Do you have an INTJ personality type, and are you looking for a job that will bring you happiness and satisfaction?
Working at a job that matches your personality is a rewarding experience. You maximize your strengths, and get a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment throughout the workday. However, if your chosen career does not match the type of personality you have, the daily grind is likely to be stressful, frustrating, and discouraging.
In this post, we feature 12 INTJ career matches. These suggestions are intended to be benchmarks, helping you align yourself with the most ideal career for your personality type.
What Is an INTJ Personality Type?
INTJ is one of the personality types found in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is a questionnaire (also known as an instrument) that provides an in-depth look at your behavior, your preferences when it comes to decision-making, and how you interact with others.
The instrument has 16 personality categories. Each category is represented by four letters indicating the four behaviors and tendencies on which one scored the highest.
INTJ stands for:
Introversion – Individuals with this trait feel more comfortable being alone. They do not enjoy being the center of attention, and they are often deep thinkers.
Intuition – Individuals with this character trait are able to see possibilities. It is easier for them to see the bigger picture.
Thinking – Those with this trait are intellectuals. They tend to make rational decisions.
Judging – People with a judging character trait approach problem-solving in an organized, careful, and structured way. Thus, they are able to make sound judgments.
The Strengths of the INTJ Personality Type
- Strong independence
- Logical approach to problem solving
- Life-long learners
- Confident
- Emotionally reserved
- Impartial
Someone with an INTJ personality has the ability to work with minimum supervision, and often takes initiative in making decisions. They thrive when they have the opportunity to learn something new while doing their jobs. They rarely rush into a decision, as they would rather find a solution in a systematic way.
Here are the ideal careers for someone with an INTJ personality.
Infographic Recap
Want to know what career matches your INTJ personality? Read this infographic below and discover what jobs are best for you.
1. Lawyer, Judge, or Paralegal Assistant
INTJ personalities have strong investigative skills that are needed for working in the legal system. INTJs like to problem solve, so research, and analyze their clients' legal problems, and coming up with the best course of action to represent their client is an ideal career.
These skills are also helpful in other careers in the field of law. Whether working as a criminal law attorney, as a government or corporate counsel, as a legal aid lawyer, paralegal, or even a judge, an INTJ can identify the relevant facts out of a lot of information, and then offer a viable solution.
Because they have strong analytical skills and are skilled at solving problems and coming up with innovative ideas, INTJs thrive when they are put in a mastermind position, such as one dealing with the legal system.
2. Analyst (of Any Kind)
Whether it’s in the world of business and finance, in the health industry, or in computer technology, the INTJ’s ability to seek solutions to problems will help them become the best analysts in their fields. INTJs are also detail-oriented, which is important for an analyst, as they have to collect information and put it together to determine a meaning that they can then explain to others. This is where an INTJ's intuitive trait comes into play—they are able to see the bigger picture.
Analysts work with both words and numbers. Unlike with journalists, where any facts or comments must come from a specific source, anything that an analyst presents to their colleagues is their own work and their own opinion. Because INTJs are able to make sound judgments, they are willing to take the risk of offering their opinions to others.
The working culture of an analyst values precision as much as productivity. As introverts and thinkers, INTJ analysts are happy to spend a significant amount of time at their desks working on their projects.
3. Researcher
A person with an INTJ personality often possesses the desire to learn. This growth mindset makes them excel as researchers, especially in the fields of the social and physical sciences. As lifelong learners, INTJs’ thirst for knowledge and skill to find answers makes doing research very enjoyable.
Research careers in the physical and social sciences may involve collecting data to develop new drugs, developing new products, or looking for meaning behind certain human behaviors. Researchers interpret the data that they find in order to solve an existing problem.
INTJs are also likely to enjoy a profession in research because it is a continually evolving field. New technologies and discoveries are constantly opening up new research opportunities, so this is a career that will always be in demand.
4. Dentist, GP, or Surgeon
An INTJ is well-suited for any profession that’s related to health care, which may involve making diagnoses, treating illnesses, and searching for cures. Being able to identify the cause for concern with a patient and coming up with ways to fix the problem is a job description that fits this personality type perfectly.
Think about what a doctor must do to determine a patient’s diagnosis. They must collect data about symptoms and analyze them to diagnose the problem, and then prescribe a treatment. However, there is no fixed formula to base each diagnosis on because every patient is different. This means medical professionals have to come up with unique solutions every time. The intellectual aspect of INTJs helps them be able to make rational decisions while still taking all options into consideration.
Also, because medical professionals can work in private offices, they often have only a small group of co-workers. Given the fact that INTJs enjoy working alone or with a limited number of people, this kind of career suits that characteristic of their personality.
5. Optometrist or Pharmacist
These professions are also related to health care, and INTJs will do well in either of these careers where the main purpose is to find a solution to a client’s or patient’s health concern. Pharmacists and optometrists both need to have a knowledge base that spans a broad range of fields and skill sets. For example, they have to develop a mastery of medicine, math, chemistry, biology, and computers, all of which are critical in dealing with patients and health care.
These medical professionals also have to have complex reasoning skills and the ability to communicate their thoughts in layman's terms. INTJs enjoy working in the logical, efficient, structured, and analytical environment that a medical profession provides. They thrive when working with colleagues who share their intelligence, and who are qualified, knowledgeable, and productive.
6. Writer (Non-Fiction or Technical Writer)
Writing requires critical thinking skills and creativity, both of which are included in the strengths of INTJs. Writing may not have as much analytical value as some of the other careers mentioned, but it does speak to the intellectual in an INTJ, as it requires a high level of intelligence. After all, writers must put together ideas in a way that other people can understand.
Writing allows INTJs to be both creative and rational at the same time. They also have the ability to work in solitude, and don't have to work with large groups of people. They can bring their work anywhere, allowing them to process their deep thoughts without interruption. Often working as freelancers, writers can create their own schedules as they write well-researched and accurate content, typically on tight deadlines.
7. Accountant
INTJs relish a job that allows them to find solutions for managing costs and increasing revenues and profits. Also, being highly organized individuals, INTJs are ideal for keeping balance sheets in order. Being able to crunch numbers lets INTJs find strategies to improve the financial situation for companies or individuals.
INTJs gain satisfaction in analyzing numbers and maintaining records. As organized individuals, this population enjoys formulating ideas and suggesting ways to help people manage their money.
8. Architect
INTJs are planners and solution makers. As architects, they are able to envision and design buildings and other projects. They also possess the ability to make their plans and designs into reality.
The challenge of figuring out how to create a house in an awkward or specific space speaks to the analyzing abilities of an INTJ. And even when the space for a potential building is well-suited, creating a plan to meet the needs of those who will be using the building makes working as an architect a desirable career for an INTJ.
Being an architect requires the logic and reason that an INTJ possesses. It also requires the ability to think with an inventive mind. The combination of creativity and innovative thinking involved in being an architect is ideal for an INTJ. INTJs do not like to get involved in office politics, and they are independent thinkers, which is conducive to the self-governing career of designing architecture.
9. Police Detective
The strong investigative skills of an INTJ are also well-suited for a career in protective services, such as a police detective. Detectives are able to spend their time investigating crimes and analyzing relevant information that they are able to get from interviews, records, evidence, and observation.
Because INTJs are analytical and enjoy uncovering solutions, detective work is a good fit. Also, there are specific crimes INTJs can specialize in, such as homicide and theft. No matter what, their primary job remains the same: to research until a case is closed.
10. Mathematician (Theoretical or Applied Math)
A job that requires one to constantly come up with solutions to problems (math problems, in this case) is right up the alley of an INTJ. The analytical part of being a mathematician, for both theoretical or applied mathematics, requires the professional to always be thinking about new possible solutions.
Working as a mathematician allows INTJs to use their analytical skills and work in a solo environment. Because INTJs are better suited to working somewhere they can operate independently, and because they thrive when they can do their job with little interference from others, working as a mathematician is a great fit. INTJs also like the structure that comes with doing math and the satisfaction of knowing they have solved a problem.
11. Editor
Being perfectionists, INTJs pay attention to detail. A career as an editor is also a good fit for this personality type, because they are able to go through materials to pick out any mistakes or corrections that need to be made. INTJs are willing to function as part of a larger system, so it is easy for them to carve out a niche for themselves by capitalizing on their analytical skills.
Editors often work in a freelance manner, so they're able to work their own schedules. Because of this, being an editor is a job INTJs might find appealing. Also, their exceptional spelling and grammar skills are well-suited for this work.
12. Journalist
The investigative nature of an INTJ lends well to a career in journalism. In this career, INTJs are able to promote understanding to the public about issues that are impacting our world. They are also able to uncover some truths where society has often been misled, which speaks to their problem-solving abilities.
Because INTJs are able to be rational and see the bigger picture, they can report on issues in a sensible way that can help others understand. This career allows for both creativity and factual, structured information to come together.
Final Thoughts on the Best Careers for INTJ Personality Types
Have you discovered the right career for you?
For any personality type, having a career that is well-matched to your interests is a fulfilling experience. You are able to use your natural strengths to contribute something positive to the workplace.
It may seem that the 12 INTJ careers listed above are challenging. But it is in these jobs that people of this personality type find happiness and satisfaction.
And if you want to know yourself better, then here are 10 strengths and weaknesses of the INTJ personality type.
Finally, if you want to identify YOUR personality type, then take one of these 11 personality tests to better understand what makes you tick.
