Finding a job that jives with your personality and work-style preferences can be the difference between career satisfaction and just earning a living. Thus, it pays to evaluate your level of introversion vs. extroversion. You can do this by taking a DISC profile test or even just asking yourself what types of activities bring you more energy and joy. While many people fall somewhere in the middle, others display definite tendencies toward one side or the other.
In general, introverts derive energy from spending time alone. While extroverts feed off of being around others, introverts find crowds taxing and situations requiring too much social engagement draining.
Obviously, no two introverts are exactly alike. However, characteristics often found among introverts include:
- Focusing on their own ideas
- Favoring interaction with one or two people at a time rather than a group
- Preferring writing over talking
- Being reflective and self-aware
- Taking time to think things through when making decisions
- Shunning the spotlight
- Enjoying independent activities
- Liking silence
Plenty of great jobs offer tasks and workplace scenarios in line with these characteristics and preferences. Here’s a look at 10 careers that can be ideal for introverted graduates:
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Writer
Perhaps the most iconic image of an introvert at work is an author holed up in an attic pounding out his latest masterpiece. But writing careers go well beyond trying to produce a best-seller. All sorts of businesses and other organizations hire people to write advertising and public relations copy, speeches, newsletters, and content for websites and social media platforms.
Introverts with a knack for making complex topics understandable thrive as technical writers of manuals, how-to guides, and FAQs. Have a background in a certain subject? Your biology degree or major in economics could be the ticket to writing for an environmental website or a business journal, respectively.
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Content Editor
People with strong writing skills and an eye for detail often make good editors. Whether it’s for electronic publication or a novel, editors oversee the production of content from start to finish. They decide which articles will appear in their employer’s print or web-based publication and assign those topics to other writers. When they receive copy, editors go through it meticulously. They verify facts, check spelling and grammar, and rewrite as necessary to increase the text’s clarity and quality. They decide what visuals will enhance the piece. Most of these tasks are completed independently or through one-to-one correspondence, making editing jobs attractive to introverts. And with online content and SEO such an important part of business, editors are sure to have some job security in the coming years.
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Graphic Designer
Introverts with creative visual talents and tech savvy skills may find great satisfaction in this field, as much of the work is performed independently at a computer. Digital design utilizes graphic design software and computer platforms to create images and improve presentation. Responsibilities vary by employer and role, but here are a few examples:
- Making a website more beautiful and user-friendly
- Designing logos or social media graphics
- Design ads
- Provide animation for movies or video games in the entertainment industry
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Software Engineer
Yes, coming up with software solutions can involve teamwork and client interaction to grasp the nature of the project’s goals. However, many of the actions involved in developing software programs and testing them out for quality, efficiency, and security are solo pursuits. Introverts may enjoy time alone at a computer coding, running checks, gauging user-friendliness, fixing bugs, and exploring possible improvements. You’ll be the one in the office with four monitors always finding ways to solve problems for your company.
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Mechanic or Vehicle Repair
As a child, did you play alone for hours with Hot Wheels? Or take things apart just to find out how they work and then put them back together? Careers in automotive repair provide a similar experience. Introverts who are mechanically inclined and good with their hands may enjoy spending their day hunched over the hood of a car or rolled under a truck. Tasks include installing a new windshield, making a vehicle involved in an accident look and run like new again, or troubleshoot problems with that dreaded check engine light comes on. Trade schools and community colleges offer a variety of programs that train students on everything from basic car maintenance to fixing big rigs.
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Accountant
Favor working with numbers over people? Accounting requires hours alone preparing and examining clients’ financial records, bookkeeping, or taxes. Accounting proves a good match for some introverts. Typical tasks include computing and filing taxes for individuals and/or companies, maintaining information to produce financial statements, and assessing numerical data to offer business or retirement recommendations. People in accounting can increase their job prospects by becoming a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Or to prove your expertise in tax preparation, you can become an Enrolled Agent. Achieving either of these marks of distinction involve coursework beyond an undergraduate degree and passing a national exam. Did we mention that accountants also made the Forbes list of happiest jobs?
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Data Science
With median annual pay over $100,000 per year and projected job growth of 36% over the next decade, all sorts of college graduates may consider data science a field worth exploring. Introverts, however, may find a job that involves independent analysis and interpretation of data especially appealing and intellectually challenging. Data science centers around taking questions an employer wants answered and figuring out solutions based on relevant data. Data scientists often develop predictive models for theorizing and forecasting, which guide business decisions. Thus, they need familiarity with programming languages and data visualization tools.
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Chemistry
Does the idea of working independently in a lab sound appealing? Professionals in the field of chemistry spend much of their time constructing experiments, performing tests, gathering and interpreting data, and writing up results. Places hire chemists to develop products and improve existing ones, analyze substances, and apply knowledge to issues such as food safety and pollution reduction.
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Anesthesiology
For individuals interested in healthcare but don’t want all the interaction with patients, anesthesiology fits the bill. After all, the other party is sedated during much of your time spent together! Anesthesiology involves sedating people for surgical procedures, monitoring them throughout the experience, and making adjustments as necessary.
Decisions about dosages to administer and actions to take during the process are made by an anesthesiologist, a licensed physician who holds a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). Nurse anesthetists – registered nurses who have completed a doctoral program in anesthesiology – carry out similar responsibilities alone or as part of a medical team. Anesthesiology techs are graduates of associate degree programs that teach them how to operate and care for medical equipment.
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Medical Transcription
This last great job for introverts involves taking audio or video files from doctors and other healthcare providers and turning them into written documents. Fast, accurate typists with solid proofreading skills make good transcribers. Material being transcribed can be quite technical. Vocational institutions and community colleges with programs in medical transcription train students in pertinent terminology as well as in proper grammar and punctuation. And while a career in transcription does not involve face-to-face contact, only excellent listeners need apply!