Tag Archives: introversion

5 Careers for Introverts (Guest Post)

Posted in careers, college, education, going to grad school, high school, jobs for students, school, Uncategorized by

By Jep Barroga.  Jep is a freelance writer for a Malaysian personal finance portal, writing blog posts like the perks of working from home. If he’s not busy writing, you can find him reading articles from Cracked.com and listening to alternative music.

It’s not easy landing your dream job, especially if you’re the timid, shy type—or an introvert, so to speak. Unlike extroverts who have no problems mingling with other people and networking with fellow professionals, introverts are often not so adept at the social skills required to build bigger networks of their own, since most of them have reserved personalities.

Sometimes it can be hard to be a solitary thinker.

Sometimes it can be hard to be a solitary thinker.

I’m an introvert myself and I’ve found my calling as a freelance writer and social media specialist, which allows me to work remotely for clients from anywhere around the world. There are lots of jobs that are best suited for your personality; jobs that can give you the stimulation you crave and allow you to hone your creativity. The following are some ideal careers for introverts:

If you love numbers

Financial Analyst
This job requires you to evaluate a wide scope of data related to business trends, stocks, bonds, and financial statements. Creating financial reports is also important in this type of work.

Accountant
Accountancy is perfect for introverts who have a passion for numbers. Accountants are mostly left alone in their own cubicles, at their computers, where they must evaluate and decode piles of documents. This type of job requires you to spend most of your time dealing with data and calculations. Most days, accountants do what they need to do with few distractions. Interaction with other people is minimal, although you’ll occasionally have to meet with clients or supervisors.

If you have a passion for the written word

Writer
This is one of the most popular types of job for introverts nowadays—particularly those who love to read and write. For people who have a passion for writing, being a website content or technical writer is ideal. This job may sometimes require you to be skilled at marketing. Some companies even offer telecommuting benefits as long as you’re able to meet deadlines.

If you love science

Medical Technician
This job is ideal for introverts who want to go into the medical field. It requires you to collect lab samples, analyze the records, and work behind the scenes to deal with laboratory processes, x-rays, and other test results. You may have to report to doctors, nurses and other professionals about the patient’s lab results, but you will spend most of your time in the laboratory.

If you love art

Graphic Designer
This is a skill-based career. This type of work requires you to spend hours at your desk and computer and formulate a cool image or infographics for clients. You can specialize in areas such as web design or web architecture, which will help you express your ideas digitally, if not on paper or canvas. The great thing about this job is that you only meet with clients and supervisors to have your submissions reviewed or to get feedback on your work.

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” as the great Confucius said. The jobs mentioned are some ideal careers for introverts. However, if your passions lie elsewhere, you may try to improve your communication skills and minimize your timid traits so that it will be easier for you to get hired in the profession you want.

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Introverts Unite!

Posted in education, grades, review, sociology by

I love the article “The Upside of Being an Introvert (And Why Extroverts Are Overrated)” by Bryan Walsh in Time magazine. I’m glad that people are finally starting to give introverts their due. I am an introvert to the extreme – I got the highest possible score for introversion on the Myers-Briggs personality test. Ten times out of ten, I would rather stay home with a good book than go to a party. That’s not to say that I’m a social outcast or don’t know how to behave around people. I just find it hard to be around large groups of people for long periods of time. I can force myself, but it’s not pleasant. I suspect that there’s a connection between introversion and academic performance. Introverts like solitude, and solitude leads to mastery of skills. As Mr. Walsh writes:

Florida State University psychologist K. Anders Ericsson believes that deliberate practice — training conducted in solitude, with no partner or teammate — is key to achieving transcendent skill, whether in a sport, in a vocation or with a musical instrument. In one study, Ericsson and some of his colleagues asked professors at the Music Academy in Berlin to divide violinists into three groups, ranging from those who would likely go on to professional careers to those who would become teachers instead of performers. The researchers asked the violinists to keep diaries and found that all three groups spent about the same amount of time — more than 50 hours a week — on musical activities. But the two groups whose skill levels made them likelier to play well enough to perform publicly spent most of their time practicing in solitude.

Unfortunately it’s getting harder and harder to escape the distractions of group work. This is true in school and even more so in the workplace. I hope that writers like Mr. Walsh and Malcolm Gladwell (who wrote about a similar subject in Outliers) will convince people of the power of being alone.

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