INTJ Jobs to Avoid

If you’re an INTJ or manage people with this personality type you’re probably wondering what the typical INTJ jobs to avoid are. Starting off in a career that works to a person’s strengths is incredibly important if they are to feel motivated and bring the best out of themselves.

INTJs are great at implementing creative and effective solutions to problems. They are able to look at the larger picture and make logical, management decisions that help a business to grow.

Sticking someone with this personality type behind a desk or with a mountain of repetitive tasks in front of them will bore them quickly. They deserve trust and respect from their peers and will go to great lengths not to let anyone down.

INTJs are known as ‘The Scientists’. The four pillars of this personality type are broken down as follows:

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

(N) Intuitive – focus on the bigger picture, not the specifics and smaller details.

(T) Thinkers – use logic to make decisions over speculation.

(J) Judging – plans, organizes, and orderly.

You can see from this breakdown that being introverts and judges they like to manage their own workload or as part of a small team. Their ideal working environment is organized, structured, and surrounded by competent like-minded people.

Careers INTJ Should Avoid

By looking at the characteristics of this personality type you can draw some conclusions on the kind of careers are bad choices from the offset. I can also draw on some experience from working with people and coaching them in their chosen careers.

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

Television Personality

Being introverted it’s going to be a challenge for an INTJ to make a career out of any form of television work. It’s always possible of course and there are some famous actors and singers that fit this type. But getting over the initial nerves and past those bright lights will not come naturally to most.

Executive Personal Assistant

Being a PA to a company exec often looks like an exciting opportunity from the outside. While an INTJ is good at organizing and planning, they will get bored by this kind of role and also their preference to look at the bigger picture will cause some problems.

Nurse/Medical Assistant

The word ‘assistant’ in the title usually raises a red flag to INTJs. They are much more motivated by having some responsibility and control rather than assisting someone else and doing the ‘legwork’. There are varying levels of responsibility to nursing, and as such, there is a correlation between their motivation and the degree of responsibility.

Receptionist

Receptionist duties, much like being a PA involves a lot of repetitive tasks that an INTJ will be very competent at, but will not get enough stimulation to stay motivated. They would much rather get hands on and help than refer calls and inquiries to other departments.

Waiter/Waitress

Being an introvert it’s always going to be a challenge working in the service industry. It’s fair to say they will not be making as much in tips and a social butterfly with an extroverted personality. They are much more at home managing the staff and growing the business.

INTJ Famous People

Looking at famous people of a particular personality type is always interesting. You can see how what we know about them and their careers lineup with the personality. Here is a diverse selection of famous INTJ personalities. Take a look and see if any are really surprising:

• Mark Zuckerberg – CEO and Co-founder of Facebook
• Nikola Tesla – Inventor
• Stephen Hawking – Physicist
• Anders Breivik – Terrorist
• Jodie Foster – Actress
• Arnold Schwarzenegger – Actor and former U.S. Governor

Best Jobs and Career Choices for INTJs

Here are some of the best-suited jobs and careers for this personality type:

• Accountant
• Computer Hardware Engineer
• Computer Programmer/IT Consultant
• Architect
• Mathematician
• Tax Examiner

INTJ Career Choices in Summary

An INTJ in the right job or on the right career path has a lot to offer an organization. They are passionate, enjoy helping others, and with their hard-working and logical traits, they are always welcome on teams.

If you’re an INTJ or have them in your organization it’s important you know how to use their strengths and bring out the best in them. Avoid the jobs and lines of work that are not suitable for INTJs.