INFP Jobs to Avoid

Our personality type has a huge impact on how and why we choose a career. Or more so, how well we fit with our chosen career. INFPs are passionate, creative, and look for meaning in what they do. So, being aware of INFP jobs to avoid is important if you’re going to avoid being stuck in an unfulfilling career.

I have seen people just banging their heads against a wall wondering why they can’t find any satisfaction in their working careers. One of the main reasons is nearly always due to them working in an industry that just doesn’t fit at all with their personality type.

If you want to give yourself the best chance at finding a career or job that’s going to feel satisfying and motivating, you need to understand your strengths and weakness. What make you tick, what motivates you, and all of this can be achieved through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

INFPs are known as ‘The Idealists’. The meaning of each letter is as follows:

(I) Introverted – quiet and reserved, prefer smaller circles of friends and acquaintances.

(N) – Intuitive – tends to focus on the large picture, looking at the future rather than immediate possibilities.

(F) Feelers – values personal considerations, gives weight to social implications over logic when making decisions.

(P) Perceptive – prefer to keep options open, will stall on decision making.

As you can see from the four preferences that make up this personality type, being idealists INFPs have a lot to offer the right role. They are passionate about what they do, and while being introverted they are loyal and trusting to their circle of friends and acquaintances.

Careers INFP Should Avoid

With the above personality traits in mind, there are some jobs and careers that are just not a good match for INFPs. This doesn’t mean they cannot work in these careers. It does mean however that they are not natural fits and will take more determination to find a high degree of satisfaction.

Here are some jobs to avoid if you’re an INFP:

Law Enforcement

INFPs tend to look at the bigger picture and use their personal considerations when making decisions. This is a recipe for disaster in law enforcement when operating to strict rules and enforcing laws on potentially difficult people in an instant is going to be necessary.

Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur is a lifestyle, a career choice, and requires a particular set of skills. It doesn’t fit well with an INFP as they are not motivated by money and success, more so they look for value and substance to what they do.

Sales Rep

Being a sales rep involves entering a competitive environment and using communication and social skills to sell items to consumers. It’s hard for an INFP to be motivated by monetary targets and beating other people. This isn’t a role they will do well in or last for very long.

Financial Services

Working in financial services often means working with clients on a one-to-one basis to sell financial products, as well as being sensitive to client’s financial situations and making decisions that will benefit them. Finance is logical and methodical, two things that along with preferring to work alone makes this a bad career choice.

Politician

Politicians have to be social by nature and able to address what’s happening and affecting people in the here and now. Most INFPs will be terrified by the prospect of public speaking, being very involved in the local community, and listening to and dealing with issues from people in their area.

INFP Famous People

There are some interesting famous personalities that fit into the INFP personality type. It’s always interesting to see some famous personalities as we know a little about their lifestyles and careers. A few famous personality that fit this personality type include:

• J.R.R. Tolkien – Author of The Lord of the Rings
• J.K. Rowling – Author of the Harry Potter series
• Vincent van Gogh – Artist
• William Shakespeare – Playwright
• John Lennon – Singer/Songwriter
• Marlon Brando – Actor

Best Jobs and Career Choices for INFPs

Some of the best-suited careers and jobs for this personality type include:

• Musicians
• Psychologists
• Teachers
• Social Workers
• Writers/Authors

INFP Career Choices in Summary

It’s important to keep in mind that anyone can successfully work in any role with the right amount of determination. Also, your personality type doesn’t necessarily determine what kind of career interests you.

With this in mind, choosing a career or job that fits with your personality is going to make for a much better fit. You will find the role a lot more interesting, some of the tasks will feel ‘natural’, and be more intuitive, giving you a great deal of motivation and satisfaction.

I know how frustrating it can be finding the right career that inspires you to get up in the morning. By understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and personality traits you can certainly narrow down your options and know which jobs to avoid as an INFP.

Finding the right career can be frustrating and it’s estimated that around 80% of people in the US don’t feel satisfied with their jobs. Don’t let yourself be part of this statistic, be part of the minority that enjoy getting up in the morning and going to work. Be aware of INFP jobs to avoid, and jobs that make a good fit for the personality type.