Job Interview Tips for Introverts
Although the interviewing process isn’t the easiest task, it’s especially grueling for introverted job seekers. There’s a fair amount of nervousness and anxiety that comes with meeting a group of people who hold the fate of your career path in their hands, but those feelings are often intensified for people who are better at listening and observing than answering questions on-the-spot or being an open book about their accomplishments, skills and goals. If you’re one of many introverts who find the task of interviewing for potential jobs overwhelming, here are a few tips and tricks that can help you to break out of your shell a bit.
Plan and Prepare
Being thoroughly prepared for an interview is essential for introverts, and goes beyond some of the most general rules-of-thumb like prepping to answer common interview questions and doing research on the company and key people you’ll be interviewing with. Because of how draining the process can be, it’s a good idea to plan your day (or even week) around the scheduled interview. Figure out how much time you may need to prepare—both mentally and physically—before and after the interview. If you have several interviews lined up during a week, space them out so that you have time to recharge before and after each one. Plan out your commute time, scope out the office location, figure out the parking situation and even look at the weather forecast so that you are fully prepared for the forthcoming day. The more prepared you are, the less added stress you’ll fall victim to.
Practice Makes Perfect
Having a general idea of what to expect during an interview will help to ease the pressure that comes along with meeting new people and talking about your experience. Take time to practice your response to questions that could be presumably asked during your interview. To help ease some of the mental stress and have a bit of fun, try interview role-playing with a friend. It’s a great way to practice dialogue in a carefree environment. Also, make sure to write out some personalized, insightful questions that you can ask the interviewer. The more prepared you are when it comes to knowing what to say, the more confident you’ll feel walking in to the interview.
Be Ready For Small Talk
One of the most awkward, yet inevitable, situations for any introvert is handling small talk with strangers; however, that doesn’t mean that you have to walk blindly into a conversation. Figure out some general topics to discuss with passerbys or your interviewer beforehand. Topics could be as simple as asking a person about their weekend or discussing the weather or traffic. Pay attention to their answers in order to pinpoint other questions or topics to piggyback off of. Also, don’t neglect the rest of the staff that you may run into before and after your interview. First impressions start the moment you walk through the front door of the office building and last long after you leave, so it’s important to connect with the employees that you run into. Whether it be a simple nod and smile made with eye-contact or something more verbal, a little effort goes a long way. It may be tempting to try to hide behind your phone as you wait for the interviewer to come pick you up, but this is the time to show your best face. Some employers will ask receptionists, janitors, security guards and other staff members how polite you were as part of the interview process, so it’s essential that the best parts of your personality shines through.
Bring a Portfolio
Sometimes showing is easier than telling, especially with introverts who often feel that talking about their accomplishments can come off as bragging or being self-righteous. Having a portfolio or body of work to show can also help to shape the narrative of the conversation and to give more talking points to cover. One of the scariest things for introverts is not knowing what to say, but having something to use as a reference to your experience can help to ease the awkwardness that often comes along with trying to find the right thing to say. It can also help to stall for time in between questions or help you to gather your thoughts.
Relax and Unwind Afterward
Once the interview is over, running back home to recharge is often the first thing that comes to mind, and you deserve it. Take a few hours (or days, even) to recuperate and relax. Watch a movie, go for a walk, practice yoga, finish reading that book or anything else that helps you to wind down after a stressful day. In the interim, send out those thank you notes or follow up with questions or feedback.