Our work takes up a third of our lives. Therefore, it is crucial to be satisfied with our careers. But how do we achieve this?
Matching your job with your personality is a prerequisite of a contended life. There are several means at your disposal to determine your personality, the career you enjoy, and how to work well within your specific personality type. BrainManager can guide you on this path.
The first such tool is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It categorizes people as one of 16 personality types.
Today, we’ll focus on the INFP personality type. Learn about INFPs’ traits and, most importantly, the best jobs to pursue based on the type’s strengths.
INFP Personality Overview
The Myers-Briggs system assigns personalities based on four key traits that describe how an individual learns, responds, and behaves.
Do you think you might be an INFP? Take our 16 personality test to be sure these are the skills and personality traits you possess and can showcase to make yourself attractive to potential employers.
For the INFP, the key traits are:
- (I) Introversion: Being introverted means you’re energized by spending time alone. Often, such individuals find it draining to spend lots of time around many people. They tend to be reserved and quiet and excel in independent or remote environments where they work alone. But they can also collaborate with others who share their values.
- (N) Intuition: People with this characteristic spend most of their time working out patterns and connections. They approach a problem with an open mind to gain a better understanding. They also tend to focus on the big picture; hence, they are fearless in developing unique or unorthodox solutions.
- (F) Feeling: Emotions are important to you, and your decisions are more influenced by concern for others than being objective. You typically won’t do anything that might negatively affect others. While this is a noble trait, it can be a weakness when others try to exploit your kindness.
- (P) Perceiving: Lastly, INFPs are spontaneous, adaptable, and flexible. They’re often excited by new and interesting ideas and don’t thrive in planned, organized, or fact-driven situations.
While these are the key traits of an INFP, they don’t capture the whole essence of this personality type. This is where the archetypes of the “Mediator” or “Healer” come in to give further characteristics.
INFPs are known as the Mediator or Healer because of their:
- Empathy: As mentioned earlier, INFPs care about other people’s feelings. Not only that, they can experience them as well, thus allowing for a deeper connection with other people.
- Personal values: INFPs possess strong value systems and are focused on making the world a better place. They like using their skills and knowledge to help others grow and heal, hence the name ‘the Healer.’ They are passionate about defending their beliefs and advocating for others while being open-minded and non-judgmental.
- Communication skills: Despite being introverted, INFPs are excellent communicators. Their empathetic nature allows them to relate to people and makes them great listeners, which is vital for effective communication.
You can read more about these and other Healers’ characteristics in our article on INFPs.
Types of INFPs
As with any personality type, INFPs sit on a broad spectrum that ranges from assertive to turbulent. The scale represents an individual’s confidence in their abilities and how they react to things.
Assertive (INFP-A)
Assertive identities tend to be more positive and confident in what they offer the world. They’re happy to make decisions independently and are motivated to reach their goals. On the other hand, their empathetic nature can make them overlook or ignore problems or hostile working environments.
Turbulent (INFP-T)
Turbulent identities tend to be more sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. This tendency increases their emotional intelligence and empathy, making them better listeners and team players than their INFP-A counterparts.
But they are also less sure about their abilities and contributions, which can lead to much self-criticism. They struggle with confidence in the workplace, thus needing a lot of validation from others.
On the bright side, if INFP-Ts learn to treat themselves with kindness as they do others, their need for perfection can encourage them to strive for excellence. Exceptional achievements are a sure result of such an attitude.
Neither of the two INFP subcategories is better than the other (just like extroverts are not better than introverts). Each group has unique traits that can lead to a successful career. So, there is no need to try to be someone you’re not.
What’s important is to fully understand who you are and learn how to leverage your traits in the workplace. The best way to achieve this is to use the leading theory on the relationship between personalities and careers — Holland’s theory of occupational choice.
If you are unsure which of Holland’s types you might be, take BrainManager’s Career Aptitude Test and find out. The result will complement your MBTI score and deepen your understanding of your career preferences and where in your core they might lie.
And how do INFPs act at work?
What Is an INFP Personality Type Like at Work?
All personality types exhibit strengths and weaknesses that affect their personal and work life. And understanding what these are will help you identify a healthy versus toxic work environment.
Here are some things that INFPs will offer and expect from their careers:
- Creative: One of the defining traits of the INFP personality type is their creative flair. Their introversion and intuition preferences encourage their natural talent for artistic expression. With this strength, the best work environment for INFPs allows them to express themselves and their ideas freely. A dull, rigid routine job will not do it for an INFP. That said, one can always make a tedious job fun and creative for themselves.
- Imaginative: INFPs have a unique perspective on the world. They like to imagine an ideal world, think outside the box to come up with original solutions, and challenge what’s commonplace.
- Open-minded: INFPs are empathetic, allowing them to readily embrace new ideas and concepts.
- Idealistic: This personality is energized by ideals and high principles and doesn’t shy away from putting in effort and time to fight for a cause.
- Integrity: An INFP values authenticity and has strong values. But they are also accepting and non-judgmental of others. They will happily compromise to help others or reach a goal.
- Dedicated: INFPs are not driven by money or status but are dedicated and passionate about achieving goals that align with their values.
- Motivated: INFPs are committed to their and others’ growth and potential. This commitment makes them a good source of hope and motivation in the workplace.
- Flexible: If there’s a personality type that will strongly advocate for work-from-home trends, it’s the INFP. Flexible hours mean more freedom to express themselves. Additionally, this personality is open-minded, spontaneous, and accommodating in their schedule. They appreciate and understand other people’s uniqueness; hence, they are more tolerant of differences of opinion in the workplace.
- Problem-solver: INFPs enjoy problem-solving. But their ability to look at the bigger picture, paired with creativity and unconventional thinking, allows them to develop innovative solutions to work problems in the workplace. Their intuition is handy when making tough calls to ensure their decisions are well thought out while considering how they will affect others.
Potential Areas of Improvement for an INFP at Work
Knowing your weaknesses is also helpful in a job search. Such awareness will help you avoid specific jobs and indicate areas for improvement to ensure success.
Here are some potential INFP weaknesses in the workplace:
- Lack of structure/disorganization: The Mediator may be creative and able to think outside the box, but this also means they are likely to get lost in thought or distracted by the many new ideas coming up. Using the right time management technique can give you some structure and help you stay on track and be productive in the workplace.
- Self-isolation: Introversion makes an INFP so immersed in their internal world that sometimes they forget about what’s happening on the outside.
- Excessive self-criticism: The INFP’s empathetic nature is a considerable strength but can also be a weakness. They tend to blame themselves and be extremely self-critical. As a result, they seek validation from others and struggle with creating boundaries. This behavior can pose a problem if an INFP is in a highly competitive and critical work environment.
- Unrealistic/impractical thinking: Because a bigger cause or vision drives them, INFPs can set unreasonable or unrealistic goals. This may also lead to neglecting smaller tasks that don’t fit into their big picture.
5 Best Careers for INFP Personality Type
Having learned the strengths and weaknesses of people with an INFP personality, let’s jump to jobs that match their traits.
1. Arts
Thanks to their strong imagination and endless creative talent, INFPs excel in jobs in the arts field. Their empathetic nature and ability to connect with others means they can create art that touches people (something Enneagram 4 also aspires to do). Additionally, most arts jobs are freelance or independent contractors, which fits nicely in the INFP’s preference to work autonomously.
Examples of jobs in the arts field that INFPs can pursue include:
- Musician
- Photographer
- Illustrator
- Content writer/editor
- Interior designer
- Graphic designer
2. Media and Communications
Because the Mediator has excellent communication skills and is skilled at making connections, they are well-suited for careers within commercial media and communications, such as:
- Photographer
- Film editor
- Videographer
- Interpreter or translator
- Editorial director
- Journalist
3. Education
A job in education can be quite fulfilling for the Helper as it involves improving young lives. Being a teacher requires patience, compassion, and understanding, all qualities this personality possesses. Additionally, their creative juices will help them develop ways to keep learning exciting and impactful things. INFPs will encourage students to think outside the box and grow into their best selves.
You can become a special education teacher for a deeper reward and connection. This job typically involves working in small groups or one-on-one with those who need help and support, thus fulfilling the Helper’s introversion preference.
Small class sizes at the university can also suit the introverted personality. As a university professor, you can pursue research interests, design courses, and engage with students authentically.
4. Business and Technology
Today’s businesses are diverse and focus a lot on technology. While the Helper tends to avoid high-stress jobs or customer-facing roles, several areas within a company require creative and big-picture thinking.
INFPs value independence and flexibility, and being an entrepreneur allows them to set goals, projects, and schedules. This personality can also turn their ideas into reality and channel their creativity into creating a unique product.
Within a business, INFPs can pursue a career in human resources where they can help job seekers find fulfilling jobs. Plus, many HR jobs involve creative thinking, problem-solving, and creating a positive work environment. This fits perfectly into the INFP’s desire to ensure everyone’s happiness and success.
5. Helping Professions
The Healer is known for their empathetic and compassionate traits. They are also excellent listeners, open-minded, and non-judgmental. Therefore, they are like fish in the water in helping professions.
Examples of jobs in the healthcare field that play to their strengths include physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychiatrist, dietician, nutritionist, and speech-language pathologist.
An INFP’s empathetic, sensitive, and compassionate nature also extends to animals. These traits make them ideal for vet work.
Social work is also excellent for The Mediator thanks to their compassion and excellent interpersonal and listening skills. This personality is also open-minded and non-judgmental, and this job allows them to help others and positively impact the world.
Here are some ideas of great fields for INFPs:
- Social Worker
- School Psychologist or Guidance Counselor
- Career Counselor
- Clinical Psychologist
- Couples Therapist
- Divorce Mediator
INFP Careers to Avoid
You can develop skills to succeed in different occupations regardless of your personality. Still, there are certain fields an INFP might want to avoid because they are inconsistent with their personality.
The Healer should stay away from competitive jobs that are solely results-driven. Such jobs are very consumerist and create little to no positive impact on people’s lives.
It would also be wise to avoid data-driven and repetitive roles that don’t support your creative needs. Most INFPs won’t thrive in an overly structured or high-stress environment or where there’s pressure to conform to a particular way of thinking.
With that in mind, here are some careers the Healer would be well advised to avoid:
- Sales
- Performer
- Accounting/Finance
- Military/Police officer
- Attorney/Judge
Keep in mind that we are all unique, and other factors influence which careers are the best for us as individuals. For example, actor Keanu Reeves shows many characteristics of being an INFP, and look how successful his performing career has been.
If any of these professions strike a chord with you, go for it! If something really matters to you, you will be able to do what it takes to develop your strengths and overcome your weaknesses!
Making the Most of Your Myers-Briggs Personality
Whether you came across this article looking to make a career change or are a fresh graduate trying to navigate the job market, we hope it helped you find a job that aligns with your nature as an INFP.
Finding a career that matches your personality is vital for achieving career satisfaction and success. The more you understand your profile, the better career choices you can make. There are many personality tests, and all you need to do is leverage their different approaches.
As the first step to avoid job dissatisfaction, frustration, and feeling unfulfilled, we recommend you utilize Holland’s work on career preferences.
Hopefully, this article has provided some potential career paths you, as an INFP, might want to pursue.
Understanding the relationship between your personality and career can help you find a job you genuinely enjoy and tell yourself: “I can’t believe I’m being paid to do this!”
