“Figure out what you are meant to contribute to the world and make sure you contribute it. If this requires public speaking or networking or other activities that make you uncomfortable, do them anyway. But accept that they’re difficult, get the training you need to make them easier, and reward yourself when you’re done.”
~Susan Cain, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking
Kevin works as a compliance officer for an insurance company. “I have always been an introvert,” he said. “I really enjoy quiet alone time.”
He looked for careers that would be suitable to his introverted personality. “They say that engineering, science, accounting are all great jobs for introverts. But I hated math,” he said.
Sophia Dembling, author of The Introvert’s Way: Living a Quiet Life in a Noisy World, says, “What careers are good for introverts? Whatever interests them.”
Kevin realized he couldn’t work in the tech fields because they just didn’t interest him. Rather, he chose a field he loved and then figured out how to adjust to it. He realized he had a mind for understanding people—what motivates them, how they learn best—and that’s how he wound up an HR manager.
Every job demands a mix of skills that require both quiet time and time with others. Introverts can work to strike a balance between the two that works for them, as Kevin’s example shows. Read on to learn how he does it.
How Introverts Can Set Their Career Path Up for Success
Kevin, a long-term client of mine, has mastered two key strategies for excelling as an introvert in the corporate world:
- Leveraging his strengths
- Structuring his work in smart ways
Use Your Strengths
Introverts tend to be good listeners. They know how to be quiet, give others the opportunity to share, and ask thoughtful questions. They naturally tend to think and ponder. This skill set benefits Kevin immensely in his HR work. He earns people’s trust and has discussions that get results.
“When I talk with others about compliance issues, I find they are much more amenable to doing things the necessary way after I’ve given them a chance to talk and explain their position,” Kevin said. “Sometimes they bring up valid points. But in any case, they feel like they’ve been heard and understood. It makes my job easier.”
Structure Your Work to Suit You
At times, things get very busy and Kevin needs to interact with people frequently—often discussing highly emotional issues. He organizes and balances his work time to rejuvenate himself, using the following strategies.
Introverts Must Learn Rejuvenating Strategies
1 – Set a routine that works for you.
Introverts tend to use quiet time efficiently. “I have a daily routine that works for me,” Kevin says. “When I get to my office a little earlier than most people, and it’s quiet, I accomplish a lot. I tackle my most challenging projects in that window of time. Then I leave a little early as things start to get noisier.”
2 – Take a Break.
At times introverts just need to step out and take a break. On many days, Kevin would have lunch at a quiet park near his workplace or in a café where he liked to read the paper. On a busy day, he would look forward to that quiet hour of personal time.
He would sometimes schedule additional breaks to take a rest from the din, stepping out for a short walk to clear his head. He enjoyed having a walking meeting now and then with just one to two colleagues.
You know your own capacity. Like Kevin, find quiet spots to restore your equilibrium during the workday.
3 – Turn It Off.
When Kevin comes back to the office after stressful meetings, he turns off the sound on his phone. He hangs a sign on the door that says, “Focusing. If you’re not dead or dying, please don’t disturb.” He has trained his colleagues to respect his time for silence and thought.
“It’s not just introverts who need quiet to focus,” Kevin said. “As an HR leader, I’m a big proponent of the idea that everyone does. I’ve encouraged others throughout the workplace to schedule blocks of time for focused work. They often tell me they are amazed at how much they accomplish.”
Kevin said he’s learned that as he takes care of himself, he gets better at his job. “Introverts can succeed in any role,” he says. “Who’s to label these jobs ‘introvert jobs’ and those ‘extrovert jobs’? Steve Martin is an introvert. Warren Buffet’s an introvert. Introverts who work in sales or marketing can be very successful. Choose the job you love, and you’ll figure out how to make it work for you.”
But what if you’re an introvert who finds you don’t love your job? Let’s take a look at the advice I gave another introverted client who truly felt out of place in her role.
Finding the Right Career Path as an Introvert
Emily Asks: I feel totally out of place and uncomfortable in my job. I’m a marketing manager for a major entertainment company and I’m surrounded by people who are constantly running in high gear and bouncing off the walls. I get so stressed out, some days I just want to crawl into a hole. I know I’m an introvert, and I think I need a total career makeover. But I’ve invested a lot of myself in getting ahead with this company, and I hate to blow it off. What should I do?
Coach Joel Answers: Taking a close look at your level of job satisfaction is never a bad thing to do. Based on your description, I’d say you’re probably an introvert in a career that’s populated by extroverts. Statistics tell us that 12–25% of people in the general population are true introverts. The rest are either partial or total extroverts. Given those stats, it’s easy to see why you feel like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole in your current role. Here are three things you could start doing immediately to change your situation.
1 – Evaluate.
Take a close look at who you are vs. where you are. Think about your strengths, passions, interests, and hobbies. Perhaps you love to read, write in your journal, listen to music, take walks, and play with your dog or cat. You probably thrive on solitude and feel drained if you spend too much time with other people. If you’re in a high-pressure, hyperactive job, you should determine if your “quiet” needs can be met on that job or if you can get enough alone time off the job to feel satisfied. For example, can you close your office door and work on your own a good share of the time? Can you eat lunch away from the crowd, spend an hour alone at the gym, or take a solo walk?
Evaluate your company as well. Since you’ve put in a lot of time and energy there, see if there’s a way to stay with the company in a position that allows you to work more on your own and less with other people. You may want to talk to your boss or someone in HR to lay the groundwork for a possible job change, even if it’s a lateral move.
2 – Plan.
Changing careers or even jobs is not like buying a new pair of socks. You need a solid plan, a step-by-step process to get you from Point A to Point B. The first step is to look at your career thus far and see what jobs within that field might be a better fit. For example, could you shift into graphic design or market research—both careers that allow you to spend a lot of time flying solo?
If you feel that a job change within your current field is not possible or practical, then you may want to plan for a complete career change. Test yourself, first of all, to get a clearer picture of what specific career fields might be a good fit.
The bottom line is this: What will make YOU happy? What can you do now to feel more fulfilled, more excited, and more of who you really are? When you have answers to those questions, you’ll be on the right path toward a fulfilling career.
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