The woes of the working introvert

Fahad, 24 is a marketing executive for a local advertisement firm and his job includes interacting with and talking to people almost around the clock. He admits that he is not thrilled about his career choice because he considers himself an introvert. Please note, introvert does not mean he is shy. In fact, being an introvert or being shy are not necessarily related. An introvert may be a good conversationalist and a shy person may open up to people around them in due time. An introvert enjoys time alone and gets emotionally drained after spending time with others. A shy person might not even want to be alone, but is anxious about interaction with others.

Our example, Fahad is not very fond of constantly having to socialize with his co-workers and his bosses to maintain his position in their good books and having to frequently delve in small talk with people around him to maintain good informal relations which being a marketing executive requires him to.
Susan Cain, an American author best known for her book 'Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking' claims that their value system hinges on “the Extrovert Ideal — the omnipresent belief that the ideal self is gregarious, alpha, and comfortable in the spotlight.” Introversion is now seen as “a second-class personality trait, somewhere between a disappointment and a pathology,” she writes. And while extroversion is “an enormously appealing personality style,” it's become something everyone is pressured to be regardless of how they are.
So does being an introvert put one at a disadvantage in our local business scene as well? Khan Saqiful Alam, a lecturer at North South University unfortunately thinks so. He says “A CV or a certificate will claim a lot of things about a person, but in our current and rather saturated business market, just that does not suffice anymore.” A Bachelor in Business is among the most sought out degrees in universities across the city and every year, and several thousands of graduating business students are added to the market making it ever more competitive.
“This trend in the job market makes it crucial for one to be a good communicator and a good networker. Being an introvert makes these a lot less savory and a lot more painstaking, but no less important. The true skill of a business grad is not reflected by their CGPA but by how well they interact, negotiate and convince,” adds Saqiful. Extraversion, energy, keenness are highly encouraged at the workplace almost globally. To various degrees, businesses in Bangladesh encourage 'groupthink' in the name of unity, even as some aspects of the workplace climate have changed, i.e.,  they've become more flexible, less formal, and cater to the expressive introvert.
The disadvantage of being an introvert is not necessarily restricted to the job market. It stretches to the society itself. Bangladesh is a land where one's social calendar is littered with numerous religious and cultural festivals, weddings and family occasions, all of which reflect a society that thrives on camaraderie. Truth be told all of it can be rather cumbersome for the introvert. Because there is a whole lot of work for him or her outside the workplace.
Shyness can be helped and overcome, but introversion is a much deeper trait and the undue pressure for an introvert to be a relative extrovert can create stressful situations, which hinder the introvert's productivity. So what must an introvert do in this climate?
Now if you refer back to rest of the article above you'll find that the key problems an introvert faces in the workplace are lack of space, lack of time for themselves, and being under pressure to constantly communicate and attempt to outshine their outspoken co-workers. Ghazi, 22, a student of IBA, University of Dhaka, claims that the introvert should play to his or her strengths. Introverts can make fantastic listeners and that can help a lot.
“I work around this problem, being a moderately private person myself,” says Ghazi, “by developing a niche that makes others come to me, instead of you having to venture out of my comfort zone and go to other people. It could be that you are good at giving advice, you are the go-to guy on movies, sports, fantasy football, science, or maybe even something remotely insignificant. And you're bound to have a crowd in your corner regardless of how extroverted others are.”
 “The core conflicts the introvert faces,” adds Ghazi “is indecisiveness, and hesitation. Neither of which are really considered a leader's traits. The introvert needs to be aware of this and work on it accordingly.”
Mustafizur Khan, the founder of Startup Dhaka urges introverts to treat sticking out in the workplace as a second job. “One should be comfortable with communicating his strengths around others, and he should also cultivate qualities that help him stand out.” Hence, skills like listening, and being adept at one-to-one interaction are the keys for an introvert to build rapport with the right people, and establish his own comfort zone in the workplace and beyond.