One of the things that makes our work especially enjoyable is the diversity of people we deal with. Our clients come from a variety of occupations and bring a wide assortment of career challenges. They come from different backgrounds and have different values and beliefs. And, of special interest to me, they represent an assortment of personality types. I will be blogging about job search, career choice, and career management with a focus on those clients who are shy and/or introverts.

First, though, I’d like to distinguish between shyness and introversion. We use the terms interchangeably in everyday language, and yet they don’t actually mean the same thing.

In psychological terms, the introvert is someone who draws energy from the inner world of ideas and thoughts. By way of contrast, the extrovert draws energy from the outer world of people and activity. Introverts frequently appear to be more quiet and reserved than extroverts, but often that’s because they’re deep in thought. Many are quite outgoing and enjoy interacting with people. They aren’t necessarily shy. And they often don’t know they’re introverted – they may recognize that they are different from others and feel out of sync with society but they don’t know why. They make up slightly more than half of the population.

The shy person feels inhibited and self-conscious and fears being judged or criticized. Shyness is frequently experienced in the presence of strangers and people in authority. About 50% of the population identify themselves as shy, with up to 95% saying they are or have been shy in some circumstances. I think it’s safe to assume that a job search is one of those circumstances, as the hiring process itself consists of judging people. In addition, when people hire us as career experts, we are seen as “people in authority” – and working with us may bring out the shyness in some of our clients. Rather than relate to us as collaborators, they may assume a more subservient role simply because we’re the experts and must know what we’re talking about.

Future blogs will address some of the specific concerns that people who are shy or introverted have raised, and will offer insights into the unique strengths and job search challenges of this segment of the population.

Recommended Resources:

• The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World, by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D., Workman Publishing, NY, 2002.

• Shyness: A Bold New Approach: Bernardo J. Carducci, Ph.D., Quill, 1999.