When it comes to career paths, INFJs have a vast array of options. Though they are the rarest of the Myers Briggs introverted personality types, they are often gifted and capable of excelling in whatever they set out to accomplish. Despite their wide range of interests and abilities, some INFJs may experience difficulty winnowing down their choices with regard to careers, jobs, or college majors. This article is meant to assist these introverts in their quest for a vocation that is well-suited to their values, skills, interests, and abilities.
Like their INTJ counterparts, INFJs may land in several different interest domains on the Strong / Holland Inventory. However, of the six RIASEC domains (i.e., Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional), INFJs are most likely to display interests in the Social and Artistic realms. It is important to realize that while those of the Social domain exhibit interests in people, it is unnecessary to be an extrovert to enjoy these types of careers.
Among the most popular careers, jobs, and majors for Social INFJs are those in religion / ministry, teaching / education, mental health counseling, and medicine / healthcare. They may enjoy work as priests, ministers, pastors, nuns, monks, theologians, rabbis, or other types of religious workers. With regard to teaching, INFJs may be found at all levels, from elementary up to the university (along with INTJs, they are commonly found in academia). This personality type may be found teaching the full spectrum of subjects, although many INFJs shy away from mathematics and business. This personality type is also frequently encountered in healthcare. INFJs may be physicians of all sorts (e.g., family practice, internal medicine, psychiatry, ophthalmology, pathology, neurology). They may also choose to study pharmacy, dietetics / nutrition, nursing, audiology, optometry, physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Those with a holistic bent may, like their INFP counterparts, gravitate toward alternative medicine, choosing to study homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, yoga, massage, or acupuncture.
INFJs also frequently possess artistic interests. They often make excellent novelists, poets, and creative writers, but may also do well with visual arts and design. Or, if they are not great artists themselves, they may choose to study art history or become art / museum curators. Many INFJs possess exquisite, refined tastes and feel the need to somehow situate themselves in the midst of the arts and culture. They often relish classical music, operas, orchestras, Broadway productions, and other forms of high culture.
Perhaps to the surprise of other personality types, INFJs often show equivalent aptitudes in the sciences as their thinking counterparts. These individuals may possess Investigative interests that may range from the physical sciences (chemistry, geology, astronomy, physics) to the social sciences (history, economics, psychology, sociology, geography, anthropology, archeology, political science, etc.). Investigative-Artistic INFJs may also opt to study philosophy, critical theory, the humanities / liberal arts, theology, law, and languages. Of all types, INFJs are among the best-suited for library sciences.
INFJs with a relatively mild preference for intuition may enjoy “Conventional” jobs and careers. This may involve working with data and a variety of administrative / clerical tasks. When combined with Social interests, they often enjoy work in human resources, personnel, and management. For INFJs with Realistic and Enterprising interests, refer to the lists below for common career choices.
Realistic:
• Computer science, software design, systems analyst
• Urban planning
• Dental hygienist, medical assistant, laboratory technician
• Engineering
• Physicist, chemist, astronomer
• Architect
• Archeologist
• Veterinarian, veterinary medicine
• Forestry, parks and recreation
• Environmental scientist, geologist, geographer
Investigative:
• Biologist, neuroscientist
• Lawyer, attorney
• Economist
• Philosopher, theologian
• Health sciences, public health
• Sociologist, political scientist, historian
• Information / library scientist, librarian
• Researcher or research assistant
• Critic, art, film
• Physician, doctor: neurologist, psychiatrist, pathologist, internist, ophthalmologist, radiologist
• Non-fiction writer
• Pharmacist
Artistic:
• Playwright, dramatist
• Curator
• Dancer
• Graphic / website designer
• Musician
• Interior designer
• Photography, photographer
• Painter / sculptor
• Novelist, poet, editor, creative writer
• Actor
• Film producer / director
Social:
• College professor
• Therapist, occupational, physical, respiratory
• Optometrist, audiologist, speech language pathologist
• Dietician
• Life coach
• Health educator
• Nurse, nurse practitioner
• Osteopath, chiropractor, homeopath, naturopath
• Psychologist, clinical, counseling
• Social worker, counselor
• Teacher (all varieties)
• Priest, pastor, rabbi, monk, nun, minister
Enterprising:
• Consultant
• Marketing / advertising
• Entrepreneur
• Manager / executive
• Organizational psychologist
Conventional
• Administrator, school principal, superintendent
• Human resources
• Technical writer, proofreader
Explore the personality type profiles: INTJ INTP INFJ INFP
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*Many INFJ careers may also work well for Enneagram Fours (4w3, 4w5), Ones (1w9, 1w2), Sixes (6w5), and possibly some Fives (5w6, 5w4).
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