5 of the Best Careers for INFP Personality Types & 3 of the Worst

Are you a dreamer with a knack for creative problem solving, artistic expression, and abstract thinking? If so, you might be an INFP on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator—and you might be wondering what the best INFP careers are.

An INFP (aka the “Mediator”) is a creative and introspective person who enjoys working independently. They take in information from their surroundings, process it internally, and come up with a creative solution for the problems they’ve identified. They tend to be passionate about their work, and they often pursue careers in the arts or sciences, which can provide them with a lot of freedom and flexibility.

Read on to learn about the five best INFP career matches, which jobs these personality types should avoid, and more!

What is an INFP Like?

INFPs (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) typically desire creative careers that match their aptitude for innovation and independence. They often have a strong sense of intuition and use their creativity to develop ideas or innovative solutions to problems.

Passionate and idealistic, Mediators are inspired by their values and are driven to help others realize their potential. They have a strong sense of personal integrity and an unwavering belief in the goodness of people. Not all INFPs are the same, however. Generally, an INFP can be either assertive (an INFP-A) or turbulent (an INFP-T):

INFP-A

An assertive INFP is confident and feels good about themselves, as well as the world around them. INFP-As don’t need external validation because they present their true selves to others. By nature, they also tend to be independent.

INFP-T

A turbulent INFP is highly sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. Despite this, they can be very self-critical and struggle with confidence at work, needing high amounts of validation from others. Overall, INFP-Ts are less self-assured than their more assertive counterparts.

Best Careers for INFP Personality Types

As previously mentioned, the best INFP careers are usually in the visual arts or sciences. But the INFP personality type may also be interested in working in the technology sector, where they can use their creativity and intuition to come up with innovative solutions to problems. They usually want a career that allows them to use their strengths and passions, so finding a job that fits those criteria is important.

Here are five of the best careers for INFPs:

Content Writer/Editor
Graphic Designer
Human Resources Specialist
Physical Therapist
UI/UX Designer

Content Writer/Editor

If you’re an INFP, then content writing or editing may be the perfect career for you. Content writers and editors work independently, but they also have to collaborate with their team members to get the job done. They use their creativity to come up with creative ways of presenting information, while still staying objective and professional.

Graphic Designer

Graphic design is an excellent career for INFPs since it offers them the freedom to work independently and express their personal style. Additionally, INFPs have a natural ability to understand human emotions and psychology, which helps them create designs that connect with their target audience.

Human Resources Specialist

Many INFPs pursue careers in human resources because they get to help job seekers find fulfilling careers and help organizations find great employees. Their desire to be of service and make an impact makes human resources an excellent INFP career choice.

Physical Therapist

Physical therapists provide treatment that helps patients recover from injuries or illnesses. Since INFPs care deeply for others and want to help them achieve their full potential, physical therapy can be a fulfilling career path.

UI/UX designer

UI/UX designers work to create a website’s user interface and experience for digital products. An INFP’s strong intuition gives them the potential to develop innovative designs while expressing their penchant for creativity. So if you’re an INFP, then a UI/UX design career may be a meaningful fit for you to thrive professionally.

Careers for INFPs to Avoid

The worst INFP careers typically involve working in a high-stress environment with little independence. INFPs need time to process information and come up with creative solutions, so working in a fast-paced, high-stress environment is not ideal for them. They may also struggle in careers that require them to be excessively critical or analytical.

Here are three jobs that an INFP should avoid:

Engineer
Financial Manager
Nursing

Engineer

INFPs are introverted, independent people who enjoy working alone. Engineers frequently work in teams and need to communicate effectively with their team members to get the job done. They also need strong technical skills, which can become very stressful when combined with a high-stress environment and limited independence. All of these combined make engineering a bad INFP career choice.

Financial Manager

Financial managers are responsible for keeping track of their organization’s financial information. They work in fast-paced, high-stress environments that can be overwhelming to INFPs who need time alone to process information and make decisions.

Nursing

As nurses, INFPs would get the chance to care for others by providing healthcare services for patients. However, the high-stress environment and lack of independence in this job can be overwhelming for INFPs who need time to process information.

INFP Strengths in the Workplace

The best INFP careers are typically those that require empathy and compassion, as they get personal fulfillment form helping others. They have strong communication skills and a strong sense of personal integrity, so they will not do anything that goes against their values. Additionally, INFPs love to uplift others, making them great at motivating their teammates when morale is low.

Mediators are also non-judgmental personality types. This trait coupled with their empathetic nature can make them an excellent addition to any team as they’re capable of fostering harmonious work environments.

Other possible strengths of INFPs include:

Dedicated and loyal
Open to ideas and processes
Innovative

INFP Weaknesses in the Workplace

An ideal INFP career would allow them time alone to concentrate and come up with creative ideas or solutions, so working in a fast-paced, high-stress environment may be a weakness for them. As abstract thinkers, INFPs may also struggle in roles that require in-depth analytics or excessive attention to detail. Additionally, INFPs are notorious daydreamers, so they may be unfocused at times and struggle with concentration.

While a Mediator’s sensitivity is certainly a strength in some scenarios, it can also be a weakness. INFPs can struggle with criticism and feedback due to this hypersensitivity.

Other possible weaknesses of INFPs include:

Lack of structure
Self-isolating
Overly self-critical

INFPs on a Team

INFP personality types think outside of the box to bring a unique perspective to each project or task assigned to them. However, INFPs are also private individuals who need time alone to process information before making decisions. Working in teams with other personality types can be challenging, but it is not impossible.

INFPs also value harmony and may prioritize feelings over the task at hand. In a team setting, they are usually seen as supportive, empathetic, and encouraging team members.

INFPs as Leaders

INFPs are sensitive, empathetic, and like to avoid conflict, so they may be hesitant to take on leadership roles that require them to make tough decisions. As introverts, INFPs tend to prefer working independently or with a small group of people rather than managing an entire team.

INFPs care about others and want to help them achieve their full potential. They have high personal integrity and want to do what is best for the people they lead. They often have innovative ideas that can help a team achieve its goals, so they can be successful leaders if their team is receptive to change. However, Mediators may struggle as managers if they do not feel respected or liked by their team members.

There are Plenty of Careers for INFPs

Strong communicators with a deep understanding of human nature, an INFP personality type can bring a lot of value to their company. When their creativity, empathy, idealistic nature, and integrity can shine, so will their career!

But it’s important for employers of INFPs—and even INFPs themselves—to remember that that these individuals don’t thrive under strict rules and hierarchy. INFPs are free-spirited and independent, so they’re more productive when given the freedom and flexibility they desire.

If you’re not an INFP, check out our posts about these personality types: