7 common job search fears and how to overcome them

Looking for a new job should be a straightforward process, but often your own doubts and fears can get in the way of success. Whether you’re fresh out of university, seeking a career change, or simply looking for new opportunities, there are a wide range of common job search fears that may hold back your progress. The good news is that these fears can be overcome with a little thought and self-awareness.

From embracing change and dealing with rejection to outshining the competition and successfully navigating interviews, you can find the most common job search fears in this blog post with plenty of tips on how to vault over those obstacles too.

Fear of the unknown

One of the most common fears that you may face when looking for a new job is fear of the unknown. That unknown might include your new workmates, the workplace culture, or even the actual job. So what can you do to embrace change, or at least become a little more comfortable with it?

• Reconsider what change means to you. Is it simply a step into a scary unknown, or instead is it a chance to push beyond exciting new boundaries, build on your skillset and experience, and improve your quality of life? Reframing the fear of change can be an enlightening process.
• Find out as much as you can about the new employer, their culture, and what the job entails. The job description will tell you what tasks and responsibilities are included. It may also indicate who you’ll deal with on a regular basis. The company’s website and social media channels can be great sources of information on the employer and company culture.
• If you’ve changed jobs in the past, think back to those experiences to find examples of how you adapted to your new role and employer. If you made that change in the past, you can do it again.

Fear of rejection and failure

Nobody likes to be rejected or to fail, but sometimes the possibility of either can stop you in your tracks or cause you to downplay your value as a candidate. Instead of giving into this fear, why not think about it like this instead?

• Failure is never a comfortable experience, but it can be a wonderful source of information and learning. Success may be the favoured outcome, but it rarely teaches you as much as failure does. So, if even failure will have its advantages, what’s stopping you from applying for that job?
• If your job application is rejected, it isn’t personal. Instead, it’s a business decision. Employers simply want the best candidate for the job.
• Rejection isn’t only a decision made by employers. You may find that a job you first thought was an ideal fit just isn’t right for you. It might be the tasks and responsibilities, the salary package, or the company culture. You won’t know this, however, unless you take that first step and apply.

Fear of being unqualified

You’re afraid that you’re not good enough for the job. That could mean that you don’t have the right qualifications or skills, but generally this will come down to your work experience. The best way to overcome this fear is to check your education, skills, and experience against the job description. If they’re a match, then there’s no need to be afraid of being unqualified.

If there are gaps:

• can you put that right? Can you learn those skills by asking for new responsibilities at work, for instance?
• can you do the job without those missing factors?
• are the missing skills or experience necessary to work in the job or just a nice-to-have on the employer’s part?

Job descriptions generally outline the ideal candidate with the exact skills, experience, and education that the employer would like to see in their new worker. The candidates that employers hire, on the other hand, are those individuals who are the best fit from all the people who have applied for the job.

Fear of meeting new people

Not everyone is good at or comfortable with networking, and that’s perfectly understandable. You’re an individual with your own personality, needs and preferences. However, if the fear of meeting new people is holding you back from applying for jobs, you’re denying yourself the opportunity to develop your career.

How do you overcome this fear?

• Remember when you started your last job and met lots of new people? How did you cope with that?
• If you’re scared that you won’t know what to say to new people, prepare in advance. You probably already know how to prepare for a job interview by practicing your answers to common questions, but have you worked out how you will introduce yourself? It may seem silly but practicing what you’ll say can help to boost your confidence.
• One element of this fear is not knowing how to build a relationship with new people. You know nothing about them, so how can you possibly have a conversation with them? That’s where asking questions and active listening are useful tactics. Active listening means taking notice of what the person says, the type of language and tone of voice they use, and their body language, and then responding accordingly.
• Remember that each new person you meet is an opportunity, not an obstacle.

Fear of not standing out from the crowd

One obvious fear when applying for a job is that you won’t stand out from all the other applicants. You worry that there’s nothing special about your skills and experience and you therefore won’t be asked to interview for the job.

The best way to overcome this fear is to prove yourself wrong. Here’s how:

• First off, look at all that you’ve achieved up to this point. That might be the skills you’ve developed, the qualifications you’ve gained, the range of work experience you have, and all those other achievements you’ve accomplished too. Nobody else has the exact same combination of those factors. You are unique.
• For each job that you apply for, match your skills, experience, education, and achievements to the job description to see how close of a fit you are to the ideal candidate. Alter your CV to emphasise the skills and experience that the employer is looking for.
• One way to stand out from the crowd, is to tell your story in your own voice. Use your storytelling skills to craft answers to interview questions that showcase your talents and experience in real-life situations. The STAR method is ideal for this. S = Situation: Describe the context or challenge you faced. T = Task: Explain what you had to do or your goal. A = Action: Describe the steps you took or the skills you used to complete the task. R = Result: Highlight the outcome or impact of your actions. You can use the STAR method to improve your CV too.

Fear of interviews

If the thought of being interviewed is stopping you from applying for a new job, there are plenty of ways you can overcome this fear:

• Prepare, prepare, prepare. Even at the stage of job application, you can prepare for being interviewed by researching the company and role, practicing your answers to common interview questions, and creating a number of STAR stories to highlight relevant skills and experience.
• Use mock interviews. Ask a friend or family member to roleplay an interview with you. If you’re a student or recent graduate, your university careers hub may offer this service. Alternatively, there are plenty of online resources, such as Barclays Bank virtual interview practice and My Interview Practice. You can even use a general AI like Chat GPT or Bing.
• The interview isn’t just about the employer asking you questions. Why not take back control by thinking up a list of questions that you want to ask at the interview? This way, you know that you’ll come out of the interview with all the information you need.

Fear of leaving your current employe

If you worry that jumping into a new role may turn out to be a massive mistake, that you’d miss your current workmates, or that moving would be disloyal to your employer, here are a few factors to consider:

• Change is scary and can bring up all kinds of emotions. You may feel guilty or anxious. Acknowledge these emotions but don’t let them stop you from making the right decision.
• Does your current job still suit you or have you outgrown it? Have your needs and preferences changed, for instance, do you now need to work on a hybrid basis instead of spending all week in the office? Is there a good reason for you to look for a new job?
• We all crave familiarity, so why not take that familiar with you? If your job no longer suits you but you enjoy the company culture, why not look for an alternative role with your current employer or find an employer with a similar culture. If you’ll miss your workmates, you can stay in touch with them even if you work for a different company. If you find great satisfaction in the tasks and responsibilities of your job but don’t like the company you work for, find an equivalent job working for a company that’s a better match for your needs.

Wrapping it up

The process of looking for a new job will always have its up and downs, but if fear is stopping you from expressing your true value as a candidate or even beginning your job search, there are plenty of ways to overcome those concerns. Whether it’s a fear of the unknown, worry over meeting new people, or any of the other issues explored in this blog post, take the time to consider the benefits of landing a new job, explore how you can express your individual value as a candidate, and decide whether your fears are valid or just holding you back.