The INTJ Career Path

General Overview

INTJs can be found in a variety of job settings because they have a unique ability to analyze any career they find interesting and put together an organized plan for how they can do the job efficiently and well. This process takes time and a lot of focus for this type, but it’s a process that INTJs find highly rewarding as well as the best way to ensure their own efficiency and job satisfaction. And the INTJ will bring this high degree of analysis and creativity to every workplace they’re a part of. This high degree of rationality doesn’t always make them the most popular workmates, they aren’t particularly warm or empathetic and usually dislike the idea of socializing while they’re trying to work. But their amazing ability to think, understand, and improve systems is often welcome in any workplace or field.

Tips for Job Interviews

INTJs don’t have strong communication skills and they don’t like to socialize. These two factors can make job interviews difficult and stressful for them. An INTJ will never attend a job interview for a position that they aren’t absolutely sure they can do. One of the strengths of this type is that they usually have an in-depth understanding of their own skills and abilities that few can match. But they may have trouble expressing their suitability or connecting with their interviewer. INTJs can overcome this by accepting that they won’t connect socially or emotionally with their interviewer and focusing on the practical aspects of the encounter. Before an interview they should write down the skills and experiences they need to highlight and practice answering questions about them. This will help them to hone what they want to say so they make the best impression on the day.

Best Careers for the INTJ

INTJs prefer to work alone. Their dominant function, introverted intuition, works best this way. It needs time and space to consider ideas and connect them and make projections into the future. Because of it, INTJs often find themselves in freelance work, or in other fields where they can work on their own. They enjoy being able to cultivate their own thoughts in silence, and to follow the directions of their unique and sometimes quirky intuition. An INTJ who follows this tendency will usually find themselves valued for their skills as well as very content following the path their mind naturally follows.

INTJs like to solve problems and they’re extremely good at it as well. Their auxiliary function is extraverted thinking, which analyzes the systems around them and designs new and more efficient ones. This makes them very good at any job in which they have to think about what they’re doing, use their creativity to explore new and better ideas, or connect old ideas to make something new. And this can be useful in almost any field.

Unsuitable Careers for the INTJ

INTJs are the original loners and, to put it bluntly, are not cut out for roles that require a lot of interaction with others. This doesn’t mean that INTJs don’t like to socialize, they can be very social in the right circumstances, but to work to their best they need quiet and isolation. This is what gives most INTJs their incredible grasp of future trends and tendencies, but a lot of work environments stifle this natural ability. For this reason they’re unlikely to fit with administrative roles, human resources, or those that demand a competitive environment with a lot of networking and teamwork.

Workplace Roles

INTJs can be good bosses, though it isn’t their natural role. They prefer to work in isolation, often finding themselves naturally drawn to freelance roles, and the idea of interacting with a team and inspiring them is enough to scare an INTJ away for good. That doesn’t mean they can’t lead a team of course. INTJs can be strict but fair bosses. They’re not the warmest people in this role, but they have the ability to see the potential in people and to push them to reach those heights. And this can be of great benefit in any type of company.

INTJs often find themselves in menial jobs for a long time because they have difficulty translating and expressing the results of their unusual minds. This makes them very reluctant to network and share their ideas, and can leave them languishing in obscurity. But even in these roles INTJs will find a way to get some satisfaction from optimizing the systems around them and making everything run smoothly. And often, once their bosses see the results of their organization, they’ll start to move up the career ladder into a position that’s more commensurate with their skills and abilities.

That being said, INTJs don’t usually mind working under someone else as long as they deem them competent to do so. INTJs have a habit of carefully tracking the decisions and skills of others, and will quickly lose respect for someone if it becomes clear that they’re not suitable for the job, or if the INTJ believes they could do a better job. And if they make that discovery, it’s best if the INTJ moves on before they start to voice those opinions to anyone who will listen.

Final Thoughts

INTJs have their issues in their career, usually to do with the social aspects, but in the work itself they’re usually hyper competent. This is a point of pride to an INTJ, and they’ll put in a great deal of work to ensure it happens. This makes their working life a source of great satisfaction and growth for most INTJs, which will make them happy and productive workers.

References

1. Dr Drenth, A. J. “Introverted Intuition (Ni)“. (Retrieved Mar 2018).
2. “Extraverted Thinking (Te)“. (Retrieved Mar 2018).
3. “INTJ – The Mastermind“.
4. “The INTJ in the Workplace“.
5. “The INTJ as an Entrepreneur“.
6. “Best Jobs For Your Personality“.