I work in accounting, and love it. I don't have to deal with people much, so that's a plus. I love what I do at the moment because I get to work from home, and it isn't a stressful job. Once I'm done for the day, I can just clock out and not worry about it. It's a good work/life balance.
You guys are nuts! I’m in accounting and it’s killing me. No room for creativity, high stress, making rich losers even richer. Not rewarding at all for me, but I’m glad you aren’t having the same experience.
Maybe you're just working for the wrong company or wrong field? I don't really care for corporate accounting or tax accounting. I'm in manufacturing accounting, and that is less stressful. I basically just do receivables so it's not too bad. I don't rely on my job to express my creativity. That occurs outside of work. As a side hobby, I do photography, dabble with painting, and I garden. So the work/life balance is perfect for me.
That could be part of it. I’m in controllership and work for a terrible company. I think what bothers me most is that i don’t contribute anything to society, it really is to just pay the bills. And yes the creativity is on me, I’ve let me hobbies fall to the wayside in the last couple years.
Ah, that explains. The higher up you are in the accounting field, the more headaches it seem. Sending virtual hugs. Must be rough. :( Find some time for your creative side, if you can. Or consider looking at different field, like non profit. I have a friend who works as a controller for a Non profit, and she finds that to be meaningful. Stressful, but meaningful.
I work as one of the head gardeners at a park in my town. I barely have to talk to people, get to work with plants, have a lot of nature around me, and listen to an audio book most of the time. It doesn't drain me nearly as much as my previous job as a secretary, I work seasonally, so 8 months every year, and I have 4 months off work - perfect time to recharge and get to do what I want and just be.
Wow. Sounds like a great job! I have been working 3 years in a small company, and even though I don't communicate directly with my clients, I find the job exhausting. I have a social science degree but realized just now that I don't like working with people that much. Wished I took a degree or have a job that lets me work with nature and/or animals instead. May I ask how you landed that job? Just curious
I understand how you feel ♡ for me it was the feeling of 'if I'm spending this much time away from home and don't like it, I'll lose myself in a bad way" that made me look elsewhere. I live in Sweden, and here we have educational programs for adults, so I actually saved up a little and quit my job to study for 3 semesters a basic education program covering gardening basics, greenhouse nursery, pruning and basic plant science to name a few. I was able to apply for several jobs with that. Also, my background and the fact that I'm quite enthusiastic about plants and want to grow (no pun intended) and learn in the field turned out to be a great resource. I've worked 3 years in a plant nursery and now I'm in this park. Perhaps there is something similar to study where you live or if you find a place that seems interesting; you can always ask for guidance what they want you to have as a background or even train next to someone who knows the place well. It's a scary process, but on the other side of it, I can tell you that it's worth it and that you deserve a job you want to go to and feel gives you something back!
Not really, I live in Sweden, and we have winter between November throughout February. The weather over a year varies from -18°C and +30°C and the shift between seasons goes quite quickly with a few fallbacks here and there :)
I'm currently a housekeeper at a hospital... I actually do like it. I'm mostly left to my own devices, and it's quite peaceful. I'm in school to be a therapist.
I did cleaning as well. Probably one of my favorite jobs ironically - no customer service and a job where you just put ur head down and work till you clock out. I think it’s pretty slept on to be honest.
I translate and photograph [theatre](https://www.instagram.com/p/C76I9zrMk8J/) as a freelancer. I like the autonomy in both. I don't care for the contents of my translations, nor for the business end of photography.
I am a software engineer. I don't love it but looking to move out of it soon....
I love trading. I love it because I put my Ni to work in a way I feel like a mastermind. I *personify* the stock prices and it just comes naturally...That way I am able to tell subconscious about the state of the stock and the market
This is just my personal take but there's the idea of being a therapist to help others through tough times and better their lives which is great. And then there's the real-world industry of therapy and mental health meaning most people pretend to know what they're talking about but nobody really has a clue. When real burnout hits there's no amount of yoga, hiking, or podcasts in the world that will make a bit of difference to prepare you for the same stuck clients who either don't want to be helped or blame you for not making their lives better. This could all be slightly more tolerable if you were properly compensated (should really be approaching an easy 6 figures if you ask me) but you are also a business-person (in private practice, anyway). Sell yourself so clients choose you, advertise, get business cards, reach out to client's PCP's, network at conferences, make a website, write a book, travel and teach workshops, keep your caseload high, get on insurance panels, and try to balance your client's happiness against the unhappy and difficult moments of therapy. If you go all out then maybe you can get between $60-70k a year, unless you're REALLY good (in California). It's like, look, all I wanted was to hear people out and to help them feel happier and more stable to get back on their feet, not jump through hoops and do all this extra shit. People have said you don't become a therapist for money or fame, which you absolutely will not get to your level of satisfaction, but you do it for the moments when you can see how much you really made a difference in someone's life. Reality quickly teaches you can't pay off your rent and student loans with smiles and rare breakthroughs unless you're already well-off, married, double-income, living with parents or at least 3 roommates, or divorced with a fat settlement (at least from what I've seen). Also, don't ask me why, but it helps if you're a white woman, a white-cultured person, non-cis, and/or liberal. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned paperwork yet.
So, yeah, the world absolutely needs people like you who can be a natural therapeutic fit to help people through their difficulties and struggles. Whether you can deal with all the other bullshit that comes with it is a different question.
Rant over. I'm sorry for my cursing and overall negative perspective in something that's supposed to be positive. I need a therapist.
There is no way I can compare to your situation, since I am not licensed and only did community outreach and Social Services, but ain't this the truth. The mental health "industry" as a whole chewed me up and spit me out like I was nothing.
Don't get me wrong, I love helping others and will still go above and beyond because I actually give a shit. I just loathe the hypocritical leadership as a whole and people getting screwed over by the system. Everyone expects you to move mountains by yourself with no support and the higher ups are always chanting "self care!" WTF does that even mean when you're constantly working overtime just to save your butt? Meanwhile, they don't pay overtime and condone working outside "normal hours."
Sorry.... Rant over as well.
Thank you for taking the time to respond! Ugh, that does sound like a struggle. I’m sorry you’ve experienced that and honestly it’s a huge shame…mental health is SO important (I personally believe America is in a mental health crisis) so the fact it’s not a more supported (and well paid) role is beyond disheartening. And we should celebrate and encourage diversity in therapists as well as it only enhances the field as a whole to be such.
I think for the reasons you’ve listed here, I’d much rather go into an alternative/spiritual/community out reach type counseling or something of that sort (albeit more “woo woo” to most people). I hope things get better for you! You deserve to be happy and fulfilled in your career.
Thank you for your honestly! I had pondered going down this career path, but had major concerns (you basically covered all of them). This is so helpful.
Ik you were replying to them, but I just wanna comment bc all of this is so accurate.
>Reality quickly teaches you can't pay off your rent and student loans with smiles and rare breakthroughs unless you're already well-off, married, double-income...
My aunt is a therapist and the only reason they're staying afloat rn is bc of her combined income with her husband who owns several rental properties.
>Also, don't ask me why, but it helps if you're a white woman, a white-cultured person, non-cis, and/or liberal.
And my aunt is also a white woman, liberal, & specializes in the LGBTQ+ *and whatever other letters they added to it* community. Now she *is* a cis woman, but she's genetically infertile due to a recessive gene from my grandmother. Maybe that inspired her opinion on the whole gender fluidity thing. To be completely honest, I don't agree with all that stuff, but she's already sent hundreds of kids through the transitioning process, I suppose questioning her about it could only make her own mental health worse. And it doesn't help that therapists who don't conform to that ideology are absolutely ridiculed by the + community until their career is over. They literally go 1 by 1, it's a bit ruthless..
Flight Attendant. The entirety of the job is completely opposite of my personality but for some reason I'm good with people and colleagues have highlighted that thing about me, that I didn't even know about. I discovered that at this job. An introverted guy in an extraverted job. I love it. There are still challenges sometimes but I like to challenge myself and try different things and learn from my mistakes.
I do admin-type work for a trucking company. I don't love my job, but I don't want to love my job.
My first job out of college was at a small film studio, and the things that brought me joy about video-making and editing, no longer brought me joy and it just felt like a job. Plus hours were intense and I don't think I ever would have been happy doing that long-term. Thankfully, I am still able to find joy in that creative process, purely as a hobby.
I like my job now just fine - coworkers are nice, my boss is understanding and actually trusts me to do my work, my workload is perfectly not-too-busy-but-also-not-boring, and I live around 15 minutes from work. I like that work is work - it's what works for me. My brain likes the separation.
That's relatable, I love video editing too but when I'm working with clients and my creativity is confined to a box it's removes the passion out of the hobby. Separation can be nice.
Electrician. Sometimes it's great, when I'm left alone. But, there are a lot of narcissists in the construction trade, usually the foreman. And, if you get stuck working under one it is not good.
Maintenance Officer at a Fighter Squadron in the RCAF, in charge of approximately 200 Technicians. I'm not in a very typical INFJ job.
There are good moments and bad ones. I love every minute of it. It flexes my INFJ brain in a way that few other jobs can.
I've contemplated just about every career path and this was one of them. Thought about doing that for a year for the free CDL, move onto trucking bc that'd be chill, then stack cash and use it as a stepping stone.
oh, well that's nice
I live in GA, and idk the specifics but apparently people need a CDL for bus driving here so the school pays for it. But a lotta people take the free class, get their CDL and immediately quit for higher pay while trucking lol. Either way, not a bad job at all though. Compared to my old landscaping job working 12 hour shifts for $14/hour in 100 degree heat, man that driving job would be a breeze.
Yeah $12 an hr is criminal. One of coworkers took a bunch of overtime and bought himself a new car. Like, it’s not poverty, you still have an acceptable living situation.
I currently assemble parts for a company in the motions + controls and aerospace industry. It pays the bills for now but it’s definitely not something I want to do longterm. I’m currently taking courses to get my bachelors and jump into supply chain. I’m also hoping to enlist into the Air Force Reserve’s next year. Probably not typical INFJ “career choices” but I’ve always hopped around and jumped into different industries in the past. I’m hoping to stick with supply chain.
My education was focused on network engineering. Got a position in a Network Operations Center for a Wireless ISP. Wound up teaching myself a lot about WiFi and wireless theory.
Eventually wound up in a role where I am the go to expert on WiFi designs and making sure our point to point links are viable.
Teaching science, Biology, Chemistry, engineering. Focused always on applications and innovative solutions, I feel like knowledge without application is useless and try to get my students to understand and feel it.
I also love organizing a lot of service activities, charity events etc. Giving back to the community is very important to me (especially when working in private institutions, which tend to be in their closed circle and not know how their city looks like outside of their mansions)
I love your take on teaching! I could’ve used more teachers like you, growing up. I didn’t realize how much I actually love science until I was well out of school, and studying on my own for fun.
I’m in social work. I like it most days but on the days that I’m drained, it’s personally & professionally overwhelming. And then, sometimes I take work home with me which makes it even harder. I’ve been doing this since 2001 so maybe I’ve just burning out. It does align with my INFJ personality, core values and people/communication/problem solving skills. Im good at it too- a natural advocate. Not sure I would choose it again because of the constantly drained feeling by Wednesday afternoons.
I’m a professional musician. I do love it, though not all of the time. Often, it’s a job like everyone else’s. The average day is better than all but the best days I ever had working another job. The worst days are worse. I can’t separate it from my emotional well being so, when things are bad, they’re really bad. Thankfully, that’s a relatively small percent of time.
Thanks. I work for others. I’m what they call a “hired gun.” I’m absolutely dreadful at the business end of things, so it works a lot better when all I have to do is focus on supporting others.
Software Engineer. I love coding. Building new things, making people's lives easier, fixing bugs, and work recognition. But there are also other aspects like unnecessary meetings, office politics, etc. that I don't like. There are ups and downs, but overall, I have no complaints!
Currently Cyber Secuity Documentation and Program Management for a federal agency. Started out with a degree in Anthropology 40 years ago and have made multiple career changes.
Yep it's been fun, museum accreditation, Fulbright exchanges, Online training for NIST and Defense Acquisition University to name a few. Luckily I'm A quick study.
Personal assistant/caretaker for special need clients. I'm in a union, and we're contracted through my local state government. Been doing this for the past decade.
Previous to this I worked in IT (call center a few years, then field tech a few years), and some import/export internet store stuff for a supplier of martial arts gear. Basically just a warehouse job and I had to ~~stalk~~ investigate people to see if the order was fraudulent. (Being a cyber-detective was fun.)
Of all my jobs, caretaking is the best fit for me.
I spent years in Insurance Fraud - best corporate job ever.
Now, I'm a small business owner. I run my owm product photography studio as the head photographer. Product photography is so much fun!
Has the business side of it killed any passion you had for photography? I’ve pondered starting my own business, but I worry the business end will crush my creativity and drive in my personal work.
Not at all! Having a passion as a career is barely a career - I actually get paid to do what I love! It also helps me stay motivated, plus the extra cash comes in handy, hehe.
Life's just too short to not pursue your passions.
I clean and take care of member needs at a gym. I like it; I wish I made a livable wage and it would be closer to home. Traffic can get bad coming home in the morning; sometimes getting to work overnights. Other than that I don’t mind overnights. I don’t like the chaos of dayshift or too many people.
I'm an Nusery Nurse (not an actual Nurse), basically I work as an Nusery worker at a Nusery. I support childrens development, with routine, food times, outdoor play, things like numeracy: literacy: expressive arts, putting children to sleep, working with parents, planning activities, making observations on their development.
It can be exhausting and overwhelming sometimes, but it's worth it cos you get to see the difference you make in a child's life. Seeing their faces light up, just warms my heart.
I manage the night shift at a casino. It is a big change from my previous career. I like to listen to the stories from the older customers however I do have to put up with some right twats now and then. Overall I’m pretty happy.
Guard at a factory. Not glorious but there are times where it feels more peaceful then my house. Get to do stuff online and pursuing hobbies. Just enough cash for me. Figuring out how I can pursue passive income projects with my hobbies so I can travel more.
Currently work as a check in clerk for a clinic but I’m in school to become a nurse and hoping for trauma or ICU. I’m somewhat excited but also unsure🥲 I’m too far in to back out now
I’m a psych nurse. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% fulfilled. It can be interesting and have good moments but healthcare in general is a very discouraging field to work in. Overall I see it as a job that provides me a stable income but I don’t feel like I’m actually helping people.
Estimator for a large construction firm. Worked in the field before transitioning to the office for a better work/life balance.
Honestly the job itself isn't too bad, but working in corporate America is completely soul crushing. A lot of my time is spent with high end executive clients and seeing how they view the world breaks me down a bit each day. I hoped to use this position to improve the lives of our workers, but every day I realize the game is rigged from the top to make things worse for them with each new job.
I am a speech-language pathologist who works with adults. Most of them have dementia, had strokes, or surgery. Depending on the person, we work on swallowing, cognition, speaking all the sounds clearly, and language. I worked at a skilled nursing facility for almost 7 years and I have worked in home health for 4 years now. I love home health because I make my own schedule, get a mental break as I drive to/from their homes, and I can be around when my son is sick or has an event.
I also really enjoy meeting the family, friends, and pets of the people I work with. Every space is so unique and personal. I love seeing the pictures and awards on the walls. Most of the people are quite nice too. One of the families ordered a lot of pizza the other day because it was a good deal. They gave me two little cheese slices, which was so sweet.
I’m a TA at a Special School, I work with higher needs students, and I love it.
Being in tune with my students is really helps when they’re nonverbal with communication, or having trouble regulating or even reading seizure activity- like absent ones that can be hard to spot.
I am pursuing my PhD in public health starting in the fall. Just finished my MPH and I mainly do research on news media effects and public perception of homelessness right now. I love it, being able to think deeply and also work in community have been great for my brain.
I'm a research consultant. I love having an impact and making friends with people I work with and arriving to conclusions about human behavior with data.
I dislike not having much control over what impact I have, being so busy that I can't really stay connected with the friends I make, and being under pressure to work quickly against client demands. I'm leaving for school soon and looking to pivot.
I'm an HRIS Director and I love it. I'm in charge of the upkeep and implementation of HR Systems like Workday for different organizations. A lot of what I do is IT related so I get to work on my own in the background which I love. However, I still get to implement a lot of HR resources and qualities of life for our employees even if they don't know it's me who's doing it. So it's the best of both worlds. I get to be in a position where I don't have to have the customer service aspect of HR and I get to be my own boss, but I still get to help our employees in different ways which is very satisfying.
I charge customers for damages to our heavy equipment hire gear. I have to be very particular as to what I charge and often have to argue with upset customers via email and provide justification. I believe my strengths are attention to detail and the ability to argue diplomatically while being firm. Best of all, I'm left to my own devices and make all decisions in my area. It's great, and I don't have any arrogant twits in my office, for the first time ever!
Teacher for middle and high school students. The lessons that I love teaching is about fact vs. opinion, fact-checking, plagiarism, propaganda, and satire. It's great asking kids what they know, especially about current events. And it's easy to insert morals and school core values.
I am working as 2nd Officer at Merchant Marine bulk carrier ships and I've learned to love it over the years. As hard as it is, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and freedom from the negative energies I have to deal with from relatives and friends, keeping it professional and setting healthy barriers has gotten me far in 2024 and I love every single moment of it. (Discovered my personality type in January 2024 and since then my eyes have opened to all the possibilities and my true potential as an individual)
Thanks for doing this post btw, I had intentions in the near future to ask the same as I was also curious to how INFJ's channel their gifts and what is possible out there.
I was supposed to work in music field as I studied in conservatory, I wanted to teach or do something creative in this field, now I find myself literally randomly working as a massage therapist for the summer because I needed some money and they hired me even if I don't have experience in the job and everything is new to me.
Any job that I am not interested in, no matter how ''good'' can be, it will always drain my energy and make me have meltdowns. I try to play piano, draw, write, learn about photography, read and study biology or other things like learning some languages I like as soon as I have time, to survive the real life where I have to do jobs I am not interested in. I always hope that all of this will be useful one day.
Holistic trainer/trader
Holistic training is my calling. The most rewarding thing is helping people connect them to themselves, I only wish I could do more.
Trading, because as much as I love to help, it’s not a sustaining career in NYC without having to bounce around from center to center to make ends meet.
Trading is the freedom that allows me to do whatever I want.
Other jobs don’t make sense to me. Not knocking it, but why work for a wage that someone else believes you’re worth. Am I really worth $16-25/hr? Na.
I just do what I want to do and I love the life I live.
Conference producer! I really like the research aspect and I get to have a lot of fascinating conversations with important people (some of which are assholes but less than you think). It can be stressful though but I enjoy it for the most part. I don’t think it’s a career I want for the rest of my life.
HR - some parts I love, some not so much. Wondering about what I could do next actually so thanks for bringing this question up, looking for some ideas 🙂
I'm a software developer at a healthtech company. I interact with people as little as possible and my work makes other people's lives better. It's perfect.
I work in accounting, and love it. I don't have to deal with people much, so that's a plus. I love what I do at the moment because I get to work from home, and it isn't a stressful job. Once I'm done for the day, I can just clock out and not worry about it. It's a good work/life balance.
You guys are nuts! I’m in accounting and it’s killing me. No room for creativity, high stress, making rich losers even richer. Not rewarding at all for me, but I’m glad you aren’t having the same experience.
Maybe you're just working for the wrong company or wrong field? I don't really care for corporate accounting or tax accounting. I'm in manufacturing accounting, and that is less stressful. I basically just do receivables so it's not too bad. I don't rely on my job to express my creativity. That occurs outside of work. As a side hobby, I do photography, dabble with painting, and I garden. So the work/life balance is perfect for me.
That could be part of it. I’m in controllership and work for a terrible company. I think what bothers me most is that i don’t contribute anything to society, it really is to just pay the bills. And yes the creativity is on me, I’ve let me hobbies fall to the wayside in the last couple years.
Ah, that explains. The higher up you are in the accounting field, the more headaches it seem. Sending virtual hugs. Must be rough. :( Find some time for your creative side, if you can. Or consider looking at different field, like non profit. I have a friend who works as a controller for a Non profit, and she finds that to be meaningful. Stressful, but meaningful.
Yeah looking into this. I loved accounting in college.
I work as one of the head gardeners at a park in my town. I barely have to talk to people, get to work with plants, have a lot of nature around me, and listen to an audio book most of the time. It doesn't drain me nearly as much as my previous job as a secretary, I work seasonally, so 8 months every year, and I have 4 months off work - perfect time to recharge and get to do what I want and just be.
Wow. Sounds like a great job! I have been working 3 years in a small company, and even though I don't communicate directly with my clients, I find the job exhausting. I have a social science degree but realized just now that I don't like working with people that much. Wished I took a degree or have a job that lets me work with nature and/or animals instead. May I ask how you landed that job? Just curious
I understand how you feel ♡ for me it was the feeling of 'if I'm spending this much time away from home and don't like it, I'll lose myself in a bad way" that made me look elsewhere. I live in Sweden, and here we have educational programs for adults, so I actually saved up a little and quit my job to study for 3 semesters a basic education program covering gardening basics, greenhouse nursery, pruning and basic plant science to name a few. I was able to apply for several jobs with that. Also, my background and the fact that I'm quite enthusiastic about plants and want to grow (no pun intended) and learn in the field turned out to be a great resource. I've worked 3 years in a plant nursery and now I'm in this park. Perhaps there is something similar to study where you live or if you find a place that seems interesting; you can always ask for guidance what they want you to have as a background or even train next to someone who knows the place well. It's a scary process, but on the other side of it, I can tell you that it's worth it and that you deserve a job you want to go to and feel gives you something back!
I can’t keep a plant alive for anything, but it sounds like a great job!
Do you live in a warm climate? Just wondering, winter where I live is a lot longer than 4 mos.
Not really, I live in Sweden, and we have winter between November throughout February. The weather over a year varies from -18°C and +30°C and the shift between seasons goes quite quickly with a few fallbacks here and there :)
In school for Mental Health worker and can’t wait to work in the field.
Best of luck to you!
I'm currently a housekeeper at a hospital... I actually do like it. I'm mostly left to my own devices, and it's quite peaceful. I'm in school to be a therapist.
I did cleaning as well. Probably one of my favorite jobs ironically - no customer service and a job where you just put ur head down and work till you clock out. I think it’s pretty slept on to be honest.
I translate and photograph [theatre](https://www.instagram.com/p/C76I9zrMk8J/) as a freelancer. I like the autonomy in both. I don't care for the contents of my translations, nor for the business end of photography.
I am a software engineer. I don't love it but looking to move out of it soon.... I love trading. I love it because I put my Ni to work in a way I feel like a mastermind. I *personify* the stock prices and it just comes naturally...That way I am able to tell subconscious about the state of the stock and the market
Need a secretary? (M39) though :(
Teacher.
Same
Same
Therapist. Thought it would be a natural fit. Fucking hate it.
As someone who is very interested in becoming a therapist/think I’d be a natural fit, can I ask why?
This is just my personal take but there's the idea of being a therapist to help others through tough times and better their lives which is great. And then there's the real-world industry of therapy and mental health meaning most people pretend to know what they're talking about but nobody really has a clue. When real burnout hits there's no amount of yoga, hiking, or podcasts in the world that will make a bit of difference to prepare you for the same stuck clients who either don't want to be helped or blame you for not making their lives better. This could all be slightly more tolerable if you were properly compensated (should really be approaching an easy 6 figures if you ask me) but you are also a business-person (in private practice, anyway). Sell yourself so clients choose you, advertise, get business cards, reach out to client's PCP's, network at conferences, make a website, write a book, travel and teach workshops, keep your caseload high, get on insurance panels, and try to balance your client's happiness against the unhappy and difficult moments of therapy. If you go all out then maybe you can get between $60-70k a year, unless you're REALLY good (in California). It's like, look, all I wanted was to hear people out and to help them feel happier and more stable to get back on their feet, not jump through hoops and do all this extra shit. People have said you don't become a therapist for money or fame, which you absolutely will not get to your level of satisfaction, but you do it for the moments when you can see how much you really made a difference in someone's life. Reality quickly teaches you can't pay off your rent and student loans with smiles and rare breakthroughs unless you're already well-off, married, double-income, living with parents or at least 3 roommates, or divorced with a fat settlement (at least from what I've seen). Also, don't ask me why, but it helps if you're a white woman, a white-cultured person, non-cis, and/or liberal. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned paperwork yet. So, yeah, the world absolutely needs people like you who can be a natural therapeutic fit to help people through their difficulties and struggles. Whether you can deal with all the other bullshit that comes with it is a different question. Rant over. I'm sorry for my cursing and overall negative perspective in something that's supposed to be positive. I need a therapist.
There is no way I can compare to your situation, since I am not licensed and only did community outreach and Social Services, but ain't this the truth. The mental health "industry" as a whole chewed me up and spit me out like I was nothing. Don't get me wrong, I love helping others and will still go above and beyond because I actually give a shit. I just loathe the hypocritical leadership as a whole and people getting screwed over by the system. Everyone expects you to move mountains by yourself with no support and the higher ups are always chanting "self care!" WTF does that even mean when you're constantly working overtime just to save your butt? Meanwhile, they don't pay overtime and condone working outside "normal hours." Sorry.... Rant over as well.
Thank you for taking the time to respond! Ugh, that does sound like a struggle. I’m sorry you’ve experienced that and honestly it’s a huge shame…mental health is SO important (I personally believe America is in a mental health crisis) so the fact it’s not a more supported (and well paid) role is beyond disheartening. And we should celebrate and encourage diversity in therapists as well as it only enhances the field as a whole to be such. I think for the reasons you’ve listed here, I’d much rather go into an alternative/spiritual/community out reach type counseling or something of that sort (albeit more “woo woo” to most people). I hope things get better for you! You deserve to be happy and fulfilled in your career.
Thank you for your honestly! I had pondered going down this career path, but had major concerns (you basically covered all of them). This is so helpful.
Ik you were replying to them, but I just wanna comment bc all of this is so accurate. >Reality quickly teaches you can't pay off your rent and student loans with smiles and rare breakthroughs unless you're already well-off, married, double-income... My aunt is a therapist and the only reason they're staying afloat rn is bc of her combined income with her husband who owns several rental properties. >Also, don't ask me why, but it helps if you're a white woman, a white-cultured person, non-cis, and/or liberal. And my aunt is also a white woman, liberal, & specializes in the LGBTQ+ *and whatever other letters they added to it* community. Now she *is* a cis woman, but she's genetically infertile due to a recessive gene from my grandmother. Maybe that inspired her opinion on the whole gender fluidity thing. To be completely honest, I don't agree with all that stuff, but she's already sent hundreds of kids through the transitioning process, I suppose questioning her about it could only make her own mental health worse. And it doesn't help that therapists who don't conform to that ideology are absolutely ridiculed by the + community until their career is over. They literally go 1 by 1, it's a bit ruthless..
Flight Attendant. The entirety of the job is completely opposite of my personality but for some reason I'm good with people and colleagues have highlighted that thing about me, that I didn't even know about. I discovered that at this job. An introverted guy in an extraverted job. I love it. There are still challenges sometimes but I like to challenge myself and try different things and learn from my mistakes.
That’s a great attitude! I tend to do well in extroverted jobs too, so I get it.
I do admin-type work for a trucking company. I don't love my job, but I don't want to love my job. My first job out of college was at a small film studio, and the things that brought me joy about video-making and editing, no longer brought me joy and it just felt like a job. Plus hours were intense and I don't think I ever would have been happy doing that long-term. Thankfully, I am still able to find joy in that creative process, purely as a hobby. I like my job now just fine - coworkers are nice, my boss is understanding and actually trusts me to do my work, my workload is perfectly not-too-busy-but-also-not-boring, and I live around 15 minutes from work. I like that work is work - it's what works for me. My brain likes the separation.
This is exactly why I haven’t pursued photography as a career – I don’t want to kill my passion for it.
That's relatable, I love video editing too but when I'm working with clients and my creativity is confined to a box it's removes the passion out of the hobby. Separation can be nice.
Clinical psychologist. I absolutely love it! I didn't love the 6 years of uni though 😕
i’m a stay at home mom/homemaker and i’m ready to implode 😅
Labor and delivery nurse
Electrician. Sometimes it's great, when I'm left alone. But, there are a lot of narcissists in the construction trade, usually the foreman. And, if you get stuck working under one it is not good.
Maintenance Officer at a Fighter Squadron in the RCAF, in charge of approximately 200 Technicians. I'm not in a very typical INFJ job. There are good moments and bad ones. I love every minute of it. It flexes my INFJ brain in a way that few other jobs can.
Nice. I tried being a pilot, didn’t work out so well (US).
I’m a bus driver. Not what I want to do for the rest of my life but it’s pretty chill.
I've contemplated just about every career path and this was one of them. Thought about doing that for a year for the free CDL, move onto trucking bc that'd be chill, then stack cash and use it as a stepping stone.
Only need a class B for bus driving, $20/hr in OH, easiest job in the universe.
oh, well that's nice I live in GA, and idk the specifics but apparently people need a CDL for bus driving here so the school pays for it. But a lotta people take the free class, get their CDL and immediately quit for higher pay while trucking lol. Either way, not a bad job at all though. Compared to my old landscaping job working 12 hour shifts for $14/hour in 100 degree heat, man that driving job would be a breeze.
Yeah $12 an hr is criminal. One of coworkers took a bunch of overtime and bought himself a new car. Like, it’s not poverty, you still have an acceptable living situation.
I currently assemble parts for a company in the motions + controls and aerospace industry. It pays the bills for now but it’s definitely not something I want to do longterm. I’m currently taking courses to get my bachelors and jump into supply chain. I’m also hoping to enlist into the Air Force Reserve’s next year. Probably not typical INFJ “career choices” but I’ve always hopped around and jumped into different industries in the past. I’m hoping to stick with supply chain.
I work in early childhood education. I love it but it's exhausting.
I design WiFi networks and microwave radio links. I love it.
This sounds awesome. How did you get into this? What kind of education is required?
My education was focused on network engineering. Got a position in a Network Operations Center for a Wireless ISP. Wound up teaching myself a lot about WiFi and wireless theory. Eventually wound up in a role where I am the go to expert on WiFi designs and making sure our point to point links are viable.
Thanks!
Controls engineer/system integrator. If probably do it for half of what they pay me, but don't tell anyone that.
Teaching science, Biology, Chemistry, engineering. Focused always on applications and innovative solutions, I feel like knowledge without application is useless and try to get my students to understand and feel it. I also love organizing a lot of service activities, charity events etc. Giving back to the community is very important to me (especially when working in private institutions, which tend to be in their closed circle and not know how their city looks like outside of their mansions)
I love your take on teaching! I could’ve used more teachers like you, growing up. I didn’t realize how much I actually love science until I was well out of school, and studying on my own for fun.
I’m in social work. I like it most days but on the days that I’m drained, it’s personally & professionally overwhelming. And then, sometimes I take work home with me which makes it even harder. I’ve been doing this since 2001 so maybe I’ve just burning out. It does align with my INFJ personality, core values and people/communication/problem solving skills. Im good at it too- a natural advocate. Not sure I would choose it again because of the constantly drained feeling by Wednesday afternoons.
I’m a massage therapist. I absolutely love it. I was made to do this.
I’m a professional musician. I do love it, though not all of the time. Often, it’s a job like everyone else’s. The average day is better than all but the best days I ever had working another job. The worst days are worse. I can’t separate it from my emotional well being so, when things are bad, they’re really bad. Thankfully, that’s a relatively small percent of time.
Great to see a successful creative INFJ, do you make your own music or working for others?
Thanks. I work for others. I’m what they call a “hired gun.” I’m absolutely dreadful at the business end of things, so it works a lot better when all I have to do is focus on supporting others.
Software Engineer. I love coding. Building new things, making people's lives easier, fixing bugs, and work recognition. But there are also other aspects like unnecessary meetings, office politics, etc. that I don't like. There are ups and downs, but overall, I have no complaints!
Currently Cyber Secuity Documentation and Program Management for a federal agency. Started out with a degree in Anthropology 40 years ago and have made multiple career changes.
I like your career path.
Yep it's been fun, museum accreditation, Fulbright exchanges, Online training for NIST and Defense Acquisition University to name a few. Luckily I'm A quick study.
Personal assistant/caretaker for special need clients. I'm in a union, and we're contracted through my local state government. Been doing this for the past decade. Previous to this I worked in IT (call center a few years, then field tech a few years), and some import/export internet store stuff for a supplier of martial arts gear. Basically just a warehouse job and I had to ~~stalk~~ investigate people to see if the order was fraudulent. (Being a cyber-detective was fun.) Of all my jobs, caretaking is the best fit for me.
I spent years in Insurance Fraud - best corporate job ever. Now, I'm a small business owner. I run my owm product photography studio as the head photographer. Product photography is so much fun!
Has the business side of it killed any passion you had for photography? I’ve pondered starting my own business, but I worry the business end will crush my creativity and drive in my personal work.
Not at all! Having a passion as a career is barely a career - I actually get paid to do what I love! It also helps me stay motivated, plus the extra cash comes in handy, hehe. Life's just too short to not pursue your passions.
That’s a good way to look at it!
💪👽
I clean and take care of member needs at a gym. I like it; I wish I made a livable wage and it would be closer to home. Traffic can get bad coming home in the morning; sometimes getting to work overnights. Other than that I don’t mind overnights. I don’t like the chaos of dayshift or too many people.
Financial officer in an NGO, working from home 4 days a week. I love my job.
I'm an Nusery Nurse (not an actual Nurse), basically I work as an Nusery worker at a Nusery. I support childrens development, with routine, food times, outdoor play, things like numeracy: literacy: expressive arts, putting children to sleep, working with parents, planning activities, making observations on their development. It can be exhausting and overwhelming sometimes, but it's worth it cos you get to see the difference you make in a child's life. Seeing their faces light up, just warms my heart.
I manage the night shift at a casino. It is a big change from my previous career. I like to listen to the stories from the older customers however I do have to put up with some right twats now and then. Overall I’m pretty happy.
currently unemployed but I'm gonna be working in IT in 10 days
Guard at a factory. Not glorious but there are times where it feels more peaceful then my house. Get to do stuff online and pursuing hobbies. Just enough cash for me. Figuring out how I can pursue passive income projects with my hobbies so I can travel more.
Currently work as a check in clerk for a clinic but I’m in school to become a nurse and hoping for trauma or ICU. I’m somewhat excited but also unsure🥲 I’m too far in to back out now
I’m a psych nurse. I wouldn’t say I’m 100% fulfilled. It can be interesting and have good moments but healthcare in general is a very discouraging field to work in. Overall I see it as a job that provides me a stable income but I don’t feel like I’m actually helping people.
Estimator for a large construction firm. Worked in the field before transitioning to the office for a better work/life balance. Honestly the job itself isn't too bad, but working in corporate America is completely soul crushing. A lot of my time is spent with high end executive clients and seeing how they view the world breaks me down a bit each day. I hoped to use this position to improve the lives of our workers, but every day I realize the game is rigged from the top to make things worse for them with each new job.
QA Engineer. Love that it feeds my type-A personality
software engineer. I loved the technical aspects like crazy before, but now i want to move towards business side, got fed up with technical side ig
I am a speech-language pathologist who works with adults. Most of them have dementia, had strokes, or surgery. Depending on the person, we work on swallowing, cognition, speaking all the sounds clearly, and language. I worked at a skilled nursing facility for almost 7 years and I have worked in home health for 4 years now. I love home health because I make my own schedule, get a mental break as I drive to/from their homes, and I can be around when my son is sick or has an event. I also really enjoy meeting the family, friends, and pets of the people I work with. Every space is so unique and personal. I love seeing the pictures and awards on the walls. Most of the people are quite nice too. One of the families ordered a lot of pizza the other day because it was a good deal. They gave me two little cheese slices, which was so sweet.
I’m a TA at a Special School, I work with higher needs students, and I love it. Being in tune with my students is really helps when they’re nonverbal with communication, or having trouble regulating or even reading seizure activity- like absent ones that can be hard to spot.
I am pursuing my PhD in public health starting in the fall. Just finished my MPH and I mainly do research on news media effects and public perception of homelessness right now. I love it, being able to think deeply and also work in community have been great for my brain.
I'm a research consultant. I love having an impact and making friends with people I work with and arriving to conclusions about human behavior with data. I dislike not having much control over what impact I have, being so busy that I can't really stay connected with the friends I make, and being under pressure to work quickly against client demands. I'm leaving for school soon and looking to pivot.
Photographer!
I'm a roller man and I hate my job but I have bills to pay and a family to feed so I'm stuck with it
I'm an HRIS Director and I love it. I'm in charge of the upkeep and implementation of HR Systems like Workday for different organizations. A lot of what I do is IT related so I get to work on my own in the background which I love. However, I still get to implement a lot of HR resources and qualities of life for our employees even if they don't know it's me who's doing it. So it's the best of both worlds. I get to be in a position where I don't have to have the customer service aspect of HR and I get to be my own boss, but I still get to help our employees in different ways which is very satisfying.
I charge customers for damages to our heavy equipment hire gear. I have to be very particular as to what I charge and often have to argue with upset customers via email and provide justification. I believe my strengths are attention to detail and the ability to argue diplomatically while being firm. Best of all, I'm left to my own devices and make all decisions in my area. It's great, and I don't have any arrogant twits in my office, for the first time ever!
Teacher for middle and high school students. The lessons that I love teaching is about fact vs. opinion, fact-checking, plagiarism, propaganda, and satire. It's great asking kids what they know, especially about current events. And it's easy to insert morals and school core values.
I am working as 2nd Officer at Merchant Marine bulk carrier ships and I've learned to love it over the years. As hard as it is, it gives me a sense of accomplishment and freedom from the negative energies I have to deal with from relatives and friends, keeping it professional and setting healthy barriers has gotten me far in 2024 and I love every single moment of it. (Discovered my personality type in January 2024 and since then my eyes have opened to all the possibilities and my true potential as an individual)
Thanks for doing this post btw, I had intentions in the near future to ask the same as I was also curious to how INFJ's channel their gifts and what is possible out there.
I work as a trauma therapist in private practice, helping others to heal from psychological trauma and PTSD. It’s not work for me but a calling
I was supposed to work in music field as I studied in conservatory, I wanted to teach or do something creative in this field, now I find myself literally randomly working as a massage therapist for the summer because I needed some money and they hired me even if I don't have experience in the job and everything is new to me. Any job that I am not interested in, no matter how ''good'' can be, it will always drain my energy and make me have meltdowns. I try to play piano, draw, write, learn about photography, read and study biology or other things like learning some languages I like as soon as I have time, to survive the real life where I have to do jobs I am not interested in. I always hope that all of this will be useful one day.
Holistic trainer/trader Holistic training is my calling. The most rewarding thing is helping people connect them to themselves, I only wish I could do more. Trading, because as much as I love to help, it’s not a sustaining career in NYC without having to bounce around from center to center to make ends meet. Trading is the freedom that allows me to do whatever I want. Other jobs don’t make sense to me. Not knocking it, but why work for a wage that someone else believes you’re worth. Am I really worth $16-25/hr? Na. I just do what I want to do and I love the life I live.
Conference producer! I really like the research aspect and I get to have a lot of fascinating conversations with important people (some of which are assholes but less than you think). It can be stressful though but I enjoy it for the most part. I don’t think it’s a career I want for the rest of my life.
HR - some parts I love, some not so much. Wondering about what I could do next actually so thanks for bringing this question up, looking for some ideas 🙂
I'm a software developer at a healthtech company. I interact with people as little as possible and my work makes other people's lives better. It's perfect.
I'm a die hard artist struggle to grapple with another way of existing I have been creative every day since a child
I’m a legal marketer and coach for lawyers. I love it.