Personality differences are always a factor in the professional world. Offices are made up of introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between.
What about before we get the job? Introverts and Extroverts tend to have completely different perceptions of the job interview process, and introverts tend to feel as if they get the short end of the stick. Incredibly qualified professionals can come across as aloof and uninterested simply because they are quiet and reserved when meeting someone new. Meanwhile, their extroverted counterparts seem to easily jump through the interview hurdles with ease.
Everyone should feel confident when they walk into a job interview. So, we’ve found some tricks for introverts to leverage their natural strengths and shine through in these situations.
PREPARE
Research can go a long way towards boosting an introvert’s confidence level. In an introvert’s ideal world, they would be able to thoughtfully digest questions before responding. Since interview questions typically demand an off-the-cuff response in a high pressure situation, introverts can sometimes clam up.
Take your preparation to a whole new level. Most companies have a website with background, a purpose, or mission statement. Familiarize yourself with ANYTHING you can find. If you know the name of the person interviewing you, do a quick Google search on them. There is a good possibility you find a write up from a local business journal telling you more about their personality.
Do your “professional recon”. This will make you much more confident walking into an office, meeting a stranger, and discussing potential employment.
PRACTICE
Practice your interview out loud with a friend or family member. This may seem a little awkward and futile. You can’t know exactly what your interviewer is going to ask, but there are a few things you CAN almost be sure are going to happen: small talk, questions about your background, and questions about your strengths and weaknesses. Practice these important conversations. You won’t be able to repeat your answers verbatim, but you will be more confident in the points you want to get across.
ASK QUESTIONS
Have questions already prepared for your interview. Not only will you sound more confident, the interview will start to feel more like a conversation, making you more comfortable. As an added bonus, your potential employer will spend more time answering YOUR questions and conversing, taking some of the pressure off you.
We each have unique personalities and different strengths. Different situations require we leverage those personalities in different ways. We think these are some great tips to get you started with the interview process. If you want to learn more, click here, here, here, or here.