IMPROVE YOUR
SELF-PROMOTION SKILLS
It’s tough, I get it, but reframe self-
promotion as simply stating the facts,
rather than bragging. Instead of opinion
statements like “I’m an innovative
designer”, explain what you did and
highlight the results with concrete
numbers and facts. For example,
“I was selected for X award, increased
revenue by X amount and here area few examples of client feedback.”
That’s not boasting – it’s the truth.
Remember: if you don’t promote
yourself, no one else will.MAKE IT CLEAR WHEN YOU
ARE IN THE ZONE
Wearing noise-cancelling headphones
blocks out the chatter in a loud office,
but also signals to others that you
are concentrating on somethingShe had clocked something – I was staying
late because of my introversion; after the
office had emptied out, I was able to do
my best work. I’d had no idea.
I’m not alone in this: a third to half of
the population are thought to be introverts,
yet society tends to favour extroverts.
They are more likely to be chosen for
leadership roles (even though there is
no evidence they are better leaders), are
better at self-promotion (leading to more
recognition at work) and tend to have
wider social circles (which leads to more
opportunities and ideas). But this doesn’t
mean introverts are inferior. We are often
self-starters and independent thinkers who
are great at listening, observing and can
concentrate on one task for hours at a
time. We also tend to have big ideas and
offer unique perspectives, which come
from working alone.
Nonetheless, noisy, new-age, open-
plan offices with constant interruptions
and no quiet space can make being at
work a nightmare for us. But you can
thrive at work as an introvert – here’s
what I’ve learned...
I was 23 years
old when I first
discovered I was
an introvert. I’d
been working late
every night, and
one evening a
co-worker came
over to chat – and
began discussing
introverts and
extroverts.
PHOTOGRAPHS STOCKSY/CLIQUE IMAGES, STOCKSY/ULAS KESEBIR& MERVE TURKAN, GETTY IMAGES. IMAGE COMPOSITION COLIN
BEAGLEY; BIMMILL.CO.UK