By J. Mason
Online Career Tips Editor
When you’re an introverted person it can take a lot of effort to shake a strangers hand at a conference. Even worse is getting up the courage to attend a networking event alone with no support system there. Standing with your back against the wall avoiding eye contact is not how you should approach an uncomfortable situation, instead shake out the awkwardness and find a general source of comfort.
Being a partial introvert myself I can understand the difficulty with meeting new people. It’s even more intimidating when the overly friendly are chatting you up and you are desperately looking for someone to mellow out the attack of conversation. Through my experience I’ve learned to find ways to interject my personality into the conversation, or at least chat about things I was excited or passionate about. This brings you into familiar territory and takes the pressure off of trying to impress right away. Once you start feeling more relaxed the “pitch” will come more naturally.
Make the opportunities come to you. Waiting for the next conference or big work event will take you out of the game and leave you feeling unprepared. Instead, volunteer for external work events or find meetups in your area with like-minded professionals. Find an opportunity to chat with co-workers while in the office; pinpoint the ones you don’t chat with on a regular basis.
These tips can also apply to the socially inclined. While you think it’s a breeze chatting up a whole room, you still want to come across as authentic. We all have an elevator pitch in mind when attending professional events, but it doesn’t mean you need to utilize it every time. Tone down your pitch and try the same approach as that of an introvert. Give the others an opportunity to talk about their passions or reasons for being there. Listening goes a long way, and it’s something that your new contacts will remember. And if you see the odd person out holding up the wall, go up and ask if they’d like to have a drink with you and make a joke. It’s appreciated when the wallflower gets some notice and an opportunity to truly come out of their shell.
How did you do with last week’s bad habit, email overuse? If you’re feeling the pinch of pressure right now from email overload then shut it off for an hour or two. Your sanity is more important!
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