You wrote: [QUOTE=the walls;6698374]So they all say that people want to promote employees they’d want to share a meal with and have a good conversation with. Sadly I am really not that person. I say hi in the hallways and attempt small talk which ends up awkward. I am not a friendly person because I am so shy and fearful.

Now I’d like to let my employers know about the extra efforts I’m putting in to get promoted (school, side work). ...

Am I just all wrong/broken and will never be promoted?"

You are not the least bit wrong nor broken. You are exactly the kind of employee many employers want.

Where I work we have formal reviews that are done yearly and we have short check-in meetings halfway through the year. Do you have a formal review process where you work? If you do not, you can ask for a brief meeting with your immediate supervisor and say that you wanted to update her/him with what you have been doing lately to bring even more to your performance. You can say you'd like the supervisor's guidance on doing more/less of what you are doing because you are looking to grow with the organization.

I love employees who bring something extra to their work and I go the extra distance to try to steer them towards opportunities. If your supervisor is not warm to the idea of meeting with you--and you think your culture/where you live and work normally is--then you should start thinking about where you will work next after the end of a year's time at this place(or no more than 2-3, depending on what your industry is.) Not all supervisors are good at promoting their employees--and I don't necessarily mean to a different position, so much as exposing their employees to opportunities within--and without the organization.

Take a hard (but private, don't let people know you are doing this) look at whether your supervisor is going to help your overall career or not, and whether there are other supervisors elsewhere in your organization that do. You want to work for someone who not only appreciates your enthusiasm and extra efforts--but who rewards those efforts with good opportunities.

You don't need to be loud and showy; you don't need to be a sparkling conversationalist; the very best employees I ever had all had a quiet confidence in their ability to do a good job, and the drive to learn what they needed to learn to do just that. You have those qualities. Continue to develop them!