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Discussion on: How to grow in a developer career despite being introvert?

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dmfay profile image
Dian Fay

Ignore "soft"; the only reason for that qualifier is an historic reluctance on the part of people who should really know better to admit that socialization and communication are as important as anything else. They're skills. You can learn how to use them effectively the same way you can learn anything else. Few people are naturally gifted orators or convincing disputants; it's mostly practice and a willingness to stick your neck out occasionally. The classic advice is to start going to meetups and work your way up to presenting in front of a small audience; if your employer does lunch&learn sessions that's another possibility, or you could do what I did and jump in the deep end speaking at a conference.

Introversion doesn't mean you can't do this stuff or even that you're naturally bad at it, it means it takes more effort and you need time to yourself to recharge. The only way it's impossible is if you convince yourself that you can't do it.

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leoat12 profile image
Leonardo Teteo

Today I'm better than I once was, I was really proud about my graduation project presentation. I'm progressing, I know I can do it, I just don't know if it is going to be faster enough to follow my career. You have to be ready for the opportunities, right?

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amigeekrumi profile image
Ruth • Edited

I agree. Communication is like any other skill, so it requires practice to get the hang of it. As an awkward high schooler, I used to spend more time reading than socializing until I found the self help section of my library. Books that helped include "how to make friends and influence people" and "the idiot's guide to body language".

Something I'm currently getting over is maintaining network relations. My introvert brain has the habit of not wanting to bug people. I end up waiting until I need something to reach out for help, so I never ask for it because I don't want to be the person who only shows up for help! To fix this, I've set out to send friendly correspondence randomly. Doesn't need to be anything big, a simple "long time no chat, how are you?"

I do end up tiring myself pretty quick, but I've noticed a higher tolerance over the years! 😆

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leoat12 profile image
Leonardo Teteo

I will look for the books. Thanks!
The people from my current company are very approachable so I don't have much reluctance in asking for help there when I need, but in my last job it was really a problem. It is a bad habit indeed. Not want to interrupt people also lead to not saying anything when you should.