The INTJ personality type is highly regarded in the job market. Because INTJs are intelligent and constantly see room for improvement in the world around them, the career options for balanced INTJ personalities will continue to grow and be financially lucrative.
Ideal INTJ careers include STEM, (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), as well as entrepreneurial ventures, Fintech, technical research, think-tanks, advisory boards, strategic government positions, and environmental science careers. For the INTJ, the right career mixes work with hobbies.
The INTJ’s introversion does not result in a lack of fulfilling corporate career opportunities. This personality may have a difficult time achieving a confident footing in a corporate setting, but they typically become the employee that is most valued for serious contributions made to the company’s success. And they are rewarded accordingly.
What are the Best Careers for INTJs?
INTJ personalities are complex, blending many different traits and unique achievements into a powerhouse package. They prefer to work independently, and can do great things in any field that allows them to pursue their vision. Therefore, they do very well in science, engineering, entrepreneurial positions, and certain medical careers.
These traits show up in different ways depending on the career setting:
| Science | Engineering | Medicine | Business |
| Focused | Innovative | Independent | Indefatigable |
| Independent | Problem-solving | Memorizing | Innovative |
| Data-driven | Creative | Persistent | Persistent |
| Technical | Persistent | Data-driven | Solution-oriented |
| Complex | Solution-oriented | Solution-oriented | Tireless |
The INTJ In STEM Careers
These are the careers that most come to mind when the INTJ is thinking about work, from Junior High School and onward. Naturally drawn to the robotics clubs, chess clubs, and environmental science clubs, these are students who are problem solvers from early on.
INTJ personalities tend to go into the STEM fields. They naturally excel at sciences, where they may find themselves as the head of a science lab, or in the field researching or discovering things that haven’t been done before.
As engineers, INTJs design complex systems that solve problems which have baffled everyone else. They show that problems really can be overcome with planning, thought, and persistence.
The INTJ In Science
This personality is naturally drawn to the sciences. Their love for facts, math, and complex systems, combined with a chance to discover the unknown, draw new connections, solidify theories, and improve the world makes them perfect for every field of science.
Some of the fields with the most opportunity for growth in the future are:
- Biomedicine
- Medical and Life Sciences
- Genetics
- Environmental Science
- Machine Learning
The scientist will have the opportunity to work solo, which suits the INTJ perfectly. However, when they are able to work with a cohort or partner who operates on the same wavelength, they thrive and achieve the unbelievable.
Scientists sometimes feel pressured to engage in university lecturing part or full-time. This can be tough on the INTJ and their students. Because the INTJ has a difficult time respecting those whom they see as being of lesser understanding, they can come across as impatient and demanding.
However, every person is different. An INTJ who discovers that they love to share knowledge will be a natural fit for both undergraduate and graduate level teaching. Their students will benefit from their unique viewpoints and vast knowledge.
The INTJ In Engineering and Technology
There are many fields of engineering, which combine science and its practical application. These fields tend to be dominated by the INTJ personality type. The ideal engineering job for an INTJ involves minimal project meetings, a minimalist management style, and maximum time to think and plan the project.
However, all engineering work involves group collaboration. The INTJ who can learn to explain complex ideas with clarity to upper management will go very far. It is a natural trait of the INTJ to feel frustrated with those who don’t “get it,” especially when that person is the one making project decisions.
The well-rounded INTJ will learn to explain project details with persuasion, to convince those in positions of authority to see things their way. This INTJ will be seen as a most valuable part of the company.
The most common engineering fields include:
- Aerospace – design and engineering for all kinds of aircraft
- Mechanical – machine and product design
- Civil – infrastructure planning and design
- Urban Planning – specialized in infrastructure for high population density areas
- Electrical – hardware and firmware design, wiring diagrams, schematics
- Chemical – from biochemical to industrial formulation and research
- Software – designing the user interfaces for the hardware and firmware
There is an engineering field for just about every interest that an INTJ may have. This personality type will be happiest when they’re able to incorporate hobby interests with engineering as a career. Just a few of these include:
- Agricultural Engineering
- Combat Engineering
- Demolition Engineering
- Architectural Engineering
- Water Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
The INTJ In Medicine
This personality type is not so great with bedside manners. They tend to come across as more transactional than empathetic with patients. However, their vast wealth of retained knowledge makes them incredibly accurate with diagnoses.
As part of a cohort or partnership, the INTJ can be relied upon for alternate views on a diagnosis, and the confidence to present valuable, alternate input. Where other personality types rely on social agreement to make decisions, the INTJ relies on the facts. This can be a life-saving benefit for the patient.
In medical research, the INTJ is unparalleled. They can be relied upon to keep researching to find a cure, a diagnosis, or a therapy. Unlike other personality types that may feel discouraged and give up before an answer is found, the INTJ will continue probing the data until they find the answers.
Not all medical fields require patient interaction, yet all are vital for patient outcomes.
These fields also cross over into the sciences, which is a win/win for the INTJ.
These include careers in:
- Pharmacology
- Biotechnology
- Biomedical Research
- Advisory Positions for Governmental Medical Policy
The INTJ As An Entrepreneur
Think Elon Musk. The INTJ is an entrepreneur that doesn’t see boundaries as limitations, but as details that haven’t been worked out yet. Because the INTJ is self-confident, they are more comfortable than other personality types when taking on what some see as unsurmountable risk.
This self-confidence does not mean that they are free from doubts. The reality of impostor syndrome hits the INTJ just like everyone else. However, they don’t let it stop them. They believe in their idea, and they know that there is a right combination, and when they find it, their success just might be out of this world.
Just as with all other careers, the entrepreneurial INTJ has the probability of being one of the highest paid in their field. However, with the combination of knowledge and skill, the entrepreneurial INTJ may make millions, or even billions, yet find that the money is always secondary or tertiary to the payoff of discovery and innovation.
Because the INTJ is both frequently bored and bursting with new ideas, these personality types often start multiple companies. Occasionally they will run several enterprises at once, but they typically find themselves selling one lucrative business to begin another. Others view these people as having the “Midas touch.”
The INTJ and Career Changes
The INTJ comes across as more demanding and flighty than other employees. In a corporate setting, the INTJ is not likely to play workplace politics to get ahead. In a collegiate setting, they will tend to find the politics and niceties as pointless.
This dissatisfaction often leads the INTJ to:
- Job hopping more than other employees
- Struggling to feel connected to the company overall
- Desiring recognition for achievements while mocking those who get it
- Boredom and destructive attitudes in group settings
However, when the INTJ discovers that perfect fit, they’re unstoppable. The employer that can develop and work with the INTJ personality has a powerhouse that will repay the company with design, engineering, and development skills that will bring profit for years to come.
Conclusion
The INTJ personality is a complex mix of intelligence and willpower that will make the world stop and stare when flowing in a profitable direction. There is no limit to the achievements that the INTJ can accrue, and the beneficial changes they can make to the world through any field they choose.