I grew up thinking there was a perfect career out there for me. I just had to find it.
I was terrified to graduate from high school because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I have always felt like there was something special that I was supposed to do, something rare, with a lot of meaning, that only I could do. But WHAT IS IT???
I was so lost trying to pick a major in college that my mom made me take a career counseling course. It taught me all about a bunch of different careers. But it didn’t help me one bit. They told me about the job, but they didn’t tell me about the people who did those jobs the best.
I know that if I would have known that I was an INFJ back then, this process would have been a lot easier. While I strongly agree that, as an INFJ, you can do anything that you set your mind to, I also believe that you will be happier in the long run if you find a job that incorporates the following things.
INFJs Need to Have Meaning In Their Work
It’s extremely important to INFJs to do work that is meaningful. Connecting with people and being able to help them in some way will bring the most meaning. This makes jobs like counselors, psychologists, doctors, life coaches and spiritual guides very attractive options.
Creativity Is Important
I am a super creative person. I love seeing something in my head and then bringing it to life. I also love being able to do things that others can’t, like dream, visualize and create. This is how I became a graphic designer. It was something that I picked up in my spare time and every company that I have worked for has needed one.
Creativity is important in a variety of ways though, not just art and design. INFJs are excellent at seeing the big picture and being able to solve problems that most people cannot. Using insights like this is very helpful in a lot of jobs.
Independence and Flexibility
INFJs find it hard to survive in most corporate jobs. While we are good at following rules that make sense, we struggle to follow rules that do not make sense. There are rules in every job that have to be followed, whether you like and agree with them or not. That part can be difficult to swallow.
It’s also difficult to follow leaders that we do not believe in. This has been the most challenging aspect of working a corporate job for me. I have very high standards for most people in my life, but especially those in positions of authority. I have yet to find a boss that I have not lost all respect for at some point, and there is no going back after that happens.
I do not work well with people who micromanage me either. I need some freedom and independence to work on my own. I do enjoy working with teams at times, but I really like doing my own thing most of the time.
Variety
I hate doing the same thing over and over again. It leaves me feeling like my job and life have no meaning, like I am wasting my talents. I need some variety in my days. I need to use my clever insights and creative ideas to change something or fix something.
I have always worked for small companies where I have done a variety of jobs. I was never just a graphic designer. I was the graphic designer/marketing manager/event planner/executive assistant. But I loved learning all of those different things and having a hand in so many areas of the business. I learned so much!
Freedom
I can’t tell you how many times I have read that INFJs like owning their own business. For years that was not the case for me. I didn’t want the headache of all the responsibility. I just wanted to go to work and collect a paycheck. Let someone else make all the rules and decisions.
The problem was that I was always unhappy with every job I had. I didn’t want to go to work or deal with customers or my bosses. I just wanted to be left alone, to do my work in peace.
But then, I finally found something that I am passionate about, something that I am excited about every time I think about it! Now, I am dying to have my own business, to do my own thing and make all of my own decisions. And the thought of all of the responsibility doesn’t bother me as much. It almost feels like the liberation of moving out of my parents house for the first time when I was in college. It’s so amazing!
Whatever you do, I hope that you find something that makes you happy. For me, that is the most important thing. Life is way too short to be in a miserable job day in and day out just to pay the bills.
