Overcoming Shyness in Interviews
21 November 2012
Read by 2209 persons
Action cures this kind of mood, which we call, as the case may be, impatience, shyness or fear. [Alain]
Today, I will talk about a specific case where it is important to overcome shyness. This concerns professional interviews (job interviews...).
Indeed, I have just experienced such a situation and I have learned some lessons to overcome my shyness. I will structure this article in the form of lists so that you can refer to it more easily if necessary.
You will notice that I am going a little beyond "overcoming shyness" to also give advice on succeeding in interviews.
An interview is far from easy for a shy person
PREPARATION BEFORE THE INTERVIEW HELPS OVERCOME SHYNESS
Preparing for any professional interview is essential. Obviously, this is important for the content but also for overcoming shyness.
How:
search for as much information as possible about the company (websites, YouTube interviews, social networks...)
Gather and structure your personal information (CV, references, professional achievements with figures...)
Study information on the interview process (many free resources on the Internet, books...)
Effects:
anxiety decreases gradually
it helps to visualize the upcoming interview positively
it allows you to imagine the questions and the process
all these elements help to overcome shyness on the day.
Increase in apprehension:
it comes in waves
mainly before the meeting
it is useful to let it pass to help overcome shyness. Here are 2 recommendations that I suggest:
talk to someone around you if possible
OVERCOMING SHYNESS DURING THE FIRST CONTACT
Often, the moment when the need to overcome shyness reaches its peak is the first contact with the interviewer. Here are some tips from my recent experience:
Facing the tension of the meeting:
Overcoming shyness in an interview involves making a good first contact
ensure a firm handshake
smile (joking is even possible if it remains light)
show dynamism (demeanor, first words...)
Show your interest in the person you meet:
regarding the company
regarding the activities (of the department, of the job description...)
Give sincere compliments (honestly and don't overdo it)
Sit down calmly:
in a stable and relaxed manner (as much as possible in these situations where it is important to overcome shyness)
prepare your documents if necessary
the introduction is important. Three recommendations:
it must be concise
it is preferable that it is structured (hence the importance of preparation work)
it must contain the useful information for the objective of the interview
These elements are both signs that one is overcoming shyness and also aids in achieving this.
FOR A SHYNESS-FREE INTERVIEW
To overcome shyness throughout the interview, I have gathered below some important points to respect.
Qualities:
active listening (you can refer to my previous article "overcoming my shyness thanks to active listening" for more details). Also note the importance of not interrupting the interviewer
the importance of questions: they allow you to show preparation for the interview and must be adapted to the current discussion.
Presence
I am happy to see that these are the essential qualities of a coach. My project to become one and my training in this field have therefore helped me a lot during my interview :-) .
Argumentation:
emphasize your strengths: in relation to the potential position, the company or even the relational aspect (overcoming shyness indeed opens many doors ;-) )
respond to "objections". A four-point technique for this:
hear/receive the objection, show that you understand it
thank you for the question and the interest
rephrase the objection and reassure the interviewer
finally ask if everything is clear, OK
Conclusion:
take stock of the interview: make sure everything is clear for you and the person you met; ask any final questions
find out about the follow-up to the interview (Date? Who contacts who? How?)
Departure:
thank you sincerely
remind the planned follow-up (news on such a date...)
smile and firm handshake
That's it, I hope you enjoyed this article and that it will be useful to you. As I told you, it goes a little beyond overcoming shyness.
But overcoming shyness on a daily basis also involves more particular events (especially at a professional level).
Mouvrir-aux-autres.com
Posted on November 21, 2012.
Today, I will talk about a specific case where it is important to overcome shyness. This concerns professional interviews (job interviews...).
Indeed, I have just experienced such a situation and I have learned some lessons to overcome my shyness. I will structure this article in the form of lists so that you can refer to it more easily if necessary.
You will notice that I am going a little beyond "overcoming shyness" to also give advice on succeeding in interviews.
An interview is far from easy for a shy person
PREPARATION BEFORE THE INTERVIEW HELPS OVERCOME SHYNESS
Preparing for any professional interview is essential. Obviously, this is important for the content but also for overcoming shyness.
How:
search for as much information as possible about the company (websites, YouTube interviews, social networks...)
Gather and structure your personal information (CV, references, professional achievements with figures...)
Study information on the interview process (many free resources on the Internet, books...)
Effects:
anxiety decreases gradually
it helps to visualize the upcoming interview positively
it allows you to imagine the questions and the process
all these elements help to overcome shyness on the day.
Increase in apprehension:
it comes in waves
mainly before the meeting
it is useful to let it pass to help overcome shyness. Here are 2 recommendations that I suggest:
talk to someone around you if possible
OVERCOMING SHYNESS DURING THE FIRST CONTACT
Often, the moment when the need to overcome shyness reaches its peak is the first contact with the interviewer. Here are some tips from my recent experience:
Facing the tension of the meeting:
Overcoming shyness in an interview involves making a good first contact
ensure a firm handshake
smile (joking is even possible if it remains light)
show dynamism (demeanor, first words...)
Show your interest in the person you meet:
regarding the company
regarding the activities (of the department, of the job description...)
Give sincere compliments (honestly and don't overdo it)
Sit down calmly:
in a stable and relaxed manner (as much as possible in these situations where it is important to overcome shyness)
prepare your documents if necessary
the introduction is important. Three recommendations:
it must be concise
it is preferable that it is structured (hence the importance of preparation work)
it must contain the useful information for the objective of the interview
These elements are both signs that one is overcoming shyness and also aids in achieving this.
FOR A SHYNESS-FREE INTERVIEW
To overcome shyness throughout the interview, I have gathered below some important points to respect.
Qualities:
active listening (you can refer to my previous article "overcoming my shyness thanks to active listening" for more details). Also note the importance of not interrupting the interviewer
the importance of questions: they allow you to show preparation for the interview and must be adapted to the current discussion.
Presence
I am happy to see that these are the essential qualities of a coach. My project to become one and my training in this field have therefore helped me a lot during my interview :-) .
Argumentation:
emphasize your strengths: in relation to the potential position, the company or even the relational aspect (overcoming shyness indeed opens many doors ;-) )
respond to "objections". A four-point technique for this:
hear/receive the objection, show that you understand it
thank you for the question and the interest
rephrase the objection and reassure the interviewer
finally ask if everything is clear, OK
Conclusion:
take stock of the interview: make sure everything is clear for you and the person you met; ask any final questions
find out about the follow-up to the interview (Date? Who contacts who? How?)
Departure:
thank you sincerely
remind the planned follow-up (news on such a date...)
smile and firm handshake
That's it, I hope you enjoyed this article and that it will be useful to you. As I told you, it goes a little beyond overcoming shyness.
But overcoming shyness on a daily basis also involves more particular events (especially at a professional level).
Mouvrir-aux-autres.com
Posted on November 21, 2012.
