”The biggest misconception people with ADHD bring to the coaching sessions with me is when they ask me to help them to be focused all the time, every single minute of their day. This is not possible. And the good news - this is not necessary at all! There are only few occasions in life when you have to stay 100% focused without fail - and going to interviews is one of them!” —Xenia Angevin, Shimmer Head ADHD Coaching Psychologist & ADHD Career Coach
Interviewing can be a daunting process for anyone. For those dealing with adult ADHD, however, certain challenges can make it even trickier to effectively showcase your skills and experience.
Fortunately, with the right strategies, you can learn to navigate interviews with confidence and ensure your unique talents shine through. In this post, we’ll review some of the most common challenges ADHDers face with interviewing, and two approaches you can use to prepare winning interview question answers.
How ADHD Can Trip You Up During Interviews
When the interview game is on, ADHD can present some hurdles that may impact your performance.
- 🧠 Memory Issues. Not being able to retrieve relevant details and examples on time can make it challenging to provide comprehensive and compelling answers. Difficulty keeping track of your thoughts mid-answer may cause you to go off-script or lose your train of thought entirely.
- ⚡ Impulsivity. The tendency to answer too quickly without fully thinking through your response can lead to incomplete or ill-considered answers.
- 😭 Emotional Dysregulation. Stress and anxiety during interviews can exacerbate emotional regulation issues, causing you to react in ways you don’t mean to, or change the way you interpret the interviewer’s questions or body language.
ADHD Mastery Tips for Acing Interviews
There are two primary ways to structure your interview answers: as a story or as a pyramid.
📖 The Story Approach
- Prepare a "storytelling notebook" (physical or digital) where you can write out compelling stories that demonstrate your key career competencies, such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and learning agility.
- Use the ACTIVE LISTENING technique to identify keywords from the question and remember their meaning based on your pre-interview research.
- Follow the STAR+AV structure to craft an engaging narrative:
- Situation: Set the scene with relevant facts and geography.
- Task/Problem: Explain the task or problem you needed to solve (briefly).
- Challenge/Adventure: Highlight the challenges you anticipated before undertaking the task.
- Values: Explain your personal motivations and values driving your actions.
- Action: This is the most crucial part! Describe your behaviors and actions that demonstrated the required competencies, providing ample evidence.
- Results: Share positive outcomes and the impact you made, ideally with independent corroboration.
- Lessons Learned: Reflect on what you would do differently next time, showcasing self-awareness and a growth mindset.
🔺 The Pyramid Approach
- For questions about your strengths or other topics that lend themselves to a structured response, use the "pyramid" technique pioneered by Barbara Minto.
- Start with the main idea, then introduce the sub-topics you'll cover.
- Dive into each sub-topic sequentially without crossing over, providing examples and evidence to support your claims.
- Conclude by summarizing your main point.
Bonus Tips For Interviewing With ADHD
- Pause and Externalize. Before answering a question, take a 3-5 second pause to gather your thoughts and structure your response. During this time, "externalize" your working memory by jotting down bullet points or a brief outline on paper to follow as you speak.
- The "Take Away" Option. If you find yourself struggling to formulate an answer on the spot, it's perfectly acceptable to acknowledge that and let the interviewer know you'll provide a well-considered response later that same evening. Authenticity is key – don't try to bluff your way through.
- Finding a Coach. If you need personalized guidance and coaching to master these ADHD-specific interview techniques, consider working with an ADHD coach. An experienced coach can provide tailored strategies, mock interview practice, and accountability to ensure you feel prepared and confident for any upcoming interviews.
From Hurdles to Highlights
Interviewing with ADHD presents unique challenges, but by employing strategies like storytelling, structured responses, pausing techniques, and external memory aids, you can learn to navigate the interview process with poise and effectively showcase your talents and qualifications.
Just like an athlete training for a big game, practicing these techniques will help you build the mental muscles needed to outmaneuver ADHD's potential pitfalls and emerge victorious in the interview arena.
