I wanted to let you know that I’ll be starting another 4-week Land Your Dream Job Accelerator in January, starting the week of January 4th. If you’re interested in knowing more about LYDJA, email me at lesa@exclusivecareercoaching.com. As a master practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), I know well the difference between introverts and extraverts. In MBTI language, introversion vs. extraversion has to do with where you get your energy. Here’s what extraversion and introversion AREN’T: Ability to navigate social situations, friendliness, or whether you like people. When it comes to networking, it’s not about introverts being socially awkward. It’s about the drain on their energy. It’s about having to initiate a conversation (they generally DON’T want to do this). It’s about small talk, which seems pointless to them. I’d like to offer the flip side of networking for introverts: The strengths you bring to networking. You tend to be much better listeners than extraverts, you prefer meaningful conversations with one person or a small group of people over chit chat with a large group, and you tend to be thoughtful before you speak. Here, then, are 13 tips for you introverts to…if not love networking, at least not hate it so much. Maybe even enjoy it a little. 1.    Work on your mindset first – and throughout. Start by filling up a piece of paper with all your thoughts about networking – I’m confident the majority of those thoughts will be negative. Next, identify one of the thoughts you wrote down that you think takes up the most space in your brain – the one you think most often. Find a better-feeling thought you could begin practicing. For example:If you have been thinking “I hate networking,” you might replace it with “Networking is hard for me…and I can do hard things.” You’ve created a neural pathway in your brain around “I hate networking” such that it is in your subconscious, playing on repeat without your awareness. It’s time to create a new neural pathway with a thought that serves you better. Maybe your next thought will be “Networking used to be hard for me…but now it isn’t.” 2.    Start with low-hanging fruit.If you’re starting to network from ground zero, it’s important to begin by reaching out to people you already know fairly well. You want to work out the kinks in your networking skills (there WILL be some) and build your confidence up before you reach for bigger networking targets. 3.    Set realistic networking goals.If you’ve never really networked before, your goal may be one, 30-minute networking coffee. If you’ve networked periodically before, you may set a goal of meeting with three people you used to work with. When attending a networking event, set a goal for how many people you want to meet – or a specific type of person, such as at least one person who works in HR. Then allow yourself permission to leave after you’ve accomplished your goal —this makes the event feel more doable. 4.    Focus on quality over quantity. Don’t compare yourself to your extraverted colleague who tells you she met 13 amazing people at the networking event she attended last night – she probably couldn’t tell you one meaningful fact about any of them. Focus on forming a deep connection with a few people – play to your strengths. 5.    Join groups of shared interests.One of the biggest mistakes I see people making with networking is too narrowly defining what networking actually is…and where it can happen. As I like to say to my clients, you can network anywhere the music isn’t too loud and the people aren’t too drunk. What do you enjoy doing? Find a group of people who also enjoy doing that thing. The people in the group have jobs…their significant others have jobs…they have friends and family members with jobs…you get the idea. 6.    Prepare in advance. Plan your talking points and questions ahead of time. 7.    Leverage online networking. By initiating and maintaining conversations online via LinkedIn and other onl