Work Place Personality

I’ve been working on getting some steady footing at work, as explained in Gaining my career confidence, or at least faking it

But now as I’m getting more and more settled in, it’s not my confidence I’m desperately seeking, but instead my personality. Is there such a thing of being too much of yourself at work? I definitely think so.

Sure, you get hired based partially off your personality and your interactions with interviewers, but, you are not hired to be someone’s best friend. We know there are some taboo topics at work (see: The Top 5 Things You Should Never Discuss at Work by Kristina Summers), but is there a line to draw concerning how much of your personality you let loose at work?

I can try to remain an impartial party, coming in, doing my job (and doing it well) and then heading home to my completely separated work life. Easier said than done right? OR I can throw myself in headfirst and become another player in the world of office politics.

There’s also the option of latching on to a gimmick or a stereotype. i.e. I can be the girl who always has gum at her desk, or the girl who does a quote of the day on a dry erase board, or the girl who always has a cup of coffee, so on and so on.

So, how much of your true self shines through at work? Are you the same at your 9-5 as you are after work?

-Rachel