If you’re an extrovert, consider yourself lucky because you don’t have to deal with discrimination against introverts while job searching. The number of job ads I’ve seen where it states they’re looking for a bubbly, outgoing person is crazy. I’m sure lots of professions require people skills, good communication and charisma. However, those aren’t the type of jobs I’m looking for.
Job Ads with Obvious Bias
One ad that blew me away the most was for a content writer’s position. It might be a stereotype, but most writers keep to themselves and happily focus on their writing in their own little, quiet corner. Well, not for this job. It specifically stated that the person would be expected to be outgoing, work in an open-space environment and not hide away from people. What if that’s how I achieve the best results? I thought the most important part was my contribution, not how much small talk I would do.
Interview Feedback That Shocked Me
I’ve gone on a few job interviews over the past couple of months. Sometimes I get ghosted, and sometimes, it’s a generic “we had stronger candidates” response. However, my most recent feedback stated that I came off as reserved and lacking confidence. While confidence is probably not an introvert trait, being reserved is. When asked a question, I get straight to the point and give concise responses. Apparently, when interviewing for a job in this Western culture, that’s not acceptable.
The feedback also stated that I had all the right skills for the job. Basically admitting that it was my personality they didn’t like. If that doesn’t make you question your self-worth as a person, I don’t know what will. Luckily, an overthinker that I am, I kept analysing why that would be an issue for someone. I realised that the person interviewing me was looking for someone who would report directly to them. It’s a small team and there would most likely be a lot of collaboration between the two employees. In other words, the interviewer was looking for someone with whom they vibed personality-wise.
Why Discrimination Against Introverts Enrages Me
I’ve spent my whole life answering questions about why I’m so quiet. I’ve definitely grown and gotten more confident in expressing myself. However, that will always be part of who I am. I’ll always prefer working in a quieter environment where I’m not overstimulated by noise and chatter. In case you haven’t read Quiet, one of the main traits of introverts is how easily we’re overstimulated, not so much our social battery. But at the same time, I’ll always hate small talk. I love building relationships with people one-on-one, talking about things I care about, and learning what they care about too.
However, my personality has nothing to do with the quality of my work. My CV clearly states the great results I’ve achieved while working as part of a team, collaborating with multiple departments, building relationships and so on. This bias that quiet people are incapable of building relationships is infuriating.
Final Thoughts
When I got that feedback, I asked my husband if we could move to Japan where the culture favours introverts. Discrimination against introverts while job searching is an obvious issue to all of us introverts going through the process. The Western world is the world built for extroverts. Extroverts are uncomfortable with silence, even if it’s productive for their employees and generates income for their company. I hope it changes someday, but until then, I guess I’ll just have to fake it till I make it. Have you ever felt discriminated against in this process because you’re an introvert?