INFJ Career Guide: 5 Best Careers For INFJs [& Jobs to Avoid!]

For INFJs, picking the best career path isn’t always easy.

That’s because INFJs need more than just a well-paying job. As idealists, they want to find a fulfilling career.

Although finding a job can be difficult, knowing which careers fit your personality type the best can make the job hunt much easier!

Read along and find out everything you need to know about INFJ careers, including:

• What Are INFJs Like at Work?
• How to Choose a Fulfilling Career as an INFJ?
• 5 Best Career Paths For INFJ Personality Types
• 4 Careers INFJ Personalities Should Avoid
• 10 Best College Majors For INFJs

What Are INFJs Like at Work?

INFJs at work aren’t much different than in their personal life - they are perfectionistic, devoted, and seek a higher purpose.

INFJs typically have an all-or-nothing approach to life, and they’re no different at work. No matter the job, if they’ve made the commitment, they’ll make every effort to do their tasks as best as they can.

INFJs are also very reliable and well-organized, so they rarely, if ever, miss a deadline. This especially applies to INFJ-Ts, as they are motivated by tight deadlines.

As coworkers, INFJs strive to create harmony in the workplace. Although INFJs rarely build close friendships with their colleagues, as they like to keep things strictly professional, they usually get along with their coworkers very well.

Not to mention, one of the key INFJ strengths is the ability to inspire others, which makes them a valuable asset to any team and company.

That said, INFJs are fiercely independent. Because of this, they prefer to work independently, on their own terms, and can’t stand being micromanaged.

It’s also important to note that most INFJs are sensitive people. As such, they work best in a calm, quiet environment. Too much chaos can stress out and drain INFJs, which is why they often prefer work from home jobs to working from the office.

As people who seek meaning and purpose in anything they do, INFJs thrive in organizations that have a well-defined common goal.

In particular, INFJs aren’t interested in capitalist and self-serving goals, as they prefer to work on something that can positively impact the world or society.

For this reason, some of the best careers for INFJs are found in non-profit organizations. Alternatively, INFJs that feel like their jobs are meaningless often switch to volunteering to foster that sense of purpose and mission.

How to Choose a Fulfilling Career as an INFJ?

More than any other personality type, INFJs want and need to have a fulfilling career. Otherwise, they may quickly lose motivation.

In fact, many INFJs are not driven by money, and would rather choose a job that has a lower pay but fulfills them emotionally.

As an INFJ, these are the factors you should look for when choosing the perfect career for you:

• A sense of purpose. INFJs want to see a better world, and they know that change starts with them. For this reason, as an INFJ your job must give you a sense of purpose. When INFJs have a clear purpose and a mission, they are motivated to give their all and will do their best to light that spark in their colleagues, too.
• Alignment with values. Out of all personality types, INFJs have perhaps the strongest morals. They question everything, and because of that, many things that seem normal to most people might appear problematic to INFJs. For example, marketing might not be the best career path for INFJs, as they’re very likely to consider it unethical.
• Personal growth opportunities. INFJs are perfectionists by nature, so they strive for constant self-improvement. For an INFJ, having a job where they stand still in terms of self-development equals regression. As such, you should look for jobs that will push you to grow and learn, no matter how challenging it might be.
• Inner peace. INFJs can’t stand conflict and typically have zero interest in other people’s drama. For this reason, the best INFJ jobs are those that have a calm and peaceful atmosphere or those that allow them to work from the comfort of their home.
• Space for self-expression. INFJs are creative individuals with a lot of ideas, so your best option is to find a job where you can use your creativity and problem-solving skills.

5 Best Career Paths For INFJ Personality Types

Now that you know what to look for in a career, let’s go ahead and see what are the 5 best INFJ career paths!

#1. Mental Health and Social Services

Without a doubt, the best careers for INFJ personality types are in mental health and social services.

INFJs are in tune with other people’s feelings and are happy to be of service to other people. That’s because the secondary INFJ cognitive function is extraverted feeling (Fe), which makes them deeply empathetic.

Unlike most other personality types, INFJs don’t mind listening to other people’s problems. In fact, they are very interested in people and their psychology, which is why INFJs show genuine interest when others pour their feelings out to them.

Not to mention, INFJs are very flexible when it comes to listening to other people’s issues. They’re equally skilled at active listening and problem-solving, so they can easily adapt to the person’s preferences.

So, here are the best INFJ jobs in mental health and social services:

• Clinical psychologist
• Mental health counselor
• Family therapist
• Social worker
• Relationship coach
• Art therapist
• Music therapist
• School counselor

#2. Education

INFJs have a thirst for knowledge and love inspiring other people, which makes education one of the best INFJ career paths.

To many INFJs, education is one of the most meaningful career paths. Being able to influence younger generations and influence positive change is very motivating for most INFJs.

Not to mention, INFJs holistically see education. Instead of teaching just the facts and formulas, INFJs do their best to share their values and morals with their students, no matter if they’re working in a primary school or a college.

Some of the best INFJ jobs in education include:

• Kindergarten teacher
• School teacher
• Tutor
• Special education teacher
• College professor

#3. Healthcare

Although healthcare is typically regarded as a career that primarily suits the ISFJ personality type, it’s also one of the best career paths for INFJs.

To learn more about ISFJ personality type, see ISFJ cognitive functions, but also feel free to explore relatable ISFJ memes & ISFJ anime characters!

INFJs deeply care about people and have an inherent wish to save humanity. As such, they often find purpose in healthcare-related jobs.

On top of that, INFJs know the importance of self-improvement. They often try to inspire others to take care of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being, which makes healthcare a very attractive career path for INFJs.

Not to mention, many INFJs enjoy sciences, which makes healthcare a perfect career path for INFJs.

Here are some popular INFJ jobs in healthcare:

• Psychiatrist
• Physical therapist
• Massage therapist
• Chiropractor
• Medical researcher
• Dietitian and Nutritionist
• General practitioner
• Speech-language pathologist
• Nurse
• Pediatrician

#4. Art

As mentioned above, INFJs are typically very creative individuals. They often use art as a medium for expressing their feelings and emotions. This makes art one of the best career paths for INFJs.

Most INFJs are gifted writers, but generally, they can excel at any form of art, be it music or photography. As such, it’s no surprise that you can find many famous INFJs among musicians, filmmakers, authors, and similar professions.

If you aren’t sure whether to choose a career in art or another field, see if you can combine both. For example, if you enjoy painting and helping others deal with their emotions, consider becoming an art therapist.

So, here are the most common INFJ careers in art:

• Writer
• Curator
• Photographer
• Musician
• Filmmaker
• Actor
• Art critic
• Film critic
• Graphic designer
• Illustrator
• Art teacher

#5. Politics

Now, let’s be clear - for the most part, INFJs avoid conflict and don’t like being in the spotlight. However, when it comes to sparking change in society, there’s little that could stop INFJs—and it’s certainly not their introversion.

As such, many INFJs find fulfilling careers in politics, as they are often very passionate about social justice, civil rights, and other similar matters.

Not to mention, most INFJs have what it takes to make a change by participating in politics. They’re very inspiring, often have great oratory skills, can effectively solve problems, AND are diplomatic.

That said, INFJ-A subtype personalities specifically are far more likely to choose a career in politics. That’s mainly because they are self-assured and goal-oriented, whereas their counterparts can sometimes struggle with self-doubt.

So, here are some INFJ careers in politics you should consider:

• Politician
• Diplomat
• Ambassador
• Political consultant
• Campaign manager
• Policy analyst
• Political pollster
• Lobbyist

4 Careers INFJ Personalities Should Avoid At All Costs

So, now you have a good idea of the best career paths for INFJs.

But are there any careers that INFJs should avoid like the plague? Let’s find out!

#1. Customer Service

Customer service is definitely the #1 career most INFJs should avoid.

Truth is, the majority of INFJs simply aren’t cut out for customer service. Customer service requires you to communicate a lot, and often with unsatisfied customers.

If you’re like most INFJs, however, you’re a conflict-averse introvert, which makes customer service not a good career match for INFJs.

Many jobs in customer service require you to talk to clients on the phone. And, INFJs typically avoid making or answering phone calls, as speaking on the phone makes them quite uncomfortable.

Not to mention, working in customer service can quickly leave INFJs drained and burned out. They readily absorb other people’s emotions, and dealing with unhappy customers daily can cause INFJs a ton of stress.

So, here are some customer service jobs INFJs should avoid:

• Customer service representative
• Technical support representative
• Technical support engineer
• Call center representative
• Client relations specialist

#2. Sales and Marketing

As mentioned before, INFJs have strong morals - so much so that they’re difficult to grasp for most personality types that are used to simply going with the flow.

INFJs, however, often have a unique view of the world and tend to question things most people normalize. That’s exactly why a career in marketing and sales isn’t the best choice for INFJs.

In short, most INFJs tend to think that sales and marketing jobs are borderline unethical. Jobs in sales and marketing often require you to be persuasive, which many INFJs regard as manipulative.

Not to mention, most (but certainly not all!) marketing and sales jobs serve no higher purpose than making money and enriching large corporations, which is something that many INFJs are against.

That said, if you’re an INFJ that doesn’t see anything bad with sales and marketing jobs, that’s absolutely fine! Unlike with customer service jobs, INFJs do have what it takes to succeed in sales and marketing, as they are creative and can be very persuasive when it’s necessary.

If, however, marketing and sales jobs don’t align with your personal ethics, here are some job titles you should scroll past when browsing job listings:

• Telemarketer
• Sales and marketing manager
• Sales representative
• Marketing specialist
• Marketing consultant

#3. Military

This one’s simple - INFJs are fiercely independent people who tend to have a pacifistic attitude. As such, most INFJs are simply against pursuing a career in the military.

INFJs very much dislike and avoid conflict, so working in a field dealing with wars and political conflicts between countries is out of the question for most INFJs.

Not to mention, most jobs in the military require you to answer to commands, and INFJs hate being told what to do.

#4. Accounting

Although accounting doesn’t necessarily go against INFJ values and moral principles, it’s not the best career match for INFJs.

That’s because accounting is mostly a monotonous job. It doesn’t require a lot of brainstorming and doesn’t leave much room for creativity. On top of that, accounting rarely provides INFJs with the higher purpose that they seek.

Tip: Both men and women should reconsider these careers!

10 Best College Majors For INFJs

Choosing the right college major can be just as complicated as choosing the right job.

So, to help you with it, here are the 10 best college majors for INFJs you should consider pursuing if it’s too early for you to enter the job market:

1. Art
2. Psychology
3. Criminal justice
4. Health sciences
5. Gender studies
6. Journalism
7. Sociology
8. Public relations
9. Religious studies
10. Education

Note: If you're intrigued about career paths of other personality types, we recommend you check out our walkthrough on INTP careers & ESTP careers.

Key Takeaways

And that’s all you need to know about the best INFJ career paths and the careers you should avoid.

Hopefully, now you’ll be able to choose the best INFJ career that aligns with your personality type!

Before you go, let’s run over the key points of this article:

• At work, INFJs are well-organized perfectionists that easily get along with their coworkers, yet still prefer to work individually.
• A sense of purpose, inner peace, and space for creative expression are some of the main things that INFJs should look for to end up with a fulfilling career.
• The best INFJ careers are found in mental health & social services, education, healthcare, art, and politics.
• The worst INFJ careers can be found in fields that are either monotonous or don’t align with the core INFJ values.
• Some of the best college majors for INFJs are psychology, art, journalism, public relations, and sociolog.

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