Skip to main content

How to do well in an interview as an ‘ISTJ’ personality type: The Inspector

Written by: Charlotte Rogers
Published on: 29 Mar 2021

The Inspector Hero Image

This is the 3rd instalment of our personality type series. So, if this doesn’t match you and your type, don’t worry, you can find all of our latest posts here and there are more yet to come! Of course, this is just a general view of this particular personality type and can mean different things for different people, so take it with a pinch of salt and use it as a base and adapt the advice to your own experiences!

ISTJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging. This could be interpreted as a person who is more comfortable in their own company, someone that finds comfort in facts rather than ideas and theories. They make choices based on logic and reason and will always prefer to be organised than taking risks, especially in the workplace.

The nature of an ISTJ personality type or ‘The Inspector’ means they can usually hold themselves pretty well in an interview situation. This personality type are often very organised individuals and prepare themselves accordingly for anything that they think may happen. It’s when they’re surprised that things can get a little bit more difficult for them. For example, People who have this personality type may prefer to think of their interview questions and answers beforehand and be more than prepared. When something new may pop up in conversation, some may find it hard to come up with a creative answer on the spot.

More about The Inspector

You are typically a very reliable person. You are steady in your productivity and when it comes to working in a team, do your fair bit of contribution. You’re not one to leave all the work until last minute or easily hand it over to someone else, because you do prefer things to be done a certain way. ISTJ’s tend to like to stick to tradition or some may say ‘get stuck in their ways’. This is because once you find something that does indeed work, why change it?

Continuity is something you find comfort in, especially at work. They are likely to “rely on their past experience to guide them and are most comfortable in familiar surroundings.” (Truity;2021) Although this type has an introverted trait in the personality type, they are not the isolated kind. They work well with others and know where they stand.

Your strengths

Perseverance – This personality type is strong willed and simply do not like to give up. No matter what the task, whether difficult or just simply a long one, you will always get it done. This can really set you apart from other candidates in an interview. Employers want someone that will complete their work and try no matter what the circumstances.

Planning – This may play a large part in your personal and working life. You simply like to know what is going on and you like to plan in advance. Again, this is great for interviews. You are more likely to be always prepared and ready to go. Employers love someone who is prepared and organised.

Attention to detail – This is another great trait to have, especially as an engineer. Being able to show and explain this to an employer during an interview can, once again, help set you apart from other candidates. Being able to do the work is one thing but being able to do your best to get it close to near perfect, is even better.

Practical and no-nonsense – Being honest, this can be both a strength and a weakness. Depending how you chose to interpret it. For an ISTJ, you probably agree and think it is a strength of yours. You like to do things the right way, look for the logical way. However, sometimes being a little bit creative can result in your finding a resolution you may not have found any other way.


Understanding that strengths come with weakness

You can be stubborn – Stubbornness to change your ways can be a good thing, especially when it means holding your ground and sticking to something you believe in. However, being inflexible in the way you work can result in employers potentially thinking that you may not be a good fit for their team. Willingness to learn and adapt for your team is what a lot of employers look for. Sometimes a new way of thinking is what employers are looking for.

You can be too serious – As you probably agree, there is a time and a place for everything. Making jokes or funny remarks in an interview is probably not what you would do. However, being too serious and tense during a conversation may cause the other person to feel uncomfortable. It’s a good thing to take interviews seriously, it shows that you want the job and you are there for a reason. Try and relax a little bit though.

There is such a thing as too honest – You speak the truth. You don’t see a better way of getting something across to another person, without being 100% honest. Once again, being blunt can be a good trait, you get things done. However, in the eyes of a lot of people, this can be misinterpreted as being rude. Relax and try to see things from someone else’s point of view. This can be very important to learn if you are working in a team.

Personal Development

We can all learn a little something by looking deeper into why we do the things we do. Being able to understand and think about personality traits paves the way for personal development. We can all improve on something. For you, it could be taking a second to question a procedure. Yes, you may be more comfortable with continuing with a task in the manner that you usually would. But ask yourself ‘is there a more creative way of doing this?’. Try and step out of your comfort zone a bit more and try a bit of spontaneity.

You should make time for yourself. Once you start something, you have to finish it, and this is no different. You are responsible, organised and driven to create order. Focus on your strengths, your desire to persevere and get a job done because this will help you.

If this wasn’t your type, but you want to know more about your own personality and how you can improve your job seeking skills. Our next article in this is about the INFP personality type or ‘The Healer’.