# Shy People and Job Interviews



## HollyGolightly (Aug 8, 2009)

Any tips for a shy gal who doesn't want to pretend to be an extravert? I want to be myself but I don't want my shyness to be taken the wrong way. I am very capable and personally I feel my quieter nature works in my favour. I have two jobs atm but I have an interview tomorrow for a job in a shop that sells health products. One of my jobs is in a DIY store and customers often ask me things and so do colleagues because I am non-threatening and approachable. I also work as a care assistant for a disabled girl and she is comfortable with me because again I am non-threatening. But I say this in interviews and people seem to disregard it. I am good with people I am just quietly spoken and you can tell I'm not a bold character but I don't see that as a problem. Evidently it seems to be. I could do with this job because I get hardly any hours at the ones I already have and I need to save up money for uni. 

Any advice? thanks in advance.

Oh and I'm not meaning to sound ungrateful. I know I am lucky to be in employment in the current economic climate, but the two jobs i have is equivalent to one part time job (I hardly actually work the hours are that bad and I'm earning peanuts, but those are the only jobs available atm my dad also works three jobs all part time because it's impossible to find one full time job over here).


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## Inguz (Mar 10, 2012)

"I really enjoy listening to the customers needs in order to give them the best service I possibly can. I want to see myself as helpful and useful." ?


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## jbking (Jun 4, 2010)

HollyGolightly said:


> Any advice?


My advice as a fellow INxJ and 1w2 sp/so would be to see yourself as a support person in terms of how you like to position yourself. The key here is to know the products and how they would be useful to a person. In being the calm, patient and quiet person you can draw a lot out of people. Know how you work well with people under specific circumstances and see if by being more of a support person than a sales person that generates leads would this be what the company is wanting to hire to grow their organization? That's my advice for you. Good luck.


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## Mashidar (Oct 4, 2012)

As someone who gives tons of interviews I'll tell you what I look for in someone, it's also the interviewers roll to know if the person they are interviewing are shy. Not all people are like that though so if things seem rather quiet I'll shake things up with random questions that relate nothing to the job. The goal is to relax someone and perhaps allow them to feel more relaxed and perhaps not so shy.

1) Answer a question with an example. If I ask you about a time you used teamwork in a job? Then give me an example such as "Well one time I was paired up with two other people to complete a project of building a few different endcaps in the store. After looking at what we had in the back I was able to pair up each person with an endcap and some product and together we each built our endcaps then I doubled checked on the final touches and together we were able to complete the project faster than it would of took one person." 

Don't answer like.."Well I like teamwork and I work together with other people because teamwork is what we need to get things done." Main reason why is because it's a way to avoid the question, where as if you give an example of something you have done it only leads to a higher chance.

2) Don't be afraid to make eye contact, sometimes people will be afraid to do that when answering questions. If you can make eye contact then it shows that while you might be shy, when you need to discuss something you can look someone in the eye.

3) Don't be afraid to ask questions. The one question I always ask is "Do you have any questions for me?" and most of the time no one does. The rare few that do have a question, no matter how small it is, let's me know that they have thought about the job more so than someone who is just looking for a job. 

4) Admit up front that you are a bit shy and nervous. It may change how the questions are presented to you. If someone can admit to me that they are a bit shy, even if I know they are, it tells me that you are aware of the fact and you really find this interview to be important. 

5) Small talk can be good. My last promotion was done all through small talk. Instead of asking questions from an interview packet we talked about day to day things and my goals. Sure some of the interview was bs on my part but what's important is be ready for small talk and don't run away from it because it might just be a way for someone to break the ice for the most part.

I'm a shy person in general myself so I know how it can be when you are shy and going to an interview, but now as the person that gives them and hires people I find that being shy is not a weakness, in fact it can be a great strength as long as you show you want the job, you know about the job, and you can talk with other people. Then again this is all from a retail prospective, so my answers to your question are how I would relate to someone who comes to me for a job in a retail establishment. Customer service is always first. 

If they are selling health products read up on some of them and see what they are for, be aware of who their clients are and more or less how you would handle different situations with a customer. Know how you would handle someone that's angry or upset, (use a calm voice, don't push a fight, and refer them to your manager) and know that as a cashier that they are one of the most important roles in any retail establishment. They are the last person to see a customer and they are the people that can make or break a customer on returning. I can have a bad visit but a good cashier will turn my mood around, where a good visit and a bad cashier can ruin everything that was done during the visit by others.

Just my thoughts, hope some of it helps. Any other questions message me, I can talk about this forever really.


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