# [INFP] Job motivation rut & unconventional careers



## funkybassist (Oct 19, 2011)

I've had a friend tell me he doesn't see me in any conventional job. Which is so true. I need originality, authenticity, innovation, and at least some amount of freedom and appreciation.

And it's starting to show in my current position. I do webdesign at a media agency but my colleagues are tiring me out with their emotional numbness, details (boooooring and frustrating) and narcissism (suspected NPD manager ruining the whole team). My job motivation is at an all time low. I just can't bring it up anymore. I hate society for this kind of jobs, honestly. Even though my colleagues are sorta friendly and understanding most of the time.

I'm also a musician with a limited amount of collaboration projects going on as a hobby. Love writing songs and capturing global and personal moods and thoughts.

So I'm curious, are there any INFPs with unconventional jobs? Maybe anyone who didn't expect satisfaction from a certain job but did find that?or maybe you stumbled upon something that made you change your career?

I fear that I will have to move to a deserted field somewhere to live in a hut the rest of my life with just my guitar. So depressing compared to what it could be with a normal paycheck and 'socially acceptable' standards.


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## 28649 (Oct 26, 2011)

You say you love writing songs and capturing global and personal moods and thoughts? Have you ever thought about social work, being a music teacher, or perhaps a musical therapist?

I'm only 19 myself, but for the longest time I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I've recently discovered I want to become a social worker and I couldn't be more stoked. I'd also really love to travel and help out in foreign countries. Hopefully I can make that happen within the next year but I'm broke right meow. Honestly though, who cares about "socially acceptable" standards. I'd much rather live in a hut with a guitar and be happy then spend my entire being doing something that didn't make me happy. You may not know what you want right now, but you WILL find something. Don't give up, and don't settle for a job that doesn't make you happy. It sounds like you want to work with people and make others happy?


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## OrangeAppled (Jun 26, 2009)

I have no ideas for you...but I hear you. I've felt the same way, heard the same things from people, and found myself wondering the same things.


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## 7rr7s (Jun 6, 2011)

Fortunantley my Dad owns a bookstore, so I allways have that to fall back on, and I can get a lot of reading done there. What I would like to do is create a sphere of money coming from creative endeavors like music, writing, painting, and stocks.


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## uniqueh (Dec 18, 2010)

INFP should get some stress-free job like working in library etc... and focus on freetime. A job isnt most important thing in the world, just get easy job and get enough money needed to buy bills and then have focus on friends and hobbies.


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## funkybassist (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry for replying so late. Just a couple of months lol... 

Currently I am in a transition phase after getting overstressed at my job. Still running low on energy... 

Stress free would be nice but my opinion is that it's also important to keep developing yourself, otherwise I get bored or just stuck in my ideas generally because I would miss the outside stimulation of coworkers and stuff  Today I came across this post on the forum about Instructional Design and that seems to be quite fitting for me.. Not like perfect but it could work, because I like these things:
- intellectual challenge
- story telling
- idea based
- it's about helping people to learn
- part of the job is writing (yay)
- requires some out of the box thinking

The only downside is that it seems to be methodical. Not my favorite approach lol.

I thought about doing more with music but I keep getting stuck on wanting it as a hobby? I do like to teach people how to handle their instrument  Which I also do as a hobby since recently. I guess it would feel like a burden to do this professionally. Not sure why though. Maybe I need to let go of certain unrealistic expectations that are in my head... Argh.. lol.


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## qwertyuiop (Dec 27, 2012)

A bit at the end of the INFP description really hit home for me: "The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living. Without resolving this conflict, they will never be happy with themselves, and they may become confused and paralyzed about what to do with their lives."

Like you, I'm still struggling to figure this one out. I'm currently trying to decide on a career path and suffering from exactly this problem. It seems that most people I've come into contact with are forced onto a career path chosen out of practicality, and end up working a job they don't like purely to (a) pay the bills and (b) construct a socially acceptable narrative for their professional life. They do not enjoy what they do and literally dread going to work, but consider themselves lucky (perhaps rightly so) because it allows them to preserve a certain standard of living for themselves and their families. Every time I've taken on a new profession its because it seemed to be something new, something exciting, something I will get up in the morning and actually want to go and do. But at a certain point they all come down to office work.

It may be that this is simply the way things work, and that, like the quote, I'll have to come to accept the way things are, but to me the idea of committing myself to something I will not enjoy makes no sense. Our profession, or job, or whatever you want to call it, is what each of us will inevitably commit over half of our daily lives to. Am I supposed to simply sacrifice this time and energy, the product of my entire existence, for the sake of simply "getting by" and satisfying society's expectations?

Taking a low-stress, part-time job and focusing on free time seems a crude compromise. This seems like a way of accepting that my job will never live up to to the "high ideals" of personal and societal value that I've always pictured for it. So we're presented with two options:

1) We can accept that our jobs will never live up to our expectations. This would mean we stop trying to find a career that does, and rely on the other areas of life for validation. 

or

2) Take this up as a personal crusade and refuse to accept that our careers will not be as valuable or as interesting as our standards hold they should be. This means working harder than everyone else to carve out our own personal niche. It means that accepting employment that you don't enjoy is unacceptable unless its going to lead you to a place where you _are_ meant to be.

I'd advocate for the latter, but maybe I'm living in my own world. Insights from any who've struggled with the same contradictions would be much appreciated.

Anyways, I hope you've all enjoyed my ramblings. Best of Luck!


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## Azn Hippie (Dec 31, 2012)

funkybassist said:


> I've had a friend tell me he doesn't see me in any conventional job. Which is so true. I need originality, authenticity, innovation, and at least some amount of freedom and appreciation.
> 
> And it's starting to show in my current position. I do webdesign at a media agency but my colleagues are tiring me out with their emotional numbness, details (boooooring and frustrating) and narcissism (suspected NPD manager ruining the whole team). My job motivation is at an all time low. I just can't bring it up anymore. I hate society for this kind of jobs, honestly. Even though my colleagues are sorta friendly and understanding most of the time.
> 
> ...


Im in the middle of transitioning from a mind numbing sales position job. I too feel like the conventional 9-5 boring ass job is not for me.

Just remember there are *many *options out there in terms of courses and careers. I too used to think Vertically and just search the 
Job-Search websites for something meaningful sounding career. Sometimes you gotta think outside the box and let your feelings guide you. I've done many 'job- search' quizzes including one based on MBTI. These things will give you direction but usually just lead you to 'conventional' limiting job categories like teacher, social worker, counsellor etc..

For example- I feel the need to help people. So I used to just think along the lines of school teacher, youth worker, counsellor. But looking into these fields I feel that they'll either be too restrictive or no the kind of work I'll enjoy. So I met an Intuitive Naturopath who is helping me think outside the box- So I'm looking into Alternative/Holistic Health Modalities atm. Stuff like Life Coaching, NLP, Reiki, Fitness training, Breath-work etc


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## funkybassist (Oct 19, 2011)

Yeah conventional society is just really a bummer for us!

At the moment I'm having fun with freelance webdesign projects, which feature wireframing, design, wireframing, programming and testing, and it's awesome to do all of these things and juggle so many different concepts into a working result that people actually appreciate :-D For now, it's a good job with the freedom. Ha, it's been so good saying goodbye to corporate slavery 

The coming month I will travel around Peru to try and discover what my 'assignment' for life is. It dawns to me recently that as INFPs we've got such antenna for suffering and searching for the real people, and bringing that out, that's what we're supposed to be doing for as far as I'm concerned. And I know I cannot do that on my own. At least, I know I need the 'hand from above' to be brought into the right (out-of-the-regular-box) place for this, letting my own desires behind and following the principles of reaching out for suffering / stumbling people. I must often think of that ending scene of Motorcycle Diaries with the many Peruvian lepers and their totally worn faces and eyes that tell a lifetime story. 

And ugh, I hate mainstream.


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## xulaton (Feb 21, 2013)

Before the market tanked in '09, I had a job in management consulting. The BEST job ever. You have an instant assumption of competence when you walk in the door, reserved silence is taken as you must be unbelievably brilliant, and projects are usually over before they get boring. Then you're off to the next city and company. If you've got a marketable skill/talent, see if you can get a gig consulting it. Web design, maybe? Also, if you bust out on your own, you've got the flexibility to weave in healthy amounts of hut & guitar time.


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## mirrorghost (Sep 18, 2012)

no advice, but wanted to chime in that i am in the same boat, in a way. i work at a law firm-the antithesis of my personality, heh. even though they are generally on the good side of things, the environment i work in is full of self-important, arrogant lawyer types and efficient conventional SJ types. i stick out like a sore thumb here. i've been here way too long too, but i live in an expensive city and it's hard to make ends meet here without an office type job. i have a BA, but i have been thinking that maybe i should go back to school to get a higher degree, but like many NFs, i'm sure, my interests are so abstract. i majored in art and besides that my favorite classes were philosophy, sociology, etc. part of me wants to move away and start my own business. i really dislike having to answer to a boss.


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## Dangerous Meredith (Mar 11, 2013)

Can an INFJ join in this discussion, because I can relate to what many people are saying. I have a disastrous history when it comes to conventional jobs and traditional work cultures. I work my ass off and do good work but the managers I worked for always ended up hating me (peers either love or hate me). I just don't fit and seem to be a prime target for bullying (my last manager was a seriously dysfunctional narcissist who used to turn white with some sort of extreme emotion whenever he saw me coming). I have decided to turn the negatives into positives and start working for myself. I am taking the things I know and I do well and offering them to others on a freelance basis and with my own particular 'spin' (I offer business development services but, as a former dancer and choreographer, I can offer an alternative and creative viewpoint).

By the way, I have a beautiful INFP friend who has just completed her PhD in sociology. It was a gruelling thing to do and we are hugely proud of her. Even at this early stage it looks as if it's opening doors for her. It's so great to know that she's going to get the chance to share her amazing insights with others professionally, and that all of her sacrifices will pay off.

Very best of luck getting out of your career rut. It sounds as if you have some great skills and qualities. I reckon life is too short to spend in a job you hate.


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## dreamerrambling (Nov 13, 2014)

qwertyuiop said:


> A bit at the end of the INFP description really hit home for me: "The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living. Without resolving this conflict, they will never be happy with themselves, and they may become confused and paralyzed about what to do with their lives."
> 
> Like you, I'm still struggling to figure this one out. I'm currently trying to decide on a career path and suffering from exactly this problem. It seems that most people I've come into contact with are forced onto a career path chosen out of practicality, and end up working a job they don't like purely to (a) pay the bills and (b) construct a socially acceptable narrative for their professional life. They do not enjoy what they do and literally dread going to work, but consider themselves lucky (perhaps rightly so) because it allows them to preserve a certain standard of living for themselves and their families. Every time I've taken on a new profession its because it seemed to be something new, something exciting, something I will get up in the morning and actually want to go and do. But at a certain point they all come down to office work.
> 
> ...


This is the best I could come up with:http://infpdreamer.wordpress.com/2014/11/17/career-advice-not-for-wimps/


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