Personality and Success in the Workplace

Many Liberal Arts students may, or have, described a successful Purdue graduate as outgoing, a social butterfly, and undoubtedly successful. Consequently, a follow-up thought may be, or has been, “really? Are all graduates?”  or, “is that what it takes?” So, what happens to the students who are not social butterflies by nature? Do introverted, career-driven individuals succeed post graduation?  A path to success that includes constant small talk and back-to-back meetings can be intimidating to those who are passionate about developing their career, but prefer to work alone.

Misconceptions about the personality required for a successful individual exist in our college culture. Not all outgoing students will thrive in public relations, for example, so who is to say self-identified introverted students will fail studying public relations, for example. Our personalities and learning styles offer employers variety and our passions make us unique. Working hard to develop skills, network, and consider professions for learning value can lead to unexpected opportunities for all. Those ideas balanced with managing the way that works for an individual personality and expectations in the workplace can help anyone succeed, extroverted or introverted.

I’m a senior at Purdue, so while I do not have a long list of work places I have stepped foot in regularly Monday through Friday, I can encourage students younger than me to consider their personalities as assets, rather than limitations in the classroom and on campus. I have learned that students who step out of their comfort zones and work hard are almost always successful in that they develop new skills, learn more about the world around them, and gain broader perspectives as a result. With that growth, it’s hard to deny the success that accompanies it.