There was a time when being an introvert was considered a negative personality trait. Jobs for introverts weren’t easy to come by. Not just personally, but it used to be a problem when it came to getting jobs as well. Most recruiters explicitly favoured “extroverted” applicants and glossed over the shy and soft spoken ones.
However, things have changed with time and people have become aware of the fact that introverts can possess important people skills, despite being a little socially awkward at first. However, a lot of today’s work world isn’t very welcoming to introverts and trying to land a great and satisfying job seems to be an exercise in futility for the shy ones. Job dissatisfaction isn’t a problem faced by introverts alone though. As a matter of fact, almost half of all employed people in America have expressed dissatisfaction towards their job. It’ll be extremely rich to assume that all of them are introverted. However, the problems faced by introverts are a little different from what extroverts face. Studies have shown that most introverts look for jobs that are more meaningful than ones that just give a fat paycheck. Introverts derive more satisfaction from the work itself and aren’t much interested in the workplace camaraderie. Introverts in the wrong work environment will burn out quickly and fall into a place where they dread going to work. In this post, we’ll take a look at the best jobs and career opportunities for introverts. Let’s get started.
Best Jobs for Introverts
Before we get started with the best jobs for introverts, let’s take a look at some reasons why introverts tend to be unhappy with their career in many cases. Many external factors can cause frustration, energy drain, and burnout on the job. Some of which are:
- The common modern day open office layouts bombard introverts with noise and distractions.
- A lot of managers make the mistake of prioritizing “collaboration and teamwork” over focused work.
- Job interviews often prize social ability over concrete skills and competence, even for positions that don’t require the applicant to interact with people.
- Many managers are unaware of the unique character traits of introverts, nor do they know how to utilize them properly.
Truth is, none of those are the root cause of why introverts are unsatisfied at work. Societal norms have led to introverts being raised without understanding or embracing their introversion.
The result? Many introverts end up in careers that aren’t well-suited to their strengths, abilities, or needs.
Introverts bring powerful strengths to the job, which extroverts often can’t match. For example, introverts tend to be focused, diligent workers, who can be extremely productive with relatively little oversight. Introverts, because of an aversion towards speaking too much in public, tend to be great listeners and they take the time to truly understand an objective (or a client’s need) rather than barging ahead with a head full of steam.
In a team scenario, introverts will spend more time accomplishing the task at hand, rather than talking about it. As leaders, introverts focus on careful, effective planning and taking the time to understand their team. Introverts also tend to be more creative than others. All that introspection and quiet time pays off with a vivid inner world that produces truly creative solutions, artwork, and writing. That line might be a good hint as to where this article might go from here.
Here are the best jobs for introverts:
Information Technology (IT)
Kicking off our list of the best jobs for introverts, is IT. The burgeoning technology field is still a growth industry, especially in roles like systems administrator, software engineer, data analyst, or web developer. This sector is one of the largest employers of the modern day economy. It jobs aren’t just in demand (and generally well-paid); they also involve plenty of focused, individual work — often with an emphasis on creative problem-solving or building something new.
Lawyer/Attorney
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is being a lawyer/attorney. A lawyer’s image is usually a loquacious extrovert. However, a lot of successful lawyers can be introverted. Trial lawyers spend most of their time researching, writing, and preparing for cases — all of which are areas where introverts excel. (Plus, many practice areas don’t involve arguing in front of a judge at all.) Introverts also make great paralegals, a detail-oriented profession that’s big on research and writing, keeping you out of the spotlight.
Business-to-business sales
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is B2B (Business to Business) sales. Most salespeople sell to consumers, forcing them to be “on” to hook people with their charisma. But business-to-business (B2B) sales is a very different profession. While personality still matters, no profitable business is going to spend tens of thousands of dollars (or millions) just because you made them laugh. Instead, it’s all about listening to their needs, customizing what you offer, and working with them to get a solution that fits. This job requires knowledge, listening skills, and meaningful discussion, and it’s often heavy on written communication, which means introverts should be naturally great at it.
Creative professions
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is any creative job. In today’s content driven world, creativity is very important. This has led to a lot of jobs being available for full-time creative professionals, as well as endless freelance opportunities. The innate creativity of introverts can help get them positions of photographers, video editors, and animators with ease. Don’t forget to analyze the company culture when applying, because some agencies focus entirely on collaboration, while others understand the need for focused work time. Stay away from the former.
Researcher
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is the job of a researcher. This is a broad category, because there are researchers in just about any industry. While each field will have its own idiosyncrasies, all researcher positions require two things that are introverted strengths: written communication and extensive solo work. In some fortunate scenarios, introverts can naturally transition into these positions from their existing careers. Just be aware of your preferred work style: some research positions, like marketing research, are likely to involve big-picture thinking and spotting trends, while others (medical researcher) will be much more repetitive, requiring you to follow the same procedures every day.
Self-employment/Freelancing
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is self employment/freelancing. A huge number of introverts have found happiness simply by making the switch from regular employee to self-employed. This can take many forms, whether you’re an entrepreneur striking out to start a new business (which isn’t for everyone), or you’re a freelancer doing work on a project-by-project basis. Introverts can do very well as freelancers since they love working independently and using their own insights. It also means you can set your own schedule, control your environment, and lower your stimulation level (no more introverted hangover, at least from work). If you’re looking to transition into self-employment, it’s often easiest to keep your day job while you build up clients as a side-business, then go full-on freelance once the numbers make sense.
Counselor
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is the job of a counselor. Out of all the caring professions, working as a counselor or therapist might be one of the most perfectly suited to introverts. While it requires people time, much of it is one-on-one or small-group — a situation where introverts are at their best. Likewise, much of the therapist’s role is to listen, listen, listen, then put those deep-thinking introvert skills to work by helping someone come to their own realizations. Almost nothing is more meaningful than helping others and seeing the result.
Working outdoors
Next on our list of the best jobs for introverts, is working in the outdoors.Anytime you see a list of professions for introverts, you’re likely to see at least one or two “nature-y” positions — and for good reason. Whether it’s landscaper, park ranger, forester, or botanist, outdoor work tends to involve a lot of long quiet periods. In many of these jobs, you’ll also be surrounded by natural beauty, which is good for mental health and helps imbue a job with a sense of meaning.
Social media marketing
Rounding off our list of the best jobs for introverts, is social media marketing. Throughout history, it has been almost impossible to command a large audience without putting yourself personally in the spotlight. Social media marketing has changed that, however, and it’s a highly valued skill that creative introverts excel at. Social media marketing is a wonderful combination of business sense, creativity with words and pictures, and the ability to pay attention to an audience and their needs. It also happens to be a career path that doesn’t really require formal training to gain expertise in. It can be mastered through practice on a freelance basis. A bonus of working in this field is that it will allow introverts to apply their social media skills to their pet projects and work on their passion.
So that was our list of the best jobs for introverts. It’ll be helpful to remember that there is no objectively “best” career for anyone. In the end, the happiness and satisfaction you derive from your job will depend on a number of things. Some of those are the culture, your boss, and your coworkers, as well as simply knowing what you want in life. An easy way to figure that out is to find out what energizes you and what drains you, it will be a lot easier to choose the right career path from that point forward.