People With This Underrated Personality Type Are Elite Networkers, According To A Career Culture Coach
They excel at relationship building.
PaeGAG | Shutterstock When it comes to networking, most would assume that extroverts would excel far more than their introverted counterparts. However, career culture coach Grace McCarrick says introverts are unexpectedly skilled at networking.
According to the career culture coach, introverts are elite networkers.
"You know what? No one talks about how good introverts are at networking," McCarrick noticed.
"I say this as an extrovert," she continued. "There's nothing more painful than that person who has no issue being in your face, and trying to be like, 'What do you do? What brands have you worked with?'"
While introverts are often underestimated, McCarrick explained why they stand out as networkers.
"An introvert is the type of person who will meet you at an event, not really say too much, then follow up with an email or a LinkedIn message and say, great to meet you. Here's an article on this thing we were talking about," she detailed.
Introverts tend to possess many of the skills that make networkers excel.
According to Novoresume, the top skill that the best networkers possess is active listening.
"[Active listening] involves paying uttermost attention to what the speaker is saying, following up with clarifying questions where relevant and necessary, and making sure you got the essence of the conversation," they explained.
In McCarrick's example, the introvert demonstrated that they actively listened to the conversation by following up about something that was discussed.
Introverts are also known to be observant and thoughtful — both of which come in handy while networking. They can accurately read a room and chime in when they have something of value to share.
Novoresume also noted the importance of interpersonal skills, which "encompass your ability to get along and understand other people."
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McCarrick highlighted this skill, noting that introverts are adept at "relationship building."
"I've never worked with a single introvert that hasn't created really deep and meaningful relationships with various people throughout the organization," she admitted.
Many people find networking to be difficult.
Networking can be an exhausting and overwhelming experience, regardless of your personality type.
Research shows that a significant portion of people struggle with networking, with estimates suggesting that around 50% of individuals find it difficult to maintain and actively engage with their professional network.
If you want to improve your networking skills, consider adopting some introverted traits.
Actively listen and focus on the quality of a conversation, rather than the quantity of them. Be careful not to be too overbearing or self-centered when talking to others. Put effort into making sure everyone feels heard.
"Maybe no one's talking about how good introverts are at networking because they want to just keep that secret for themselves. That's why there are no books about it," McCarrick joked at the end of her video.
"If you wanna keep it to yourself, fine. But let me just say, introverts are elite networkers."
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.