Top 8 Degrees & Careers for Introverts

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There must be at least one friend among your peers that rarely attends any gatherings and even if they do they barely chip in a group conversation and would probably leave before the gathering ends. There might be one classmate of yours who often remains silent in a group discussion and usually spends time doing their own thing. This classmate or friend of yours is most likely known as an introvert.

Introverts are the type of people who prefer solitude as their comfort zone to focus on their internal thoughts and ideas, rather than what’s happening around them. Most people perceive them as shy to interact with people. But in reality, introverts do enjoy being around people with whom they are closed with. They prefer engaging and deep conversation in smaller groups or with just one other person. Being in a large social gathering often drains introverts out as they would find themselves being distracted by having too many simulations.

Common traits of introverts include;

They love spending time alone
They are self-aware
They have a creative mind
They are at their best when working alone
They take time to make decisions
They prefer a few friends over a group
They don’t stay too long at parties or they don’t even attend one
They don’t prefer to be the centre of attention

Types of Introverts

Video credit: Psych2Go

Introverts are classified into four types and each type has a distinct personality from one another.

Social Introverts

Social introverts are people who prefer social interaction in small groups or solitude over large gatherings and parties. They rather spend time alone doing something they love and socialize with a small group of friends if necessary. Unlike social anxiety, social introverts are not afraid of crowds or they don’t shy away from conversations. They just want things to be the way it is.

Thinking Introverts

Unlike other introverts, thinking introverts don’t mind the presence of a large group of people, but they are considered unsocial because of their nature of getting lost in their own thoughts. This introvert is actually thoughtful and self-reflective. Thinking introverts reflect their feelings and thoughts in their imaginative world, which makes them pause to think of response during a conversation. This type of introvert is highly creative.

Anxious Introverts

In contrast to social introverts, anxious introverts seek solitude because they are awkwardly shy to interact with other people. They are perceived as rude at times, but they are actually less confident in social interaction and they are being protective of themselves. However, being alone makes their thoughts go wild in overthinking of catastrophizing events, which makes them hard to step out of their comfort zone.

Restrained Introverts

Restrained introverts are very different compared to the other types of introverts. They wouldn’t mind large crowds and don’t dwell in their complex inner world, but they are more of a “reserved” type of people. They usually take time to observe a person and would think through before they speak or act. This type of people lacks spontaneity where they usually don’t get along with last-minute plannings. They enjoy meeting new people but very selective in choosing who they want to trust.

Struggles of Introverts at work

One of the hardest things about being an introvert is that they struggle in maintaining friendly conversations with colleagues and they rather choose solitary activities than attending office parties. Most people believe that introverted co-workers are not interested in getting to know someone, but the truth is they refuse to force themselves to have a meaningless conversation with others. They wouldn’t get along with people just for the sake of working in the same office, but rather approach those who actually ‘vibe’ them with meaningful conversations.

Office meetings and presentations could be a pain for introverts as well. Meetings and presentations are attended by many people and introverts tend to struggle to deliver speeches in front of them. They can be very skilful and efficient in their tasks, but when they are placed under the spotlight, they would feel anxious and uncomfortable, which makes them struggle to find words to speak.

Introverts don’t mind participating in team-oriented tasks if their job requires them to do so. However, they have a hard time in brainstorming sessions, where they are required to come up with ideas immediately. They find it difficult and uneasy to think of ideas out of thin air when they are surrounded by people. They need time and space for themselves where they feel more comfortable and productive to generate brilliant ideas that may blow other’s minds.

#1 Writer

Whether fiction or copywriting, this career is ideal for social, thinking and anxious introverts. Introverts who don’t involve in social interactions could let their writing do the talking. Writers require time and space to think and come up with creative ways to write which suits well with introverts’ personality. Furthermore, they could choose to be freelance writers as they are free to decide their own setting to go wild with their creativity.