How often do you come across someone who says, "I love my job" or "I have the best job in the world"? You might have an easier job finding a unicorn.
The statistics don't make for pleasant reading either.
According to Gallup, in its 2022 report on the state of the global economy, 60% of workers said they were emotionally detached from work, while 19% said they were miserable at work. In their 2023 report, 60% of workers are quietly quitting their jobs, while 51% of currently employed workers are passively or actively seeking a new job.
We understand that finding THE perfect job may be impossible, but these reports highlight that too many people are dissatisfied with their current positions.
We can accurately conclude that the workers and their organizations were not the right fit. Companies are now looking beyond hard skills and impressive resumes while hiring. Many have adopted personality tests to determine the right fit for their company.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 32% of companies use personality tests when hiring executive-level employees. In comparison, 28% and 20% use the tests for middle-management and non-management roles, respectively. Employers finally realize that personality plays a significant role in choosing the right career.
Burnout has become a common workplace problem worldwide and could result in significant psychological disorders if left untreated. Fortunately, ambiverts do not find it difficult to seek professional help or adopt practices to help tackle burnout. But it all depends on how quickly you notice the signs of burnout before they become severe. Take our burnout test to remain on the safer side.
As an ambivert, you know you can adapt to different work environments, careers, and work demands because you have a balanced personality. Your career options are limitless.
However, finding the very best job or career goes beyond adaptability. You want a job that makes you eager to wake up every morning and resume work. You want a job that inspires you in an environment where you can have alone time when you want and collaborate with others when necessary.
We've devised a list of top careers for ambiverts and another list to avoid.
But first, let's quickly discuss the ambivert's personality traits and answer some questions that should prove helpful in helping ambiverts find the right career.
What Is an Ambivert Person Like?
An ambivert person balances introversion and extroversion and can lean towards either trait depending on the situation.
Because ambiverts possess and can combine extroverted and introverted traits in almost equal measure, they can adapt to conditions where introverts or extroverts typically thrive. They can find pleasure in socializing at parties or staying at home and reading a good book.
When Swiss psychologist Carl Jung introduced introversion and extroversion into psychology in the early twentieth century, he described both traits as a continuum rather than a binary function. According to him, no one is a pure extrovert or introvert, and we all have varying degrees of extroversion and introversion. He believed it is impossible to be a hundred percent of either trait as such a person would be in a lunatic asylum.
Jung’s theory on introversion and extroversion paved the way for more research into personality theories. In 1929, psychologist Kimball Young introduced ambiversion, which he defined as a balance between introversion and extroversion.
You may have come across other terms people use when defining ambiverts. Some of the most common are outgoing introverts, extroverted introverts, introverted extroverts, antisocial extroverts, social introverts, etc.
Want to know more about the ambivert personality spectrum (and how it compares to omniverts)? Read this article.
How Smart Are Ambiverts?
Ambiverts possess the right mix of smartness, intelligence, and creativity. While introverts prefer to process information internally and learn better alone, extroverts want to collaborate and learn in groups. Ambiverts combine the best of both traits by being focused when studying alone and also asking for help from others when necessary.
According to a study by Tretiak and Severynovska (2016), ambiverts perform better academically than introverts and extroverts.
The authors of this study believe ambiverts perform better because they are flexible enough to adapt to the more favorable learning technique. When the work requires studying alone to ensure focus and avoid distraction, they are comfortable doing it. They also do not hesitate when they need to work with others to improve performance.
How Well Do Ambiverts Perform on IQ Tests?
Scientists developed a psychological tool for measuring smartness or intelligence called the intelligence quotient (IQ) test. Most people take IQ tests to understand their capability and identify the areas of intelligence they need to develop further. Your IQ score may tell you how well you comprehend information, make logical decisions, learn from experience, solve problems, and adapt to the environment.
Do you want to see how well you compare to your peers? Take our IQ test and maximize your potential.
Research showed that ambiverts perform better than introverts and extroverts on IQ tests.
A study examining the relationship between personality, intelligence, and visual inspection time showed that ambiverts performed better on IQ tests, specifically verbal and performance measures of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Revised (WAIS–R) and the Raven’s Advance Progressive Matrices (APM).
Are Ambiverts Creative?
Ambiverts possess the required balance for creativity. According to researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, creative people are both introverted and extroverted, but at different times. They need solitude to incubate their ideas and the companionship of people to make them better.
Ambiverts regularly alternate between solitude and companionship, giving them enough time to incubate and brainstorm ideas.
Can Ambiverts Be Successful?
Ambiverts have great potential to succeed in several areas because they can adapt, connect, and contribute effectively. They possess introverted and extroverted traits in similar proportions, which may give them an advantage over others in many situations. They have traits like adaptability, confidence, effective networking, problem-solving, versatility, and managing stress effectively.
Ambiverts also stand out due to their ability to remain effective whether working alone or with others in a group. Most employers can't design the workplace to meet every employee's needs, so having an employee who can adapt to most environments makes all the difference.
Can Ambiverts be Successful at Leadership?
Ambiverts don’t just possess the necessary traits to be good leaders; the statistics say they often make great leaders. Dr. Linda Henman, the founder of Henman Performance Group, revealed that most of the executives she meets are ambiverts.
According to her, these executives have learned to balance their introverted qualities and extroverted traits to succeed in their careers. Although they often prefer to spend time at work alone, interacting with others invigorates them. This scenario shows how highly valued ambiversion is for top management positions.
Can Ambiverts be Successful at Business and Sales?
Psychologists and expert researchers believe ambiverts are likelier to succeed in business and sales than their introverted and extroverted counterparts. Until recently, most people thought that extroverts made better salespeople.
In 2013, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Adam Grant, published a research paper titled “Rethinking the Extraverted Sales Ideal: The Ambivert Advantage.” Grant concluded in his research that ambiverts achieved significantly greater sales productivity than introverts or extroverts.
Grant explained that ambiverts had the advantage because they could alternate effectively between talking and listening. They are assertive and enthusiastic when persuading clients but listen to customer complaints and interests without sounding too enthusiastic or overconfident.
Karl Moore, an associate professor at McGill University, who researched the effects of introverted and extroverted traits in the business world, concluded that blending both types would lead to success in the workplace.
Ambiverts have the natural traits necessary for success and to thrive in business and sales settings. But ultimately, it depends on how determined the individual is to succeed.
Ambiverts at Work: Job Description Skills to Watch For
An ambivert person in the workplace is characterized by flexibility, adaptability, versatility, and well-roundedness. Ambiverts are valuable workers who contribute positively to many aspects of the workplace. They often alternate between focusing on work and interacting with their co-workers to develop a good working relationship and promote togetherness in the workplace.
Some of their most valued qualities in professional settings include:
Communication Skills
When communicating with clients and co-workers, ambiverts display the perfect balance of their speaking and listening skills. They communicate effectively during one-on-one conversations or group discussions. They are equally equipped to be good listeners as they are to speak in front of an audience.
Leadership
Ambiverts know how to motivate their team members and listen to their concerns and suggestions before making critical decisions.
Problem-Solving
Ambiverts are flexible when solving problems. If they can't tackle the problem alone, they engage their co-workers and tackle it together. This allows them to take their well rounded thoughts to a higher level.
Adaptability
Ambiverts can remain effective in various work situations. When a task requires complete focus and concentration, they are up for it. They also participate actively during team-building exercises.
Conflict Resolution
Workers usually choose ambiverts to resolve conflicts at the workplace because their balanced personality allows them to understand both sides and mediate conflicts diplomatically.
5 Best Careers for Ambiverts
Ambiverts have a balanced personality, allowing them to adapt to different work environments and careers. But just because they can work anywhere doesn’t mean they should. If you
When choosing a career, ambiverts must consider factors like the level of social interaction required at work, the tasks involved, and the amount of time alone they can have. They must find a role that aligns with their natural ambiversion tendencies and comfortably balances personal time and social interaction with co-workers and clients. If you lean a bit more toward extroversion, you may want to consider this list of jobs perfect for social butterflies.
They should also evaluate the growth potential of that career and ensure that it allows them to utilize their strengths like communication, leadership, flexibility, problem-solving, etc., and perhaps most importantly, whether they are actually interested in the type of work they will be doing.
Here are five of the most suitable careers for ambiverts.
1. Sales
The sales field remains one of the best ambivert careers because it allows ambiverts to balance introversion and extroversion. Ambiverts listen attentively to understand customer needs and concerns, reflect on customer concerns, formulate effective sales strategies, and deliver a great sales pitch to convince the client about the benefits of a company's products.
Their ability to combine assertiveness and empathy effectively makes them better than other personalities in sales. The flexibility of their personality also comes in handy when it's time to create and prepare the sales reports that such a job requires (something an extrovert would tend to avoid!). They also enjoy interacting with new people and thrive on the small talk required to build trust with new clients, something an introvert salesperson would naturally shy away from.
The best jobs for ambiverts in the sales profession are sales management, sales development representative, sales consultant, inside sales representative, outside sales representative, customer success management, sales operation management, sales director, chief sales officer, etc.
2. Business Management
Ambiverts excel in business management because of their excellent communication skills, leadership, decision-making, conflict-resolution abilities, and versatility. They communicate well with the team members and their superiors. They keep an open door policy where employees are eager to suggest ideas or raise valid concerns because they know the ambivert leader listens.
Ambiverts can lead a diverse team and make the employees all feel comfortable and valued, ensuring the workplace is harmonious and peaceful. They make timely and accurate decisions, keeping the business running smoothly.
The best jobs for an ambivert person in business management include office management, administrative professionals, sales management, project management, human resource management, community management, logistics management, marketing management, etc.
3. Conflict Resolution and Management
People tend to choose ambiverts as mediators when they want to resolve workplace conflicts due to their unique ability to understand different perspectives and find common ground. They are always ready to listen to all sides, empathize with them, and settle the dispute amicably.
The best careers for ambivert personality in the conflict resolution and management field include mediator, facilitator, arbitrator, school counselor, insurance appraiser, contract negotiator, crisis intervention specialist, victim advocate, conflict resolution consultant, humanitarian worker, mediation specialist, community violence specialist, etc.
4. Teaching and Education
There is no one better equipped to deal with students of various personalities in the classroom than ambiverts. Due to their balanced nature, they can tailor their teaching style and lesson plans by incorporating tasks requiring interaction for extroverted students and individual learning for introverted students. It's not that non-ambivert teachers can't do this as well; it's just that for the ambivert person, this comes naturally.
Ambiverts know how to communicate effectively and engage the students when needed. Additionally, the education profession also allows ambiverts to balance their extroversion and introversion. While they must teach a classroom and command their attention, they also get much-needed alone time when planning lessons, grading papers, taking breaks, etc.
The best jobs for ambiverts in the teaching field include middle school teacher, substitute teacher, elementary school teacher, high school teacher, college professor, special education teacher, career coach, teaching assistant, daycare teacher, etc.
5. Public Relations or Social Media Manager
In Public Relations, you need extroverted skills to start conversations, network, and build a vibrant presence. You also need introverted qualities to listen attentively, research in-depth, and develop thought-provoking written communication for your target audience. Fortunately, an ambivert’s ability to seamlessly combine these skills and adapt to various social situations can help them succeed in this field.
The best jobs for ambiverts in the public relations field include media coordinator, publicist, media strategist, public relations and social media manager, public relations coordinator, media director, chief communications officer, social media influencer, social media coordinator, public affairs manager, etc.
Top 3 Careers to Avoid for Ambiverts
Much has been said about the ambivert’s ability to balance introversion and extroversion, making them flexible enough to adapt to jobs tailor-made for introverts and extroverts. However, because ambiverts have a balanced personality, maintaining their energy levels depends on how well they ensure balance in everything they do, including their careers.
Ambiverts can engage in extroverted activities for one or two days but must achieve balance by spending the following day in solitude. Similarly, they can engage in solitary activities for a day or two but soon start craving companionship to achieve balance. Unless anyone can build a fulfilling career in one or two days, we can infer that ambiverts will be poorly suited for entirely introverted or extroverted jobs.
Some examples of jobs that may not be a good fit for an ambivert person include:
- Telemarketing
- Novel writing
- Improv comedy
- Air traffic control
- Tour guide
These professions would be better suited for people with either strong extroverted or introverted tendencies (depending on which job it is).
If a situation requires an ambivert to work in a job that doesn’t match their personality, they can achieve work-life balance by spending time doing things that fulfill the opposite personality traits in their downtime. This is especially true for ambiverts who work in a remote setting; they will definitely need to make time for socializing with friends because their job would provide more than enough alone time. For example, novel writing requires “introvert friendly quietness,” so the extrovert side of the ambivert person would benefit from fun activities that use their social skills.
With that said, if you have ambivert traits, here are the top three professions you may want to avoid.
1. Nightlife Events Promotion
Although ambiverts possess some extroverted qualities, working as a nightlife promoter might be too demanding a job to do every day. Nightlife promoters channel their high extroversion to deal with huge crowds, promote events, interact with partygoers, and meet new faces daily.
This consistent high-energy career may be unsuitable for an ambivert who craves balance. Additionally, the long hours, working late nights, and navigating a hectic work schedule might cause a major energy drain for the ambivert.
Jobs in this field may include nightclub influencer, nightclub promoter, nightlife event coordinator, nightclub manager, etc.
2. High-Frequency Trading
This career involves a fast-paced, high-stress environment that ambiverts may find overwhelming. Additionally, it involves intense focus, a lot of risk-taking, and fast decision-making under intense pressure. It leaves little room for collaboration, so ambiverts may have to overextend themselves in one direction if they pursue this career.
Jobs in this field include quantitative trader, algorithmic developer, execution trader, quantitative researcher, etc.
3. Data Entry
Ambiverts should avoid jobs in the data entry field because they require repetitive solitary tasks with little room for socializing or interaction with others. This career is monotonous, and an ambivert may find it draining or unfulfilling to enter or analyze data daily.
Jobs in this field include data entry clerk, data analyst, accounting clerk, inventory clerk, etc.
How Likely Are You to Find The Perfect Career Path?
On paper, the careers and job descriptions we suggested may clash with the ambivert personality's preferences, making them poor fits. However, it is essential to understand that individuals have unique preferences and capabilities, so the suggestions may not apply to all ambiverts.
For example, the general characteristics of an ambivert would make them a good candidate for a position as a registered nurse, but if you can't stand biology or have no interest in medicine, you are likely to be miserable. After considering personal preferences, check the job descriptions for each job before you choose the career path.
The perfect job may not exist, but you can come close enough to the ideal career by choosing one that aligns with your personality, passion, and skills.
Do not settle for mediocrity. There are many jobs out there that you will find fulfilling.
Just because society reveres doctors, lawyers, and engineers doesn’t mean you should go into that line of work if you have no passion for it. You can find fulfillment as an event planner, financial advisor, graphic designer, or virtual assistant. If social media management aligns with your personality and you have passion for it, by all means, go for it.
The right job for you is out there; you just need to know where to look.
Perhaps our Premium Career Test will point you in the right direction. Not only will this assessment provide you with information about the best careers for ambiverts (and give you an actual score on 5 different personality traits), but it will also help you to identify the best jobs related to your actual interests.
