end the biggest lesson I learnt is - I am not very in control, or even aware of how I feel a lot of the time, and I hate myself - so, with financial ruin a few clicks of the mouse away. All it takes is one bad mood to ruin your life.
(Don't trade!!!)

However, I plan on getting a lot better in the next few years... then, maybe I'll give it another go.
--
As for normal jobs..... I only worked as a barman in a very busy Pub. It was hell.
I have literally no idea. I can't even talk to people on the phone,,, so - I don't know where to begin.
I hate computers... they screw up my back ---- so I don't want a techy or customer service type job on the computer.

I thought about being a gardener.... but even that requires talking to clients or your boss.
Got me..

This is a great question!

I also have Avoidant PD. Work has always been a stressful topic for me on many fronts. For myself, starting with something that felt within my comfort zone was a great way to build confidence. I have had many different jobs over the years, each one was slightly different and more challenging. I think this is a good way for someone with Avoidant Personality Disorder symptomatology to slowly and safely make strides.

It is doable.

I remember thinking I would never drive. It took years to get over my fears - but eventually I made it.

I also thought I would never have a girlfriend.

While I haven't had one for long - I did and I proved that I was capable.

I never thought I could operate loud machinery / or forklifts.

I did.

I never thought I could do wash dishes in a restaurant.

I did.

I never thought I would teach an entire class in university.

I did.

It's a slow progression - one small step at a time and a slow appreciation for the challenges! The challenges become addicting as they are the only way to make inevitable mistakes and learn! We learn SOO much from mistakes. We are fallible and have got to understand that we NEED to make mistakes and allow ourselves to make them, and use our hard-earned insight to push on.

I wish you all the best,

Thanks,
HD7970ghz

This only applies to those who have AvPD as their core/primary PD.

A job depends on many things such as your capabilities, right place at the right time, peer pressure, need the job, an interest, the job came your way etc.
Socializing depends on the environment- which also includes how we feel and treated amongst other staff members.
a) We're not going to be social butterflies but in some cases we need to appear social in order to hide our AvPD . Adapting to what's needed. There can be members of the staff that we like to be around. They might feed a deficiency that we need-admire in them etc. *adapting is all very modified to our capabilities.
b) Situations can also lean to that we just have a role to fulfil, without any real need of communication/social interaction. We can just focus on the task at hand- however that usually sends us deeper into ourselves-not really a good thing.

Kinda need a. & b. as healthy balance of ourselves and others... but that will always be short lived or needs some kind of timed out interval to prolong the tide.

The incoming tide is AvPD, it's anxiety, self doubt, putting others forward, feeling insecure and seeing others more worthy. This usually over time this catches us up where we start to become unsettled, till eventually we need to either leave and find something new, leave and continue that same kind of job at another place of employment or basically get out and away to find and start something new.

We can work a job that fits what we need at that time and we can perform those duties for some time (struggling through the social stuff ) but that tide eventually catches up on us. That incoming tide can take a long time before it reaches us because that saying "the devil you know" kinda rings true plus every avie wants to prove themselves so they will work under their self inflicted pressure for a very long time before they can't maintain the mental power to stick it out anymore.
There is no one clear answer for the social stuff as there is millions of reactions and changes depending on the situation...plus, its normal for us to move the goal posts.

The perfect job, providing it ticks a lot of our boxes is only perfect to begin with.