8 Interview Strategies for Introverts

8 Interview Strategies for IntrovertsIts hard enough to find a job thats fit for an introvertlet alone acing an interview for one. Perhaps youre feeling overwhelmed by all of the interview advice out there, and feeling like you wont ever quite be able to deliver? googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) You dont have to be extroverted or able to do things on the fly to get the job you want. Though you might be at a slight disadvantage if your introversion makes you come across as antisocial. To put your best self forward, try a few of these tips and strategies for successeven for the shy.1. Have a plan.One of the most overwhelming parts of socializing for an introvert is usually just bedrngnis having any down time between periods of having to be on. Make sure you build in some solo quiet time before and after the interview to make sure your batteries are charged and youre taking care of yourself. Plan your day around it and youll show up fresh an d at your best, rather than overwhelmed.2. Do your homework.The more you know, the more you can anticipate. Where exactly is your interview going to be located? Make sure you know how long it will take to get there and plan out your optimum route. Figure out who is going to be interviewing you and read up on them. Have topics ready to go that you can anticipate coming up during the conversation. And read up as much as you can on the company itself as well as the fleck youre applying for. The better prepared you are, the less likely you are to get tripped up by any questions.3. Remind yourself of your strengths.Take a few minutes to go over your own resume and cover letter. Remind yourself of your accomplishments. Make a bulleted list of things you want to make sure to emphasizeespecially if you usually freeze when having to sell yourself or sing your own praises. Remember, its a natural and good thing to do. So prepare to do it with minimal awkwardness.4. Prepare for small talk.Yes, the dreaded small talk is upon you. Theres no way around it. Even if you think its pointless and excruciating. Try instead to come up with a few questions that are more tolerable to you than sports and weather and last nights Scandal. That way you can put you and the interviewer on common ground immediately and feel more comfortable. Write out a couple of these questions and commit them to memory.5. Look good so you feel good.Have all your ducks in a rowyour portfolio at the ready, an extra copy of your resume and anything else they might need, and a snazzy outfit that makes you feel most comfortable and confident (and is also appropriate for their office culture/environment). Your clothes can show off that personality it takes you a while to let loose.6. Dont try to be anything but yourself.Dont try to be an extrovert when you arent. Even if you could fake being super outgoing and bubbly during the interview, youre going to feel really awkward when you show up to work and everyone expects that of you on a daily basis.Dont be embarrassed about being introverted. Remember, 50% of the population is just like you and being on the quieter side can actually be an asset in some situations. Be yourself and youll find a company thats a good fit for you. And heck, if the opportunity comes up to mention explicitly that youre an introverttake it Theres zero shame and it might even help your interviewer understand where youre coming from.7. Match your interviewers tone.If you get stressed out in interview situations, just use your introvert superhero skills and do what you do best listen and observe. Then you can match the tone of your interviewer as best as possible without having to second guess what sort of tone to use yourself. This will help you be more comfortable asking your own questions and sharing your best ideas8. Nail the beginning and the end.If you think the whole process is just going to exhaust you, concentrate your biggest charm offensive on the first fi ve and the last five minutes. Get that first impression and then leave them with a great impression and youll do great.

I Believe in Letting Kids Roam Free on Halloween Why Dont You

I Believe in Letting Kids Roam Free on Halloween Why Dont You Halloween every year, but perhaps particularly this year, what with the petitions to move the holiday from October 31 seems to inevitably make parents nostalgic. We recount Halloween misadventures of ur youths, back when we didnt adhere to a curfew or let the weather slow us down. Wed run wild at all hours, equipped (handily) with vision-inhibiting masks, toy weapons and zero reflective tape, jackets, or often even flashlights. And I, for one, think its high time we brought this free-range form of parenting back at least (or especially) for Halloween night.Halloweens destruction is often attributed to community trunk or treat celebrations that are put in place to avoid reckless and potentially unsafe trick-or-treating by localizing the whole shebang in one parking lot. Parents, having presumably only recently outgrown their own Halloween bar-crawls, insert themselves into these family-fun versions of Halloween, compl ete with bobbing for organic apples, plus gluten- and corn syrup-free popcorn balls, of course.The trend towards helicopter parenting, with its stereotypically vigilant moms and dads, shoulders much of the blame for these updates in modern Halloween celebrations. But those helicopter parents known for forbidding their children to tischset foot outside unmonitored, uncontrolled, and without protective padding are finally getting pushback in recent years. A 2018 study published in Developmental Psychology, for example, pointed to problematic long-term effects of helicopter parenting ie, it renders children less self-sufficient. Theres a movement afoot of parents who are trying to reclaim free-range parenting as a viable (and, yes, safe) option, and for good reason.No, parents We dont have to be with our kids every moment not even every holiday moment. As a working mom, sure Im heartsick whenever I miss one of my daughters new experiences. I think any increase in family togethernes s is beneficial. But how much of the motivation to inject parental involvement into kids Halloween activities is family bonding, and how much is paranoia?We know that the myths of poisoned Halloween candy or strangers wrapping up hallucinogens and handing them out to unsuspecting children are just that myths. And while its already highly unlikely that a stranger will abduct your child (in fact, stranger danger is far less of a concern than tricky people your child already knows), theres no rise in child abductions around Halloween. The real danger on Halloween? Statistics show its an increase in child pedestrian accidents. And that, while a legitimate concern, doesnt seem to be at the forefront of most Halloween helicopter parents minds.Lets face it Halloween is a macabre time of year, and parents arent immune to getting freaked out. There are slasher marathons on cable, fake graveyards popping up around the neighborhood, and people dressed as the undead. I personally love Halloween , horror and all things dark, but I get the real fears, too especially since having my daughter. Its all a little scarier when youre responsible for a small philanthropisch whom you love.Is it possible that on Halloween, perhaps more than other time of year, parents let their own fears and superstitions infect their children with unfounded anxieties? Is the prospect of hauntings or satanic rituals subconsciously forcing us to follow our children to every doorstep to monitor their safety?If we urge our children not to be afraid of imaginary monsters under the bed, what kind of example are we setting by making fear-based choices after watching a few minutes of Michael Myers stalking teenagers? I wonder if our over-abundance of caution as parents will start to rub off on our children and teach them to become risk-averse. They may be missing out on the autonomy afforded through independent play, which can help build invaluable life skills and confidence.Halloween seems like a pretty go od time to let kids build just that confidence. To practice a little bit of freedom. When I think back, some of my favorite childhood Halloween memories involved knocking on the doors of houses with unfriendly we have no candy signs, or having a standoff with a group of older kids, or getting scared by a man disguised as a scarecrow dummy. For all these memories, I welches old enough to contextualize, and I was safely within a group of other kids.I was never nearly lured into a van, flashed by a neighbor, or talked into being sacrificed by satan worshipers. The appeal of trick-or-treating without adults was mostly the independence well, that and acting kind of like a little jerk. I think theres value in giving kids the freedom to problem-solve and make decisions on their own, even if that decision involves making mistakes and a bit of rule-breaking. Halloween is about (a little) sanctioned mayhem after all, just for one night.So how do we quiet the irrational fears and send our kid s out without low-jacking them and dressing them up as a Hummel packed in bubble wrap? Honestly, if yourethat afraid, dont do it. I cant be responsible for safety decisions other parents make about their own kids. As much as I would like to see free-range parents everywhere banding together and letting their kids loose in solidarity, the reality is that every parent and every kid is different, and no one can make those decisions for anyone else.You know your kid best. If theyre of a reasonable age for independence, have good judgment, adhere to curfews, have other responsible kids to trick-or-treat with, and areextremely careful when crossing the street (even when on a sugar high), those items should factor into your decision not scary myths, scary movies, or any other outside unrelated factors that are making you anxious. If youre mucksmuschenstill not sure, perhaps consider letting your kid trick-or-treat your own block without you as a practice run. Then, you can join for the re st of the outing if you feel the need to.What parenting comes down to is balance and trust if your kid has demonstrated enough self-sufficiency, perhaps some freedom has been earned.So no, I dont think we should do away with trunk or treat entirely. Theres a finite window of time before our kids only want to hang with their friends and emulate YouTube stars or whatever it is theyre doing these days. While they still want to hang with us, lets absolutely soak it up lets act embarrassing and overly involved, and lets wear themed family costumes our own parents wouldnt have been caught dead in.But when our kids decide theyre ready to hit some neighborhood houses on their own, lets let them do it no matter what scary crap we just watched on cable. Elyse ODwyer--This story originally appearedon SheKnows.