There’s a notion that to succeed in the career world, you need to be outgoing, friendly, and thrive around people. All these are traits that are alien to introverts, who feel more comfortable being in their own space and are reserved. How then, do you succeed in the career world as an introvert?
You can’t change the core of your being. What you can do, however, is make a few adjustments that will help give your superiors a positive impression. Here are 5 things that you can do.
1. Positive body language
Most experts agree that 70% – 90% of all communication is nonverbal. People form perceptions about you before you even open your mouth to say something. Introverts should take advantage of this in their careers. Smile. In a corporate environment, smiling is one of the brand manifestations of extroversion. Smiling can help us introverts to appear more approachable, social, and upbeat.
Looking people straight in the eyes while you both talk and having a firm handshake at the beginning and end of every client meeting all show that you’re confident and engaged in the interaction.
2. Learn to be flexible
Yes, you like to spend time by yourself, and yes, you don’t necessarily like to interact with people. But you have to do what you have to do to thrive in the career world. Don’t change who you are but adapt to situations as they come.
A little social chameleon-ism can, in fact, bring significant benefits. In order to do this, we don’t need to change who we are or betray our principles. It merely involves showing different parts of our personality to different people so that we can better relate to them. Simply put, converse with others about things you know they are interested in.
3. Find comfortable ways to showcase your strengths
You don’t have to speak and be outgoing for someone to recognise you. Your work can speak for itself. So, take advantage of this. Find ways of proving yourself to your superiors.
Introverts are typically good listeners. They take time to process and reflect on information, and they’re excellent at focusing on the task at hand. So, it’s worth showcasing your particular skills in a way that makes you feel at ease and confident.
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4. Find a job that matches your personality
Here’s a pretty straightforward thing you can do. There are so many jobs out there that work perfectly for an introvert. You see, an introvert may not necessarily enjoy a career like marketing, where you have to be charismatic and nice to everyone. What they would thrive in would be careers like a marine engineer, an editor, a graphic designer, or a librarian.
5. Become a social introvert
Life is about adapting to situations as they come. Who is to say you can’t turn to be a social introvert? Just because you are an introvert doesn’t mean you must be glued to your work desks and avoid speaking to others. While it may be undesirable to “waste time” with small talk, there is no better way to benefit our careers than by engaging in office networking for few minutes a day. If you don’t know what to say, ask others about themselves—this strategy is always a winner.
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