An Introvert's Guide to Thriving At Work

Open-plan spaces, lean-in culture, shouty colleagues...sometimes it feels like offices are designed to help only extroverts succeed. But can you still kick *ss in your career if you’re an introvert? Of course, you just need to know how.

- Jessica Pan

“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. She 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...

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