As your study progresses and the dreaded ‘real world’ edges ever closer, it’s only natural that you worry your nature may be a hindrance in job interviews when you’re an introvert. Even if you’ve interviewed successfully for Saturday jobs in the past, you’ll be aware that using your new qualification to get a serious job that you truly care about is a whole different kettle of fish.
High quality employers are interested not just in someone who can get the job done efficiently, but in someone who can bring initiative and a personal connection to the job. Hopefully, that’s you; but probably, it seems like the kind of quality that you’ll struggle to express in the high-pressure situation of a job interview.
This needn’t be the case. Being an introvert doesn’t mean that you are incapable of social or professional interaction – it just means that you need to use your particular skill set in a way that differs from the clichéd view of how a job interview should be.
You are likely to process stuff internally, rather than socially. Where an extrovert might ping an answer straight back at the panel to see where it leads, you are more likely to want to weigh up the question before delivering a well-thought out answer. Doing so will demonstrate what a thoughtful and precise person you are.
But of course, you’re right to worry that the silence you leave while thinking may feel strange. This is simply resolved with honesty. Don’t just recede into your private world: first explain to the panel that you need a moment to think. If you’re polite, and you offer an excellent answer, nobody’s going to mind that you took a few seconds to do so.
This is just the start of how you can raise your interview game by recognising the strengths and limits of your introverted nature. Check out this in-depth infographic for more great ideas on how you can put your personality to work in the interview room. Then, you’re free to concentrate on getting those qualifications!
What advice do you have on successfully showing your best traits when you’re an introvert? Tell us in the comments below!
Photo: susanrm8 / Flickr
I’m a freelance writer and I love what I do. My background is in human resources but I enjoy writing about different topics, such as leadership, self improvement and the importance of work/life balance.
Leave a Reply