Greetings, all 
I recently discovered that I am an INFJ, and due to stress at work and not enjoying my job anymore I quit my job as an Electrical Engineer. I was a difficult decision to make, but I feel it was the right one. My online research into INFJ's, Careers, cognitive functions etc. played a strong part in me deciding that I would actually like to change career completely.
Essentially, I didn't think I was making the best use of my 'gifts' or natural talents as an INFJ in Engineering. My typical day was sitting at a desk working with numbers, drawings, mechanical-type things. Nothing involving People, Values or Ideas whatsoever, which seems to be what I am passionate about.
I'm currently embarking on a new career path, and so am trying to decide which one is best, and was hoping from some advice from my fellow "NF's".
Firstly, I read in Donna Dunning's book "What's My Type of Career?" that what INFJ's do best is 'Connect Ideas to People and Values', which seems to fit my talents/interests. My other career priorities, or things that I'm looking to get from my job/ day-to-day life are as follows:
1. Intelligent work related to complex ideas.
2. Helping people / facilitating personal growth.
3. Reasonable salary (I'd like to have a family one day).
4. Autonomy, good work-life balance
The two main option I'm considering are roughly outlined below.
1. Psychotherapist / Counsellor.
I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (seemingly pretty common for INFJ's), which I suffered terribly from for many years. It also caused me associated Anxiety and Depression. This led me into the world of therapy. I researched OCD obsessively while I was waiting for therapy to start, and largely cured myself with help from my therapist. I have also experienced extreme depression but now keep this under control with exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
I attend support groups, and am pretty passionate about mental health, seeing as I have experienced the 'bad end' of it first-hand, and also experienced recovering again. I would like to facilitate this change for other people also. As an INFJ, I am highly empathetic (Fe) and can usually tell pretty well how someone is feeling, and whether they are being authentic or not. Also, I often find myself in 'Counsellor / therapist' type situations with friends and acquaintances, whereby they are telling me about their relationship or life problems and I am providing an open ear and/or advising them on a course of action. I figure I may as well go the whole hog and train to do it professionally, and get paid for it. That's not the only reason though - I genuinely want to help people get / feel better and improve their lives.
I've started and introductory Counselling course and love it. We discuss Empathy, Values, Healing, Unconditional Positive Regards, and psychological theories. I feel like the glove fits, and I have 'come home'.
2. Sociology (or Economics or Politics or Philosophy)
If the Psychotherapy glove seems to fit so well, why consider any other options? Well, my mild concerns with training to be a therapist are that the 'helping people' side of things will be 'too slow', and that I may run out of new things to learn.
I'm, pretty intelligent and like to take vast quantities of information about psychology, economics, spirituality, politics - basically complex concepts relating to people, whenever I can. My ideal day outside of work is spent flitting between textbooks, audiobooks and podcasts. I think learning / taking information about these things might be a 'flow state' for me. I can sit and learn about Typology or Spirituality for 12 hours at a time - essentially feeding my (Ni) with more fuel.
I read Sociology textbooks in the college library and am fascinated by them - Capitalism, Marxism, Feminism, Evolution, Positivism. all fascinating stuff! My only regret is that I don't have unlimited time to learn it all. I feel the same about other complex human-related subjects like Philosophy.
My love of learning leads me to believe I would enjoy a mixed Sociology degree. And perhaps a career in Academia after this. I have decent writing skills and can happily sit down and write / read large quantities when it's something I'm passionate about. However, the traditional "careers" following a degree like this don't seem to interest me. Corporate careers or jobs for the government that involve analysing lots of data and passing it on to some crook Politician to manipulate to his ends. So it would have to be Academia I think.
So this path would fill my need for constant stimulation, what about the 'helping people' part? My best prediction, based on the working life I've experienced so far, is that I would enjoy this 2nd path, but that I'd get to the end of the week with 'something missing' - and that something is whether I've actually made a difference to someone or not. Whereas I think as a Counsellor / therapist I'd end the week feeling emotionally drained, but like I had really made a difference
If someone put a gun to my head right now and forced me to choose, I'd go for Psychotherapist. I know it would leave me fulfilled, and there are so many books on therapy, spirituality and psychology out there that I'm sure I'd have plenty to learn as the years went on, to keep me stimulated. And I could always read about Marxism in my spare time as a hobby.
What do you guys think? Are any of you experienced in either of these fields? Do my ramblings sound coherent / make sense?
Thank you so much for reading such a long post and I really appreciate your attention.
TL;DR - INFJ starting new career, trying to decide between Psychotherapy or Sociology.
Thanks x
I recently discovered that I am an INFJ, and due to stress at work and not enjoying my job anymore I quit my job as an Electrical Engineer. I was a difficult decision to make, but I feel it was the right one. My online research into INFJ's, Careers, cognitive functions etc. played a strong part in me deciding that I would actually like to change career completely.
Essentially, I didn't think I was making the best use of my 'gifts' or natural talents as an INFJ in Engineering. My typical day was sitting at a desk working with numbers, drawings, mechanical-type things. Nothing involving People, Values or Ideas whatsoever, which seems to be what I am passionate about.
I'm currently embarking on a new career path, and so am trying to decide which one is best, and was hoping from some advice from my fellow "NF's".
Firstly, I read in Donna Dunning's book "What's My Type of Career?" that what INFJ's do best is 'Connect Ideas to People and Values', which seems to fit my talents/interests. My other career priorities, or things that I'm looking to get from my job/ day-to-day life are as follows:
1. Intelligent work related to complex ideas.
2. Helping people / facilitating personal growth.
3. Reasonable salary (I'd like to have a family one day).
4. Autonomy, good work-life balance
The two main option I'm considering are roughly outlined below.
1. Psychotherapist / Counsellor.
I have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (seemingly pretty common for INFJ's), which I suffered terribly from for many years. It also caused me associated Anxiety and Depression. This led me into the world of therapy. I researched OCD obsessively while I was waiting for therapy to start, and largely cured myself with help from my therapist. I have also experienced extreme depression but now keep this under control with exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
I attend support groups, and am pretty passionate about mental health, seeing as I have experienced the 'bad end' of it first-hand, and also experienced recovering again. I would like to facilitate this change for other people also. As an INFJ, I am highly empathetic (Fe) and can usually tell pretty well how someone is feeling, and whether they are being authentic or not. Also, I often find myself in 'Counsellor / therapist' type situations with friends and acquaintances, whereby they are telling me about their relationship or life problems and I am providing an open ear and/or advising them on a course of action. I figure I may as well go the whole hog and train to do it professionally, and get paid for it. That's not the only reason though - I genuinely want to help people get / feel better and improve their lives.
I've started and introductory Counselling course and love it. We discuss Empathy, Values, Healing, Unconditional Positive Regards, and psychological theories. I feel like the glove fits, and I have 'come home'.
2. Sociology (or Economics or Politics or Philosophy)
If the Psychotherapy glove seems to fit so well, why consider any other options? Well, my mild concerns with training to be a therapist are that the 'helping people' side of things will be 'too slow', and that I may run out of new things to learn.
I'm, pretty intelligent and like to take vast quantities of information about psychology, economics, spirituality, politics - basically complex concepts relating to people, whenever I can. My ideal day outside of work is spent flitting between textbooks, audiobooks and podcasts. I think learning / taking information about these things might be a 'flow state' for me. I can sit and learn about Typology or Spirituality for 12 hours at a time - essentially feeding my (Ni) with more fuel.
I read Sociology textbooks in the college library and am fascinated by them - Capitalism, Marxism, Feminism, Evolution, Positivism. all fascinating stuff! My only regret is that I don't have unlimited time to learn it all. I feel the same about other complex human-related subjects like Philosophy.
My love of learning leads me to believe I would enjoy a mixed Sociology degree. And perhaps a career in Academia after this. I have decent writing skills and can happily sit down and write / read large quantities when it's something I'm passionate about. However, the traditional "careers" following a degree like this don't seem to interest me. Corporate careers or jobs for the government that involve analysing lots of data and passing it on to some crook Politician to manipulate to his ends. So it would have to be Academia I think.
So this path would fill my need for constant stimulation, what about the 'helping people' part? My best prediction, based on the working life I've experienced so far, is that I would enjoy this 2nd path, but that I'd get to the end of the week with 'something missing' - and that something is whether I've actually made a difference to someone or not. Whereas I think as a Counsellor / therapist I'd end the week feeling emotionally drained, but like I had really made a difference
If someone put a gun to my head right now and forced me to choose, I'd go for Psychotherapist. I know it would leave me fulfilled, and there are so many books on therapy, spirituality and psychology out there that I'm sure I'd have plenty to learn as the years went on, to keep me stimulated. And I could always read about Marxism in my spare time as a hobby.
What do you guys think? Are any of you experienced in either of these fields? Do my ramblings sound coherent / make sense?
Thank you so much for reading such a long post and I really appreciate your attention.
TL;DR - INFJ starting new career, trying to decide between Psychotherapy or Sociology.
Thanks
x
