Outline
Choosing a career can be stressful even for the most outgoing students. However, for those who are a bit more reserved and introverted, just the idea of going to more than a few job interviews can be paralyzing. If you fall into that category, there is no doubt that you have many great skills, but when it comes to making first impressions, your social weaknesses can become obvious enough to cost you the job. However, there are ways you can overcome this issue, and here are a few tips that should help you.
Be honest about your strengths and emphasize them
This is a tip for pretty much everybody, but it’s especially important for introverts. Assess your strengths, and don’t pretend to be somebody you’re not. There is nothing wrong with admitting to your interviewers that you are a bit nervous. On the contrary, it can actually help you create a better connection, and it can make you appear more honest, which is always a positive trait. Now, you don’t really have to label yourself as an introvert, but you should emphasize the strengths that most introverts share, like focus, dedication, creativity, etc. Additionally, if you already have some experience, you can also shift the focus from your personal traits to your professional ones and talk about the things that you’ve done so far.
Rehearse your answers
Even though no interview is the same, there are certain questions that employers will almost always ask you regardless of which career path you choose. So, try to be prepared for them – plan your responses in advance, think of some conversation starters, and practice small talk with your friends. This should help you reduce the stress of looking for the right answer on the spot.
Choose a career that won’t drain you
As an introvert, you know best which jobs are more likely to drain your energy. You probably don’t want to work in retail or some similar field that would force you to interact with many people on a daily basis. And there is nothing wrong in your decision to avoid such jobs – they are simply not for everybody. So, focus on careers that would suit you. For example, while being a teacher in a public school might be a bit too intimidating for you, being a home tutor could be perfect. You’d still be interacting with people enough to fight off any feelings of isolation, but you’d get to control with how many people and how often.
Make use of technology
In this day and age, there are many jobs you can do online that you can also turn into a lucrative career. Now, again, you should consider your talents first. Are you good at drawing? Can you write well? Do you like translating? There are many things you can do online, as long as you build your online presence and actually work on your skills. And the best of all, communicating with people in written form is usually much easier than in person, so if this is something you strongly agree with, freelancing and IT sector, in general, might be ideal for you.
Work on improving your skills
Nobody says that introverts have to be bad at handling social situations; it’s mostly a stereotype that younger generations tend to emphasize. After all, practice makes perfect, and you don’t have to love something to be good at it. So, if you feel like you’re lacking a certain skill that could help you reach your full potential, work on it. Take classes, read books, watch videos, observe other people, etc. The more you do something, the easier it will be. Plus, this is also something you can add to your resume, so your potential employers can see that you are actively working on improving yourself.
Choosing a career can be extremely stressful for all students. From choosing the right path to going on interviews and trying to stand out among the competition, there is nothing easy about this period. However, as an introvert, you need to be aware of both your strengths and weaknesses. So, emphasize the former, work on the latter, consider the listed tips, and finding the right career is bound to become at least a little bit easier for you.