The INFJ personality type is one of the rarest, making up less than 1% of the population. These rare individuals are highly intuitive and feelers who enjoy helping others, but they often struggle to find careers that fit their unique needs. Here are some perfect career paths for INFJs:
-Counselor or therapist: INFJs make excellent counselors because they have a deep understanding of how people operate, and they’re naturally empathetic. They can help others with their problems by listening to them and offering advice based on their own experiences.
-Teacher: INFJs are excellent at explaining concepts in ways that are easy for others to understand. In addition, they love helping children learn new things, as well as teaching adults.
-Writer: INFJs love writing about what’s happening in the world around them, which makes them great journalists or authors. They also enjoy writing about themselves and their feelings.
Perfect Careers For Infp
There are several factors to consider when choosing a career. Often taking a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire—which provides insights into a person’s psychological preferences and decision-making process—can help. By understanding the characteristics of your personality type, you can look for INFP careers that are a good fit for your natural strengths and preferences.
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INFP personality overview
INFP—introversion, intuition, feeling and perceiving—are highly curious, inquisitive and innovative individuals that are usually optimistic and inspiring team members. INFPs comprise just 2% of the population. They are highly creative, easily find connections in hidden patterns and enjoy abstract thinking.
In professional environments, INFPs tend to focus on the bigger picture and aren’t as concerned with the details. They aspire to change the world and seek to learn new things. While INFPs typically bring enthusiasm and intensity to projects, they can find it difficult to sustain their excitement over long periods.
Related: The 16 Myers Briggs Personality Types: What They Are and What They Mean
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Careers for INFP personality types
Like ENFPs, research suggests that INFPs perform well in jobs that are both creative and tied to personal meaning. However, unlike extroverted ENFPs, INFPs don’t mind time alone. Because INFPs are sensitive to the emotions of others, their supportive nature makes them valuable members of any team.
Here is a list of some of the best INFP careers:
Arts and humanities
To others, INFPs often seem reserved, especially to those who do not know them well. Success in the Arts comes naturally to INFPs due to their seemingly endless creative talent, but their desire for solitude usually finds them backstage or crafting their art in solitude. For those considering INFP jobs in an artistic field consider the following:
Related: All About the INFP Personality Type
Commercial media and communications
Because INFPsare skilled at making connections, they enjoy reading and discussing complex topics. INFPs thrive in creative problem-solving environments and are often talented at foreign languages and visual arts. These skills make them well-suited for many careers within commercial media and communications:
- Copywriter
- Editor
- Graphic designer
- Photographer
- Film editor
- Videographer
- Interpreter or translator
- Editorial director
Business and technology
Today’s businesses are diverse and, often, technology-focused. While INFPs tend to avoid high-stress sales or customer-facing roles, there are many functions within a business or non-profit organization that rely on their creative, sensitive and big-picture thinking. Here are some careers to consider:
- Technical writer
- Content strategist
- Human resources manager
- Fundraising manager
- UX designer
- Design technologist
Related: How To Find the Best Jobs for You
Education and healthcare
INFPs are highly attuned to the emotions of others as well as their own. They will make an extra effort to ensure others’ emotional needs are met and are well-suited for both education and certain fields in health care, such as counseling or therapy. INFPs are comfortable in quiet spaces and they naturally enjoy one-on-one conversations.
- Librarian
- Museum curator
- Archivist
- Guidance counselor
- Mental health professional
- Physical therapist
- Massage therapist
- Speech-language pathologist
Which careers should INFPs avoid?
Matching your career path with your natural abilities and personality type may give you a better chance at overall professional satisfaction. While any personality type can succeed in any environment, INFPs may want to avoid open office environments found in many corporations. They often crave alone time and may be more productive in quieter spaces. They often find sales positions draining or stressful, and fields such as law enforcement or performing for large audiences can also be challenging for their disposition. If you’re considering INFP careers, avoid these positions:
Related: Best Careers for ENFP Personalities
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Making the most of your Myers-Briggs
Every personality type has traits that manifest differently depending on what’s happening around you. As you apply your understanding of your personality type to the workplace, it’s useful to consider how you might react on good and bad days.
INFP on a good day
- Working alone on creative, long-term thinking and planning
- Evaluating creative work such as the design of a new webpage or book cover
- Having meaningful, one-on-one conversations with colleagues, clients or patients
INFP on a bad day
- Working on budgets and other highly detailed tasks
- Feeling unprepared for a high-pressure meeting with a large group
- Facing rejection for a creative idea or proposal
When determining the best careers for INFP personalities, the path to success involves integrating their strong internal value system and creative instincts. Their values and intuitions guide INFPs, and long-term success will be best achieved by finding jobs that naturally rely on these strengths.
