INSPIRED ON 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.
If you can identify with any or all of these scenarios, you’re likely an introvert. Introverts have many valuable qualities, but the competitive nature of contemporary workplaces means that their reserve and modesty often put them at a disadvantage.
Introverts possess many characteristics that employers highly prize. Introverts are equipped with several natural abilities that can help counteract the challenges of having a more reflective personality type. Once you know how to leverage your superpowers, you'll be in a powerful position to build your professional network and secure an excellent job
LEAVE STELLAR IMPRESSIONS ON YOUR JOB INTERVIEWS! AND ADAPT YOUR RESUME TO EACH JOB APPLICATION TO SHOWCASE YOUR PROFILE BASED ON THAT JOB.
Imagine you’re being interviewed for your dream job. So far, you’re happy with your performance. But then the hiring Manager asks you to share something about yourself with the panel. Immediately, your brain freezes. The question feels highly personal to you, and you’re not in the habit of sharing personal information with strangers.
It’s a common misconception that introverts are shy. Some may be, but a more accurate characterization is that they’re private people. While there’s nothing wrong with being reserved, it can be an obstacle when personal questions are likely to come up during job interviews.
Before an interview; reflect on who you are and where your strengths lie by conducting a self-assessment. Start by reflecting on your personality and talents, then identify and memorize a few adjectives that positively describe you. You'll be ready to answer every question in your interview without experiencing your usual hesitation.
As an introvert, you may feel put on the spot when an interviewer asks you about yourself. You may view personal information as irrelevant since your skills demonstrate whether or not you can competently do the job you’re up for. But your interviewers want insight into your personality type, which helps them understand how you’d fit into their existing team if they were to offer you the job.
Fortunately, there’s a simple way to prevent yourself from being affronted by personal questions during interviews. Before you start applying for positions, reflect on who you are and where your strengths lie by conducting a self-assessment. Start by reflecting on your personality and talents, then identify and memorize a few adjectives that positively describe you. You’ll be ready to answer every question in your interview without experiencing your usual hesitation.
The author told us a story about when she took some time from the workplace. Joan (the author) had become an avid volunteer fundraiser for a community organization, and she wished to pursue fundraising professionally. After reflecting on her personality type, Joan identified herself as intelligent, creative, decisive, and ambitious – all excellent qualities for fundraisers. Confident that this vocabulary represented her authentically, Joan felt comfortable including these words in her cover letters and interviews.
She successfully secured a position fundraising and potential sourcing donors for a greenhouse.
You’ll inevitably be asked about your personality during the recruiting process. By being prepared, you’ll overcome not only brain freeze but also highlight the valuable qualities you’d bring to your new team.
Your resume is a powerful tool to help you overcome your natural modesty. Consider this: some recruiters will spend as little as six seconds glancing at your resume. That's all the time you might have to convince them that you'd be a valuable addition to their team.
Please include in your resume a paragraph with your professional profile. Remember to adapt it to the position you are applying for.
As an introvert, you’re likely modest. Most introverts feel uncomfortable sharing their achievements with others. Even when congratulated on an accomplishment, an introvert often downplays the importance of their success. While modestly is endearing, it becomes a significant obstacle if you have less than a minute to catch a recruiter’s attention.
So how do you communicate your achievements without seeming egocentric? Start by considering any initiatives, programs, or solutions you’ve contributed to. Don’t overlook procedural improvements, like streamlining processes or reducing costs or waste. Your resume is an excellent medium for this.
Once you’ve created a list of your achievements, the next step is ensuring that you don’t undersell yourself.
Mention the tangible results for each achievement. Such as the amount of funding you secured, the percentage you exceeded sales targets by, or how far under budget your project was completed.
The Scope-Contribution-Outcome method can help you with this exercise. For each item on your list, identify the breadth of the project (the “Scope”), the actions you took (the “Contribution”), and the results you achieved (the “Outcome”). Then condense this information into concise points that recruiters can quickly absorb – and be impressed by.
Ensuring that achievements and outcomes are clearly articulated in your resume is crucial to standing out from other applicants. If your accomplishments aren't sufficiently fleshed out, you're missing a significant opportunity to sell yourself.
This almost happened to Sheila, a brilliant social media campaign designer who worked for a marketing firm. Her campaign for an online clothing store yielded impressive results. Her client completely replaced their existing marketing strategies with social media and retained Sheila for all future work. However, Sheila’s resume stated that she’d implemented a successful campaign. Nevertheless, to fully communicate her talents, she needed to expand her outcomes to include the client’s changes to their marketing program.
It might feel uncomfortable articulating your achievements on paper like this. Still, without doing so, you may never reach the interview stage.
SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HELP YOU CREATE A PROFESSIONAL NETWEORK WHILE MANTAINING YOUR PRIVACY.
Most introverts can’t imagine much worse than plastering the details of their lives on a virtual public billboard. But when used strategically, social media offers a way to overcome the daunting task of networking. By understanding how to use it without compromising the privacy you value so highly, you can champion your professional finesse without speaking to anyone in person.
Joining LinkedIn – currently the most extensive online professional network – might seem intimidating. After all, why would a stranger want to connect with you? But in today’s job market, networking skills are valued by employers in most industries, making overcoming your unwillingness to interact with strangers essential.
Creating a strong LinkedIn profile is essential if you want to harness the platform's potential. Ensure that you fill out each available section with as much detail as possible.
Using keywords relevant to your industry, add your employment history, skillset, achievements, and volunteer experience. Keep in mind that LinkedIn has a high Google ranking. So make sure it presents you in the best light. Potential employers are likely to view your profile if they search for you.
Once your profile is complete, reach out to current and former coworkers and senior leaders in your industry. Create personal messages to introduce yourself, rather than LinkedIn’s default template. Before you know it, you’ll have a virtual network!
Unexpected opportunities can arise from a broad and meaningful LinkedIn network.
Take, for instance, Robert’s experience. A reserved but capable introvert, Robert reached out to his former boss Suzanne, a vice provost of student affairs. Suzanne scheduled a phone call to discuss the latest trends in their field. Following this, Suzanne invited Robert to co-lead a workshop with her at a major professional conference. Robert’s courage in contacting Suzanne agreeably paid off.
Many other social media channels can help build your professional network.
Create a Twitter account and tweet about attending seminars, follow relevant industry blogs, and leave thoughtful comments that stimulate discussion. Networks take time to build, but with social media alleviating the pressure of in-person interaction, you'll feel more comfortable initiating contact with others
YOUR ANXIETY AROUND ATTENDING NETWORKING EVENTS CAN BE MANAGED THROUGH PREPARATION AND AN APPRECIATION OF CURIOSITY
Picture this: it’s the evening of an important industry award presentation.
The conference center is full of professionals who you’d love to meet.
But instead of mingling, you’ve made a beeline for the bathroom. You couldn’t bring yourself to stay in the foyer until formalities had begun, and now there’s no longer time to chat.
In-person networking can be highly challenging for introverts. You need to learn to manage your fears through PRACTICE! Every rep counts! Start meaningful conversations with your everyday people (waiter, taxi driver, neighbors, etc)
As an introvert, you’re probably familiar with the fear of being tongue-tied or, worse, saying something stupid. But in truth, you have several natural advantages as an introvert which make you a powerful networker.
Despite the anxiety that author Jane Finkle feels when she attends industry events, she often enjoys them and leaves feeling inspired. How can you do the same? Well, introverts are naturally reflective thinkers. Start by drawing on those skills and considering your professional strengths. Write a brief introduction that you can fall back on if you panic, focusing on what you do rather than your job title. This gives you scope to include some emotionally engaging words. Personal coach Maya, for instance, likes to introduce herself by saying that she motivates people to live their best lives.
Or keep it short to allow people to ask you more:
I am a Treasury Manager turned coach who helps passionate professionals become audacious!
Next, prepare some general points about the aspects of your work that showcase your strengths in a non-boastful way. For example, suppose you’ve just secured significant funding to support a new scholarship program. In that case, you can mention how pleased you are that such a large sum is now available to help students.
Finally, it’s time to draw on your secret weapon: your curiosity. Introverts are inquisitive. This makes you gifted at having meaningful conversations with others. You have to overcome your inhibitions first. Draft some questions about the event you’re attending and the people who’ll be there, like the presenters. This will help you to initiate conversations even more confidently, as you’ll know that you have something relevant to say.
Focusing on topics that you're passionate about is also a powerful antidote to shyness. At the event, tap into what energizes you, and you'll transform yourself into a compelling conversationalist.
Author: Ruth Valverde A.
