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Social skills and first office job

Just need a little advice as I am feeling quite overwhelmed.

If I am honest my personality type is quiet, reserved and I was always the kid in class that was told "speak louder, don't be shy". My nature has allowed to me to be successful in my academics and have achieved really well. I had to force myself to put myself in a workplace and hence why chose to quite remote working and start my career with the traditional office job with no hybrid mode.
I have also struggled with making new connections and friends as I always wonder why do they not approach me and ask questions, why always me I have to go out of the way to communicate.

Luckily, I have no issue speaking and getting the conversation running for the first time, I am also loaded with confidence the first time as time goes by and I see them everyday it dies down.


I also remain reserved to keep out of un-necessary drama and just more peaceful, I guess. But now I have started work and I am questioning my personality and think I need to break out of the reserved/introverted me. I have always had a small circle of friends and felt comfortable with that.
FAST FORWARD: Recently, its been a month, I started my new job. The new job is 100% office based. The new colleagues are cool, I just speak to them about work, say morning, and goodbye. (5 people in the office in my team)

They all talk but they speak about the things I don't know how to add my input in and I sit in quite and awkward position where my computer covers the opposite person so when X spoke to me today, I didn't realise X was talking to me and X and the other person laughed.

Sometimes they speak so much about random topics non stop.. I am really feeling left out and struggling with socialising in a corporate way and speaking about food/holidays/their family life's when they speak about it , since I am so introverted and in my own zone..

They all talk about topics I never imagined of.. maybe because this is my first office job? I am just so new to this...

Ultimately, I think its just **** social skills I have
(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

Original post
by MissCarter786
Just need a little advice as I am feeling quite overwhelmed.
If I am honest my personality type is quiet, reserved and I was always the kid in class that was told "speak louder, don't be shy". My nature has allowed to me to be successful in my academics and have achieved really well. I had to force myself to put myself in a workplace and hence why chose to quite remote working and start my career with the traditional office job with no hybrid mode.
I have also struggled with making new connections and friends as I always wonder why do they not approach me and ask questions, why always me I have to go out of the way to communicate.
Luckily, I have no issue speaking and getting the conversation running for the first time, I am also loaded with confidence the first time as time goes by and I see them everyday it dies down.
I also remain reserved to keep out of un-necessary drama and just more peaceful, I guess. But now I have started work and I am questioning my personality and think I need to break out of the reserved/introverted me. I have always had a small circle of friends and felt comfortable with that.
FAST FORWARD: Recently, its been a month, I started my new job. The new job is 100% office based. The new colleagues are cool, I just speak to them about work, say morning, and goodbye. (5 people in the office in my team)
They all talk but they speak about the things I don't know how to add my input in and I sit in quite and awkward position where my computer covers the opposite person so when X spoke to me today, I didn't realise X was talking to me and X and the other person laughed.
Sometimes they speak so much about random topics non stop.. I am really feeling left out and struggling with socialising in a corporate way and speaking about food/holidays/their family life's when they speak about it , since I am so introverted and in my own zone..
They all talk about topics I never imagined of.. maybe because this is my first office job? I am just so new to this...
Ultimately, I think its just **** social skills I have

hello 👋 i fully understand where you come from especially when in all of your entire lifetime you've just been confined in your personal space....

Reply 2

Original post
by Prof.Jastin
hello 👋 i fully understand where you come from especially when in all of your entire lifetime you've just been confined in your personal space....

Any advice ☹️ How is it going for you?

Reply 3

Original post
by MissCarter786
Any advice ☹️ How is it going for you?

rn I really can't complain since I was able to identify sections on where I needed to rectify and work on in order to improve my state....I can't complain but still working towards improving the state

Reply 4

Original post
by Prof.Jastin
rn I really can't complain since I was able to identify sections on where I needed to rectify and work on in order to improve my state....I can't complain but still working towards improving the state

I want to socialise and want to speak, but as soon as I hear their conversations about food/pets/travel and I just sit there like wtf do I say and its so embarrassing just looking at their faces whilst they all talk amongst between each other. Then I just get so awakward with my body and shift towards my computer again.

Reply 5

Original post
by MissCarter786
Any advice ☹️ How is it going for you?

About advice..ook you have to start focusing on activities that would necessitate you to interact with people. This will help you have an understanding on different types of people character wise and also identify various approaches on how to handle them when trying to connect with them

Reply 6

Original post
by MissCarter786
I want to socialise and want to speak, but as soon as I hear their conversations about food/pets/travel and I just sit there like wtf do I say and its so embarrassing just looking at their faces whilst they all talk amongst between each other. Then I just get so awakward with my body and shift towards my computer again.
If you want to improve your socialising skills you have to force but not by pressurising yourself. Mmh from the topics you've mentioned I bet you can't lack something to tell people that would help you to connect with them. All that is required from you is trust on yourself and just say something relevant that would link with the topic of discussion.

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