Self-Promotion for Introverts

Career advancement tips, quips, and insights for the quieter crowd

Nancy Ancowitz is a business communication coach, an adjunct instructor at NYU, and the author of Self-Promotion for Introverts (McGraw-Hill). See full bio

December 10, 2009

Cheerleading & Public Speaking: A Conversation with Katharine Myers

Katharine Myers, co-guardian and trustee of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust, refers to the cliquey extroverted environment of the American high school, where she says, "I felt inadequate because I did not have the skills to be what I called 'the cheerleader type'. In my senior year, I took the MBTI® and had an individual interview with Isabel Myers [who would later become Katharine Myers's mother-in-law]. I learned that there was a kind of person who preferred introversion to extroversion and that it was an okay way to be. This information changed my life. I did not have to learn the skills of the cheerleader type; I could be myself." Read More

November 30, 2009

Interview and Get the Job

Imagine this. You're about to go on the business equivalent of a blind date. After all, the initial connection you establish with the hiring manager on a job interview is likely to determine whether you'll spend more waking hours in each other's orbit than with your loved ones in the years to come.

November 23, 2009

How to Land a Job by Surrounding It

How can you use LinkedIn and other online tools to gain valuable leads and market intelligence about the organizations where you're applying? If you're an introvert, you're likely to have the patience to dig around and learn as much as you can about the hiring organizations and their people. Use that to your advantage.

November 9, 2009

Interview with an Irreverent Introvert

"The introverts may view the extroverts as being nothing but self-absorbed windbags, and the extroverts may think the introverts are unreasonably standoffish," according to Larry Underwood, author of the founding father of Enterprise Rent-a-Car in the Desert Southwest and author of Life Under the Corporate Microscope.

November 3, 2009

Introverts: Stretch and Get Ahead

If you’re an introvert, you probably avoid drawing attention to yourself. Do you spend more time immersing yourself in the tasks at hand at work than creating buzz about what you've accomplished? If you'd like to advance in your career, chances are you'll need to get some recognition for your good work. Consider the following activities to help you build some essential skills as well as your self-confidence. Read More

October 23, 2009

Public Speaking for Private People

A tremendous benefit of public speaking for introverts: when you get up in front of an audience, you speak to many more people than you would normally in a day. It's an efficient way to spread your message and raise your visibility. Read More

October 18, 2009

Can an Introvert Sell Well? Real-Life Stories

During a recent speaking engagement, I asked how many people in my audience of 50 professionals—mostly introverts—had been listened to carefully that day. Only one person raised his hand. While we all seem to want to be heard, many of us aren't fortunate enough to have that experience on a regular basis. As an introvert, you're well equipped to focus deeply on conversations with one person at a time and to offer your expertise. Think of the last time you had a positive experience buying something from a salesperson. How well did the salesperson listen to you and how did that impact the sale? It can be refreshing to your customers when you listen to them carefully, thoughtfully, and actively—and it certainly can't hurt your sales. Read More

October 8, 2009

Can an Introvert Sell Well?

Let's approach selling as a game. A challenge. An outlet for your introverted strengths. You're an active listener rather than a nonstop talker and an in-your-face seller. You succeed by developing relationships. By finding your own best introverted way of selling, you'll negotiate good deals while generating goodwill. Read More

October 3, 2009

Workhorse or Show Horse?

Even if you're convinced that your contributions are small, consider what Nobel Peace Prize winner, Mother Teresa, once said: "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." Think twice before letting your drop go unnoticed. Could you make more of an impact by making some ripples - and even some waves? Read More

October 1, 2009

Introverts and Unemployment - Notes from the Trenches, Part 2

"Introverts are best suited for jobs in which they don't have to work on teams all the time," says Shoya Zichy, author (with Ann Bidou) of Career Match: Connecting You You Are with What You'll Love to Do. She shares that introverts do best when they can spend a large part of the day working in a fairly private space. She continues, "Introverts get energized from their inner resources - that is, from spending time alone to recharge their inner batteries. Even if they like being with people, which most introverts do, interacting too much can drain their energy." Adds an advertising account executive we'll call Sharon Ryan, "As an introvert, I need alone time to think deeply and decompress. I use that time to consider my options and to reflect on what's important to me - and where I want to grow." Read More

Books by Nancy Ancowitz

Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead

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