Everyone is scared of something at work. But what task truly makes you quiver in your boots? “I used to be very scared of after work functions,” says Jessica Brown*. “I had a bad habit of getting drunk and massively oversharing personal details with my bosses.”
Meanwhile, Kim Williams* used to worry that her appearance would hold her back. “In my first job I worried everyone wouldn’t take me seriously because I looked so much younger than my colleagues.”
However, the number one biggest employee fear is public speaking – a recent survey by Forward Role Recruitment showed 40% of us are terrified of taking centre stage. Also high on the list was job interviews, with workers aged 44-54 feeling particularly fretful about being assessed.
So, from awkward colleague small talk to saying no to your boss, what are your biggest career fears and why? We will bring together our favourites to be published on the Guardian Careers site. You can either submit them anonymously or with your Guardian username. The stories we pick will also be shared across our social media channels.
You can share your stories by clicking on the blue “Contribute” button on this article or you can download the free GuardianWitness app if you have a smartphone. Please use the description field to tell us more about the story.
• GuardianWitness is the home of readers’ content on the Guardian. Contribute your videos, pictures and stories, and browse news, reviews and creations submitted by others. Posts will be reviewed prior to publication on GuardianWitness, and the best pieces will feature on the Guardian site.
* Jessica Brown and Kim Williams are pseudonyms to protect their identities
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