Know Your Strengths And Weaknesses
First things first, evaluate yourself. Identifying your abilities and flaws is important because it shows that you are aware and keeping track of what you are doing as well as putting in the effort to improve yourself whenever necessary.
Were you the secretary of a prestigious club in your university? Are you an organised and detail-oriented individual? Include that as your skills in your résumé. Do you always avoid public speaking because you fear the outcome? Then, stage fright might be your biggest enemy. Thinking about the roles and tasks where you were involved could help you figure out your proficiencies and deficiencies.
Besides, there are many online tests that you can try out in search of your strengths and weaknesses. Talk to your friends and family and ask for their opinion. Making a list of your capabilities and incompetence might help you in this process!
Apply With Confidence
Now that you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can search for job opportunities that would fit your character and personality; a career where you can utilise your strengths. Check the requirements for the job you’re applying for and make sure you highlight that you’re competent for that position in your résuméand cover letter. Be extremely sure to also back your statements up by giving examples that showcase your strengths.
However, if you’re still hesitant to send out that application form caused by that nagging feeling of not being good enough for the position, my advice to you is to pause, take a deep breath and stop doubting yourself! Confidence plays a big part in this stage of your job hunt. In order for you to get your desired job, you have to first believe in your abilities to grow as a person and to contribute to your potential company.
This is your chance! You might be their first choice. Don’t waste it without giving it a shot. You’re just one click away from reaching out to the company that you’ve always had your eyes on. Tone down your fear and turn up your confidence level – send in your application form right now!
Practice, Practice, Practice
Guess what? If you want to nail your interview, you will have to rehearse your answers again and again and again and again and again. Beyoncé took years of practice to perfect her world-class performance. Great things don’t happen overnight. As a shy person, it is absolutely necessary for you to prepare your thoughts beforehand. Mr Google should be your best friend at this point in time. Search for possible interview questions, both general and job-specific, and give it some thought. How would you answer them at your interview? Here’s a tip though – never ever lie. Be absolutely real and authentic. Emphasise your strengths and always back things up with real-life experiences.
You might not recall everything during the interview, thus, find a way to remember the keywords for potential questions. Write it on flashcards or if you write the answers on a paper, highlight the keywords. Keep repeating this until you feel confident. Run through it with your friends to overcome the fear of one-to-one interview sessions and speak in front of a mirror to observe your body language as you speak.
Being prepared is the best thing you can do before going for an interview. You don’t want to go blank when the question: “what are your strengths?” pop up. Hence, be equipped. Practising is the key, use it to lock your anxiety.
Now you know these three simple tips to prepare for your interview. Find out your strengths and weaknesses, apply for the job with confidence, and keep practising. Follow these guidelines to mitigate your shyness. Good luck!
