Introversion, Type A and University

Since I read Quiet (see last post) I've been thinking a lot more about introversion and noticing it more in my life. I moved back into residence at Acadia yesterday. While a lot of my friends were out partying and meeting back up with everyone, all I wanted to do was unpack, make my room look the way I wanted, and start getting prepared for classes and extra-curriculars.  

I think my compulsive need to schedule, organize and have my life under control is a combination of being Type A and an introvert. My introversion means I need to recharge, and I personally cannot recharge unless my to-do list is completed, my room is clean and I have tomorrow planned to the minute: all three of those things are thanks to my Type A personality.  

I've been berating myself for not going out, seeing everyone, and doing typical university things, but I have all year. What I enjoy right now is getting organized, and it will only benefit me academics-wise. I need to remember to tell myself that wanting to sit in my room is normal - I'm not depressed (obviously, my life is great), a loser, or weird. Well, I'm weird but not specifically for that reason. I can go to a party every few weekends, meet different friends for meals, study with different friends, and that's enough. I don't have to be the same as other people to be okay. 

The Best Recruitment Strategy Ever

I’m currently on a plane home from Toronto; I spent the last three days at the Deerhurst Resort for the Deloitte National Leadership Conference (DNLC). Conferences have always been one of my favourite ways to spend my time, and this was absolutely no exception.

I really had no idea what to expect coming into this conference. All I knew was the purpose (to build relationships and connections with Deloitte staff as well as the 80 other students attending (perfect for an accounting student like myself) and that we were told to only bring casual clothes. The dress code went against everything I was expecting: wouldn’t this be like most recruitment events, where business dress is absolutely crucial? We also weren’t given an agenda previously, so the events and activities were a total surprise.

The DNLC provided so many fantastic opportunities that I never imagined would happen, especially so soon in my university career. Talking to partners, senior managers and HR professionals in such a casual and relaxed setting gave us the opportunity to ask absolutely any questions we had (really – nothing was off limits!). There were fascinating speakers on each of Deloitte’s service lines, what the firm is doing in terms of diversity, and multiple very high-up managers spoke on their experiences.

One of the biggest takeaways for me was how much everybody truly loves their job at Deloitte. The ratio of staff members to students was around 1:3, which made it so easy to talk on a personal level. The firm is so open to what its employees want – transfers and job changes are commonplace and encouraged. Travelling is so important to me, and almost every employee with whom I spoke talked about how much they’ve been able to travel with Deloitte.

All in all, I think that from a marketing point of view, the DNLC is a brilliant recruitment strategy. It’s definitely mutually beneficial: I got to learn so much about the company and my potential future with them, while they got to see if I’m the right fit for them.

If you’re reading this and considering applying for the DNLC – do it. I promise it will be amazing!

My thoughts on Introversion

I recently read Quiet by Susan Cain, and it was absolutely fantastic. It's rare that I find a self help book so directly pointed at my personality and how I think.

For anyone who hasn't read it, Cain is writing about the difference between extroverts and introverts. One of her main focuses is the way our society and hierarchy is centred on extroverts, and how we can all work together to account for differences in personality.

For me, it validated the way that I feel in group situations and why I can be so scared to speak up or act.    Sometimes I feel strange, like there's something wrong with me and I don't know why I can't be outgoing like a lot of the people I know. I've trained myself to act like an extrovert in a lot of business situations when it's important, but it still feels wrong and my internal dialogue is full of stress and fear.

I really enjoyed Cain's POV on the different ways that introverts and extroverts recharge. Extroverts get their energy from group situations, and introverts recharge by being alone. Whenever I'm out with a group of friends or doing anything, no matter how much fun I'm having, all I want to do is go back to my house, cuddle up in my bed and read a good book. A few hours at a gala or the mall can be really great, but after a while I just need to get away from all the people.

Expanding on her thoughts a little bit, two days ago I was out at a conference all day and didn't get home until around midnight. I had to get up early the next day, so I went straight to sleep. I was still exhausted and overwhelmed the next day, and I realized that sleep isn't enough to recharge me. I need something solitary before I go to sleep, whether I read, organize my room, or browse the internet. Sleep by itself won't work.

All in all, this book really made me feel better about how I am; it's natural, not strange. There are other people feeling just like me, and I can now plan my days in order to recharge well.

The Impact of Junior Achievement

In high school, I was one of those kids that joined everything. I didn’t really know where my passion or talent lay, so I joined a variety of extra-curriculars – from a trivia team to cheerleading to student council. I also joined something that I heard about in a classroom presentation – the Junior Achievement Company Program. I didn’t really understand what it was, but I thought starting a business and maybe even making money from it sounded like it could be worthwhile. There was no way I could have known that the decision to go to the first meeting would completely shape my future.

I was always very shy. In elementary school, I skipped two grades, meaning that I was younger, and usually smaller, than everyone in all of my classes. I really struggled to fit in; I didn’t feel like I had found my niche. I constantly wanted to blend into the background. I knew I sometimes had good ideas, but letting people talk over me was always easier and putting myself out there was extremely intimidating. 

During my involvement in the Company Program, I slowly began to come out of my shell. I had accepted the stereotype that business was a male-dominated, aggressive industry where I could never make it, and because of this I had never even considered it as a career path. The atmosphere of Junior Achievement completely changed this view. Our advisors from the business community as well as the Junior Achievement of NS staff did everything they could to make us feel comfortable. Learning about business in an inclusive atmosphere leveled out the playing field and gave every participant equal opportunity. Everyone’s opinion was welcomed, and I went home after every meeting bursting with motivation and excited about the future of our company. I met positive female role models who showed me that I could be a CEO just as well as a man could. So many things I had never been exposed to were suddenly wide open for me to learn about: marketing and sales, accounting, IT, networking, and leadership. I went from not even knowing what accounting was to being the Vice President of Finance for a legitimately incorporated company, and I am now an accounting student at Acadia University.  I have gone from being a passive follower to an enthusiastic and dedicated leader in many other organizations and jobs.

Looking back on how I changed and how much I learned during my three years in the Company Program is incredible to me. However, the hard skills that I developed like personal branding, bookkeeping, how to manage conflict, presentations, and problem-solving aren’t even what I am most thankful for. Junior Achievement has given me confidence and instilled in me the belief that I can succeed at whatever career I choose. Through JA, I was given some of the most amazing opportunities that I believe I will ever be given. As an ambassador, I have shared my experiences with hundreds of business professionals to illustrate the true impact of Junior Achievement. As an award-winner, I have spoken to 1300 attendees at the Canadian Business Hall of Fame Gala. As a student, I have built relationships with dozens of employers and continue to foster those connections, as well as made some of my best friends from around the world. I truly believe that with the skills, connections and most importantly, confidence, that I have gained, I can change the world.

If I had not made the decision to attend that first meeting, I have no idea where I would be today. I would still be that timid young girl that never spoke up and didn’t believe in herself. I know how to share my There is no way that I would have the confidence to be up here speaking to you today. I’ve been hearing my generation called Generation Jobless lately: nobody who graduates the Company Program will find themselves fitting under this title.  So many not-for-profit organizations are doing amazing things in our community, but Junior Achievement is giving teenagers like me the tools that they need to become those social entrepreneurs and not just to get a job, but create jobs. Entrepreneurship is the future of our country’s success on the world stage. Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia is supporting our province’s economic and social future as well as supporting the leaders of tomorrow. Thank you for listening to my story. 

Note: This is adapted from a speech that I gave at a 100 Women Who Care Halifax event as a pitch for JA. Here's a video of my speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE0HnlKcTAA

Best Book You've Never Heard of on...Punctuation?!

Yes, you read that right. One of my favourite books is about punctuation. It's called The Book of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks: A Celebration of Creative Punctuation.

Today, Modern Mrs. Darcy is doing a link-up about "the best books you've never heard of". It's a great way for people to share their favorite books that don't necessarily get a lot of exposure, so I thought I'd share one of my favourites!

This isn't by any means a heavy read for which you have to allot an afternoon. It's more of a coffee table book: I pick it up any time I need a laugh. Nobody who doesn't care about grammar or find humour in typos would find this funny, but if you do....I promise you'll find this hysterical.

The book was written by Bethany Keeley (name twins!) based on her blog (www.unnecessaryquotes.com) and it's divided into chapters like At Work, On the Menu and Seasonal. She has collected dozens of entertaining photographs where people have used unnecessary quotation marks. Here's one of my favourite examples:

In my opinion, the best part of the books are the clever captions associated with each picture. Clearly, people don't understand the function of quotation marks, and Keeley's mission is to point out some of the funnier examples. Everyone I've showed this book to has cried from laughter, and it's given me some great amusement since I was given it a few years ago. 

Trying to be a Lark

Last summer, I stayed up until around 4AM every night. I loved it. Every morning I'd roll out of bed around noon or one - I was only working evenings, had no commitments and could therefore do whatever I wanted. Staying up late holds a certain magic for me - whiling away the hours reading, catching up on TV, or reading blogs is really one of my favourite things to do and it's even better at 3AM. However, this summer I'm working fulltime and obviously, 4AM bedtimes just wouldn't cut it.

I naturally started going to bed earlier because working 12 hour days is exhausting. I noticed that on the nights I got any less than 7 hours of sleep, I'd hit snooze, drag myself out of bed only to lie on the sofa downstairs. However, if I got seven hours, I would be awake and alert in the morning: ready to go and feeling motivated. I also realized that on the weekends when I slept in until 11 or 12, I was just as exhausted and got absolutely nothing done in the day.

Then, some blog and book reading inspired me. What the Most Successful People do Before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam talked about people's morning priorities and how easy it is to get things done in the early morning. According to research, self control is easier in the morning because restraint is actually susceptible to overuse. By the end of the day, you've stuck to your diet, worked hard, etc...and you're just ready to give in and eat that entire cake. In the morning, you can wake up and tell yourself to exercise or write a blog post - and it will be easier.

After reading this, I decided to make over my mornings. I never get anything real done; I just go through my routine, get myself ready, and head out the door. I'm going to use my mornings to wake up and work to achieve my goals! I'm still working on what those goals are, but for now I have the following:

• Get really good at crosswords - I'm going to do the newspaper crossword every morning.
• Learn how to cook breakfast - Right now I can do cereal. Lots of room for improvement.
• Read the classics - I've never loved classic books, but I want to. 20 minutes of reading them every morning might help.
• Keep a journal - I had a few consistent months of journal-writing last year but I've fallen out of it. The morning will be a great time!
• Continue to grow this blog - The morning provides a good time to sit down and write a post, as well as do research on how to be successful.

I'd love to hear about your mornings and how they help you reach for your dreams. 

I'm Addicted to Self Improvement Books

I don't know when this happened. I read a frighteningly wide variety of books; my current favourites are historical fiction, dystopian literature, memoirs, and self-improvement books. Every time I go to the library I laugh at myself for the books I come away with - it's like I'm getting books for five different people.

During this past school year was when I really fell in love with self-help books. My mother recommended The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin to me, and I gave it a shot. It's now one of my favourite books of all time. My favourite self-help books are the personal ones: people sharing their own stories inspires me so much more than generalized advice from someone who doesn't talk about their own life.

Since then I've read dozens of self-improvement books. Here are some of my favourites:

• Obviously, The Happiness Project and Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin.
• 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam: All about time management and how we can make the most of the 168 hours we are given weekly.
• Live It, Love It, Earn It by Marianna Olszewsk: Money management for women. It was on the perfect level for me - not a simple intro, but not too advanced
• Life is What You Make it by Peter Buffett (Warren Buffet's son). I was expecting that I would find the author entitled and snobby, but I was completely wrong. Buffett talks about how his father raised him to work for what he wants, and how everyone can/should do the same.

Basically, what I want to get across is how valuable "self-help" books can really be. I'm absolutely not unhappy with my life - quite the opposite - and I think the impression of these books can sometimes be that they're only for people that need to turn their wreck of a life around. There is always room for improvement.

Sometimes I only really retain one piece of information from a self-help book. But if that one piece helps me change something in my life for the better, it was worth it to me.