Is Marketing A Good Career For Introverts

Marketing can be a high-energy and social career. A career involving large amounts of networking, relationship building, and group meetings; ones where you shout out your latest ideas and pitch campaign plans. While this can be true, it’s thankfully not always the case.

Marketing is an incredibly diverse field, offering a wide range of opportunities for all personality types. Indeed, the idea that introverts cannot work in marketing is due to a misunderstanding of both what introversion is and how diverse marketing is. It turns out, marketing is a great career for introverts!

Introverts can not only survive in the marketing world, but they can flourish – bringing to the table strengths and abilities that drive content and campaigns. Many introverts have found success in marketing because of their personalities and not in spite of them.

Let’s explore this further…

(But first…) What is an introvert?

There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the term ‘introvert’. There’s an assumption that it means a person is shy, unsociable, unemotional, and even a poor communicator – this is not the case.

Simply put, an introvert is someone who gets their energy from spending time alone, in quiet and peaceful environments, or out in nature. They prefer calm, minimally stimulating surroundings and tend toward their inner self, thoughts, and feelings. 

Within the umbrella term, introverts are further defined by 4 sub-categories. These are:

• Social Introverts – those who value solitude but are not opposed to social situations. They avoid crowds because it’s their preference – not because they are anxious or avoidant.
• Thinking Introverts – those who find peace through studying, reading, and researching. They are introspective and often pause to cognate before responding to questions.
• Anxious Introverts – those who are quieter and avoidant. They may appear nervous in social situations and often seek out solitude. They have a high tendency to ruminate and over-analyse situations.
• Restrained Introverts – those who are more reserved and protective of their energy. They can appear grounded, sometimes unemotional, and often take time to open up to others.

For more information on the above, read my article: The 4 Types of Introverts – Which One Are You?

These are surface-level definitions. There are a vast number of books, articles, and talks that explore introversion in greater detail. However, these definitions do provide a good overview of the term – what it means and what it does not mean.

Why is Marketing a good career for introverts:

Good marketing is about understanding your customers. A lot of time is spent researching their needs, wants, and habits in order to cater to them. This involves studying, researching, analysing, contemplating, creating, and then promoting. These are areas where introverts can thrive – working independently and often behind the comfort of a computer screen.

Great marketers listen. Introverts tend to have strong listening and observational skills. They consider facts and feedback carefully and analyse them before acting. As customer data becomes more integral to marketing, these skills become more important and often the foundation of successful strategies.

Organisation is vital. Introverts excel in detail-oriented tasks that involve planning and problem-solving. Staying calm and having the ability to think things through go a long way to creating successful marketing plans.

As with any role, marketing does involve communication, socialising and some… dare I say… small talk. This is not the end of the world. Marketing is a great mix of team and solo work, and you are more than often able to dictate this ratio – perhaps opting for 121 discussions over team meetings or email over phone calls.

From company to company, industry to industry, and person to person, marketing can differ dramatically. Where one job may revolve around event management or networking, another may primarily involve content creation or copywriting. Understanding which area of marketing you wish to focus on is a great step to starting a promising career.

Advice for introverts in marketing:

1. Choose the right role – marketing is a diverse field. There are roles better suited to energetic, extroverted characters and roles better suited to analytical, introverted characters. You can apply for and succeed in either. But it is worth considering which jobs best suit your abilities, skills, and plans.
2. Embrace your personality – introverts have many strengths. List them, accept them and prosper them. This will help you navigate your role and highlight your skills to others.
3. Don’t compare yourself: there are a lot of success stories out there. Never compare your accomplishments to others, and definitely not to those on social media. You are on your own unique path.
4. Create boundaries: You don’t always have to be on call. Set clear boundaries to protect your energy and set specific times where you can distance yourself and recharge.
5. Develop and improve: we all have areas that need improvement. You can’t always turn your weaknesses into strengths, but you can develop them and learn to work through them.
6. Don’t put on a show: you don’t need to ‘fake it till you make it’. You should definitely step out of your comfort zone but never put on a façade to do so. Authenticity is key – in marketing and in life.

Final Thoughts:

Over the last few years, I have learned to accept my introverted nature and no longer see it as a hindrance. I have found a career in marketing that I enjoy and that I am good at – because of and not in spite of my personality. But there’s more to learn…

Do you think marketing is a good career for introverts?

Let me know in the comments below.