Part Time Jobs For The Antisocial?

grammargirl94
Tue, 19 Jul 2011 10:41:53 +0000

The same thing happened to me as jspeed12. I also had a really nice manager who helped me through my shyness. I didn’t know how shy I was until my manager told me during employee evaluations. I have always been a very hard worker and have always exceeded every expectation, but my shyness kind of hurt me a bit. My manager gave me scenarios to do where she would basically give me a script to follow, almost like a speaking exam in a Spanish class. It seemed silly at first, but it really helped me initiate conversations. A lot of times, it was really easy after that. Try initiating a pretend conversation with a supportive person you trust.

Even if you start off with complimenting someone’s shirt or noticing a child is wearing a cartoon character on his shirt, it’s a start.

I remember one time a child was wearing wearing a Phineas and Ferb shirt, so we started talking about Candace from the show and SIMP (squirrels in my pants; an accidental dance from the show).

Another time I noticed a couple wearing Fourth of July clothing, so we starting talking about our plans for the holiday.

There was one lady who bought carts full of shoes from the clearance section, so we started talking about bargain shopping, then flea markets, then how she shipped shoes to her family from her homeland.

It can be difficult to initiate a conversation with a complete stranger, especially if you’re painfully shy. I suggest just keeping both eyes open for a potential conversation starter and mastering the art of small talk. It will make things less awkward for you and your customers or clients, and it will help you in future social situations.

Good luck!!