Do you ever wonder if you are making a difference in the world, or in a person’s life? I do. Over the last 2.5 years, since I got the boot from my employer, I’ve tried to make a difference. Well, yesterday was a great day for me, as I had two different people mail me the same book… a book that I had a little part in (and that makes me pretty darn proud!).
About a year ago I decided to create a series of webinars to share what I’ve learned about various stuff. So I created the CEO Training series, and one of the webinars is “Write Your Book!” (you can get it for $49.95 at JibberJobber.com/CEO) For the recording I had two people on the call, one of them was Wendy Gelberg. And it was Wendy Gelberg’s new book that I got in the mail yesterday, twice!
I had a chance to see The Successful Introvert right before it went to press, and I absolutely loved it. I’m not just saying that because I knew more of the back-story, and because Wendy participated in the webinar… I loved this book because it speaks to a special person: me. This might surprise you, as I have a public face, but I consider myself to be an introvert. Networking, the job search, putting myself out there, tooting my own horn, all that stuff is a painful process.
I remember a few months ago I was at a conference where I was a speaker. The opening night of the conference was an open-bar networking thing, and most of the people there were social media people. It was the perfect crowd for me, right? Instead of going down and networking, I went to my hotel room, got into my pajamas, and hunkered down for a peaceful, quiet night.
That’s me. Jason the introvert. Guess how all of my other networking efforts go? It is taxing. It’s genuine, and once I get my groove I’m cool, but sometimes just getting that groove is hard, and scary, and takes a lot of effort.
As I read this book I learned about myself, as an introvert. And I could see how this would benefit job seekers who are scared to death of the job search. There’s an idea that you have to be a loud, Type A personality to get what you want, otherwise the loud ones are going to take what you deserve. Wendy breaks down some myths, and helps me understand how to go about a job search as an introvert.
Here are the chapters:
- Chapter 1: Are You Introverted or Are You Shy?
- Section 2: Job Search and Transition
- Chapter 3: Promoting Yourself: Creating an Effective Resume
- Chapter 4: Cultivating Connections
- Chapter 5: Promoting Yourself: Interviewing
- Chapter 6: After You Land: Transitioning to Success
- Chapter 7: Embrace Your Introversion
In addition to Wendy’s personal experiences, she has a bunch of introverts sharing their thoughts, techniques, etc. with you. Here’s one I really like from Patty Lebau, a teacher (page 37):
“[Job search] has always been a not-fun process, but when I changed it into a research project, I was able to turn it into something I could handle. A research project is the kind of intellectual area that I’m comfortable with.”
One more quick comment. I LOVE the cover. I know how hard it is to come up with a good cover, but the image of the pearl really sums up the idea… great job Wendy!
This book is about 90 pages, and retails for $16.96 on Happy About’s website, or $19.95 on Amazon. Go check it out (and if you are that Type A person, and don’t need this book, you can get it as a gift for someone else).
Jason, I’m so glad you wrote about this book. I’m an introvert too and it’s so important for people to hear that you don’t have to be the life of the party to network well (or be successful!). I do have a different approach to networking than my extroverted friends. Mostly I’ve found that I have to be more strategic about where and how I network — and learn how to be highly proficient when networking in person while using online tools to multiply my efforts. But it’s really worked well, so what I thought was a liability has turned out to be a big asset!
Liz, I find it interesting that you are an introvert, considering your business and book is about networking. Very cool. I hope to meet you next March when I’m in NYC for the first time in my life!
Hi Jason!
a) Totally agree with Liz -that’s my style as well. Most people never think of me as an introvert, but in many ways I am. I can be extroverted (indeed, I love people), but in doses. Then I need quiet again. It takes a lot out of me (in a good way, but still, recharging is necessary). Wendy has me in her book, too. And I am SO proud of her and think she has done such a great service to people with this book.
b) Please let me know when you are planning your trip to NYC in the Spring so we can plan a meet-up. In fact, so many people will want to see you we should have a party!