If you’re an introvert, what job do you do?

[Cattenberg]

I’m currently in admin, but would like to do something more specialised or niche. I’m thinking of training to be an archivist or conveyancer as I like working with information. I just wish I could find the right career and go for it! So what do you do?

I'm an author.

Many of my author friends are introverts, who love it.

I am, unfortunately, an extrovert, so I have a 'day job' too or I'd go mad talking to my imaginary people all day.

Civil Service, senior intelligence analyst.

Interesting alot of teaching roles

I've always been quite shy and don't really talk to people. My current job started off as Data Entry Admin then 2 years ago tptb decided to incorporate talking to clients and completing any unsettled trades.

That took a while for me to get used to it as i really resisted having to do it but an advantage of doing it gained me more skills and enjoyment from solving queries and what not. It definitely helped with my confidence and now if a weird or complicates query comes up, I'm the first to be asked to contact the client

Wow - so many ideas already! I like the idea of playing with data and finding patterns in in, but I’m not great with IT. I can use a computer, but I could never fix one.

@TudorOrSeymour, I used to have an admin job which involved assisting the PA to two bigwigs, and some of that job did suit me well. But I was wary of the bigwigs because I knew they had a ruthless side, and so it proved when one eventually stabbed the other in the back. The PA herself quit due to having enough of the office politics. I’d happily be a PA for someone nice, though.

My fave job ever was filing in the massive dusty archives of a big London-based charity. I put my headphones in and listened to music/the radio. I saw maybe two people a day when they dropped off files. That was it. There wasn't even a phone down there.

It was only temp, sadly. And the pay was rubbish, but it was heaven.

Comms and PR, largely pushing other people into the limelight while doing the creative thinking, it works for me. I have had to do the odd radio/tv interview or seminar/training, which I hate with a passion.

Plenty of introverts in accountancy. Lots of "niches" within the profession where you can "hide" if you wish or where you can come out of your shell to a level that suits. Most firms have different depts so moving between depts is usually pretty easy.

I've worked in a few practices and in every single one, there's been the extreme introvert who you barely notice, either sat in the corner of a open office, or who has their own office (often in the attic or basement). They're usually the solid grafters and usually performing some quite niche/specific type of work, often never working directly with clients but performing the technical roles to support the partners and managers.

Then there's always a fair mix of "middling" people at various points of the introvert/extrovert spectrum who do the majority of the work. And then you have the few true extroverts who are the socialites most likely to be client facing, marketing, etc.

So, once you're in, you can usually find a position that suits you.

Another nanny

Lots of introverts working with children between the nannies, teachers and nursery nurse!

I win new clients for a big advertising agency. I really struggled with making friends at university and knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone so went into sales.
It’s tiring and when I get home I don’t really want to do anymore talking but it’s also a huge sense of achievement winning a big pitch

I’m another senior manager with an office door that can be closed 😀 I do struggle when I get home sometimes and suddenly everyone needs me. I go on days out and short holidays on my own to recover.

Accountant. Perfect!

School support staff (former teacher)
I can be somewhat outgoing with children, but I need peace and quiet time outside of work to recover.

I am a qualified librarian but gave up as it was a really stressful environment as a manager. Technically I guess I wanted to be a library assistant as I liked chatting with children and answering queries.
I’m a PA now and like “getting on with things“ and not having to make small talk!

I’m a nanny. Kids are much easier to talk to than adults!

I'm an admin worker. I struggle in a busy/noisy office environment with the claustrophobic open plan offices. It's easier for me to WFH as I currently am away from it all.

It's difficult because society is more catered to extroverts (in normal times). If you get a customer facing job you need really to be a people person/enjoy a lot of social interaction.

It's finding something more niche that is feasible.

Software developer. I couldn't fix a computer either!

It's a great mix (for me) of colleagues who generally have a similar sense of humour and usually someone is up for a chat if you fancy one. But also almost everyone I work with totally gets why "headphone days" (i.e. ignoring the world) are necessary and they respect that wherever possible.

I am an introvert who has been an archivist- the profession is small and not very well paid. You might be helping people do their research a lot of the time, but it is a reasonably good career choice for an introvert.
I’ve found that my introversion takes the form of being happiest dealing with one person or one problem at a time. I like to focus. I don’t mind helping people as long as it’s not more than one at a time.

Homeless support worker

Teaching assistant but I'd like to leave and be a social worker or support worker for you adults with disabilities. So basically I love my job but also hate the pressure of grades, grades, grades. My heart isn't in "targets"

I'm a systems administrator. Lots of techy roles suit introverts, and if you like data - a lot of problem solving is looking at lots of data (log files etc.)

Yet another hiding-at-lunch teacher here. Lovely this week with just a few key workers children in, but I don’t think I went in the staff room once! Actually sat in a cupboard at lunchtime today, I was theoretically recording some audio and needed it quiet but it was so nice in there.

I’m an introvert but bizarrely I’m a counsellor/psychotherapist. Spending time with clients /patients is somehow less draining than social interactions or office dynamics. Perhaps it’s because the focus is much more on them than on me and perhaps also because it’s very boundaried. I couldn’t do it full time though. I have a friend who works in a similar role for the NHS and has to see 7 patients a day. IMO (and in hers) that isn’t sustainable. They get a lot of burnout

I’m a nanny/housekeeper. When the kids are at school it’s just me and the dog

Teacher. Thinking about going into some sort of youth prison work though