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14 Worst Jobs For Introverts to Avoid Forever

If you are an introvert, knowing the worst jobs for introverts will help you know what to avoid to protect yourself from the frustration and misery of swimming against the currents.

Truth be told, not everyone is cut out for every job. There are jobs for people of different ages, genders, family statuses, and even personalities. You can check out numerous job opportunities for stay-at-home moms, low-stress jobs for retirees, and even babysitting jobs for teens.

So, back to our topic of the day, are you an introvert or an extrovert? We’ll look at this in a moment. First of all though, why does it even matter? The more suited your job is to your personality, the higher your chances of success, and most importantly, the happier you will be. 

Now, did you know that happy employees are more productive and more energetic? Even better, they are likely to stick to their jobs 4 times longer than unhappy ones? Now you do! 

Consequently, the type of job, work environment, and job description are all key in determining its suitability for either an introvert or an extrovert.

Having established that, let’s now delve into the world of people who identify with this personality. We will also explore a list of the worst jobs for introverts.

Who Is An Introvert?

An introverted person is an individual whose personal traits come out as quiet or reserved. They may seem a little bit shy, silent, and passive. When you look at introverts, you might describe them as calm, rigid, and laid back.

Introverts tend to listen more and talk less. They are great listeners, always attentive and keeping eye contact. They will barely interrupt you when talking to them which also makes them sensitive to peoples’ feelings, empathetic, and compassionate.

Given the choice between expressing themselves in writing to doing a speech, introverts will choose the former.    

Now back to you, if you don’t already know your personality, I bet you are itching to find out. Notably, this is not a personality test. However, based on my research, if most of your answers to the questions below are yes, then you are most likely introverted.

  • I’m exhausted/drained after spending a lot of time around people
  • I have a small close social circle
  • People mostly describe me as a quiet or shy person, so, they often find it hard to get to know me
  • I’m easily distracted in an environment with hectic activities
  • I find learning more about yourself enjoyable
  • I find it easier to learn through observation.
  • I’m more drawn to jobs that let me work independently. For instance, graphic designers, freelance writing, accounting manager, editor, IT manager, mechanics, social media managers, and software engineering.

So far, are we talking about you or someone you know? If so, keep reading:

Types Of Introverts

There are four different types of introverts and they are;

Social Introverts

Social introverts are the type of individuals who love small groups and quieter environments.

Thinking Introverts

Thinking introverts daydream a lot. As their name suggests, they are always lost in their thoughts and possess creative imaginations.

Anxious Introverts

Anxious introverts love spending time on their own and feel shy in crowded settings.

Restrained Introverts

Restrained introverts also go by the name inhibited introverts. They always think hard before taking action or making a decision.

Even with the 4 types of introverts, most of them are a mix of the four so no type is dominant over the other.

What Do Introverts Hate The Most?

The fact that introverts are quiet, they do hate small talk. They hate disruptions when talking, especially if it’s a topic that they are attracted to. Once an introvert is disrupted, they tend to feel insignificant.

They hate when a person invades their personal space. They love being all alone, sometimes in their rooms with the door closed. This way, they think and figure out things better.

Introverts are not your typical party animals. This is because they hate crowded places. They would choose to spend time with one or two of their friends over that huge party. With people in their tight circle, introverts can talk about things that matter to them. 

Introverts don’t like being the center of attention, even if it’s a positive one. Funny thing is that introverts never brag about their knowledge. In most cases, you’ll find out an introvert knows a lot more than they admit.

 What Are The Weaknesses Of An Introvert?

  • Tend to be sensitive. Even when they have an idea of the kind of response you will give, introverts still need their time to analyze your feedback because they are keen on any feedback.
  • Can easily get anxious – this mostly happens when introverts face challenging situations. Unlike extroverts who may feel comfortable or even elated in such situations, introverts are often worried about the outcome of the situation. And aren’t most of the time sure of how to handle it.
  • Tend to crave approval which can make them prioritize the desires of others over their own.
  • Need time to recharge – this mostly happens after socializing. Failure to recharge can leave them drained out and unable to work effectively.
  • Introverts are not quick decision-makers. Given time though, they are able to come up with well-informed and brilliant ideas.
  • They are easily distracted and this is why they have a problem with interruptions. They need a work environment that allows deep thought. 
  • Introverts are modest and quiet – Even in meetings, they would rather remain quiet than speak up their mind. But when they know their opinions are valued, they will always speak up anytime.
  • May need some time to feel comfortable before sharing or opening up. This may be misconceived as being unfriendly. 

What Careers Should Introverts Avoid?

The following jobs are some of the worst jobs for introverts. They are likely to drain your energy because they are interactive in nature, plus they don’t allow much independence.

1. Salesperson/ Retail Assistant

A salesperson thrives on talking to people and convincing them to buy goods or services on behalf of a brand. Given that salespeople work in a highly demanding and target-oriented environment, the job requires you to not only be good at small talk but also be friendly and able to form key relationships. 

Further, a salesperson’s job requires in-person meetings, presentations, and excellent interpersonal skills. These are hardly the traits you will find in an introvert. In such a position, an introvert would have a hard time relating with clients and prospects, leave alone making a sale.

2. Flight Attendants

Is it just me or are you also of the opinion that flight attendants are some of the friendliest people? In addition to providing customer service on the plane, flight attendants also ensure that all the passengers in the flight stay safe and comfortable.

They demonstrate safety measures both verbally and physically to ensure that your flight experience is the best. This requires actual dealing with people, communication, and going out of your way to be the best face of the airline.

3. Customer Service

A customer service job is another job that introverts will find draining. Customer service jobs involve serving the needs of customers before making a purchase, during the purchase process, and after the purchase is done. 

Your job is to interact with the customer on behalf of the company and to ensure that they have an enjoyable time with the products or services during the entire process.

4. Hotel Receptionist

Hotel receptionists are responsible for taking bookings from expected guests, assisting the guests in checking in and out. After booking, hotel receptionists assign rooms and keys to the guests. 

Also, hotel receptionists act as mediators between the guests and the hotel staff. This requires you to interact and speak with lots of people on a given day.

5. Event Planner

An event planner usually coordinates the success of events and meetings. A typical day for event planners could be hectic because they have to keep in touch with different people heading the different aspects of the events like the décor department, entertainment, meals, and the person hosting the event.

They are always up and down to fulfill the clients’ requests and step in whenever there’s a setback to ensure everything runs smoothly,

6. Bank Teller

Bank tellers interact with customers face to face on a daily basis. They first have to identify the customer and then process their requests for deposits, withdrawals, check to cash, and sometimes handling customer care or directing customers to relevant sections. 

7. Actor

Acting requires a lot of energy, performance in front of others, and socializing since you either act on stage or on set. For introverts to be actors, it would require a great deal of balancing between interaction time, alone time and taking care of oneself.

Surprisingly, some actors including Harrison Ford, Glen Close, and Emma Watson have mastered the art and are great actors despite being introverts. 

8. Reporter

A reporter usually works for the press or the broadcast media. Reporters are responsible for reading and reporting news and conduct press interviews on behalf of the broadcast media.

While there are introverts who make great reporters, most others would find the human interaction that comes with reporting draining.

9. Real Estate Agent

A real estate agent represents a client who is either buying a real estate property, renting, or selling. In order to sell, a real estate agent needs to be equipped with excellent communication and social skills to help them make pitches, negotiate, and seal deals while keeping all parties interested.

They are also responsible for keeping their clients appraised with information throughout the process. This might prove to be too much for an introvert.

10. Public Speaker

Public speakers have a live audience with whom they speak face to face whether they are motivational speakers, leaders, or life coaches.

With good preparation, introverts will do great at those one-off public speaking opportunities but a career that revolves around speaking to crowds of people every day, receiving weird comments, and answering numerous questions might get too tedious.  

11. Police Officer

The role and responsibility of a police officer will hardly offer the quiet alone time that introverts need. The job requires one to constantly interact with the public to give them assistance where it is needed, offer protection for them and their property, solve conflicts to keep situations under control, and at times, get involved in community events. 

To succeed in this, a police officer needs to possess a good set of verbal and conflict resolution skills. The career also demands interdependence and teamwork among peers and workmates in the department.

12. Hairdresser

Besides skilled hands, a hairdresser needs the ability to involve in small talk, deal with all sorts of people while keeping a friendly demeanor, and stand all day.

Extra duties of the job might involve listening to peoples’ problems, participating in their lives as soon as you are invited, and offering advice. This can be very exhausting and for obvious reasons, very few introverts would take this on a daily basis.

13. Mediator

A mediator is a person who tries to reunite two parties involved in a conflict or disagreement. This requires you to listen to both parties, handle complex social situations, and negotiate a solution that works for both parties. Now, earlier, we agreed that introverts are good listeners. The challenge and burnout come with the interpersonal skills required for the negotiations.

14. Healthcare Worker

Earlier, we established that introverts are empathetic, right? This can work both ways; being sensitive to people’s pain can make them great health workers but unfortunately, this can also drain them out.

Further, health workers’ work environment demands interaction with lots of patients, doctors, other workers, and health experts on a daily basis to ensure the needs of patients are met which again requires excellent interpersonal skills.

Final Thoughts

We have established that introverted people are people with their fair share of strengths, weaknesses, and characters. It is the opinion of many that introverts may be ill-suited for the above list of jobs. Nevertheless, it is also apparent that this notion hasn’t stopped renowned introverts from taking a leap of faith and doing great in the same careers. 

It all comes down to passion, determination, and the ability to balance it all. Nevertheless, you shouldn’t have to force yourself to swim against the tide just to prove that you can. At the end of the day, it is your happiness and fulfillment that matters most. 

So, are you an introvert? What do you think about this article? We would also like to hear from introverts who are making it against all the odds!

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