Part 2 of the inspirtaion from the book: The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide By Jane Finkle.
Does having to talk to strangers make you feel uncomfortable or blank? What in the world do you have to say to them? What can I offer them that may be valuable without being perceived as interfering? Perhaps interrupting a colleague makes you so queasy that you can’t speak up during meetings. Or maybe you’re so modest that you fail to mention all the fantastic things you’ve achieved at work when you have your annual performance review.
>>> PART 1 HERE!!!<<<<<
YOU CAN MASTER YOUR NERVES BY EMPLOYING A FEW SIMPLE TECHNIQUES BEFORE AND DURING A JOB INTERVIEW.
It’s rare for anyone to look forward to a job interview. You’ll find the process, even more intimidating if you’re an introvert because of your natural reserve and modesty. After all, who enjoys being scrutinized and assessed?
How do you set aside these aspects of your personality so that they don’t jeopardize your career opportunities? The answer lies in two things: preparation and utilizing body language.
Preparing for an interview is essential for every candidate but even more crucial for introverts. Thorough preparation will help prevent you from clamming up or under-delivering when you’re asked a question.
Before an interview start by studying the organization – including its goals, past performance, and current objective – and the team you'll potentially be working with. The company website is a helpful resource for this research.
Next, you mustn’t leave important information out of your responses to interview questions – a common occurrence for modest introverts. The SMART technique is a great way to overcome this.
You’ll then be ready to explain why you’re the perfect candidate for the job.
After adopting this method, introverted IT Manager Eduardo shifted from giving generic interview responses to articulating his knowledge and potential value.
No matter how well-prepared you are for your interview, it’s normal to feel anxious on the big day. To help manage your nerves, Amy Cuddy – psychologist and Harvard Business School professor – recommends practicing “The Performer” pose. Doing so involves arriving early for your interview and finding a bathroom. In the privacy of a cubicle, adopt a wide stance and throw your arms up to form a “V” – for two minutes! This body language will help put you in a winning state of mind.
Body language is also crucial during the interview itself. According to UCLA professor emeritus Albert Mehrabian, 93 percent of our interpersonal communication is nonverbal, so ensure that your posture is confident and upright, your tone of voice is even and calm, and that you look at your interviewer interested but non-challenging way.
Give yourself permission to take a breath and consider your response instead of panicking and freezing.
Your breathing is critical when presenting to keep your nervousness aside. Breathe at a calm pace and have an open posture.
YOUR NATURAL ABILITIES TO FOCUS AND LISTEN ARE SIGNIFICANT ASSETS WHEN NEGOTIATING A JOB OFFER
Congratulations – you’ve been offered your dream job! But it’s not quite time to uncork the champagne. First, you’ll have to negotiate your employment package. For an introvert, this is the stuff of nightmares, but before you panic and accept the first offer, know that your strengths as an introvert can help you cut a good deal.
First of all, determine whether the employment offer you’ve received aligns with your skills and experience and with equivalent roles at other organizations. Having this information will ground your negotiations, making you feel more comfortable. Introverts are naturally inclined to take their time when making big decisions, which works in your favor in this scenario.
To evaluate your offer, conduct a salary analysis using websites like Payscale or Salary.com. This research might confirm that your offer is fabulous, in which case you can accept it and start celebrating. If not, determine the figure you’d like to put on the table. Factor in what type of organization it is that wants to employ you.
Remeber this, next time you receive a job offer: typically, in the US, a corporate business has $5,000 to $10,000 leeway when negotiating individual salaries, while most not-for-profits can manage $2,500-$5000.
Take benefits into consideration too. For example, Carol – a single mom and family physician – managed to secure an additional $8,000 after the negotiation phase for a new position she’d been offered. While this was somewhat lower than colleagues with only one more year of experience than her, Carol was compensated with a flexible work schedule that gave her more time with her son.
Once you’ve formulated your strategy and have a salary and benefits plan in mind, you’re ready to prepare yourself for the most intimidating part – negotiating. Practice as though you’re negotiating with both an introvert and an extrovert. Role-playing with a friend will help you gain confidence.
When negotiating use reflective listening – a natural talent in introverts. This method involves repeating what you've heard the speaker say before moving on to your point. This approach helps form a connection with the other person.
YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE CAN HELP EASE YOUR TRANSITION INTO A NEW WORKPLACE.
It may startle you to learn that 46 percent of employees fail within eighteen months of starting a new job. Leadership IQ – a global leadership training and research company – arrived at this statistic after conducting a three-year study. These failures were possibly even more concerning and didn’t result from a lack of appropriate qualifications. They occurred because of poor interpersonal skills.
It’s essential to overcome your reservations and take the initiative in your new workplace. Luckily, your keen observation skills can help you through the potentially overwhelming process of joining a new team.
The first step to successfully transitioning into a new workplace is to build strong professional relationships. During the first few months, prioritize developing a productive relationship with your Manager. Take some time to get to know them personally by asking appropriate questions and learning about their professional responsibilities so you can be supportive and empathetic.
The first step to successfully transitioning into a new workplace is to build strong professional relationships. Prioritize developing a productive relationship with your Manager.
If you cross paths with senior management, do your best to avoid any shyness you experience. You may assume that they don't have time for you, but that's not necessarily the case.
Marc experienced this when he started his dream job as a senior strategy officer at Bill and Melinda Gates’s philanthropic organization, the Gates Foundation.
When Marc found himself alone in an elevator with Hanna, the deputy director of program advocacy, he mentioned that they were both alumni of Indiana University, something he’d learned from researching the company. Hanna invited Marc to join her for lunch so she could answer any questions he had, thus initiating a relationship between them.
However daunting it may seem to build workplace relationships, your efforts will pay off in the long run when you’re fully integrated into your professional environment.
When new at work; connect with your new colleagues on social media so you can use their posts as conversation starters. However, until you get to know them better, stick to professional topics like industry articles they've retweeted; you don't want to offend anyone inadvertently.
YOU MUST LEARN TO BE VISIBLE IN WORKPLACES DOMINATED BY EXTROVERTS TO SAFEGUARD YOUR CAREER.
Imagine sitting in a meeting, and a brilliant solution comes to mind. Sharing your ideas with your team feels impossible because your more dominant colleagues hold the floor without pausing for breath.
An introvert’s tendency to step back becomes a huge liability when value is aligned with conspicuous outcomes. Introverts often mistakenly think others will automatically notice their achievements. But in truth, the people who get attention are those who actively promote themselves.
Before you despair, rest assured that there are ways you can overcome this hurdle. One method is to draw on your observational skills to identify and solve problems within your company.
The author shares an anecdote about this: one young professional interning at an accounting firm noticed that a lot of paper was being wasted when documents were transferred. Through evaluation, he realized that the wastage was unnecessary and suggested a new procedure to address it. Not only was his proposal adopted, but his employer also saw his potential and offered him a permanent position.
Now, solving problems is easy for an introvert. But in a team setting, you may find yourself sidelined. During meetings with extroverted coworkers, how do you contribute to ensuring that your boss sees you participating?
One method to employ is a diplomatic interruption. Interjecting is less intimidating if you feel you won’t offend. View the comment you want to make as building on what your colleague has said rather than contradicting it. For instance, if your coworker has pitched an idea that you can improve on, you could say, “I like that idea, Drew. We could even extend it by…” Or, if you have something to share but the meeting is moving on, try saying, “Excuse me, Rory. That was a great discussion, but before we continue, I’d like to add…” It will take time to become more comfortable with making your voice heard, but it’s essential if you want your value to be noted.
Similarly, it’s essential to communicate your successes to others. This idea can make introverts cringe, but there are non-egotistical ways to do it. For instance, when updating your team on a project, highlight its outcomes or use social media to announce accomplishments.
This will increase your visibility, ensuring that your Manager recognizes you for the tremendous asset you are.
FINAL SUMMARY
Use the unfair advantage of being an introvert in your favor!
Learn to sell yourself, communicate with purpose, and build solid and valuable connections.
Your thoughts and ideas are worth hearing!
Introverts tend to be very analytical and insightful and provide value to others by speaking up!
Every rep counts! Practice daily with everyday interactions, your family, the waiter, the doorman, and your building receptionist.
You cannot expect to be super charismatic at the right moment with the person you want to impress. Develop your likeability, creativity, and talkative genious in all your intereactions.
Author:
Ruth Valverde A.
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