Is there room for introverts?

Without a doubt, I am one of the most introverted introverts there is. I have taken many personality tests, and the consensus is that I am one hundred percent pure introvert. I fit all of the conventional descriptors. I am reserved, shy, self-reflective and a nervous wreck when it comes to public speaking.
And yet, I find myself on the career path of advertising.
This may seem like an oxymoron. Introverted communicators are a myth, or at the very least, they aren’t expected to be very effective. So how do the quiet ones find their place in the advertising world? Is it possible to find success in a career championed by “people persons”?
In advertising and public relations, we learn to tell stories. We communicate, connect and convince in all forms of expression, from copywriting to meeting clients. More often than not, we face the unexpected. As all professionals have learned, there is no picking and choosing what kind of client and audience you speak to. We end up communicating with all different age groups, races, genders and careers, on a variety of platforms. Every member of the team has to be ready to adapt how they speak. It is no surprise that to advertise to varied audiences, the creators of the message must have diverse abilities and personalities.
Even with this idea in mind, coming into advertising and public relations was intimidating. I could run down a list of my introverted strengths, but it was still difficult to speak over others. In group settings, I felt pushed to the background. I began forcing myself to be loud, when it clearly wasn’t in my nature.
So, over time I learned how to use my introvert strengths, rather than to mold myself into an extrovert. I became a patient listener, I questioned rather than argued and always prepared beforehand. I found out how introverts can communicate among the people persons, and I loved doing it.
With all of this being said, there is no one right answer. Both extroverts and introverts bring skills to the table. While introverts champion listening and research capabilities, extroverts excel in their outgoing, bubbly nature. We all have as many weaknesses as strengths, but by encouraging each other to embrace talents from those opposite on the introvert-extrovert spectrum, a team grows for the better. Strong communicators manifest in many forms, and introverts can be some of the best.
So, is there room for introverts? The answer is a resounding yes. There is room for the shiest introvert, the chattiest extrovert and everyone in between. This industry is based on flexibility. The most powerful tool in our belt is to take all of these abilities in, even those that are based in listening rather than talking.
I love communicating. This is counterintuitive to what we expect from an introvert. We are seen as quiet listeners (which may be true), but that is a strength, not an insult. I said it once, but I’ll say it again: strong communicators come in all forms. Some are aggressive and brash, others are gentle and shy, but there is room for all of them.