The Introvert's Guide to Getting Hired

Article by Sophia Dembling

Introverts have long suspected, and research now confirms, that no matter how good you look on paper, you’re less likely to be hired if you can’t give a good interview.

In a study published in The Journal of Psychological Science, people who listened to or watched (via audio recording or video) job candidates sell themselves in simulated interviews were more impressed with the candidates than people who read pitches from the same candidates.

No matter your accomplishments or how brilliant you are, you can’t let your resume or a finely crafted email do the talking for you. To land that job, you need to put on a good show in the interview. Although this certainly is not impossible for most introverts, who are perfectly capable of being extraverted when necessary, it often doesn’t feel natural or easy.

However, there are ways introverted job seekers can give themselves an edge in face-to-face interviews:

Before the Interview

1. Do Your Homework

“We’re born researchers. We love that quiet time,” says business communication coach Nancy Ancowitz, author of Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead. “You always have to read your audience, so find out as much as possible in advance. Research the interviewer, the company. Whatever you can learn will give you a competitive advantage.”

2. Prepare for a Quick Sale

Write out a clear and succinct elevator pitch, and practice delivering it.

“Know your key accomplishments and how you’re going to talk about them,” Ancowitz says. “Otherwise, you might start rambling.”

3. Brag a Bit

Talking about themselves can make many introverts uncomfortable, so it’s a good idea to start practicing in nonthreatening situations, according to leadership consultant Jennifer Kahnweiler, author of The Genius of Opposites: How Introverts and Extroverts Achieve Extraordinary Results Together. Weave tidbits about what you’re working on and what you’re excited to do into conversation with friends and family to get comfortable with self-promotion.

4. Make a Movie

Research questions you’re likely to be asked in interviews and rehearse your responses to them. Craft your answers and practice them out loud– or better yet, record yourself.

“Watch your posture, your rate of speech, how long it takes you to answer a question, your volume, [and] your eye contact,” Ancowitz says.

5. Enlist Your Support System

Lindsey Plewa-Schottland, associate director of the Graduate Career Management Center at Baruch College in New York, recommends finding someone who will do mock interviews with you. Think about what the questions are really asking.

“What people tend to fumble with sometimes is not understanding, at first, the point of the questions,” Plewa-Schottland says.

For example, an interviewer who asks about a situation involving conflict with a client or colleague doesn’t want to hear about the time you got really mad.

“Conflict can just be a different way of doing things, a different work style,” Plewa–Schottland says. “They want an example where you took initiative to address the conflict.”

6. Don’t Spare the Details

Ancowitz suggests practicing the skill of interjecting, in case you find yourself with a voluble interviewer.

“You can’t let them do all the talking or they won’t know anything about you,” she says.

Look for the small moments when you can wedge in – for example, places to say, “Great point, and …” or, “I’d love to add to that …” Also practice using nonverbal signals, such as leaning forward or raising a finger.

Day of the Interview

7. Chill Out

Arrive well rested and try to avoid energy-draining activities beforehand. Plewa-Schottland recommends arriving at the location early.

“Have a cup of coffee and try not to think about the interview,” she says. “Just relax for 15 minutes.”

8. Strike a ‘Power Pose’

Body language theory suggests striking a “power pose” – i.e., hands on hips like Wonder Woman – can have a confidence-boosting effect. Find a private spot to power pose for two minutes right before the interview.

During the Interview

9. Envision Your Best Future

If you’re still feeling awkward about promoting yourself, think in terms of how advancing your career will help the organization.

“Talk about contributing your skills and experience to benefit the organization [and] enrich and inspire the team,” Ancowitz says. “That takes it away from me, me, me.”

10. Look Up

Don’t forget to pay attention to your nonverbal behavior.

“Eye contact is high on the list of importance in a job interview,” Ancowitz says.

If eye contact is uncomfortable for you, look at the other person’s eyebrows, nose, or ears.

11. Offer Clarity

An introvert’s tendency to be succinct can backfire in an interview. If you’re unsure whether your brief response fully answered a question, offer to add more information. If the interviewer doesn’t encourage you to continue, you have permission to stop.

12. Buy Some Time

If you need a minute to think about a question, Kahnweiler suggests buying yourself a bit of time by paraphrasing the question. Don’t be embarrassed to return to an earlier topic you feel you could have addressed better.

“Just say something like, ‘I had another thought about that question,’” Kahnweiler says.

13. Summarize

At the end of the interview, take a moment to recap.

“Try to end strongly: ‘I want to reiterate why I’m interested in the position and why I’m qualified,’” Plewa-Schottland says.

14. Say Yes

If the interviewer invites you out for drinks or some other event with colleagues, “the answer is yes,” Ancowitz says. “You’re going, if you want the job.”

Advice for Interviewers

15. Ignore Shiny Objects

If you’re the person on the other side of the desk, the one doing the hiring, try not to be so blinded by extraverts’ razzle-dazzle that you miss introverts’ steady glow. Research published in the Academy of Management Journal suggests that although extraverts are often better at landing jobs, introverts prove to be better team players in the long term. Everyone benefits if you create an atmosphere in which introverted job candidates can show their strengths.

16. Know Thyself

Check yourself for any biases you might bring to the interview.

“The slower pace [of introverts] can be taken as lack of enthusiasm,” Kahnweiler says. “The pauses – particularly to a more extraverted interviewer – might be mistaken for lack of passion for the work. And if they don’t brag about themselves or their accomplishments, it’s because a lot of introverts are very self-effacing.”

17. Prep the Room

Take a look at the interview setting itself.

“You wouldn’t want to have the interview in blazing lights and near a noisy area,” Kahnweiler says. She adds that putting your desk between you and the candidate interferes with rapport.

Sitting too close can be off-putting for introverts, who value personal space. In a conference room, sitting kitty-corner creates the right amount of intimacy. If it’s a group interview, put the candidate in the middle of the table rather than at the head.

18. Give It Time

Schedule adequate time for the interview.

“If you schedule yourself too close, you’ll be impatient if the person isn’t talking quickly enough,” Kahnweiler says.

Be aware that introverted candidates are likely to pause and think before answering questions and that they won’t fight for conversational space.

“Let them speak and don’t interrupt them,” Kahnweiler says. “Particularly if you’re an extravert, by asking more questions in rapid fire you might be trying to rev it up more.” If you start getting revved up trying to change the energy in the room, pause for a few deep breaths.

19. Speak Up

Of course, not all interviewers are extraverted. If you are an introvert doing the hiring, you might need strategies to help keep control of interviews with extraverted applicants.

“You have to get comfortable with gently interrupting them,” Kahnweiler says. “You can say things like, ‘That’s great, I have a few more questions I want to get in …’”

20. Drop a Line

Develop a few go-to phrases to signal that you need to keep things moving, such as, “Can you briefly tell me …” or “In a couple of sentences …”

21. Keep It Fresh

“Not every question has to be open-ended,” Kahnweiler says.

Try sprinkling different question throughout the interview, such as, “On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate yourself on …” or forced-choice questions that require yes-or-no responses.

Version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com and in the March 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.

Sophia Dembling is the author of The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World.

SUCCESS is your guide for personal and professional development through inspiration, motivation, and training.

Source: Recruiter