Let’s take on two of the dirtiest words in business: self-promotion and introversion. Self-promotion is often thought of as crass, pushy, and unattractive. And it can be. But it can also be a mutually beneficial way for you to share what you can offer your stakeholders that they need.
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Check out the following article, “Job Hunting Tips Tailored for Introverts,” by Sheryl Silver, in Career Wise.

Striving for perfection – rather than just plain excellence – can make you and everyone around you nuts. How can you advance in your career if you regularly spend hours on tasks – like writing a thank you note after an informational interview – that others seem to crank out in an instant?

“Whereas extraverts tend to broaden the sphere of their work, to present their products early (and often) to the world, to make themselves known to a wide circle, and to multiply relationships and activities, the introvert takes the opposite approach,” according to Gifts Differing by Isabel Briggs Myers. She continues in her book: “Going more deeply into their work, introverts are reluctant to call it finished and publish it.”
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Gaining expertise – and letting people know about it – is one of the ways we can really distinguish ourselves as introverts. I’ve heard so many introverts say, “I’m no expert.” We tend to downplay our accomplishments. However, what good does that do us or the people whom we’d like to benefit from our contributions?
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With unemployment figures still lagging the much debated signs of economic recovery, six people are currently vying for each job opening, and employers’ hiring intentions are down to a 27-year low. Regardless, people are still finding jobs. However, the search process often takes more time and persistence than in any period in recent memory.
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In my prior story I talked with an information technology (IT) manager who was downsized from a major media conglomerate a month ago. An introvert who tapped into his strong professional network for job leads and introductions, the IT manager, whom we called Adam Chan, already landed an appealing offer from a competing major media conglomerate.
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What goes through your head when you think of selling? If you’re anything like me, you think: The spotlight is on you. Your every word counts, and you have to be “on.” Always be closing, right?

Sleepless nights, bad hair days, and personal dramas notwithstanding, you have to be out there, pushing yourself and your wares at every cocktail party and convention. You’re so in your customer’s face, she can inhale the jalapeño you had for lunch.
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I just wrote a manifesto(!) on Self-Promotion for Introverts® for ChangeThis, a new kind of media geared to “spread important ideas and change minds.” The folks at ChangeThis believe that “smart people will embrace being talked to with respect and will spread the word.” Every month they e-mail manifestos by diverse authors on diverse topics to their subscribers for free; the manifestos are also available at ChangeThis.com. Here’s a glimpse of mine:
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I go into a cell phone store and approach a salesman. Actually, I jump up and down until one we’ll call Cell Phone Sam pays attention to me. Once he starts talking, I hear a combination of a late-night TV hair-replacement commercial, an auction at Sotheby’s, and Charlie Brown’s teacher, all in a blaring chorus of rebates and Anytime Minutes.

I butt in to ask Cell Phone Sam to explain my options for a service upgrade for my cell phone. I try taking notes, but I can’t keep up. I try asking questions, but his responses come in unlimited data speak—all as he helps three other customers.

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New York was crawling with Madonnas and Madoffs, Blagos and Jackos, and no shortage of Sarah Palins this past weekend. Who were you for Halloween? And who are you on the other 364 days of the year? Would you benefit from taking an occasional holiday from your workaday persona?

If you’re an introvert, you probably avoid drawing attention to yourself (although an occasional mask and a costume can be a clever workaround if you enjoy taking on a different persona!).
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