22 Best INFP Careers in 2024 (incl. Which to Avoid)
INFPs are driven by their high values and want to bring change for the better in others’ lives.
Typically, the best INFP careers tend to be in the creative field (designer, musician, writer), as a freelancer due to their need for independence, or as therapists as they care deeply about others.
Fulfilling INFP Career Qualities
The need for self-expression helps INFPs become successful artists, musicians, and actors.
Their feelings and values tend to influence their decisions and help INFPs in jobs such as therapy and teaching.
These are the fulfilling qualities that make INFPs choose the career paths they do.
1. Intuition
Extraverted Intuition (Ne) preference helps support the creative aspect of jobs.
INFPs focus on the “big picture” and things that will serve a purpose and discern otherwise hidden patterns, potentials, and possibilities.
They are curious, like to explore and can adapt to their conditions rather than attempting to change or control them.
INFPs prefer freedom in work and avoid routine, hierarchy, and a restrictive environment.
Career as a designer or freelancer are good INFP career matches as the above-mentioned conditions are fulfilled.
2. Empathy
They are caring and protective of their close ones or people in need of help and make decisions while keeping in mind the well-being of others as well.
Introverted Feeling (Fi) helps INFPs to relate to others’ feelings and experiences with their own.
The INFP talents include listening to others without judging them or expressing their own opinions.
If they are asked for their opinion, they are able to express it without being argumentative or insensitive. Working as a therapist is one of the best careers for INFP.
3. Self-expression
For INFPs, jobs dealing with language and communication are easier to handle since they are good at expressing themselves and understanding others at the same time.
This helps others connect with them and their work, irrespective of whether it is art or business communication.
Without being able to self-expression, they could feel lost and they may feel incomplete and unfulfilled.
A career as a writer or an artist is a good job for INFPs as they are able to express what they feel.
4. Explorers
INFPs are curious, impulsive, and independent. They can be great adventurers and at ease in jobs relating to adventure, sports, or close to nature.
Their mind is constantly looking for things to do and may wander to different topics instead of one at hand, thus wanting to even visit new places and try activities that may seem intriguing.
Wildlife photography and travel vlogging are good jobs for INFPs as they prefer making decisions on the go instead of planning every single detail beforehand.
Best Careers for INFPs
INFPs want to understand themselves and others around them and to make an impact on the lives of others as they are concerned about their well-being.
They like being independent & prefer new ideas over practical facts. They are ready to improvise and open to exploring other alternative approaches to something.
The perfect career for an INFP is one as a therapist.
- Bartender
- Biologist
- Carpenter
- Chef
- Computer Programmer
- Entrepreneur
- Factory Supervisor
- Farmer or Rancher
- Financial Planner
- Forester
- Land Developer
- Landscape Architect
- Paramedic
- Photographer
- Restaurant Owner
- Sales Manager
- Stockbroker
- Vocational Teacher
- Therapist
- Counselor
- Psychologist
- Artist
Draining INFP Career Qualities
The most draining career quality in INFPs is idealism. They can take up too much time overthinking about topics that do not align with their morals or try to avoid them completely.
INFPs can fit into different roles, but there are some careers for INFPs to avoid.
Military/police jobs can be considered one of the worst careers for INFP. The hierarchy and orders to be fulfilled, regardless of if you want to or not, can be a major issue.
1. Monotony
INFPs at work are idea-popping machines, as some would say. Their mind can’t be forced to remain idle for too long.
They might find Monotonous jobs to be simply not worth their effort. They usually don’t like schedules and routines, much less daily monotonous jobs.
INFPs might feel their potential going unused doing such jobs. They prefer utilizing their creative insights instead of preventing themselves from using their new ideas or exploring and learning new things.
A monotonous job like a machine operator is not a good job for an INFP personality.
2. Confrontation
INFPs are people pleasers, sensitive and emotional beings. While they can take their stand for things, they deem important and worth speaking up for but will try to avoid and overlook minor issues.
They might repress their own wants and needs to avoid conflicts that could be unwise of them and cause stagnancy in their own career growth.
High stress and a workplace full of conflicts can slowly take a toll on their health.
Working as a bureaucrat is not an INFP career match as it requires a lot of confrontation and bringing up issues for debate
3. Slow-moving
Jobs that might require long periods of work before getting results or even progress do not work that well for INFPs.
They are always brimming with new ideas to explore and might find it disheartening if progress isn’t made soon.
INFPs might feel burnout and dispirited after working for a long period of time without substantial progress or results.
They might feel insecure and may start doubting themselves and their own abilities.
Working as a Scientist or doing research work in any subject is not the best career for INFPs as these jobs take up a lot of time to work on.
4. Lack of Freedom
INFPs are free-flowing souls and avoid bounding themselves to a particular schedule or work routine.
Jobs that call for a fixed routine and bind them to a desk or an office are not jobs for INFPs.
When they are forced to work in such a bounded environment, they will not be able to utilize their complete potential and may feel exhausted often.
Desk jobs like those in the corporate sector are not the best INFP jobs and should be avoided by them if possible.
Worst Careers for INFPs
Every personality type has the potential to work in any field or industry. But, there are some career choices that suit a particular personality better than others.
Similarly, INFP professions given below to avoid are just based on general preference by INFPs.
Electrical Engineering for INFPs can be a boring, tedious, repetitive, and uninteresting career choice.
It isn’t as creative as designing & might not captivate their interest like teaching, clergy etc., and should definitely make it to the list of INFP careers to avoid.
- Chemist
- Dental Hygienist
- Electrical Engineer
- Electronics Technician
- Physician Assistant
INFP On a Team
INFPs are team players and adjust with others as long as it doesn’t encourage competitiveness within the team or affect their moral values and sense of freedom.
They like participating in teams and help others whenever possible or needed and go an extra mile without expecting much in return.
Wanting to feel accepted and encouraged can make them seem like a people pleaser too.
They may not take the spotlight and will prefer to be a team supporter. They can come up with new ideas and they can also keep the team morale up with their optimism.
Overall, INFPs are not the best team players, but they know their way around it.
INFP As a Leader
INFPs take leadership roles naturally as they are great mediators and being caring in nature can help create a healthy environment for their team to work in.
They can be great leaders as they perform well under high-stress situations.
They are optimistic and adaptable leaders but unwilling to compromise with their moral values even when it is inconvenient for them.
They try to connect with their team and, instead of using authority, will prefer using persuasion to get something done. They demand perfection from others while pursuing it themselves.
They tend to be approachable and possess problem-solving abilities. They are passionate about their job and inspire others with their vision or plans.
