4 Social Skills that Help an Introvert Like Me to Get Along With Just About Anyone

Shafizan Johari -


"I'm not good at small talk."

"I can't go to a networking event without feeling awkward."

"How do I make friends?"

IT'S easy to feel like you're the only person who isn't good at social skills, but the truth is, it's something anyone can learn. The key? Learning what works for you and how best to use tSem in different social settings.

In my industry (and perhaps in most business settings) people skills are essential to success. I’m not very good with new people and sometimes get awkward when meeting them for the first time. This can be a disadvantage to my career, but it doesn't have to hinder me from reaching my goals if I focus on improving myself every day.

When I was doing my fellowship and was undergoing a research project at Cambridge University, there was a lot of events that fellows need to attend because these weren’t just social gatherings, but rather important networking events, which were valuable for my research. I needed to get to know other researchers and exchange ideas, albeit in a non-formal setting. As usual, these settings made me nervous and I still remember wanting to just return to my room and watch YouTube or read books or academic journals (if I ever care about my research). I felt so out of place. In events like this (1) my trick is to stick to an extrovert. Extrovert helps you to be more outgoing and social. S/he can do most of the talking for you, so it'll be easy to start a conversation with someone new!

However, relying on someone to do the talking or networking for you may not work sometimes. You might also feel that the extrovert friend of yours can steal your limelight. We’ll this is why points number 2 and 3 are so important and should not be left out.  

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