Finding a career that you’re happy and satisfied with means finding work that aligns with your interests, goals, skills, and your personality type. The Myers-Brigs Type Indicator (MBTI) questionnaire can be a useful tool for helping you understand your main strengths, motivations, and values. Knowing your MBTI can make it easier for you to figure out why you think or feel a certain way, why some careers are more appealing to you than others, and which professional path is going to be the most rewarding option for you.
INTJ Personality:
The main characteristics of the INTJ personality are introversion, intuition, thinking, and judgement. INTJ personality types tend to be guided by logic and reason more than their emotions and are typically very knowledge-hungry people who enjoy learning more about their favourite subjects. INTJ personality types might be introverts at heart, but they are often very confident people who like to try and improve the world around them as much as possible. Despite their self-confidence, the INTJ type might be uncomfortable in a large group of people, or it may take some time for them to feel comfortable around others as they prefer to get to know people first. They’re not a fan of superficial small talk and tend to prefer talking about ideas with others.
INTJs have a talent for recognising deeper possibilities and connections, which makes them natural problem solvers that are always looking to improve themselves and the world around them. INTJs are usually highly analytical people, which can often cause problems when it comes to understanding people. They tend to rely on emotions and intuition rather than reason and facts in decision-making. They are often very independent individuals who select their relationships carefully and prefer spending time with like-minded people. They are also prone to having perfectionist or even judgemental tendencies, which can work well for them in some situations but might cause strain and tension in some workplace relationships.
Best Careers for INTJ Personality:
According to research, people with an INTJ personality type tend to enjoy careers that allow them to innovate and create. Due to their high level of skill when it comes to both practical and intuitive thinking, they tend to be good at envisioning complex ideas and turning them into a reality. For an INTJ to truly thrive at work, they will usually need an environment that is both dynamic and structured. They are well suited to a variety of different career paths but tend to be most satisfied in a job where they are required to use strategic, analytic, and insightful thinking skills on a regular basis.
Best Jobs for INTJ:
INTJ personality types are well-suited for a wide range of different careers in several different industries and sectors. These include:
· Commercial Media:
The commercial media industry offers a wide range of opportunities for the INTJ employee to combine and use their problem-solving and creative intuition skills. For INTJ personality types who want to work in a leadership role or a role where they get plenty of intellectual freedom, this industry is an ideal choice with a range of career options including web designer, journalist, photographer, managing editor, and more.
· Arts and Humanities:
The Arts and Humanities sector is another that is well-suited to the INTJ personality type. For INTJ individuals who enjoy bringing ideas to life and turning concepts into reality, there are many career options to consider. INTJs often thrive in roles such as musical performers, film directors, screenwriters, and cinematographers.
· Finance:
While INTJs are known for being creative people, some are better suited to less creative roles where they can seriously flex their organisational and analytical skills. These skills make the INTJ a great fit for jobs that involve numbers, and many finance roles such as accountant, financial advisor, economist, and auditor also have some room for creativity, such as providing financial advice that is specifically tailored to a certain client.
· Technology and Business:
While dealing with customers face-to-face might not be the ideal role for the majority of INTJ personality types, there are lots of business and technology roles that they might be well-suited for. INTJ employees tend to be skilled at implementing marketing campaigns, creating business plans, or putting together a plan of action for the business to reach its strategic goals. Roles such as account manager, marketing manager, product manager, creative director, software developer, or business strategist might be ideal for an INTJ as long as they do not become repetitive and boring.
· Healthcare:
Healthcare is a thriving and growing industry that offers roles suited to almost every personality type. For the INTJ, a healthcare role that is in a therapeutic environment where they can practice and perfect their knowledge and skills might be ideal. INTJs who feel strongly about improving the world around them might be suited to a wide range of healthcare roles including physician, personal trainer, massage therapist, psychiatrist, chiropractor, physiotherapist, and more. In a healthcare role, INTJs tend to prefer working in an environment where they interact with individual patients in a controlled clinic environment.
· Law and Education:
The stable environment and the opportunity to grow, learn, and develop their skills further makes the law and education very appealing to many INTJ personality types. In fact, the INTJ personality type is the most common among university faculty, according to research. Legal careers can also be an ideal option since these roles often allow the INTJ to fully immerse themselves in an issue and use their problem-solving skills to find the best solutions for their clients. Some roles to consider include attorney paralegal, teacher, university professor, and guidance, or career counsellor.
INTJ Personality Careers to Avoid:
While a range of careers in different industries are an ideal fit for the INTJ personality, there are also several careers worth avoiding. Any career that has too many rules and regulations, without offering much creative freedom or flexibility, may be a bad fit for an INTJ. In addition, the introverted nature of this personality type means that the individual may become quickly overwhelmed or even burned out in a career that requires them to work with lots of people on a regular basis. Some of the worst career options for an INTJ include:
· Politician:
While the work of a politician might seem appealing for the INTJ who wants to improve the world around them, the level of social interaction required in this role can quickly become overwhelming. INTJs will become overwhelmed and even exhausted in this role that is mainly based on socialising and interacting with many different people.
· Personal Assistant:
Personal assistants carry out admin work on behalf of an individual, typically a manager or executive in an organisation. The role is not always suited for an INTJ since it involves running errands and taking care of personal matters on behalf of somebody else, which does not allow the INTJ to work autonomously or use their initiative. In addition, the tasks are often repetitive and mundane, which will quickly bore the INTJ.
· Military:
While it’s a challenging and interesting career that some INTJs might be drawn to, working in the military is not an ideal choice for this personality type since there is very little flexibility and freedom. The number of strict rules, regulations, and protocols that need to be followed while on the job will leave most INTJ personality types feeling trapped and suffocated.
· Salesperson:
Since salespeople must have the confidence and the level of introversion needed to walk up to just about anybody and convince them to buy their product or service, it’s not the best fit for the INFJ. While many INFJs will have the self-confidence and skills to do this job well, it’s unlikely to be a role that they will enjoy, and the amount of social interaction will leave them overwhelmed very quickly.
Top Signs You Have an INTJ Personality Type:
Do you feel like you would thrive in the best careers for an INTJ, and feel like the career paths to avoid might be the worst option for you? If so, you may have an INTJ personality type. The best way to find out for sure is to take the MBTI test, which is available for free online. Some of the main signs that you’re an INTJ include:
- You are very detail-oriented and can easily sense system inefficiencies or figure out mishaps simply by looking at something, even if you’re not an expert in the field.
- You appreciate competence and are highly satisfied when you witness it in others, especially when you see competent people in leadership positions.
- You plan everything meticulously and get a lot of satisfaction from finding a solution to a problem. You love learning new things and enjoy improving your knowledge.
- You are introverted and enjoy recharging alone, but also enjoy bonding with like-minded people over-sharing ideas. You don’t like general chit-chat or small talk.
- You are always looking to improve yourself and are very self-aware.
Finding the right career as an INTJ will give you the chance to truly thrive in and enjoy your professional life.