We’ve been made to believe that we should all be aspiring to be managers and seeking promotion after promotion after promotion. But for highly sensitive introverts, the fulfillment they get from their job tends to be more important to them than promotions and recognition. This can be one of the things you consider as you seek your career; what will give you more fulfillment?
For introverts with anxiety, an environment where you have more control, fewer distractions such as noise and less interactions tends to be a more ideal environment to work in.
Taking all this into consideration, this list of jobs for highly sensitive introverts has been divided into two categories; A, jobs for sensitive introverts that need an environment where they work with people but the interaction is controlled or not overwhelming and B, jobs for introverts with anxiety that know they’ll function better working in a more isolated setup.
Jobs for Highly Sensitive Introverts
1. Pilot-You don’t have to interact with passengers besides addressing them before the flight and when you’re about to land. The cabin crew is small and you can control how much you interact with them. And you’re paid to travel. A downside is some introverts like to retreat to their homes after work and as a pilot you’ll be sleeping in different hotel rooms whenever you fly.
2. Virtual Assistant.
3. Entrepreneur.
4. Self- employed:
- Tutor.
- Photographer.
- Baker.
- Social media manager.
- Consultant.
- Salon work/ Barber/ Beautician.
- Video editor.
5. Counselor- Counseling is pretty flexible. You could be a camp counselor, a school counselor, a counselor at an organization or you could have your own private practice where you have more control of your hours and how many clients you’ll see in a day.
6. Interior designer.
7. Tutor- A tutor enjoys the structure of being a teacher, the interaction with the child but they get to manage their time and dictate how many students they’ll teach in a day and during a lesson.
8. PE/Swimming teacher- As a PE teacher, you don’t have to mark homework meaning you don’t carry your work with you. You also don’t have to mark tests, assignments and exams. You probably have at least one free lesson during the day which you can use to spend alone time and recharge.
9. Part time kindergarten teacher – The great thing with kindergarten is the kids leave school early and it’s easier to plan lessons. If you can’t handle the intensity of teaching non-stop from morning till school ends, you could opt to teach part-time. Teaching young kids can lift your spirits up.
10. Private nurse/ personal aide- You get to assist someone and develop a relationship with them which can be very fulfilling. You’ll be doing the same job as you would in a larger institution such as a hospital but here it’s less noisy, you build a relationship and hours are controlled, and as an introvert, you have a reason to leave your house.
11. Accountant.
12. Insurance underwriter.
13. Medical scientist.
14. Market research analyst.
Jobs for Introverts with Anxiety
1. Work from home doing freelance work as a graphic designer or freelance writer, blogging, creating content.
2. Gamer.
3. Vet.
4. Work at an animal shelter.
5. Long distance truck driver.
6. Delivery driver.
7. Night shift jobs which are quiet and don’t have bright lights.
8. Farming.
9. Landscaper.
10. Proofreader.
11. Book reviewer-If you love reading then this is a great way to get paid to do what you already do.
12. Music producer.
13. Line cook.
14. Selling items such as thrift clothes via Instagram or any other online platform.
15. Data analyst.
Tips to Help you Succeed at Work as a Highly Sensitive Introvert
- Avoid jobs that involve a lot of confrontation or are pressure intense.
- Get a job with minimal supervision.
- Avoid environments with office politics.
- Do activities in your free time that rejuvenate you e.g. listening to music or dancing.
- Leave work at work. If you work from home then be strict with your working hours. Act like you have a boss. Meet deadlines when you’re supposed to so that you have time to rest and play.
- Switch off your phone after work if it won’t interfere with your job.
- See a therapist. The danger of careers such as being a vet or counselor is you tend to carry the pain of the job with you and it can lead to you breaking down or not being able to function optimally.
A therapist will also help you identify tools to deal with anxiety and pursue opportunities that you’ve been scared to because of it.
- Exercise.
- Meditate.
- Journal.
- Eat healthy. Cutting back on caffeine and sugar could help give you the calm that you need to handle work and other areas of your life.
- Socialize. It’s unhealthy to be isolated even for an introvert. Humans need interaction. Some of you are shaking your heads vigorously on this one, but you do need to socialize. Spend time with friends, join a club of people that share a common passion of yours such as a biking club or join a club that will help you get over a fear such as Toastmaster to improve your public speaking skills.
Trial and Error to Land your Ideal Job as a Sensitive Introvert
As told by an anonymous introvert: “From experience, I’ve run a business where I would arrange holiday packages. I organized every aspect of the trip including menu planning. I enjoy being my own boss, planning the logistics, calculating the budget, seeing the client getting what I had promised and being happy with my service.
I did not like not having a constant income, the anxiety of not being in control of certain parts of the business which could ruin my clients’ experience and the constant access that clients and service providers had to have to me. At times I would switch off my phone because the frequent communication would drain me. Of course this wasn’t good for business. I should have had a partner who enjoyed that part of the business and delegated that part of the business to them.
I’ve also experienced working online and isolated myself. I worked all kinds of hours and didn’t have much time to socialize. I became a hermit, my social skills deteriorated and I again, I felt drained because it wasn’t work that I enjoyed. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to communicate with anyone, I enjoyed not being supervised and being in control of my hours.
With the current job that I’m doing as a swimming and PE teacher, I think I’ve finally found the right balance. I rarely get called or texted about work when I’m not at school. I enjoy the structure of planning the lessons. I have at least one free lesson during the day which gives me a breather between classes.
I love teaching the kids. They give a lot of love and positive energy which is perfect for a highly sensitive introvert. And I enjoy giving them back love and positive energy. I enjoy seeing them learning, improving and winning. And I have about 3 months of holiday throughout the year!
The job isn’t without its challenges such as dealing with indiscipline or the older teenagers that challenge my authority.”
This example shows that as a highly sensitive introvert, you may have to figure out which career works for you through trial and error. Don’t give up. You will find the right job for you if you’re persistent.
