Introverts need to work too, and you shouldn’t let your shyness keep you from landing the job of your dreams. You may have to approach your interviewing process differently to demonstrate your passion, but it is more than possible. Before you enter your next face-to-face interview, here are some tips to help you boost your confidence and prove to the potential employer that you’re the best fit for their job.
- Demonstrate your success. It can be hard to talk about yourself. Shy people usually feel like this falls under the classification of “bragging,” but it really isn’t. The employer not only wants to know what success you’ve had in your career, they need this information to make a hiring decision. Talk about the accomplishments you’ve had in very technical terms if it helps you get past the feeling of bragging.
- Use your body language. Shy people often fade into the background. They don’t want to be seen, so they use body language that expresses this. Instead, in an interview, you can use your body language to your advantage. Practice mirroring. This is where you will follow the employers lead with your body language. If they lean in, you lean in. Try to make eye contact but not too much. Also, practice a firm handshake and smiling.
- Ask open-ended questions. While you should already know some basic answers, such as what the company does, there are things you’ll need to learn about the job in the interview. So let the interviewer do some of the work so you don’t have to feel like the spotlight is on you the entire time. Avoid “yes or no” questions, and ask things that will encourage them to give more details.
- Don’t forget to follow up. The best tool the shy job seeker can have in their toolbox is a good follow up and thank-you letter. It is inevitable that you will think of all the cool things you should have said while you’re on the way home from the interview. Don’t worry, you can still say them. As soon as possible, send an email thanking the interviewer for their time. Feel free to include the things you wish you had said. Sending them in the follow up also gives you the chance to edit your ideas until you feel comfortable enough to hit send.
Are you ready to interview for your next opportunity? Harvard Staffing Solutions is now hiring for jobs in Troy MI so call us today!
