Introversion vs. Extroversion: An Extrovert's opinion

Bethany Lang-Vander Schans· July 1^st, 2014 

Originally posted to Coursera

Enhance Your Career and Employability Skills

I am very interested in the idea of Introversion vs. Extroversion and being unable to overcome this in a job search or finding extroversion to be vulgar and needy. I work as a career counselor. I am extroverted which serves me very well because a great deal of my professional life involves public relations and sales. I work for a college, and it is my job to market graduates to companies for job interviews and to coach those graduates in good job search habits. To be successful, I have to network network network. I use every avenue and opportunity to do so; this includes but is not limited to social networking, job fairs, networking events, building relationships with community outreach programs, Chamber of Commerce activities, and cold calling. The latter being the bane of my existence, but it is extremely effective when done correctly. Here is a great article on the subject: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140630220305-42858647-how-to-find-the-courage-to-cold-... Alas, I am not intending to write about cold calling, so please allow me to return to the topic at hand...professional networking.

Very recently I was frustrated by this very topic in my personal life, which spilled into my professional life a bit. A dear friend, who we shall call Marcus, has been a great success with company X for several years now. However, he is beginning to feel that there will be no more opportunities to grow within the company. Working for company X has provided Marcus the opportunity to be on the advisory board for organization Y. He has met many great people in his industry while serving on the advisory board. Organization Y will be opening up a brand new innovative concept which Marcus has been instrumental in helping plan through his involvement in the advisory board. Marcus has expressed to me a desire to be the director of the exciting new concept. Being a career counselor, I wanted to offer some suggestions to help plant the idea into the heads of those in charge to visualize him as a candidate. It must be said; he is extraordinarily qualified for the position. The facility won't be opening for several months; however, Organization Y recently held a ribbon cutting for a separate facility, and through my involvement in the local Chamber of Commerce, I was invited to attend. I invited Marcus as my guest, as I felt it would be a great opportunity to network with people who would be making hiring decision in the future and show them how invested he is in the projects and work of the organization. He initially agreed, but stood me up in the end. The ribbon cutting went on despite his absence and there was great conversation and the facility is amazing. In short, networking happened. When I asked Marcus why he didn't make it, he responded that he is introverted and didn't want to be to pushy.

Marcus may very well in the future leave Company X, be a success in attaining his desired position with Organization Y, and become the Director of Concept Z. There is no doubt in my mind that he is qualified, but the job market is so competitive. The pool of candidates is the most educated group of people that has ever been. The fact is that in every arena of life there will be someone smarter, faster, and stronger than you. When it is the choice between two qualified candidates the manager will always choose the person they happen to have met a few mounts ago at a ribbon cutting. Why would someone deny themselves an edge on the competition? When it comes to Introversion vs. Extroversion in a job search, it is best to fake it til you make it. Go team Extrovert! Now go shake some hands!

Woman's History Month

K. V. Switzer, #261

“I wasn’t running Boston to prove anything; I was just a kid who wanted to run her first marathon.” –Kathrine Switzer

         

            1967 was a dynamic year for progress and social change. 1967 saw the appointment of the first Black Supreme Court Justice, the honorable Thurgood Marshall. The Supreme Court ended laws banning interracial marriage. It was the year Aretha Franklin released R.E.S.P.E.C.T., which is fitting in light of what I have learned about Kathrine Switzer. On Patriot’s Day of that year, as is true every year since 1897, the 71^st Boston Marathon was run in Boston, Massachusetts. A man by the name of Dave McKenzie won that year with an impressive time of 2 hours and 15 minutes. A lesser known and quieter victory is that of K. V. Switzer, who was the first registered woman to run the Boston Marathon.

            Switzer did not technically break any rules by entering the race. There were not any official regulations against it; however, there were many beliefs that a woman should not participate in long distance runs because it would hurt her reproductive system. There is zero empirical information to support this claim, but it was the belief of the time. Kathrine trained hard, even out running her trainer during her distance trial, 3 weeks before the race, by running an extra 5 miles, 31 miles total. Her trainer, Arnie, a seasoned marathoner, passed out from the massive effort of running the distance with her.

            When race day finally arrived, Kathrine was ready and confident, albeit, humbled by the gifted athletes she was running alongside. She received overwhelming support and encouragement from her male peers, one of who stated, “It is great to have a girl out here. I wish I could convince my wife to run.” A few miles into the race, her group was approached by the flatbed press truck. The reporters soon realized there was a woman in their midst and began rapidly asking her questions and taking her picture. She waved gregariously, happy to be part of such a prestigious race. The Marathon Director, Jock Semple, was aboard this truck. When he realized a female had entered the race, he jumped from the truck and ran after Kathrine. He pawed at her and tried to rip off her numbers, all the while screaming, “Get the hell out of my race and give me those numbers!” Kathrine kept running. Her companions and fellow racers came to her defense. She kept running. The press tuck caught up to her again, but this time the questions asked were far less positive……”So, when are you going to quit?” and “What are you trying to prove?”

            Kathrine had not started the race trying to prove anything. She was simply a runner who wanted the opportunity to run a marathon, which is a big deal among runners. She did finish the race that day. In 1972, women were officially allowed to enter and race the Boston Marathon. Kathrine’s determination that day was instrumental in this rule change. Kathrine Switzer says it best when she describes what she was thinking during the race:

“The distance, as it always does, gave me time to think and dissipated my anger. Jock Semple didn't take me seriously, and that's why he attacked me. I wondered why other women didn't run, thinking that they just didn't get it. Wait a minute, maybe they believed all those old myths like running ruins your reproductive organs, and it scared them away because they didn't know better and nobody gave them opportunities to disprove this nonsense. My folks and Arnie had given me this chance, and it dawned on me that I was not special after all; just lucky. My thinking rolled on: The reason there are no intercollegiate sports for women at big universities, no scholarships, prize money, or any races longer than 800 meters is because women don't have the opportunities to prove they want those things. If they could just take part, they'd feel the power and accomplishment and the situation would change. After what happened today, I felt responsible to create those opportunities. I felt elated, like I'd made a great discovery. In fact, I had.”

Kathrine Switzer is absolutely right. Some women do not know their power. They do not know that they can do it. I hope Kathrine’s story empowers women and men both the way it has empowered me, and I certainly hope to make an impact like she did. I am quite enamored of this woman and her tenacity. Sometimes we don't know the difference we are making until we are right in the middle of the fray. Sometimes we just want to run the race too and end up kicking a hornets' nest.

References:

Switzer, K. “The Girl Who Started It All”. Runner’s World. March 26, 2007.

PBS. “MAKERS: WOMEN WHO MAKE AMERICA”.  Aired on: 2/26/13.