A new job comes with a whole new bunch of opportunities. It is exciting as you will enter a new world of people. While you are looking forward to it, it can be intimidating as you don’t know what kind of people you will meet. What will be the work culture? Will they accept you or test you first? How long will it take for you to become one among them?
All these questions can be more stressful if you are an introvert. As it is, you have difficulty in talking to people. And it may cause more anxiety as you are under stress to create the best first impression.
Here’s how you can make new friends at work.
Understand The Work Culture
In a hurry to catch up, you don’t want to be making a fool of yourself. So, take a few days to observe the work culture. Is it an open office where the culture is casual, or is it a more conventional culture where friendly conversations are limited to the coffee machine? You have to understand the culture before you start making friends.
Zainab Jariwala, a PR officer at Hats Off Digital, says, “You have to be a good observer. Learning about the work culture can be a big help in making new friends.”
Taking Initiative
Start with small talk. You don’t have begin by making long lasting friendships. You can just start by having casual conversations. You can just be a part of a group talking about their weekend plans. Even if you are not talkative, you can still be social by being participative. Being a listener is also a great way to make friends.
Image Credit: worthlearning
Zainab feels that introverts have the advantage of being good listeners. She says, “When people feel that you are genuinely listening, it automatically assures them, and you will become their go to person when they want to speak to someone the next time.”
Be Your Own Self
This is great advice for anyone in a new job, but especially for introverts who struggle to come up with ways to fit a square peg in a round hole. You have to learn to be yourself, and remain positive. Eventually, you will be able to find your own clique at work.
These work approaches will help introverts to make friends in a new job.
