Building Your Career As An Introverted A-Player

Building Your Career As An Introverted A-Player

It’s the new year with new budgets and new opportunity.  It’s that time in your career where you’ve had a good run in your current job, you’ve learned everything you can and it’s time to start fresh. 

But what can you do to really kick things up a notch?  How will you land that next job that will not just give you a good baseline in terms of skills but help propel you forward and make you more of a professional?

Whether it’s stepping into a new gig at your current company, or it’s time to find a new place of work, we will run through some top strategies to help you find the right job and hit the ground running for growth. 

Stop Applying to EVERY Job

The best interviews really start by casting the right net to find them.  If you take a shotgun approach and include EVERYTHING in your search, you will definitely have more opportunities to interview but you could be spending time on jobs that don’t excite you.

This is hell for an introvert because you’re spending time and energy on opportunities that you aren’t passionate about.  I don’t know about you, but as an introvert it’s difficult to talk about things I am not passionate about – it feels like awaste of time. 

Think about what you want, where do you think you would learn more?  An opportunity you genuinely find interesting or something that seems okay but pays well.  Think about your future, where you want to go and what skills will help you make it there. That will help you attract the right job to push you ahead.

Have a Plan – It’s Okay if It Changes

No one is asking you to have a full career plan mapped out the second you graduate college or the second you want to make a move. Okay, so maybe there are some expectations on the topic but don’t let it pressure you.  The best thing about plans is they aren’t set in stone and they can fluctuate as you need them to. 

So you had to pick a career in college and you had to step into the workforce.  There’s a reason why more than 70% of college graduates don’t continue to hold jobs in the major’s they’ve selected.

Think about it, out of all the people you know, who’s working in the field they studied?  Hardly anybody!  Before you make some real career progress you need to get out in the world, start working and learn what interests you by taking action.  And oftentimes, what naturally interests you isn’t always what you studied. 

Build Your Personal Roadmap

Have some thoughts on where you are going and ask yourself tons of questions to understand your long-term potential. 

·        Are you a leader?

·        Do you want to be an executive some day? 

 ·       Does the idea of pressure feel overwhelming orexciting? 

 ·       Would I rather become an expert in a specific field? 

·        Do I prefer a 9 to 5 job that’s low pressure? 

 Not sure how to gauge where you want to go?  Start with a strengths test to find your skills.  Then create a plan to develop those skills in a way that grabs your interest.

Ask yourself:

·         What skills do I need to take me where I want to go long-term?

·         What type of work would I need to build that expertise?

·         What’s exciting about your current job?

·         What you would like to learn more about to become an expert? 

·         What type of companies grab my attention?  Non-profit, major brands, big companies, small companies, start-ups?

·        What environment is appealing to me? Casual, flexible, traditional?

Learn How to Add Immediate Value to Any Company

The best way to build relationships and trust with a company is to add value.  Once you land the job, find ways to help your organization, help your team and coworkers.  This doesn’t mean you’re everyone’s intern but it means you step in and provide help where the company needs it. 

·        See something the company is struggling with?  Brainstorm ideas for how to solve it and pitch it to your boss.

·        See a coworker struggling to find information you know how to get? Share it.

·        Have a team project that needs some extra muscle?  Go the extra mile.

·        Love to read about your industry and found an interesting article? Send it to the team.

NEVER BE AVERAGE

The average worker will do what’s required.  Every time you do more, you’ve added additional value to your company.  You’ve shown your work ethic by going above and beyond to get the job done. 

Ditch the idea of “that’s not my job” and replace it with – “will this help my company and add MORE value to my role?”  If the answer is yes, then do it.  Those who are above average and take thoughtful action get promoted.

What do you think?  What actions have you taken in the workforce that have pushed you ahead to the next best opportunity?