Being an introvert is a blessing but often a serious struggle. There’s no exception when it comes to the choice of their career path. Whereas introverts are highly creative, they’re not into teamwork and prefer independent tasks. Does it mean a small number of careers they can choose? Of course not! Find out what are the best jobs for introverts.
What is introversion?
Introversion is one of the basic personality styles, the exact opposite of extroversion. Whereas extroverts enjoy human interaction and consider a crowded party as a perfect way to spend free time, introverts prefer solitary experience. Picturing an introvert in mind, most of us see a person under the blanket, with a cup of hot tea and a book/tablet, reading something, or just being nerdy.
However, it’s not that many introverts avoid others or even dislike them. Of course, introverts tend to spend their time alone, but they also enjoy an engagement in a small group, e.g., one-on-one conversations. Research says the introverts’ brains react less strongly while seeing new faces than extroverts, producing much less dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with reward). They also are much busier, dealing with many different stimuli at the same time.
Introverted personality was first introduced by Carl Jung, who described this type as gaining energy from the reflection and losing it in social interactions. They value their alone time and think better only by themselves. They’re also exceptional at self-reflection, which goes hand in hand with good planning and organizing skills.
However, introverts are sometimes wrongly seen as those who have nothing to say, just because they prefer to stay quiet and reserved and usually maintain low-key facial expressions. They are often perceived as angry and stuck up, as well as slow and indecisive. It’s quite unfair because they are just more into reflection and spend much more time thinking than others.
In the end, a human is a social being; that’s why even the most introverted person sometimes craves interaction, no matter the personality type they are.
How pandemic situation changed the way introverts work?
As we’ve recently observed, the COVID-19 outbreak increased the popularity of remote work. Many of us switched from an office to a home workplace. Seems to be a perfect opportunity for introverts to breathe a huge sigh of relief? Not exactly.
As I mentioned before, it’s not that introverts are staying away from others’ companionship. Of course, there are extreme cases that prefer solitary experience only and are rarely into human interactions (read more about Hikikomori syndrome from Japan, it’s way more than just being introvert). Usually, people with an introverted personality enjoy spending time with their close ones – friends and family. The same goes for a job – they avoid broad social situations but get well in a small team with independent tasks assigned.
That’s why perceiving introverts as willing to work remotely is a misinterpretation caused by stereotypical thinking. Dr. Kahnweiler carried out interesting research – at the beginning of the quarantine, when a great of her patients were forced to work remotely, she asked her introvert patients how they’re doing. Results were quite surprising – even they agreed that face-to-face contact is much more satisfying than Zoom calls.
The difference is that introverts doing their best working alone or perform their tasks in a group of trustworthy people. They’re not angry outsiders with problems to deal with other people. Being an introvert means you’re not into working in a large office environment; that’s it.
👉 Check also our article about career goals examples.
Introverts’ mental health
As I mentioned before, introverts’ brains are busier than extroverts’. They must deal with many different stimuli, and sometimes, it takes much longer for them to process additional information. And because society at all prefers the outspoken nature of extroverts, introverts are more vulnerable to anxiety and depression.
What are the perfect jobs for introverts?
There are a great number of career paths for those who prefer solitary experience or working in a small group. However, they should consider it wisely and choose the field that interests them. Luckily, the modern world allows introverts job opportunities to work from anywhere, so that many people are willing to choose at least part-remote work or freelance career.
Software Developer / Engineer
It’s actually the first choice that comes to our minds when we’re picturing introverts. But those who love computer-related activities and are skilled in information technology will definitely love engineering career choice. And a software developer is one of the best IT jobs for introverts. Not to mention that developers are paid fairly – the average salary for a software engineer in the US is approximately $110k per year. Financially secured profession, isn’t it?
Software developers spend their work time mostly on their own, writing code for new tools or services. They barely contact other teammates or customers – mainly when they participate in discussions about graphic design, maintenance (and bugs fixing), or possible upgrades.
However, this profession requires a college degree and professional training. When doing technical hiring, employers are willing to hire developers with at least 1-2 years of experience in this field. It’s good to look for internships and scholarship programs; big companies often scout talented individuals and offer them a job after few months of being an intern.
Graphic designer
Great career choice for these introverts who want to lead their freelance business. Graphic designers mostly work on their own; only bigger companies hire entire designer teams.
A graphic designer is a profession that combines art with technology. They should go well with various tools that require their knowledge and experience. Their task is to create visuals – from logos through illustrations to the entire website layout.
Content designer / Copywriter
Another creative profession many introverts choose. Among the introverts, many are said to have something like “sock drawer syndrome,” writing a lot but only for their sake. Even if their content hadn’t been published anywhere, the writing gives people an experience and is good with words.
A writer’s career ensures you many ways of earning money and is one of the best jobs for introverts. Also well-suited for those who want to work remotely. They may go freelance or work in companies like this one. Since the journalist career assumes more social contact (especially for those who do fieldwork), copywriters or technical writers spend a great of their time at the desk.
Social media specialist
Social media marketing is one of the most often chosen careers for introverts. The specialists are responsible for planning and executing social media marketing campaigns and for further analyzing their results. They also create the content and respond to the comments and questions. However, it sounds like being a social media specialist requires many social contacts; the high internet availability allows getting things done online via team collaboration tools and video conference apps.
Market analyst
If you’re not scared of big data, consider this career path. These professionals research the market conditions, learn about customers’ behavior and competitors’ activity to predict the chance of sales for products or services. However, the work itself isn’t much creative, but it delivers priceless data that various companies will surely appreciate. What is more, analysts do most of the job on their own; the social interaction assumes only presenting the analysis results to clients.
Architect
As I mentioned before, there are many jobs for introverts that involve creative processes. One of them is architect, a well-paid opportunity that requires less human interaction. Architects-introverts may work alone, starting their own business or, if they prefer to work in a group of people, they may find a job in one of the small architectural agencies.
Accountant
Dealing with numbers isn’t easy, but definitely, it’s a one-person mission. Accountants are responsible for making sure of the accuracy and legitimacy of their customer’s financial statements. It’s a perfect career for social introverts because they may work alone at home and contact clients via emails or management tools.
Archivist
Archivists often perform duties that don’t involve human interactions, spending their time in front of the computer or piles of documents. They mostly appraise, catalog, and preserve the records of things the archive is responsible for – no matter if it’s a library, police station, or a hospital. The salary maybe isn’t the highest, but the satisfaction of getting the papers organized is rewarding!
Video/photo editor
Last times the wedding and other occasions photography became more and more popular, thanks to the high availability of good quality tech tools and other equipment, such as editing software like Movavi or other software with photo editing background capabilities. If you’re skilled in video or photography edition, try to find a fellow photographer to start a business together.
Translator
If you have proficiency in languages and prefer to perform on your own, then the translator job is absolutely for you. No matter if you’ll go freelance or be hired by a company, you still can do your duties at home, exchanging the commissions and their results via email or collaboration tools.
Proper organization
No matter if you’re an introvert hired by a company or a freelancer, working at home requires proper time management to deal with all responsibilities. However, introverts are exceptional for planning and organization; the little help from modern tools is much appreciated. TimeCamp does it for you, tracking time for all your assignments and filling timesheets automatically. The reports may be used both for productivity analysis and as proof of work for an employer or a customer.
As you can see, an introverted personality doesn’t mean limited job opportunities. Many careers appreciate introverts’ creativity and pay fairly for it. Also, it’s not as hard as it seems to find independent work. Before choosing one, check the average salary for a particular job title (e.g., type X average salary in Google) and the degree the profession requires. After you spend some time on research, you will find out that there are many high paying jobs that don’t need a degree for e.g., translation services in Belfast, though Northern Irland is by no means the only place where you might find a lot of remote translation job offers.
Good luck, hope I helped you a little in searching for the best jobs for introverts!