Career Choices for the Compassionate, Practical INFJ

Content:

Introduction

1. Why Personality Type Matters in Your Career Choice

2. The INFJ Personality Type

3. INFJ Personality Functions

4. INFJ Motivations and Values

5. INFJ Personality Strengths

6. INFJ Personality Weaknesses

7. The INFJ at Work

8. INFJ on a Team

9. INFJ Leadership

10. INFJ Personality Career Choices

11. INFJ Careers to Avoid

Conclusion

Your INFJ Personality Type and Your Career

Knowing yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses is one of the strongest skills you can employ to make a good career choice. If you are an INFJ personality type, you’ll save yourself time and energy looking for the right choice. And, you’ll avoid ending up in a job that makes you unhappy.

Helping others is what INFJs do in life, and they are always looking for ways to step in and represent what is right. They want to fix society’s deepest problems, hoping that unfairness and hardship will become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, at times, INFJ may focus so intently on their ideals they do not take sufficient care of themselves, an attitude that may lead to stress and burnout.

Individuals who are INFJs feel that they are different from most people. They often do not fit in with those around them because of their rich inner lives and their deep, abiding desire to find their life purpose. INFJs can enjoy social acceptance and close relationships, but they can feel misunderstood or at odds with the world.

In this article, we’ll look at your personality traits and then tie them to careers that match your best talents.

Why Personality Type Matters in Your Career Choice

Your personality type influences not only what career you choose but your comfort in the business culture, your job performance, your strengths and weaknesses, and your job satisfaction.
Ensure you complement your future work associates by knowing the talents you bring to the team. Compatibility is crucial for your department to encourage team cohesion and enhance performance. You work best when you fit in the culture.
Having a career that compliments your personality will help you achieve your best job performance and boost your business performance.
Recognizing your weaknesses can enable you to identify areas that need improvement. Your strengths will determine the career path where you should excel, but you may also learn how to reduce your weaknesses. So, you should develop an action plan that addresses these gaps.
The more chemistry you have with colleagues and greater productivity, the higher career satisfaction you achieve. Due to tasks and assessments that are specific to both your strengths and personality traits, you become more confident in your abilities, giving you a more positive attitude about your career.
Your feeling of value as a worker also increases workplace happiness.
Additionally, when employees’ values align with the company’s values, they often feel more comfortable in the workplace and more committed to their role.

The INFJ Personality Type

INFJs share a strong sense of personal integrity and a desire to help others achieve their goals. Creative and dedicated, they have an ability to create unique solutions to their personal challenges.

The INFJ has a unique ability to sense others’ emotions and motivations. They will often know how someone else is feeling before they know themselves. They trust their insight about others and make great use of their ability to read others. Despite their sensitive nature, they are also reserved. The INFJ is a private individual and is selective about sharing intimate thoughts and feelings.

INFJ Personality Functions

INFJ is one of the sixteen personality types created by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers, creators of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®). INFJ stands for Introversion, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging, which are four core personality traits developed by psychologist C.G. Jung.

Introverted – energized by time alone
INtuitive – focus on ideas and concepts rather than facts and details
Feeling – make decisions based on feelings and values
Judging – prefer to be planned and organized rather than spontaneous and flexible

INFJs are often called the Counselor, Advocate, or Visionary because of their combination of idealism and sensitivity to others.

INFJ Motivations and Values

INFJs are guided by a deeply considered set of personal values. They are intensely idealistic, and can clearly imagine a happier and more perfect future. They can become discouraged by the harsh realities of the present, but they are typically motivated and persistent in taking positive action nonetheless. The INFJ feels an intrinsic drive to do what they can to make the world a better place.

INFJs want a meaningful life and deep connections with other people. They do not tend to share themselves freely but appreciate emotional intimacy with a select, committed few. Although their rich inner life can sometimes make them seem mysterious or private to others, they profoundly value authentic connections with people they trust.

INFJ Personality Strengths

Practical Insight. INFJ’s straddle the two worlds of vision and practical problem solving. And they are masterful in making both work. An INFJ is an insightful thinker who sees through situations and people with effectiveness and is interested in developing practical strategies for action.

Compassion. INFJs have a sharp intuitive edge that differentiates them from their peers. They recognize fear and unhappiness in friends and loved ones, even when others do not notice the signs of distress. They exhibit extraordinary ability to identify unspoken and unseen suffering and are called into action by instinct, as they can see beneath the surface.

Peace Keeping. INFJs are fantastic in helping to resolve disputes, and they have a knack for healing the rifts between people. Intuitively, they see the real suffering anger can cause if left to fester. Because they are good listeners, they are very effective at helping conflicting parties find workable solutions that satisfy their needs. Their efforts are fueled by a tremendous amount of energy and determination.

Decisiveness. For INFJs, obstacles exist to be overcome and no problem can compete with their strength and resilience. When they follow through on their ideas with conviction, INFJs possess the willpower and determination necessary to succeed. NFJs love the opportunity to solve problems and bring about positive change in the world.

INFJ Personality Weaknesses

Ignore Details. Despite how pragmatic they might aspire to be, INFJs tend to get caught up in the big picture so much that they forget to factor in some of the valuable details that can separate success from failure. Even though INFJs may recognize this principle, they are not always as diligent about the small stuff as they should be.

Intensely Private. Despite their loving and sensitive natures, INFJs tend to shut themselves off from the world. They do not give people the chance to know them or see the wonderful qualities they possess. INFJs can be enigmatic, even when they have close relationships with family and trusted friends. They may retreat without even a word of explanation when they are feeling frustrated or introspective, which can dismay others.

Conflict Averse. INFJs dislike conflict deeply and usually intervene to end it, but this is one area where their perspective can sometimes get distorted. INFJs often fail to recognize that conflict can bring out the opportunity for parties to express their side and then come to a resolution. INFJs might be better off acknowledging the value of open and honest dialogue, rather than automatically assuming all squabble is harmful.

Sensitive. INFJs can be vulnerable to criticism. After an INFJ has made up its mind, they tend to be very confident in their conclusions, and may not tolerate those who continue to disagree. If someone challenges their conclusions, they can react very strongly.

The INFJ at Work

The INFJ is focused on improving the human condition at work. INFJs are dedicated, helpful, and principled workers who can be trusted to help plan, implement, and execute complex projects.

INFJs hold high ideals, but the most satisfying work is when they turn their ideas into reality, especially when it involves constructive change for others.

An INFJ typically prefers tasks that are organized and allow them to complete their assignments in a more structured manner. As independent individuals, they tend to prefer a quiet environment that allows them to fully develop their ideas and thoughts.

For an INFJ, the preferred environment is harmonious, industrious, and oriented to a humanitarian mission, with coworkers who are similarly committed to positive change. An INFJ’s ideal position is to utilize their creativity in an independent, organized environment to develop and implement a vision consistent with their own values.

INTP on a Team

INTPs are thoughtful, analytical members who contribute to the understanding of complex problems. Often, they are most interested in the theoretical questions behind a team’s goal. They may help the group identify key principles and brainstorm innovative ideas. They tend to engage with the team’s vision, analyzing it rationally and objectively, and offering possibilities and options.

INTPs are best positioned to be creative when they are given the freedom to analyze logical problems in an original way. They can come up with creative solutions, but don’t put much stock in the established way of doing things. Those who remain extremely loyal to tradition may encounter friction with the INTP. They are independent thinkers, more interested in debating ideas than making small talk. Too much time spent on pleasantries may leave them impatient, and it may put off team members seeking a more personal touch.

INFJ Leadership

INFJs motivate others in leadership positions by sharing a positive vision. They are usually quiet and unassuming, but they are able to win others’ dedication through their own hard work, strong principles, and inspiring ideas. When they lead teams to a shared vision, and when they create organizational goals to benefit people, they excel. They bring confidence and commitment to projects they believe in and are insightful and creative.

INFJ leaders are motivated by personal values, which makes them successful in organizations with mission compatible with these values. The challenge is to keep their ideas and initiatives realistic, as well as consider practicalities when preparing for change.

INFJ Personality Career Choices

The key driver for INFJ career choices is the possibility to do something consistent with their values. In addition to being thinkers, INFJs appreciate careers that allow them to use their intellect to solve problems that interest them. Many of these problems are human, for instance in psychology, but INFJs are also found in other fields in other sciences and engineering.

INFJ career trends illustrate the creativity of many INFJs. Languages are especially popular with INFJs, but they can also be found in various fields of art.

Sample careers for INFJs:

Health Care

Physical Therapist
Public Health Educator
Family Physician
Occupational Therapist
Psychiatrist
Physician Assistant
Massage Therapist
Nutritionist
Medical Researcher

Counseling and Social Service

Clinical Psychologist
Counselor
Social Worker
Speech Pathologist
Clergy

Sciences

Social Scientist
Genealogist
Food Scientist
Environmental Scientist

Business and Law

HR Manager
Corporate Trainer
Environmental Attorney
Legal Mediator

Education

Elementary Teacher
Special Education Teacher
School Counselor

Language and Arts

Librarian
Translator
Editor
Technical Writer
Writer
Graphic Designer
Animator
Interior Designer

INFJ Careers to Avoid

Although anyone can work at almost any job, your personality type may keep you from both enjoying and working at your best in certain careers. As an INFJ, you may feel uncomfortable in jobs that push you out of your range.

Here are examples of jobs where INFJs may not perform well.

General Contractor
Electrician
Engineering Technician
Mechanic
Surveyor
Farmer
Real Estate Broker
Sales Manager
Restaurant Manager
Property Manager
Financial Manager
Factory Supervisor
Military Officer
Police Officer
Firefighter
Paramedic
Medical Records Technician
Cook

Career Choices for the INFJ

Finding the best career for an INFJ personality type demands a close look at personal preferences. Because an INFJ can succeed in many jobs in a variety of industries, understanding your core values and priorities will help you narrow the field.

Because the INFJ personality has so many career choices, you’ll want to narrow the choices that match your individual talents, skills, and mindset. Because of your empathy with others you may want to set boundaries for the number of people you work with.

Hack Spirit posted advice for people like empaths who are sensitive to others.

Boundaries are what let empaths know when they’ve gone too far down a road or made a decision that doesn’t align with their values.

Almost immediately, if an empath has crossed the line, they will feel it in their soul and their energy will begin draining quickly.

It takes a lot of energy to manage those emotions and thoughts and that leaves them wanting. And it makes for poor work on their part.

So before you choose a career or change careers, make sure you’re clear on what you want and what you need above all else.

Pay attention to your gut feeling, because you’ll be working on a daily basis. Just because you have sensitivity and compassion for others and could be a teacher, don’t forget you can feel overwhelmed by the emotions of many people. You might be happier as a life coach.
If you are challenged with choosing the next step in your career, Elevanation will help you sort through your INFJ career choices. We’ll clarify your personal preferences, look at your skills, and help you take the next step to success. Schedule your free action call to supercharge your career now.

INFJ Career Choices for Success