| I was at my local Wal-Mart the other day while it | | | | around. The general consensus becomes that the shy |
| was in the process of being remodeled. I watched | | | | person is a loner or outcast. The workers may even |
| some of the store employees (mostly males) | | | | start expressing the opinion that they don't like him |
| standing around discussing how to best move parts | | | | very much. This starts a vicious cycle that makes it |
| of a shelving unit. | | | | even harder for the shy employee to get on well |
| Did I say discussing? Maybe I should have said | | | | with his or her coworkers. Eventually the supervisor |
| shucking and jiving! There was a lot of joking, | | | | could hear that the shy person is unpopular, which |
| laughing, back and forth, give-and-take, chewing the | | | | could result in a negative evaluation. And so on. |
| fat, whatever you want to call it. Perhaps you could | | | | You can see how the vicious cycle of severe |
| even say there was more talking than working. | | | | shyness can seriously impact your chances of job |
| Nevertheless, all the workers seemed to have what | | | | success. |
| you might call a "rapport" with each other. | | | | I gave the example of an entry-level job at |
| Anyway, while observing all of this out of the corner | | | | Wal-Mart, but shyness can just as easily affect one's |
| of my eye, it occurred to me: how well would a shy | | | | chances of success at the professional level. |
| person fit in with this kind of situation? | | | | In any job, getting on well with one's fellow |
| Shy people are often asked "why are you so quiet?" | | | | employees is extremely important. It marks you as a |
| as if it were some sort of mortal sin. What if one of | | | | "team player." Look at the job listings and see how |
| those Wal-Mart employees who was working on | | | | many of them require people who work well with |
| helping with the remodeling was shy and had trouble | | | | others. |
| participating in the discussion? How well would he or | | | | In addition, networking is generally cited as the |
| she fit in? Would a shy person be joining in with the | | | | number one way of getting a job and advancing up |
| discussion, or would he be standing off to the side, | | | | the career ladder. Unfortunately, shyness affects one |
| pretending to be trying to figure out some problem | | | | success in this arena as well. Networking involves |
| of remodeling logistics on his own? | | | | meeting people, socializing, making good conversation, |
| Shy people are often thought to be "unfriendly," | | | | making friends, and impressing others both with one's |
| "standoffish," "snobbish," and other uncomplimentary | | | | confidence and competence - all the things that shy |
| things. If a shy person was part of the workgroup, | | | | people often have trouble with. |
| would he or she have as easy a time fitting in as the | | | | Some people minimize the seriousness of shyness. |
| others? I doubt it. | | | | Wrote the late author Isaac Bashevis Singer: |
| The simple fact is, all jobs require you to fit in to | | | | "I don't think that people should get over being shy. |
| some degree with your coworkers. If one or more | | | | It is a blessing in disguise. The shy person is the |
| of your coworkers labels you with one of the | | | | opposite of the aggressive person. Shy people are |
| uncomplimentary adjectives listed above, it can make | | | | rarely the great sinners. They allow society to remain |
| it even harder for you to fit in. | | | | in peace." |
| Let's say a shy person was labelled as "snobbish" and | | | | Shy people may allow society to remain at peace, |
| unfriendly" at such a job. Let's say that workers | | | | but they will earn less while doing it. |
| started discussing the shy person when he was not | | | | |