Hi guys -- I haven't been around much since my wedding in October but I did want to stop in, say hello and Happy Friday, and tell you about a win for the quiet people like me.
Last month, a really really good job opened up in my department at work. Despite liking my current position and fearing I wasn't qualified for the new one, I sucked it up and applied. During the interview, I was told that the job requires a lot of confidentiality, and that it was noticed that I was a particularly quiet employee who was friendly but didn't really engage in much socialization within a specific group (there is one group of ladies my age who can always be found gabbing away at their desks, in the kitchen, etc. - they're all very nice, I just don't usually "hang" with them). I was told in the interview that this was a very positive thing and that it was
good that I was the way I am. I got the job.
This was a big win for me - and for all the introverts out there - because I was always told to be more talkative when I'm just quiet by nature. This goes way back to parent-teacher conferences when they would always tell my mom that I need to speak up more, and up until my most recent work performance review where my former boss listed "shyness" as something I have to work on. I've never take these things personally because I know myself and know I'm not going to one day wake up and be an extrovert. Yes, sometimes it's a struggle in the office when I'm put in large group situations or have to speak publicly about something, but overall, I like the way I think and work and am proud to be an introvert!
Anyway, thought I'd share. It was happy news and I'm loving the new gig. Here is an article that a facebook friend posted I thought was interesting:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-9-things-introverts-need-for-happiness-in-the-workplace_us_568552d8e4b06fa688823fa2