I think it’s fair to say that most people dislike job interviews.
And for HSPs, they are extra super not-fun.
My rant: Unless you are interviewing for a job where interviewing will be your function, then being judged by your performance in an interview doesn’t make much sense. If I’m a writer, who cares if I perform well in an interview? All that matters is that my work is good and that I can function well in the workplace.
Some might say, “Being able to think on your feet and speak intelligently in front of other people is a skill needed in many jobs.”
I say: Unless you are doing interviews for a living, it doesn’t matter. Few people have jobs where they need to speak intelligently in public, off-the-cuff, to questions they had no idea of beforehand.
That’s the key—off-the-cuff. Much public speaking done in jobs can be practiced and rehearsed. I enjoy speaking in front of people—if I’ve had time to prepare. But in job interviews, you can’t know which questions you’ll be asked. You have to hear a question and answer it instantly.
HSPs like to think about what they say before they say it. Thus, they are not particularly good at thinking on their feet. When I’m asked a question, I want to ponder it and give a thoughtful, accurate answer, not just blurt out the first thing that pops into my head.
Since I’m more in-tuned to other people’s emotions, I’m extra self-conscious about what I say, how I act, and how I look. These worries can make me appear even more nervous. It is difficult for me to perform when I know I’m being closely judged for every single thing I say.
Here are Some Tips to Get Through Interviews Anyway
The best tip I can give you is this: fake it ‘til you make it. Even if you feel nervous, unprepared, and underqualified, act like you’re not. Act like you know you are awesome and perfect for this job. They’d be crazy not to want you—you’re a catch. Thinking this way helps to calm your nerves, because it turns things around: the interviewers are the ones who are lucky enough to be learning more about you today—not vice-versa.
Tip #2: Tell the interviewer what they want to hear (but don’t lie). HSPs tend to be humble. In an interview, you don’t want to brag, but you need to be confident about your accomplishments. Deep down, you know the answers the interviewer wants to hear. Give them what they want.
Don’t downplay your accomplishments. Think about the other people interviewing for the same job. Do you think they are trying to be humble? Nope. They are trying to impress the interviewer. Give yourself every advantage.
Let’s say they ask you if you have a certain skill that you do not have–for example, “Do you have experience with Photoshop?” Instead of simply saying “No” you could say something like, “I’ve tinkered with it and I looked into taking a class. I have used some other photo editing software called [fill in the blank]. I’m a fast learner, so I’d be eager to learn the software.” You get the idea. Think about what answer you would want to hear if you were the interviewer.
Tip #3: Why not try something outside the box? If you know the interview isn’t going great, what if you came clean and offered to show off your skills another way? What if you were super honest and said, “Look, being interviewed is not one of my greatest strengths. But I know I’d be a great fit for this job because [list reasons why.]”
(Before trying this tactic, get a feel for the interviewer. If he or she seems uptight and traditional, this might come across as unprofessional. But if the interviewer seems laid back, this might work. You never know–they might totally get it.)
For a writing or marketing job, try this: “I really want to show you what I can do. I’d be happy to do a writing sample that could help me prove to you that I’d be a great fit for this job.” Or, ask them if you could email them some of your writing samples after the interview (and don’t forget to do it!)
Think about this: there’s a chance the person interviewing you doesn’t really know what they are doing, either–especially if they aren’t in HR. I’ve been in charge of interviews before and had zero training on how to do it. I winged it! Sometimes the person interviewing you has been too busy to prepare much beforehand, either. Interviewers are normal people just like you.
So for now, act like you are awesome, that the interviewing company would be lucky to have you, and if all else fails, tell them you know you stink an interviews and ask if you can prove your skills another way.
Interviews are only to gauge a person’s personality. In some cases an interview is just a formality. A lot of times it’s who you know not what you know that gets you to job.
I absolutely HATE interviews and really do not do well in them. When there are people staring at me waiting for an answer, my mind tends to go blank and then I panic about having a blank mind, and then I start a rambling answer!
I like the idea of admitting that you’re just not good at interviews (depending on the circumstances of course), as I’ve recently come to the conclusion that my personality/way of viewing the world/ideal work situation is just different to the conventional way that job hunting seems to be done. Why should there be one way of doing it when everyone and everything is so different?
Amen!!!!!
I Wonder! The sad thing is we live in a world where we have minorities and majorities. The majorities always run the show for the most part. Quite sad.
I find that I only have a problem intereviewing when Im interviewing for something way out of my league. I work in healthcare, medical records and in IT. I am also educated in project management. I do agree, HSPs do not like bragging about themselves (one of my biggest problems – you want to know what I have accomplished? I have kept a job and given it 110%), but you are right, I feel out the interviewer. I honestly believe, if you can tap into your gift, interviewing isn’t so scary. When you can “see” what the interviewer wants, and you are qualified, just talk. I find myself chatting to the hiring manager for an hour, distracting them from the intrview questions and making them laugh. then having them tell me how Im such a personable person.
I do have to comment on what you said about no on needs to have to communicate spontaneously – not true. Many many jobs require this if you are in the corporate world. Not all of us HSPs have the luxury of being able to write all day or be self-employed – although that is my dream…..and in my career in healthcare from 1990 to present, I have often been in a situation where I have to give a speech or stand in front of a manager, VP or stakeholder and answer questions. The key to getting through this fear is knowing what you are talking about. My feeling, it goes back to what I said in the beginning, if you are not comfortable, its probablly out of your scope of abilities 🙁 just my opinion
Thanks, Kelly, for posting this. No matter how many interviews I’ve gone through and no matter how many times I try to justify interviews from the hiring manager’s viewpoint, I just can’t shake the thought that the whole process is affected, contrived and hollow! It’s almost as if interviewing and preparing for one has become an end in itself, rather than a means to an end! Don`t believe me? Then, just look at this recent post about interview preparation from a Canadian job board, Workopolis.com. A job candidate with all these qualifications should either grill the interviewer about his qualifications, or clone himself for the benefit of the entire human race! As you note above, someone may be personable, warm, engaging and upbeat in an interview, but still be unable to write a damned sentence! I likely hate interviewing because I always feel I`m on shaky, rather than solid, ground.
The number one reason why people don’t get hired (and how to fix it)
Elizabeth Bromstein
http://careers.workopolis.com/advice/the-number-one-reason-why-people-dont-get-hired/