Once I sent my resume to a friend as an example of how to write one organized by accomplishments rather than chronological order.   He couldn’t believe all I had accomplished and gave me laudatory feedback, “You did all this?!”  He is one of our family’s best friends and yet he had no idea what I had achieved. This experience made me take pause as I realized this is one of my biggest professional challenges. I internally cringe anytime I have to bring attention to what I’ve done. So I tend not to. Here is the downside: this can wreck havoc on your career. If you do awesome work and no one knows – what difference does it make? Key stakeholders do not see our value and contribution. This means we are less likely to have vocal advocates and less likely to get promoted. Indeed research shows that introverts get promoted much less than extroverts and this isn’t about skill, talent or accomplishments.

Thanks to some great coaching I am overriding my default of keeping things quiet with the Intelligent Introvert. Instead of perceiving myself as self-centered or pushy, I am looking for the sweet spot of commonality between my target audience and myself. I am offering a gift.

How about you? Think of one of your accomplishments as a gift.  It won’t feel comfortable.  But try it on anyway. Stay tuned for more on this subject.