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INFJS! What's Your Career?!

[INFJ] 
14K views 39 replies 24 participants last post by  bender477 
#1 ·
Hi everyone!

I'd like to know what kind of work you guys do and what made you go into it? I'm currently a senior in high school and am conflicted in what career I want to take. I also thought that it would be interesting to see what actual jobs people with our personality type hold. Therefore if you guys don't mind, I'd like to know what your experiences were that made you go into the line of work you are in today.
 
#2 ·
I keep stables clean of horsepoop u.u because I always wanted to (all girls wanted to ride but me? no little me wanted to clean)
I am a very practical oriented person. I need to create someting or work physically hard to feel 'fullfilled'.
It was not easy to get this job, since I am not a dumb person and people told me non-stop 'do something better with your life'. This job is poorly paid and goes hard on your body. I tried 'better' jobs but they just wouldn't fit me. So if you ever had 'this one job' in your mind but others told you not to do it... I would be someone to advice you to do it >.<
My future plans are: traveling around the world. Afterwards I don't know. This world is so messed up, I will be probably dead by then so I will worry about this after travelling and being still alive :)
 
#3 ·
I'll go first

I'm a UX(User Experience) Designer:

My job is to make using technology not suck.Storytelling, people, experiences, research, and problem solving. It's great for a 4w5 imo.

Here's how I did it:

• When in HS, I was just above average. Doing great only in the classes I valued most. The truth is all of us have diverse backgrounds from Architecture to Journalism. All that matters is that you have empathy(that's like the seed)
• Studied Industrial Design then I switched to HCI (Human-Computer Interaction)
• Worked my first job as a research assistant in college doing interaction design with grad students and a professor who knew way more than me about everything, it was hell, but also great. Absorbed everything I had to learn from them.
• Somewhere between the school and the jobs I would attend weekend hackathons with friends I made along the way.
• Went to join multiple startups as an in-house worker, then a consultancy.

One thing that might stand out to you is doing user interviews. A way to learn more about random people you'd have never met or known wtf they do or what makes them tick.

So empathy is probably the most valuable skill to have here. Ni will help you piece together all the technical things along the way and let you relate those things back to the big idea, which of course is making people's lives easier.

Hope that helps! Who's next?
 
#4 ·
I qualified as a lawyer; I now work in a charity legal advice centre specialising in employment law for employees and social security benefits. I got into law because it seemed like a good way of being able to help people out, insofar as my myopic Ni vision saw the avenue law of I work in as being the only part of it I was focussing on.

To get the job I'm in I volunteered at the Centre for a couple of years first, which was a helpful foot in the door. However, I appreciate that doesn't always work for everyone.

It's a good job in terms of satisfaction from problem-solving and making other people's lives better in quite a concrete way. On the other hand, the rules/detail is a bit tedious to be stuck with, and it's also not very nice in terms of the periodic conflict situations (especially being in court usually). Although I'm glad with where I am with it, to be honest I wouldn't necessarily recommend it unless you'd be happy with all the conflict and red tape.

If it helps, I'm in the early stages of "dual classing" as a counsellor now. That seems like a more 'natural' INFJ fit, but I'm fairly sure people can turn their mind to whatever they want with the right confidence and support. My advice would be to focus on something which isn't going to grate too deeply on a values-level where you get to interact one-on-one with people, but let's be honest any job has its ups and downs so be prepared to deal with the downs as they come and it won't matter so much where you end up.

Hope this was of any use.
 
#5 ·
I went to college, and got my undergrad degree in social sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.) - currently looking into grad school. I originally thought I wanted to do counseling, but after some research, there isn't much of a demand for school counselors, and I would've had to take an unpaid 600 hour internship - and while I realize it would be preparing me for my future, I'm not in a position to afford an unpaid internship.

So with the grim outlook for counseling jobs (also, I have no desire to go into business for myself - I'd rather work with/for an organization) and the internship thing, I'm looking into something with criminal justice. Federal, state, and government jobs in general are readily available with proper education and training.

Basically, I just want stability and decent pay, and enjoy what I do at the same time. That's probably a lot to ask for today, lol.

For what it's worth, I currently work as a payroll processor.
 
#6 ·
I'm a writer and editor.

Forgive me if this response is short and vague. I just finished writing a 41k-word book about water and I am, well, tired of writing. :laughing:

How I got into this field...well, let's see...writing was always my "thing". While the other kids were getting dirty outside, I was inside, writing, drawing, reading...

I placed in a state-wide write-a-book contest when I was in third grade, and said, yep, this is my destiny...

I started college as a Journalism major in what seems like eons ago. My parents didn't approve of this major and told me I'd be penniless, homeless, and would probably starve to death. But, the internet didn't exist back then.

So...I changed my major to marketing. Didn't do much with that.

Years later, I went back to school and got a BS in Health Sciences.

In nearly every job I have had since I started working, I've found a way to do some kind of writing or otherwise inject creativity into my role.

My two passions in life are health and writing, and I just wanted to find a way to combine the two and, you know, actually make a LIVING somehow.

Then...about two years ago, one of my friends from a fitness forum (whoa, alliteration!) mentioned that she started working with a company that ran a few websites and that she was going to start writing alternative news. It just so happens that I had started my own blog around then, and she asked to see my writing.

I'm rambling. Sorry. I do this when I'm exhausted.

Anyway - she told her employer about me, they looked at my writing samples, and hired me to run their upcoming network of health sites.

I've been writing alternative news and health news for them since June 2013. And, any day now, the company will launch three new health sites, and I'll be the main writer, editor, and administrator for those.

So, yeah. I love what I do. I work from home and couldn't imagine doing anything else. My co-workers and employers are kind, generous, fun, and brilliant. :happy:

(Er...so much for "short and vague," huh? :shocked: )
 
#10 ·
I just finished writing a 41k-word book about water and I am, well, tired of writing. :laughing:

So, yeah. I love what I do. I work from home and couldn't imagine doing anything else. My co-workers and employers are kind, generous, fun, and brilliant. :happy:
This makes me think you're some sort of super Ironman INFJ. Also congrats on the book about water! Are you sharing it with the community?(understood if you don't, but you had to guess someone would ask)
 
#7 ·
I hear you. This is absolutely worth thinking about.

Although it's nice to hear others' path, you have to figure out your own gift to chart your own path.

I got a college degree but I didn't go the path using my major. I had been going from job to job in my 20's to early 30's, mostly dead end and not to my liking. I was searching for something I didn't know. I just knew that it had to fulfill something, not my whole life, and must be stable (I hate not being stable). Very tall order, right? Somehow I found it. It's not a perfect job but it is basically what I had asked for (prayed for).

Since you are young, you will most likely go thru changes and must redefine what you want out of your job at times. Best of luck to you and your future.
 
#8 ·
I've been unemployed for near 2 years, which I think qualifies me as 'chronically unemployed'. Chronic is quite apt; I wouldn't smoke so much of it if I had anything at all to look forward to.

Officially youth unemployment and underemployment rates stand at about 27% of all 15-24 year olds in Australia but these stats have been cooked - the reality is that youth unemployment stands at 50, 60%. Such are the marvels of Conservative government.

It's gotten so bad that over the past couple of months I have given serious consideration to turn to dealing weed for a living. Of course when the police break down my door I can't win my case with "it's your fucking incompetence that makes people like me turn to crime to make ends meet". It's a cruel world we live in. You just can't win if you're poor and have no connections.
 
#13 ·
Thank you for your input. I can totally empathize with what you have been going through as I come from a country that is rife with poverty and an infamously huge gap in socioeconomic status amongst the people with the government being total shit. I understand that its extremely tempting to deal weed in order to make a living but honestly you will be digging a hole for yourself. The longer you're in that business the more your credentials will be questioned. I highly suggest you continue to strive to find a legit job even though it may be at a McDonalds, it's way better than illegal work.
The world we live in is quite fucked, and don't get to pick the hand that we're dealt with, so we have to play the cards in the best way possible and continue to work hard, strive, and make our own connections to survive.
Best of luck.
 
#19 ·
I’ve done a ton of different jobs: filing in an office when I was a teen, babysitting/nanny, worked in a kennel with cats and dogs, worked as a technician with a Veterinarian, worked in a lab testing dairy products before they got sold, worked as a waitress and food prep person, bartended, I taught dance and gymnastics to little kids; I got my degree in Biology with the intent (in high school) to hope to go to vet school, but college courses were a wakeup call for that. You have to get A’s and B’s in college chemistry to go on to grad school and I was not getting that. So now, after I worked in a lab for 7 years, I’m working in Quality Assurance, checking the work that the people in the lab do for written errors and stuff. One thing’s for sure, my other jobs (nanny, working with animals, waitress in a pizza place) were way more fun and satisfying, but one thing I’ve noticed through the years is a lot of my stress is greatly reduced when I have plenty of money, so ya pick and choose what’s important I guess. Personally, I can cope doing whatever, and the harder more boring career jobs that pay more are just stressful in different ways. Less glamorous to tell people what I do, but I really love the paychecks and feeling of security!

 
#20 ·
I used to work as a retail manager. I've had to start with something. To all retail workers - I'm in solidarity with you. Sometimes I think that some jerks that we can find in every store could try it out for a while, instead of making my co-workers cry at the cash register. It could be a really enriching experience.

But I am a scientist. I decided to become one because it seemed like the best way to make an actual change for people. See, I wanted to discover a potential treatment for diseases, to develop new drugs, then to get into the thing of growing real organs, skin etc. Many, many things... There were so much possibilities of doing something that improves a quality of life, or saves it. That was the plan.

I finally work in my branch. At least I test the food that ends up on your table, so you would not get sick.

For now.
 
#21 ·
I've had a bunch. Right now I'm doing social work, with a focus on mental health, and I love it. INFJs can really use their strengths in this field. It's stimulating, challenging, and satisfying. I love using my intuition to figure out the root of social problems or an individual's problems, and a combo of intuition and feeling to help people find ways to address their problems, or work with other organizations to strategically address large-scale issues. I like learning about new people and their situations, and thinking about how to creatively address problems on both micro and macro scales. It really taxes your resourcefulness, ingenuity and empathy. It can be exhausting, stressful, and overwhelming, though, so self-care is important to remain a healthy INFJ!
 
#22 ·
This is really an interesting thread. I am surprised that not many more INFJs would share their career paths. I always want to know about career satisfaction because it's a big one for me. I can't stay at a job if I didn't like what I was doing (independent of the management and coworkers).

INFJs have so many interesting careers and also a lot of frustration finding something that fulfill the meaningful part and money aspect. What's your story in finding the balance between the two?

I didn't specify what I do in my previous post. I work for a local level public sector. Government job was not in my sight when I was in my 20's. However, after bouncing around in various admin/real estate related jobs and being laid off twice, I wised up.

Luckily I got into my department in my early 30's. Money isn't the greatest but the benefit and work load make up for it. Another thing is that I use my judgment and instinct a lot to determine a value for a piece of real estate (this is what I do). It really fits my Ni dominant nature.

Not all public sector jobs are equal. Some offer less job security (they do lay off ppl when budget is tight) and terrible pension plan (depending on the plan administration and investment strategy).

INFJs are long range thinkers and security conscious. Therefore I'd recommend public sector jobs (federal government if you can get in). There are so many different types of career paths and job natures that you will surely find something that suits your training and career objectives.
 
#24 ·
I'm a teacher. During the first 2 years as a teacher, I struggled to find my very own style in teaching. I couldn't apply the styles of the majority of my seniors. Then I found my mentor, an ENFJ teacher ( I didn't know she was an ENFJ no more than I knew my personality type) Then I began to find my own style.

I love teenagers. It's funny because the majority of teachers find them to be headache-inducing. I like teens because of their honesty and straightforwardness. They are fun and they still have a chance to grow and become better people and I always try to bring out the best in all. I understand and pay attention to why children misbehave, can understand how to motivate and improve their self-esteem. I believe all the children are good but sometimes some of their behaviour is bad. I always get to the root cause of the behaviour issues. I never give up on a student.

INFJs who are interesting in teaching should start as a part time teacher. It will give you enough time to deal with the stress level of the workplace. Plus, forget the whole perfectionism otherwise you'll end up being ill all the time.
 
#25 ·
I'm a chef.

Ever since I can first remember I wanted to help people. Then what happened on one fateful day is I started making breakfast for my grandparents. Apparently the addition of salt and pepper to some eggs made all the difference to them and I added just the right amount so I decided to start a culinary career.

Ever since then I did culinary courses in High School and am going into my senior year of College for a bachelor's while also working at a hotel away from home and a corporate place near where I live. I don't talk much, I'm hard on myself, and I don't seem the most confidant, but I'm also a thick-skulled bastard who doesn't like the words "no," "You can't do it," and "You're a fool" so I stuck with it and it's working out well.

At some point in life I hope to be able to use what I know to help people, because while food can be made to be poison it can also be used as the best medicine. My life experience with heart and adrenal issues taught me that.
 
#26 ·
40% of my own job is cooking (and I love it), but there are two aspects of it that I wish I could change to make it even happier :

The palette to create the food is in a hospital, so dietary restrictions keep from seasoning and garnishing the meals like I want to.

Sometimes, we have eight orders of food coming in at once, and it is difficult to dress each plate and work on presentation (as you would in your own home) and get them back out in under 15 minutes.

I've come up with helpful shortcuts, but I still wish I had the extra three minutes for quality.
 
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#27 ·
Still waiting to be defined (well have time to actually plot it while studying), some days thinking that I might become an autism friendly counsellor, work in a mental health hospital unit, do a qualitative research Phd, try to find a job in disability policy and strategy in the third sector, other days I wonder what it may be like making a difference as an author collecting lived experiences of high functioning autism.
For now at least my life is more of a window box of possibilities steeped in research needs just to complete my Masters done at all costs.
 
#29 ·
I'm a teacher. I always felt drawn to teaching since, probably when I was in primary school, felt a real sense of pride in helping the younger kids, and that feeling never left me. My brother required a lot of extra support, and he's my best friend and I enjoyed helping him, and I guess it meant I always wanted to help others with their learning. I struggled with confidence though, I was painfully shy, almost mute, for most of secondary school and never thought I would have the courage to be able to be a teacher. I worked at getting out of my shell and my confidence improved, and I managed to get into teaching and have absolutely loved it. Been teaching for 6-7 years. It's a very demanding job, very stressful and INFJs do need to be careful to manage their stress and ensure they give themselves opportunities to relax and reflect. But every day is different and I love finding ways to inspire students to engage with learning. Seeing students engage with learning, improving skills or abilities or having more confidence, and then going forward with it after they leave your class is an incredibly rewarding experience and more than makes up for the tough days or weeks that you have.
 
#33 ·
Looking back at it, I was the same as a teenager, quiet, shy but was an inspiring speaker. I always got singled out among my peers. I was like 'a teacher', sometimes it made me uncomfortable.

As a teacher, I still struggle with underachievers. I always want to give them individual attention but it isn't practical and create a lot of stress when I try to but when I don't do it, I feel guilty. Do you find yourself in similar circumstances?

Oh, and I hate PTA meetings.
 
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#32 ·
surly manchild

I'm working towards a bachelors in psychology right now, because why not. I used to (and still somewhat want to) become a Buddhist monk. I'm kind of obsessed with internal cultivation methods (meditation and stuff), and philosophies or living that range from the practical to the profound, which personally lead me to religion over the academic study of philosophy, as in my experience I find that 'philosophy' is often only somewhere in between those two. Buddhism, Taoism, and Hermeticism are all really interesting to me, but I can't utter that and 'career' in the same sentence.
 
#35 ·
I am a cartoonist. I studied graphic design at college, then took a job for a year at a graphic design agency. I had been selling cartoons to newspapers since the age of 11. (beats a paper round). Then I took the plunge and became a freelance cartoonist at age 19. I work from home and rarely meet clients, which is great. I daydream while I work, listen to music, audio books, Youtube vids etc. I manage to put my artsy brain on autopilot while I absorb stuff. I find it really easy to write scripts and storylines, but if you get me in a conversation and ask me to explain something that I'm not interested in, then my brain goes into slug mode. It's bizarre.
I kinda fell into art and cartoons just because I was good at it and found it easy. Not really a vocation or a calling.... kinda like a teenager who's 7ft tall falls into playing basketball.
I've always wanted to change careers and do something that matters, or feeds my soul. I am fascinated by psychology and could really go for a job in therapy, or medicine. At 46 I suppose I am too old.
 
#40 ·
I'm a yoga teacher, I think, but I'm keeping it pretty low key so far as I finish my training. before this I taught pre-schoolers to swim. there's quite a 'gap' in my personality between my alone and not-alone self: for example I'm quite comfortable in leadership roles and am probably pretty charismatic but it fucking wears me out. I thought about being a teacher for a while but couldn't deal with the bullshit. imo being compassionate and taking on others' needs as your is a lot of work and I'm not always feeling up for it, although it comes naturally.

I didn't get to do real school, but I imagine that if I did I would be a medical scientist. I have a strong aptitude for math and read the journals for fun. it's weird tho part of me is convinced that the usual pharmaceutical paradigms are all wrong: I've spent a while reading up on alternative stuff and while I don't think it has any better answers, it could be another piece to the puzzle. I find the scientific esp medical community to be quite closeminded sometimes.
 
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