Interview Tips for Introverts
Life as an introvert can be difficult enough without the intensified environment of a job interview. Whether a candidate is seeking a role in biochemistry, genetics, virology, pathology or any number of other science fields, there's enough to think about for the interview process without also having to worry about how you will come across to prospective employers.
Introverted job candidates often fear that they will compare poorly to their extroverted peers in such an inherently social situation. However, by playing to their strengths and creating the right personal branding, introverts, too, can deliver standout interview performances that get them hired. Here are some interview tips for introverts.
Prepare well
This is one of the areas where an introverted job aspirant can thrive. By gathering all of the information that they can about the company and position - in addition to the finer points of their CV and what they are likely to say in the interview - in advance.
By taking steps the day before the interview to practice your answers to likely questions, organise any documents that you will bring with you and trying on your outfit for the interview, you can relieve a significant amount of stress.
Work on the basis of your strengths
It can be easy for employers to make unfair assumptions about introverted candidates, so you will need to carefully consider how to express yourself at interview. Are there certain personality traits, qualifications or skills that you would like to emphasise?
Remember that knowing your strengths as an introvert is one matter, but actually selling them to the prospective employer is quite another. The aforementioned self-assessment should give you a greater awareness of the qualities that you can market to hiring managers.
Introverts, for instance, can be good listeners, so you may wish to explain how such skills have contributed to past projects. You should be sure to back this up with examples of praise accorded to you by previous employers - especially given that as an introvert, it may not come naturally to you to 'brag' about your successes.
Take a confident approach
Though this may seem like the hardest thing to do as an introvert, rather than worrying about how your personality could compromise the interviews against the extroverted competition, try to follow our interview tips for introverts and feel confident in your interview style.
An introvert can easily succeed in an interview context with the right self-branding that helps to show their value as an employee in their own right. By taking the right approach to interviews, introverts can mark themselves out as indispensable prospective employees.
We hope these interview tips for introverts will help you sail through your next interview. To browse the latest science jobs in your field, take a look at our Job Recruitment page here.
