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Networking for Introverts
A Guide For People Who Hate Networking
We’ve all heard the same advice: “You need to network to benefit your career.” If you’d rather stand outside for hours in the cold rain than attend a networking event, this article is for you.
You may already define yourself as an introvert or you are starting to realize over time that you are one.
Introverts do not seek out company. In fact, they are usually quite uncomfortable in large social settings. They prefer quiet times alone or with a small number of people.
To advance your career, it is important to build relationships. This can be quite a dilemma for an introvert.
I am actually an introvert. As an only child growing up, I valued peace and quiet and played hours alone. I read, drew, made up games, and never felt lonely. I hated crowds and felt awkward in social situations. From elementary school through college, I never knew how to walk up to people and join in conversations. I felt so uncomfortable that I would do anything to avoid attending events. In fact, the only way I made it through some of them as a young adult was by drinking alcohol to “loosen up”. As you can imagine, getting buzzed was not a lasting solution to help an introvert. On a scale of 1 to 10 for networking, I failed.
