# What do you do for work? And does it make you happy?



## jedi650 (Oct 5, 2014)

Just curious, as I've read so many posts from different INFPs about careers. 

I'm a 30 y/o INFP that recently had my first child and is going through a bit of a quarter life crisis with my career. I've burnt most bridges with previous managers, jumped jobs every year or so, and have no clear direction. Can't keep this up for the sake of my marriage and being able to support a child. I've seen career counselors but have a hard time narrowing anything down, mostly my career frustrations tend to stem from a lack of respect for authority and being managed. Curious to what other INFPs do and think.


----------



## AriesLilith (Jan 6, 2013)

Not everyone has that one true passion and many people actually don't have a clear career direction. But then career is not necessarily a fixed path, people can end up changing fields in their lives too.

There are lots of things to consider when picking a career path and job type. It's nice if we can all do what we love or even know what we really love, but we need to consider things like employment availability, job conditions and so on. Not everyone's happiness revolves only on doing what they love, many would feel miserable too if they have a life full of stress and worries about the bills and not able to do the hobbies they love too. And then jobs are not just all roses too just coz we love doing it. It can come with hardships to overcome, we might work with people we come to hate, and so on.

And then passion sometimes can happen when we start working on something we didn't know well before. For example, I kind of ended up in the IT without being passionate about it or even had a clue about what programming and all that meant. I just picked the college course Computer Science as I could get in and seemed interesting (yay I like computers!) and I didn't have any specific passion. But somehow my interest grew and I came to love doing what I do.
There are times my motivation can be low due to not enjoying my current project and management, but in the overall I love building applications and writing code.
Thought IT jobs gives me good work conditions and remuneration, and that is part of my happiness as my life don't only revolve around programming interest and I also want a stable life free from financial worries and able to do things like traveling once in a while. For example, I feel that I might also do well in design as I've always had interest in arts and design, but the not so ideal job conditions would probably give me less happiness.

If you haven't found any particular interest, it's better to find what you can be good at and can enjoy overall. Finding a job means using our skills to serve and contribute, and not being able to be at least good and efficient on it can be horrible.


Lastly, being able to build a career or doing what we love is a priviledge, and many forgets about that when they talk about doing what we love. We don't see that person over there scrubbing the toilet seat passionate about it. We don't see supermarket cashiers exactly passionate about that boring task they do over and over again. Yet they still need a job and they are still needed so that things would keep going.


----------



## TheVerb (Mar 4, 2015)

I'm a student from Canada. I'm a Business Major, specializing in Insurance. Right now while I'm working through college I stock shelves at a grocery store. It's absolutely enthralling.. Not actually. I tolerate it mostly because the hours fit well around my school schedule and I don't have to deal with customers all day. Used to work at a coffee shop and I almost got fired plenty of times for nearly ripping the customers face off for giving me attitude. Oh, and I'm 19 if it matters.


----------



## Fleetfoot (May 9, 2011)

I am not an INFP, but I can relate a little. I'm in the same boat, sort of jumping from job to job (minus the kid). I was actually fired Saturday morning, so now I'm happily unemployed, but only for a few more days will that happiness be around until I'm too broke to function. I couldn't stand my manager at that job, and was happy she was on the other side of the country for 90% of the time that I worked there. 

Anywho, I find it best to instead of focusing on where you're...not focused, string together the skill sets you were able to learn at your previous jobs, and which of those did you enjoy and/or excel at?


----------



## Razare (Apr 21, 2009)

INFP's and life crisis 


I'm an accountant and it makes me happy but it wont make an INFP happy. But I do want to find a different employer. I want to become an accountant for my church back home after it expands.

Basically move into non-profit for-profit business accounting maybe.

I like profit and stuff but the point of making money is to give it away.

I also enjoy it more when I have input into how the business operates. Where I'm at now I kind of do, but it's meh. Most of it seems like penny-pinching compared to how we make our money.

See, I like driving profitability with my accounting decisions and system-management planning and that makes me happy... but it's not really about the money but rather driving success if possible, or contributing to it at least.

Like when I managed liquor at a large convenience store, I managed to increase gross margin by 2% without reducing sales. I just figured out the bottles you could jack up margins on.

One liquor type actually sold better after you raised the price $3 a bottle. It was a new brand trying to be a cheap version of Smirnoff... but since it was a cheap price the customers thought something was wrong with it. So I jacked up the bottle price from $11 to $14 and they started buying it.

I tried telling the liquor rep about it, but it just flew over her head. In their world, the cheaper price meant it should sell better but they got it backward. They'd sell more bottles matching price with Smirnoff and just being the 2nd alternative for the "cool" factor of not being the plain jane choice.


----------



## allanzo (Feb 6, 2014)

I'm currently a student in HS, but I'm looking forward to getting a Chemistry or Chemical Engineering degree and going to graduate school. I absolutely love chemistry. So yes, I do enjoy it.


----------



## jedi650 (Oct 5, 2014)

Thank you for the replies thus far, some interesting and valuable insights. There are definitely some common threads of enjoyment I see in my own experiences... I like building products that offer true value to people on a personal level (e.g., not generic business tools), I like designing them and driving revenue growth. In many ways I think I would be happy as an entrepreneur or working in product/marketing/design in a small company. But my imagination goes wild with other possibilities (non desk job) that keep me up at night... going back to school for architecture, design, real estate, etc. Or even trying to become an animation director or story writer for a comedy series.

I guess I'm wondering, is there an INFP out there that has had a similar struggle with focus, and/or narrowing down where their passion truly resides? And how have you effectively muted all the other interests that appear to find happiness or success? I have a long list of things I think I would truly enjoy doing, and almost consider it a bucket list of things I feel I'll regret not doing in my lifetime. Is it about finding a common string that ties all of these things together and acting on it? (maybe in this case business, writing and design acumen, which seem to be a common theme throughout my list)

Thanks again!


----------



## .17485 (Jan 12, 2011)

I currently work as a video games tester. 

It's a pretty cool job. You get to work on games before the public get to play on them. 

It's my aim to work in the video games industry. I hear the work / life balance can be bad when it comes to crunch time, but I haven't experienced it yep.


----------



## bigstupidgrin (Sep 26, 2014)

31 year old INFP. I "retired" from my first career in accounting three years ago. I took one quarter's worth of post-Bacc classes to explore a history career, didn't go for it (didn't feel secure enough in the career). Worked for 3 years as a TA in school, got my masters degree (well, technically I'm finishing it up now, but they let me walk for my graduation) and am student-teaching currently. No matter what stress come my way, I love my job teaching elementary students. I always thought about the career, but my mild social anxiety convinced me otherwise. I was lucky enough to only work as a TA for a few years, and I got the experience I needed and a tryout for the career. 

At least for me, my previous career didn't work for me because it was a terrible career to be a Ne-Aux (creativity was not encouraged), I had no autonomy, and was always the bottom of the corporate food chain. And even if I could survive, for a while, I never got any satisfaction from it.

The problem with your situation is that it's going to difficult to career search. I would say to go job shadow or volunteer at potential places in order to preview career options. I have no idea how to go about starting a business, but you'd have to find some kind of market that's under-filled and go with that.


----------



## 66393 (Oct 17, 2013)

I'm a computer science student, and I just recently started working as a software engineer alongside my studies. I love coding, it's extremely challenging and mind-bending at times, but there is a feeling of dissatisfaction constantly nagging at me. I cannot picture doing it for the rest of my life. But my dad is a computer scientist, his dad is a mechanical engineer, and most of my uncles/aunts jobs are or were involved, in one way or another, with technology.

Right now I currently enjoy my field, but I foresee the flame burning out. My dad was pressured into the major, and now it is my turn to fulfill the family prophesy. My parents always say, "you can choose whatever field of study you want," but their seemingly encouraging words are laced with coercion... Don't really feel like going into it. My dream majors are English and mathematics. I dunno. I'm just rollin' with it for now. 

In terms of happiness... Well, I don't ever really feel happy for more than a few fleeting moments. I find most of life to be pretty boring, but my major has nothing to do with that.

Edit: I skimmed over the OP and didn't notice this was directed toward INFP's. Whoops. I guess I'm kind of sounding like one in this post anyway. Lmao.


----------



## Metalize (Dec 18, 2014)

imaPanda said:


> I'm a computer science student, and I just recently started working as a software engineer alongside my studies. I love coding, it's extremely challenging and mind-bending at times, but there is a feeling of dissatisfaction constantly nagging at me. I cannot picture doing it for the rest of my life. But my dad is a computer scientist, his dad is a mechanical engineer, and most of my uncles/aunts jobs are or were involved, in one way or another, with technology.
> 
> Right now I currently enjoy my field, but I foresee the flame burning out. My dad was pressured into the major, and now it is my turn to fulfill the family prophesy. My parents always say, "you can choose whatever field of study you want," but their seemingly encouraging words are laced with coercion... Don't really feel like going into it. My dream majors are English and mathematics. I dunno. I'm just rollin' with it for now.
> 
> ...


I gotta admit, suddenly when I saw the "My dream majors are English [...]", I instantly wondered if you were trolling. 

It's somewhat inconsistent with the rest of what the post seemingly says, and from what I've seen of your general perspective elsewhere.


----------



## 66393 (Oct 17, 2013)

Metasentient said:


> I gotta admit, suddenly when I saw the "My dream majors are English [...]", I instantly wondered if you were trolling.
> 
> It's somewhat inconsistent with the rest of what the post seemingly says, and from what I've seen of your general perspective elsewhere.


Nah, I wasn't trolling. I think I was a tad depressed the day I made this post. I can be quite the moody Panda. 

Nothing to me is more enjoyable than reading, but I probably wouldn't be a very successful English major.


----------



## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

I'm a biology student and so far due to a botany class I'm taking at the moment and how lab based my curriculum is, I don't like it. I think I'd prefer a pre-professional degree but with that being said my interests lie within humanities and social sciences (which I know is not pre-professional). Sometimes I consider nursing but I'm not really sure what about it calls to me.


----------



## Toru Okada (May 10, 2011)

jedi650 said:


> Just curious, as I've read so many posts from different INFPs about careers.
> 
> I'm a 30 y/o INFP that recently had my first child and is going through a bit of a quarter life crisis with my career. I've burnt most bridges with previous managers, jumped jobs every year or so, and have no clear direction. Can't keep this up for the sake of my marriage and being able to support a child. I've seen career counselors but have a hard time narrowing anything down, mostly my career frustrations tend to stem from a lack of respect for authority and being managed. Curious to what other INFPs do and think.


Consider joining a trades union. Job growth and security is going to be good because most other millennials went the college route (most will be disappointed later I believe) and the boomers are gonna start dropping like flies. They also can't be outsourced or replaced by robuts.


----------



## KattyLu (Dec 1, 2016)

For my work i mastering business grammar .I have big problem with this. well,I am sure this will be a great opportunity to be part it, so they can provide a good tools in this course, so that i can learn more about my English skills.
If you want to improve your business writing course skills then this course will help develop those skills significantly in a short duration of time.The instructor is very passionate, the lectures are carefully planned, and the learning experience is rewarding.


----------



## Catwalk (Aug 12, 2015)

jedi650 said:


> What do you do for work?


Law major Interning in the justice system.



> And does it make you happy?


_No._


----------



## Introvertia (Feb 6, 2016)

I'm not INFP. I'm not sure which my type is, but I'd not limit any choices considering career to fit my supposed type. I've gotten ISTJ, INTJ, INTP, INFJ, and at this point, I couldn't care less about my type, because I fit all and none simultaneously.

I've done a lot of different things, from cleaning the toilets to working as a secretary in office, studying technology and working in engineering, studying and working as press operating, doing assisting in social services.

I'm now studying to become a nurse. Interaction with other people is definitely not my strength, which is probably part reason why I chose my current path, because it forces me to practice and expose myself to challenging situations with different people. 

However, I'm great at problem solving and medicine, and I have fine motor skills which works in my favor when handling needles. It's easy for me to perceive the whole picture when dealing with an individual instead of viewing them as their disease and symptoms. It makes me happy. Especially when I manage to gain trust of a person who's considered challenging, or when I see a person get better physically or mentally through rehabilitation and I know I've contributed to it. After every work day, I feel exhausted because of constant interaction, but content.

I'd suggest you pick one and try it. You can't find out what you enjoy or prefer until you try it out. It's not like the path you choose will tie you down to it for a lifetime. The good thing of modern times is that it's considered a positive thing to have tried different areas and gained multiply experiences and skills.


----------



## kf4wn (Apr 21, 2013)

I'm a Web Developer and have been coding for 10 years now. I was a computer hobbyist as a child but stopped around 10yrs old and didn't get back into until I was in my early 20s.

Started as a full-stack developer, doing just about everything (Front-end, Back-end, even UX and design). Love most aspects of this profession except I sometimes get a bit anxious when doing daily standup meetings (am a perfectionist), these are quick meetings where you describe your current working status to your team.

I love getting paid to do something I thoroughly enjoy and love solving complex problems. 


I'm self-taught and don't hold a degree, I learned by reading books and following online tutorials.


Apart from an attractive salary, I'm surrounded by many intelligent individuals, can listen to music when coding and just get into the zone, have freedom to check social media whenever I want. 

Not trying to brag, just telling it how it is. I have flexible working hours, free team lunches, free barista quality coffee... I could go on. I'm in my happy place when I go to work and I'm working for a fantastic company to say the least.

- INTJ


----------



## pwowq (Aug 7, 2016)

Work role: High-school janitor.

Does it make me happy? 
No. That said the work doesn't make me unhappy. My boss is exactly the kind I need. _'As long as everything works, do what you want.'_ Today I was 45 minutes late, did nothing, 3½ hours later I was home. Why? Because I can. Because no one cares as long as "it works".


----------



## JennyJukes (Jun 29, 2012)

i work with people with learning disabilities. yeah it makes me happy to see how i can make a difference and when they (some ) say thank you at the end of the day. but the long hours and the gossipy colleagues sometimes make me dread it. im satisfied at the moment but i know if i stick in the same job and the same wage for more than 3 years, i won't be happy.


----------

