Interview Tips for Introverts

By Wendy Gelberg

Most people find interviews stressful, but if you're an introvert, interviewing poses special challenges. Introverts, as described by psychologist Carl Jung, are energized by their own internal world and the world of ideas. They recharge their batteries through solitude and reflection, and they find social encounters, particularly those that involve a lot of people, draining. Extroverts, by contrast, are energized by the external world, and they find social encounters invigorating and stimulating. Because interviews are, by definition, social encounters, they put introverts at a disadvantage.

In addition, introverts frequently struggle to find the right word and have difficulty thinking on their feet. While extroverts typically think out loud to reach a conclusion and generally aren't at a loss for words, introverts need time to process information before formulating an answer, have difficulty responding quickly, and may have trouble recalling a word or idea. This tendency is heightened under the stress of an interview.

If you're an introvert – and up to 50% of the population is thought to be (including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, among many other chief executives) – the seven steps below can help you manage your introversion effectively in the interview process.

Before the Interview:

Ask About the Interview – When you are invited for an interview, ask about the structure of the interview. How many people will you be meeting with? What are their names and titles? Will you be meeting with them together or in back-to-back meetings? How much time should you schedule for the interview process?
With this information, do some research on the people you'll be meeting with. Search for their names on the company web site, and on sites such as Google, Zoominfo, and LinkedIn, to see what you can learn about them. You may find information that will be helpful in your conversation. As an introvert, having time to process that information ahead of the interview will help you prepare your answers.

Knowing the expected timeframe will allow you to manage your energy flow, following the techniques described below. Advance knowledge of the sequence of events will reduce the stress and the energy drain.

Review Your Work History – Re-read your resume to organize your thoughts and come up with additional examples that illustrate your accomplishments. Develop a brief statement that summarizes those accomplishments and describes your value to the company – this answers the "tell me about yourself" question. Anticipate the other questions you will be asked and prepare answers ahead of time. Consider actually writing out your answers, or rehearsing them out loud with a friend (or with a tape recorder), not to memorize the answers, but to engage several of your senses in the process of remembering.
This preparation helps you respond to questions more quickly and easily. Brain scans show that introverts actually use different neurological pathways for information processing than extroverts use, thus accounting for their slower processing time. It's almost as if the information is in long-term storage, and it takes time to rummage through it to find what you're looking for, which is why it's so hard to think on your feet. If you do the rummaging in advance by reviewing your own history, you move the information into short-term memory, where it's more readily accessible. By planning your answers ahead of time, you won't have to "wing it."

During the Interview:

Allow Yourself Time to Think – If you're asked a question that you don't have an immediate answer for, it's acceptable to say, "That's a good question. Let me think about that for a minute." Then sit silently for a moment and organize your thoughts. By announcing that you need a minute to think, you've given a response right away, even though you haven't yet given your answer. Essentially, you've bought yourself some time and slowed down the process.
Use a "Cheat Sheet" – If you're concerned that you'll forget the examples you came up with during your advance preparation, bring a leather portfolio with you, with a pad of paper, and use the paper both to take notes and to prepare ahead of time a couple of words or phrases as cues to your examples. (These need to be very brief, or else you'll have trouble finding the information on the page.) Then, during your momentary pause to organize your thoughts, you can glance down at your portfolio and find the prompts you've written for yourself. This strategy can help you think on your feet.
Reframe Your Introverted Information Processing Style as a Strength – Because we live in a society that values extroverted behaviors, you may have come to regard your slower thought processing as a flaw. On the contrary, your careful deliberation and analysis means your answers will be well thought out – introverts don't "shoot from the hip." If you're called upon to describe a strength, consider identifying this quality and presenting it as the strength that it is. This has the added benefit of alerting the interviewer to your introverted style, to provide a context for your more methodical manner.
Manage Your Energy – If you have a marathon interview that involves multiple interviewers and many hours, you may begin to feel depleted. Ask for a bathroom break, just to give yourself a moment alone and a chance to regroup. If need be, have an energy bar. You can also use this opportunity to glance again at any notes you've brought with you.
After the Interview:

Write a Powerful Thank You Letter – If you do stumble over an answer, your thank you letter gives you an opportunity to recover. Along with extending your thanks, you can note that, on further reflection about a particular question, you have additional thoughts, and then state them.
Interviews can be a challenge for introverts, but careful preparation will enable you to manage these occasions successfully.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wendy Gelberg is the owner of Gentle Job Search/Advantage Resumes. She is a certified career coach and resume writer whose expertise is in helping people who are uncomfortable "tooting their own horn." Designated the "Job-Hunt Pro for Introverts" for www.job-hunt.org, Wendy coaches individuals, gives workshops, and writes articles and blogs on all aspects of the job search process, Her book, "The Successful Introvert: How to Enhance Your Job Search and Advance Your Career," will be published Fall 2008). Samples of her resumes and career advice appear in over 20 books. Wendy has owned her business for over 10 years. She has been an introvert her whole life. Contact Wendy at wendy@gentlejobsearch.com.