# Careers for people that aren't 'people' people?



## KillinIt (Jul 27, 2015)

Turns out the saying 'I'm not a people person' looks ridiculous when you make it plural- I had to google the word 'people' to make sure I had it spelled correctly as it no longer looked real!

Anyway, recently I have been thinking about potential careers and looking at my own qualities, strengths and weaknesses. One big factor that guides me is that I am most definitely NOT a people person. Don't get me wrong I enjoy working closely with a couple of people I know well, I'm not a hermit (actually I haven't socialised in the last month, I think I'm eligible for official hermit status) but working with a lot of people I don't know makes me tired, stressed and grumpy...oh so very grumpy. Both my parents jobs involve them talking to people all day every day, and looking at job opportunities I've found for students many of them also involve large quantities of people (retail, call centres etc).

There are some obvious options like artist or author that allow a lot of independence and alone time, but we can't all be JK Rowlings and creative writing and selling art aren't the most stable of career paths. What sort of jobs would be suitable for those that like working either alone or in small, close knit groups?


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

assassin
ninja
serial killer
drug lord
all noble professions


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## Fumetsu (Oct 7, 2015)

They're aren't any. No one wants to work in a service industry where they are treated like garbage by snooty customy but that's life. Do your time there, work up the ranks and then move on.


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## Bunniculla (Jul 17, 2017)

It's true, you can't avoid communication indefinitely, but some careers are more "work independently" focused than others. May I suggest accounting, if you can see yourself doing this? Accounting firms are usually not as loud and boisterous as some other career choices.


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## Blue Soul (Mar 14, 2015)

A train driver gets to be alone for most of their work day. The pay isn't bad either, which means you can spend more money on impossibly high fences, death traps and other cool things that keep other people away from you.


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

undertaker
grave digger
autopsy 
bank robber
grave robber
hired gun


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## chad86tsi (Dec 27, 2016)

Technical or mechanical themed jobs, where you work "on" systems, not "in" systems. These all require collaboration as well, but the work is the work, not people centric.


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## bigstupidgrin (Sep 26, 2014)

Blue Soul said:


> A train driver gets to be alone for most of their work day. The pay isn't bad either, which means you can spend more money on impossibly high fences, death traps and other cool things that keep other people away from you.


My dad was a train engineer (he's retired, not dead XD). Pay was pretty good although he had a lot of seniority (google thinks it's 50K starting, which is fine by me). You don't work with customers, that's for sure.


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## angelfish (Feb 17, 2011)

My cousin is an IT guy for a school system. He works with a small team and does some short-distance commuting around town. Checks into schools, works on their IT stuff, checks out again. Other times works at the central hub with his small team. Seems like a pretty good gig - he makes a reasonable salary and has good benefits and vacation.


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## Endologic (Feb 14, 2015)

Simple: Careers that don't particularly involve social interaction.


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## Grad0507 (Dec 12, 2013)

surgeon


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BenevolentBitterBleeding (Mar 16, 2015)

Skilled Trades(variety of).
Medical Transcriptionist.
Radiologist.
If you can get a call center job working for a good company, after a set time/probationary period, they'll sometimes allow transitions to a telecommuting role. On that note, you might be able to find various remote work type gigs to get by in the meantime.


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## dulcinea (Aug 22, 2011)

some government bureaucracy job.
security guard
maintenance person
proofreader
writer
transcriptionist
database administrator


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## Tsubaki (Apr 14, 2015)

Geologist

I'm going to a university for engineering and this is the running gag as a recommendation for people who like solitude.


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## ponpiri (Apr 30, 2017)

That's a really broad question. Unless you plan on conducting solitary work, you're going to need people skills.

Think about honing your soft skills. Nearly every job requires socialization beyond one's liking, so it doesn't make sense to leave that as a weak point or to make a career decision based on one dislike.

As for your question, just look for a company or job situation in which open spaces and team work aren't heavily emphasized.


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## HAL (May 10, 2014)

I think what you really mean is you don't want a customer service style job where you have to put on a fake persona.

As long as you can be yourself, it doesn't really matter if you have to deal with one or two people.

Personally, I just got a job in web/software development and it's great. Five other people in the office, all sat in front of computers doing our own thing, and only communicating to _get shit done_. There's none of that horrible nicey-nicey ultra-polite shite that most jobs require. I think my job is great for a person who isn't a 'people' person.

In fact I think most jobs are fine for the solitary types. As long as you aren't specifically required to 'be a people person', then you just have to be yourself and do your job. Maybe it's an age thing. As I've grown up, I've slowly been more happy to be myself without giving a fuck how others perceive me, and as a result I'm more capable of just doing whatever's required, including dealing people, _as humans_ (rather than the fake ultra-nice shit I alluded to previously). Definitely it's an 'age' thing though. I mean, I'm still not even 30 so I have a long way to go in life, but I'm certainly better with people now than when I was 19.

In short I'd say most jobs would be fine, as long as you aren't specifically in the tacky corporate frontline customer service sort of work. I've heard the US is horrible for faux-niceness all over the place, so if you're in that country then you have my sympathies. It should still be possible to survive exactly how you see fit though.


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## Wisteria (Apr 2, 2015)

There are plenty of career options where communication isn't essential in the workplace. I don't like working with people too much either, because it breaks my focus and I find small talk so unnecessary. Go for jobs that don't involve customer service and "good communication skills" because if you're not a people person this kind of work will be draining. 

Just about every job involves at least talking to your co-workers but they will leave you alone when they realise that is your preference. Also just go for something you're interested in, because that will likely not involve lots of communication anyway, and you will at least find like-minded people.


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## incision (May 23, 2010)

Research and development and admin and operations.


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## ninjahitsawall (Feb 1, 2013)

administrative work (not receptionist);
in retail, working inventory or merchandising exclusively;
I also second R&D/research type positions, which could include some writing without having to become JK Rowling; 
IT/tech work/technical assistants, project assistants--as long as that refers to more of a behind the scenes/"getting shit done" role and not some corporate customer service type "project";


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Vinniebob said:


> assassin
> ninja
> serial killer
> drug lord
> all noble professions


you forgot sex worker/phone operator.



Tsubaki said:


> Geologist
> 
> I'm going to a university for engineering and this is the running gag as a recommendation for people who like solitude.


wait so is this joke legit?


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## Razorsharp (Jun 23, 2016)

There are tons of opportunities for you. I personally recruit introverted people because they are needed to think, plan, analyze and strategize. Most extroverted people think they can do this well, but normally they just communicate these things well. But the actual substance is usually (not always of course) quite thin.

The key thing is to choose something you love. Wether it is engineering, programming or whatever. And then, you need to choose your boss. One that is modern (contribution-oriented) meaning that your role and contribution to the team is clear. This means that your "social time" will be when you interect in projects and assignments. You will be valued for your work, not your social skills.

Stay away from environments of political backstabbing and people who promote themselves instead of their contribution (results). In an environment like this you will be exploited and played by the fast talking social elite, the careerists. 

Your work environment and culture (lived and breathed by your boss) is by far the most important aspect for your success and work satisfaction. Your social skills is not much of a disadvantage if you find a good team to work in. 

And, get to know an ENTP of ENFP to champion and communicate your awesome work for you will be unstoppable together


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