The Best Careers for an INFJ

12 of the Top Jobs for People with the INFJ Personality Type

What’re the best careers for an INFJ?

No one-size-fits-all INFJ career exists. If you want to find the right work for you, you’ve got to consider your…

  • passions
  • interests
  • life-experience
  • gifts
  • etc.

And I’m a big believer in the idea that you could do many jobs in any field, so long as they honor your unique, INFJ wiring.

But after doing some research, it’s clear that some careers for an INFJ are often better than others. Let’s explore 12 popular ones.

What are the best careers for an INFJ? The ones that will energize and suit your personality? Check out this article to learn about 12 popular careers for the INFJ personality type.

1. Coach

INFJs excel at understanding others and helping them “get” themselves. They also love to see others’ grow and reach their potential. For the most part, INFJs enjoy deep, meaningful conversations. And they enjoy working with people who are motivated.

That’s why coaching is one of the best careers for an INFJ. It allows him or her to invest in a few relationships, deliver customized feedback and support, and inspire positive life change. Coaching is a wonderful opportunity for INFJs to combine their top cognitive functions, or mindsets – introverted intuition (Ni) and extroverted feeling (Fe). And because many INFJs already fill this role for friends and family, the work comes naturally to them.

2. Writer

As dominant intuitives, INFJs love ideas. Many also love to play with words. Additionally, INFJs’ introverted intuition makes them amazingly curious, visionary, eloquent in writing, and good with symbols and metaphors. These abilities combine to make INFJs excellent writers – especially non-fiction writers.

If an INFJ is interested in a topic, he or she will naturally spend hours researching it and learning about it from a variety of different angles. Spending 3, 4, or 5 hours alone investigating a topic or problem is energizing for most INFJs. And once the research is done, INFJ help others with what they’ve learned, while doing it in a way that honors their introversion and desire to influence others.

3. Marketer

INFJs also enjoy figuring out what makes other people tick, and they’re good at it! They can’t get enough psychology, and they’re natural people watchers. Since INFJs are also great writers, copywriting tends to be something they do well. It gives them the chance to play with words, tap their understanding of the human psyche, and influence others. This kind of work is a great fit for INFJs so long as it doesn’t violate their consciences.

4. Professor

Would you like to become the foremost expert on a subject you’re passionate about? Then, becoming a professor might be the right career move for you. In general, INFJs enjoy working as professors because of the stimulating conversation, collegial support, research, and relationships with students. Working as a professor may give you more freedom and an opportunity to do what you love.

5. Counselor/Psychologist

Like coaches, counselors and psychologists help people grow, but they tend to address deeper problems and challenges. INFJs enjoy pulling back the surface and getting to the root cause. They don’t mind talking about sticky subjects and can keep private matters confidential. Counselors and psychologists also rely on a thorough understanding of the field of psychology. These aspects of the job make counseling and working as a psychologist excellent careers for an INFJ.

6. Speaker

Even though they’re introverts, INFJs sometimes enjoy public speaking because there are few better ways to impact a large group of people at the same time. Public speaking gives you adequate time to prepare and rehearse your thoughts, and when you share them, you don’t have to worry about being interrupted and losing your train of thought. If you enjoy researching, sharing new ideas, casting vision, and pushing your personal limits, public speaking may be perfect for you.

7. Consultant

While INFJs don’t usually enjoy working as practitioners, they do like helping practitioners work more effectively. Again, this is another way they can apply their coaching and counseling gifts. They may step into an organization for a short time to help a team understand one another and work together more effectively. Or they may offer their insights as former leaders, teachers, business owners, and so on. Consulting also allows INFJs to help and influence others, while still giving them the chance to pull back and spend some time alone.

8. Speech-Language Pathologist

INFJs in the speech-language pathology career field help clients overcome cognitive, communication, and social difficulties. They sometimes diagnose or help to diagnose, and they all develop treatment plans and programs that help clients work through their challenges. INFJs tend to enjoy the one-on-one and small group work in this career. They also like exercising their gifts and interests to change people’s lives in powerful ways.

9. Pastor

INFJs are tuned into spiritual things. They’re sensitive to and curious about the meaning of life and why people exist, so many find great comfort in spiritual things. It’s no surprise then that INFJs tend to encourage spiritual growth in others and some pursue pastoral positions. Pastors counsel, teach, vision-cast, and communicate on a regular basis. They also spend much time researching and preparing for messages in the privacy of their offices.

10. Entrepreneur

Most intuitive types crave freedom and creativity, and the INFJ is no exception. That’s why being your own boss may be one of the best careers for an INFJ.

If you have a hard time forcing yourself into to just one career field, or you want more freedom, then you may want to start your own business. It’ll give you the chance to work on something you’re passionate about. You can write, speak, coach, teach, consult, and more if you like. You decide.

11. Ecologist

Natural beauty energizes the INFJ. It’s hardwired (extroverted sensing – Se) into our personalities. Since spending time in nature refreshes and restores us, some INFJ pursue jobs that let them work outdoors and care for the environment.

As a side note, INFJ ecologists are usually happiest when they have the chance to teach others about the natural work. They need opportunities to learn and influence in addition to the hands-on responsibilities of the job.

12. Artist

Finally, INFJs are drawn to the arts. They may love music, photography, design, painting, sculpting, or another form of creative expression. Art gives INFJs an opportunity to make their visions (Ni) a reality (Se) and influence fans with their work. This may or may not be enough influence for an INFJ.

It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that working as an artist can also be stifling if an INFJ can’ t make a decent living. Introverted intuition works best when a person’s physical needs are met, and it may shut down if he or she is under too much stress. (But this can happen in almost any INFJ career.)

Again, remember that this isn’t an exhaustive list – just a start. INFJs can do many kinds of work so long as it leverages the natural ways they think and operate.

What do you think are the best careers for an INFJ?

If you’d like to do some further reading, I found these resources particularly helpful:

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.