Can a shy person become a consultant? (2023)

Can a shy person be a consultant?

Can introverts be successful management consultants? The answer, surprisingly, is yes. Strongly introvertive personalities may struggle, at least at first, with presentations, long hours with clients, and with the ever-present imperative of bringing in new business. That's true.

And while some introverts are reserved and quiet, that doesn't hold them back. Introverted consultants exist, and they can be just as successful as their gregarious counterparts.

A good answer to the “why consulting” interview question

I've thought about it a lot and there are three main reasons. First, the opportunity to work on really challenging business problems. Second, the opportunity to work closely with talented colleagues. And third, the variety of work you experience as a consultant.

Con: Hard Work

First, it's a lot of hard work. Professionals that lack strong work ethics or can't sustain long hours, don't typically succeed in consulting. If you value the 40 hour-work weeks, and 8:00 to 5:00 work-life balance, and weekends off, and holidays off all the time, consulting may not be the best.

“Many highly successful and accomplished people are shy," she says. "The thing is not to 'overcome' shyness, but to accept it and develop the skills to manage it.” Being your authentic self, Friedman says, is always your best bet—even if you're shy or reserved.

Introverts thrive in professions that offer them plenty of space and independence. Most introverts perform better in workplaces with fewer external distractions. Good jobs for introverts include accounting, engineering, and technical writing.

Some of the best careers for introverts include editor, social media manager, accounting manager, librarian, and technical writer. Some job options for introverts without a degree or experience are pet-sitting, data entry, landscaping, and package delivery.

Due to a presumed calm and quieter nature, introverts are often overlooked in the hiring process and the workplace. However, introverts and their unique contributions can be essential for a well-rounded, successful business.

What qualities do consultants have?

However, no matter what type of consulting area a person would like to enter or what firm they would want to work for, there are several key characteristics that every successful consultant should possess: Having self-confidence, be a good listener, be a team player, easily cultivate and gain client trust, exhibit ...

You do not need to be a genius or even that smart to be a consultant. The truth is most tasks just require you to have a basic level of intelligence and ability to think in a structured way, coupled with hard work. In fact, being extremely intelligent does not necessarily mean you'd make a good consultant.

Consulting often has high turnover rates, meaning that you may experience more coworker changes when working in consulting than you would expect when working as an employee at a company.

Your workload may stretch you

This means the workload can be challenging because there's always a lot to do in order to solve the problem and make a recommendation to the client. Unsurprisingly, this results in consultants working much longer hours and at a much higher intensity than any other typical entry-level job.

Shy people are always observing others in addition to themselves. They'll be cognizant of the mistakes made by others and try to avoid making the same ones. As for their own mistakes, shy people will be level-headed about their slip ups and observe ways to avoid repeating the same mistake down the road.

Shy people can thrive in certain occupations and work environments. Business Insider scoured Occupational Information Network (O*NET to find out what jobs are a great fit for shy people. Many of the jobs we found are in the field of science.

People who are shy might also become sensitive to other people's feelings and emotions. Because of their sensitivity and listening skills, many people with a shy personality are especially caring toward others, and interested in how others feel. People often consider them the finest friends.

While many people, including socially anxious and shy people themselves, consider shyness to be in general a weakness, there are in fact several strengths this condition brings about. The strengths themselves go against what is considered to be the standard convention, which is why they do not appear to be strengths.

An introvert is a person with qualities of a personality type known as introversion, which means that they feel more comfortable focusing on their inner thoughts and ideas, rather than what's happening externally. They enjoy spending time with just one or two people, rather than large groups or crowds.

How do I fix being shy?