Do people often tell you that you're too sensitive? Or maybe it seems as if you feel things more deeply than others. Maybe you've noticed that this affects your performance at work. If so, it could be that you're part of the 15-20% of people out there that are Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPS).
First of all, it's nothing to be alarmed about. Also, it doesn't have to be negative. It's a personality trait, not a disorder. And it doesn't have to affect your work if you choose a job from among the best jobs for HSPS.
In this post, we will share with you the 15 best jobs for Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPS).
What Are the Characteristics of a Highly Sensitive Person (HSPS)?
To begin, it may help to identify the characteristics of an HSPS. Since being an HSPS is a trait you're born with, you'll exhibit many of these common characteristics.
They include:
A Biological Explanation
If you're an HSPS, you exhibit these characteristics because of increased brain activity in response to internal and external stimuli in an HSPS. In other words, your brain reacts more strongly to stimuli. Researchers have labeled this sensory processing sensitivity (SPS).
In addition to increased sensitivity, an HSPS also experiences higher emotional reactivity and deeper cognitive processing. In other words, an HSPS thinks and feels deeper than others.
Being an HSPS Has Its Benefits
Yes, some of the characteristics of being an HSPS can be negative. For example, feeling misunderstood may affect you negatively. Of course, there are ways to manage the negative aspects. Incidentally, picking from one of the best jobs for HSPS is one way to manage the negative traits.
Along with the negative characteristics, being an HSPS has many positive characteristics, as well. For instance, managers appreciate an employee with a strong attention to detail. Also, people love to be around someone that's empathetic.
Therefore, being an HSPS can be a good thing if you minimize the negative characteristics while promoting the positive ones.
Ideal Working Conditions for an HSPS
HSPS personalities need an environment of support and understanding. Also, you need a place that gives you space to be reflective and creative. Ultimately, you need a job that allows you to manage the negative and accentuate your positive attributes.
The 15 Best Jobs for HSPS
1. Social Worker
Basic Overview:
Since being an HSPS makes you highly empathetic, a job in social work provides you with an outlet to put your empathy to good use. Social workers help individuals, families, or groups overcome problems so that they can improve their lives. A social worker needs to be able to understand a person's situation and how the situation makes them feel. This requires empathy.
Average Salary:
$51, 760
Education Requirement:
A Bachelor's degree in social work is the minimum requirement. Most state licensure requires a Master's degree.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn your Bachelor's degree.
2. Earn a Master's Degree
3. Complete the Association of Social Work Board Examination- required for licensing in most states
4. Apply for licensure in your state
5. Start looking for employment opportunities as a licensed social worker
2. Teacher
Basic Overview:
Teaching lets you put your HSPS strengths to use. Not only do you help others, but you put your creativity and attention to detail to work.
Plus, teaching requires deep insights into the content you teach. Finally, teaching requires you to be reflective to continue improving lessons and student performance.
Average Salary:
$65,420
Education Requirement:
Teaching requires a minimum of a Bachelor's Degree for teaching Elementary through High School. If you want to teach college, you need at least a Master's Degree.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn a Bachelor's Degree in education or specific content like English
2. Complete teacher certification program approved within your state
3. Take your state's Teacher Certification Exam
4. Apply for certification within your state, including paying an application fee
5. Apply for open teacher positions within your area of certification
3. Digital Content Writer
Basic Overview:
As a digital content writer, you'll write, edit, and publish online content for websites, blogs, videos, email campaigns, and social media posts. As a content writer, your love of deep insights will definitely come in handy as you research topics to write about. In addition, many digital content writers work remotely, so you'll have the freedom to work at your own pace.
Average Salary:
$47,500
Education Requirement:
Some companies require a Bachelor's Degree, but you can also gain the required knowledge through online training programs plus experience.
How to Get Started:
1. Complete either a Bachelor's Degree or acceptable online training program
2. Create writing samples/ portfolio
3. Apply for digital content writer positions
4. Life Coach
Basic Overview:
A life coach helps people achieve their goals and improve their lives. Often, people have barriers that are preventing them from achieving their goals. As a life coach, you work with them to recognize these barriers and create strategies to overcome them. Finally, a life coach's schedule offers flexibility.
Average salary:
$62,500
Education Requirements:
There are no federally or state-mandated education requirements. Also, there is no official licensing, yet a life coach certification program is suggested.
How to Get Started:
1. Get life coach training, preferably certification
2. Set up your business
3. Create your brand
4. Price your services
5. Market your services
5. Researcher
Basic Overview:
If you love seeking out information, becoming a researcher might be the best job for you. As a researcher, you gather and analyze information to solve problems or create new products. Researchers can work in academics, science labs, social media, and so much more. Basically, as a researcher, you can work for any company that needs research to be conducted.
Average Salary:
$57,500
Education Requirements:
Most companies require at least a Bachelor's degree in a related field, but you can find some companies that require a minimum number of years of experience – plus a portfolio in place of education requirements.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn a Bachelor's degree or secure an internship as a researcher
2. Build up portfolio
3. Get hired
6. Video Editor
Basic Overview:
Video editing can be one of the best jobs for HSPS. You use your creativity while working independently. As a video editor, you devote most of your time and attention to the videos you're editing. You'll be editing and cutting raw footage to fit a script or outline.
Average Salary:
$49,375
Education Requirements:
While some companies require a Bachelor's Degree in film production or a related field, you can find companies to work for that don't require a degree. Instead, you'd need a certificate from a training program along with a portfolio of work done under the supervision of an experienced video editor.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn degree or certificate
2. Intern with experienced video editor
3. Build up your portfolio
4. Get hired by a company or market yourself as a freelance video editor
7. Web Designer
Basic Overview:
Web design combines creativity and attention to detail. Moreover, web design offers schedule flexibility that gives you the down time you crave.
Plus, web designers typically work independently in their own space, whether on location or remotely.
Average Salary:
$57,000
Education Requirements:
Many web designers earn either an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in computer science. Others receive alternative training in coding.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn an Associate's or Bachelor's Degree or receive a certificate from a recognized training program
2. Intern as a web designer to gain experience
3. Build up portfolio
4. Get hired by a company or market yourself as a freelancer
8. Grant Writer
Basic Overview:
Grant writers use their writing expertise in writing grant proposals. Most grant writers work for a non-profit organization like a charity. Grant writers usually work independently while researching grants and writing proposals. Plus, grant writing requires creativity and analysis. A grant writer has to write persuasively while describing how the organization fulfills the grant requirements.
Average Salary:
$49,400
Education Requirements:
Preferably, you would want to have a Bachelor's degree in marketing or English. If you have a degree in another field, you can supplement your grant writing education through a certificate from a grant writing training program.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn your degree or complete grant writing training
2. Build up a portfolio by writing grants pro bono
3. Apply for grant writer jobs or market yourself as a freelance grant writer
9. Clergy
Basic Overview:
If you are a spiritual person, then becoming a member of the clergy might be the best job for you. Clergy tend to be more intuitive and reflective. Finally, as an HSPS, your empathy will be appreciated by those you serve.
Average Salary:
$53,230
Education Requirements:
While some denominations or religious organizations require only a Bachelor's degree, others require a Master's degree.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn the appropriate degree required by your denomination or religious organization
2. Apply for and receive credentials like ordination
3. Apply for open position
10. Licensed Professional Counselor
Basic Overview:
Counselors help others by listening to them. Your clients will appreciate your patience as you help them through their struggles. Plus, your love for reflection fits perfectly into the role of a counselor.
Average Salary:
$54,695
Education Requirements:
Since a professional counselor receives state licensure, a Master's degree is required. Many LPCs prefer to continue on to a Doctoral degree.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn your degree
2. Pass required exams
3. Intern with a licensed professional counselor
4. Apply for state license
5. Join an established practice or start your own
11. Architect
Basic Overview:
Being an architect requires attention to detail. Measurements must be exact. Plus, the details in a building plan can be intricate. Finally, seeing your buildings being used provides you with meaning and purpose.
Average Salary:
$75,000
Education Requirements:
Being an architect requires a Bachelor's degree in architecture.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn a bachelor's degree
2. Participate in internship
3. Become licensed
4. Apply for position
12. Massage Therapist
Basic Overview:
It's rewarding to help people feel better through manipulating muscles and tendons. With your touch, you relieve pain and reduce stress.
Plus, you get to work in a quiet place with soothing music playing in the background. Your empathy will come in handy, too.
Average salary:
$47,180
Education Requirements:
To be a massage therapist, most states require that you be licensed. To get licensed, you need to receive training from an approved program that offers a certificate or an Associate's degree.
How to Get Started:
1. Complete massage therapy program
2. Complete practical requirements- hands-on experience
3. Pass licensing examination
4. Apply for state licensing
13. Physical Therapist
Basic Overview:
Again, this is another healing profession. Physical therapists help people through hands-on exercises and educating people about better body movement. A physical therapist works to improve a patient's quality of life.
Average Salary:
$91,010
Education Requirements:
A physical therapist typically earns a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.
How to Get Started:
1. Earn a bachelor's degree in a related field
2. Complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree
3. Pass the National Physical Therapy Exam
4. Obtain a license to practice
5. Complete residency
6. Obtain board certification
14. Pet Groomer
Basic Overview:
Who knew that you would put your attention to detail to use as a dog groomer? It's true. Also, you can have empathy for animals as well as people. Plus, as your grooming, you can be reflective and think deeply. Animals make great listeners.
Average Salary:
$33,000
Education Requirements:
There is no major education requirement. You can either get your training online, through a pet grooming school, or through on-the-job training.
How to Get Started:
1. Get pet grooming training
2. Apply for pet grooming job
15. Florist
Basic Overview:
Working with flowers can be very calming. You get to be creative in the arrangements you create. Also, you get to practice empathy because people often buy flowers for those that are sick or have lost loved ones.
Average Salary:
$53,158
Education Requirements:
To be a florist, you need to have knowledge of floral design and business, but this doesn't require a formal degree. You can learn online or you can invest in an Associate's degree in floral design or floristry.
How to Get Started:
1. Complete a floral design program, either for a certificate or an Associate's degree
2. Apply for florist job
Final Thoughts on the Best Jobs for HSPS
As you can see, the best jobs for HSPS are as varied as the highly sensitive people that occupy them. There's no one size fits all solution when it comes to the best jobs for HSPS.
While we’ve done our homework, remember that these jobs are just suggestions. The best job for you is one that takes into account your unique characteristics. You need a career that accommodates your unique personality traits.
Hopefully this list has left your inspired. For another good read, check out our article on jobs for Empaths to Use Your Gifts Wisely.
Finally, if you want to identify YOUR personality type, then take one of these 11 personality tests to better understand what makes you tick.
