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[INTP] Career advice

I

Iamhuman

Guest
Hello there,

I'm 21 female INTP who I just graduated with a major in biochem and cell bio so of course I'm having a quarter life crisis. I'm positive that I want to pursue another degree because I don't like my options right now. My issue is that I keep switching from wanting a job that challenges me so I'm not bored out of my mind and a brainless well paying job that gives me room to pursue other things creatively. To be honest a well respected career has always been important to me. Since high school, I've been alternating between becoming a doctor or going into academia. I love studying the human body and diagnosing diseases is something I can see myself enjoying as a job. But I'm worried that at the end of the day, all the pros won't be enough to get me through the student debts, long working hours, lack of creativity and all the dreadful costs that come with that career. I definitely don't want to invest into something like med school and end up hating the job itself. I was leaning into academia for a while but the thought of writing grant proposals makes me want to bang my head on a wall. I've also considered just going back to uni to study something like software engineering. I do have some experience with coding as well (and enough people have recommend it as a great option for an INTP). Another side of me also wants to just find a job that pays me enough to survive without having to use any brain power. This way, I also have time to indulge in my hobbies. But I think I'd probably end up hating that too in the long term role due to lack of mental stimulation. And I really want to make use of my degree because I've just invested too much to not end up using it. I was wondering if anyone has also gone through something similar to this. If so, what did you end up deciding? Any advice would be helpful.
 

Julius_Van_Der_Beak

Up the Wolves
Joined
Jul 24, 2008
Messages
19,445
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INTP
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5w6
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sp/so
Hello there,

I'm 21 female INTP who I just graduated with a major in biochem and cell bio so of course I'm having a quarter life crisis. I'm positive that I want to pursue another degree because I don't like my options right now. My issue is that I keep switching from wanting a job that challenges me so I'm not bored out of my mind and a brainless well paying job that gives me room to pursue other things creatively. To be honest a well respected career has always been important to me. Since high school, I've been alternating between becoming a doctor or going into academia. I love studying the human body and diagnosing diseases is something I can see myself enjoying as a job. But I'm worried that at the end of the day, all the pros won't be enough to get me through the student debts, long working hours, lack of creativity and all the dreadful costs that come with that career. I definitely don't want to invest into something like med school and end up hating the job itself. I was leaning into academia for a while but the thought of writing grant proposals makes me want to bang my head on a wall. I've also considered just going back to uni to study something like software engineering. I do have some experience with coding as well (and enough people have recommend it as a great option for an INTP). Another side of me also wants to just find a job that pays me enough to survive without having to use any brain power. This way, I also have time to indulge in my hobbies. But I think I'd probably end up hating that too in the long term role due to lack of mental stimulation. And I really want to make use of my degree because I've just invested too much to not end up using it. I was wondering if anyone has also gone through something similar to this. If so, what did you end up deciding? Any advice would be helpful.
You don't want the job that pays you enough to survive without any brain power. I tried that and it sucked and you just sort of get shit on. I can tell you that much. I'm kind of in a software developer career right now and I really do think it's a good option.

I'll be making six figures at my new job, after all.
 

SurrealisticSlumbers

📠girl in an 🎠world
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
Messages
681
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INFJ
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sp/sx
It seems you may be feeling pulled in multiple directions, but I can see that your heart is in going back to school. Listen to what your heart is telling you. Try to take some different classes part-time for now, maybe see if you can simply audit some, like the grant writing, pre-med, software engineering... just to see what you think of them. Don't prematurely decide on a major, just explore with an open mind what could be the best fit before making a rash decision... you are still so young. There is no need to fret or be in a crisis about this; you are light years ahead of your peers in terms of your goals and mindset. Maybe you can talk to some professors or get mentored by those in the fields you have expressed interest in, people with both experience in academia as well as the private sector. I'm not employed or formally educated in these subjects, but have drafted and sent out grant proposals for modest amounts, which I successfully obtained; it's not that hard -- GREATLY depends on the org/trust/foundation conferring the grant and what the grant application process and guidelines look like... it differs WILDLY from organization to organization.
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,187
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594
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Well, I guess I could be a poster child for this kind of thing. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but drifted into writing + computers in the late 80's (both extracurricular activities that I also had college coursework around), went into editorial work, technical writing, and now systems analysis.

The thing is, what I really loved at the time was music composition and creative writing (I dabbled in art as well), but felt like I could not support myself doing that esp if raising a family. My father had also pitched the "do what you want as a hobby, not as a career" -- although he liked teaching music and was miserable when he was unable to teach, so don't ask me what that advice meant coming from him.

There are always going to be uncertainties and conflicts, there is typically no "perfect" outcome that you don't end up growing into -- i.e., later you realize maybe you didn't get everything you wanted, but you like the things you did get, enjoyed it on some levels, and learned from the experience of it.

I think the biggest issue with doing hobbies in your spare time (if they are the things you actually love) is that your energy and time pool will probably decline as you age, and you spend more of the lion's share on the work you are doing for sustenance, not love. You will spend a lot of time doing it and it will take away energy from your hobbies. So it should at least be something you can either enjoy or find value in. If that is the case, it also makes sense to find a job you at least like and will be nicely compensated for, if you aren't going to chase after what you think you want most (for whatever reason). It's really terrible to not only be doing a job just for the money but not even get THAT much money or some kind of valuable compensation (whether it's flexible work hours, location, contacts, or SOMETHING that is worth your while); you would grow to resent the work over time.

The other thing is, a job you do just for money tends not to be something you will shine at because not all your hearth/energy is in it. You might have to get used to the idea of doing something adequately but not being at the top, and just accepting you are not on a fast-track career -- and others who are more invested are more likely to move ahead faster. I do my current job well and typically get high marks, but I have accepted I will not really be one of the people who receives awards and is well-known in that work.

What I saw in your post:

- concerned enough to pursue a different degree
- desire challenging job (to avoid boredom) vs a brainless but well-compensated job (to pursue what you care about)
- Well-respected career [Doctor? Academia?]
- Enjoy the investigative/diagnostic elements of medical work; not as keen on long hours, debt, lack of creativity, costs
- Enjoy academia but not the practical/paperwork end of the job (writing grant proposals)
- Maybe software engineering? have coding experience

The thing is, typically there is not a perfect job. Like life itself, you always have to deal with some degree of extraneous garbage, so which garbage are you willing to tolerate?

Another is that there is not necessarily one "perfect" job, but simply a handful of "decent options" and whichever one you pick, as long as you are committed to (as reasonable) or are willing to change later (with the complications of that) if you are really dissatisfied, well, that is good enough. I really understand the tendency to determine the "perfect fit" up front, the elegant solution and being efficient in energy expended, but it's unfortunately messier than that, with an element of luck involved - and shaping yourself a bit to plug into the experience you end up choosing.

It might help to list your criteria -- must have's, nice to have's, and then things you can't tolerate -- and then compare any opportunity to that list, to see how each measures up. You might not have a clear winner, but you basically will know the pro's/benefits vs the con's/risks of whatever you are considering.

If you are not comfortable with some of the risks (like when you mentioned large amounts of debt) -- well, that's something to take into account. Does the benefit outweigh that risk, potentially?

Also, some of the stuff that seems like garbage now -- maybe you can find ways to invest in it to make it more interesting. Grant proposals seem like a drag, but you can make it into a puzzle of sorts to figure out how to properly ands strategically get what you need, rather than just being a kowtow to the powers that be.... hey, whatever works. I have to do a lot of organization and scheduling, but that can be interesting when I've made it into a complex puzzle of how to fit various timelines and tasks together and make the efficient use of resources.

It somewhat all comes down to the tagline for Soderbergh's adaptation of Solaris: "There are no answers, only choices."
 
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Tomb1

Active member
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
Messages
994
you titled the thread...."career advice"....and then doubled-down stating that "to be honest a well respected career has always been important to me"...So I would say not a doctor, especially not like a surgeon or ER doctor. You sound more like a careerist which is not to say careerists don't become doctors (medical profession is probably loaded with them) but had they known now what they did not know then they may have opted for something more suited to their initial goal of just having a respected career.

Careerists ime are best suited for professions where one's taking "pride" in having a respected career is not a hindrance. As a doctor pride and ego will be on the firing line day in and day out and you'll not only have to get up some days to go in to fight a losing battle but you'll have to be all in to win, and it will be one after the other and then every now and then you might have to give deposition testimony in a frivolous medical malpractice suit filed against you by somebody too unintelligent to understand that you did everything medically possible to save their kid. In other words, it's an all-in lifestyle and the less pride you have about having a "respected career" and the less attached you are to having judgments about other people the better. This is especially true if you decide to open your own medical practice later on (which you would need to do in order to realize your ultimate income-earning capacity). Opening your own practice will also likeley require that you cater to families' who won't give you their business unless you play somewhat to their need for false hope-- careerists ime typically do not like making promises they cannot 100 percent deliver on so tend to drive business away with their "play-it-safe" honesty....

Careerists do like some intensity in my experience, but they like it under conditions that they can control the dial on so it never goes up so high that they can't be out of work by five to be with "the family" or whatever their private life entails. I've seen careerists really get wound up by the "nerve" of somebody in their work orbit calling them after five (or outside their 8 hour shift) in regards to work-related stuff, especially when that call comes from upset customers/clients.... Its just a certain pride that careerists have in regards to their goal of having a respected career which if they had taken into the profession of a surgeon or building a business from scratch wouldn't work out. Careerists ime also prefer work atmospheres that allow them to maintain the image of flawless execution of job and of always obtaining optimal results. They don't like bad press. Careerists typically accomplish this through hiring "jungle fighters" and "money mercenaries/survivors" from hard backgrounds who they can underpay to take care of all the gritty work... as a surgeon or er doctor this would be a major weakness.

Careerists ime are much better suited for professions that don't require the all-in mentality toughened up to losing and sometimes losing hard and then dealing with some really upset people that are just going to hate your guts no matter what you say....then be ready the next day to throw down in the next fight and be all in to win even though the "statistics" indicate you won't....
 
Last edited:

TonyaNolan

New member
Joined
Nov 8, 2022
Messages
1
MBTI Type
Myer
Well, I guess I could be a poster child for this kind of thing. I didn't really know what I wanted to do, but drifted into writing + computers in the late 80's (both extracurricular activities that I also had college coursework around), went into editorial work, technical writing, and now systems analysis.

The thing is, what I really loved at the time was music composition and creative writing (I dabbled in art as well), but felt like I could not support myself doing that esp if raising a family. My father had also pitched the "do what you want as a hobby, not as a career" -- although he liked teaching music and was miserable when he was unable to teach, so don't ask me what that advice meant coming from him.

There are always going to be uncertainties and conflicts, there is typically no "perfect" outcome that you don't end up growing into -- i.e., later you realize maybe you didn't get everything you wanted, but you like the things you did get, enjoyed it on some levels, and learned from the experience of it.

I think the biggest issue with doing hobbies in your spare time (if they are the things you actually love) is that your energy and time pool will probably decline as you age, and you spend more of the lion's share on the work you are doing for sustenance, not love. You will spend a lot of time doing it and it will take away energy from your hobbies. So it should at least be something you can either enjoy or find value in. If that is the case, it also makes sense to find a job you at least like and will be nicely compensated for, if you aren't going to chase after what you think you want most (for whatever reason). It's really terrible to not only be doing a job just for the money but not even get THAT much money or some kind of valuable compensation (whether it's flexible work hours, location, contacts, or SOMETHING that is worth your while); you would grow to resent the work over time.

The other thing is, a job you do just for money tends not to be something you will shine at because not all your hearth/energy is in it. You might have to get used to the idea of doing something adequately but not being at the top, and just accepting you are not on a fast-track career -- and others who are more invested are more likely to move ahead faster. I do my current job well and typically get high marks, but I have accepted I will not really be one of the people who receives awards and is well-known in that work.

What I saw in your post:

- concerned enough to pursue a different degree
- desire challenging job (to avoid boredom) vs a brainless but well-compensated job (to pursue what you care about)
- Well-respected career [Doctor? Academia?]
- Enjoy the investigative/diagnostic elements of medical work; not as keen on long hours, debt, lack of creativity, costs
- Enjoy academia but not the practical/paperwork end of the job (writing grant proposals)
- Maybe software engineering? have coding experience

The thing is, typically there is not a perfect job. Like life itself, you always have to deal with some degree of extraneous garbage, so which garbage are you willing to tolerate?

Another is that there is not necessarily one "perfect" job, but simply a handful of "decent options" and whichever one you pick, as long as you are committed to (as reasonable) or are willing to change later (with the complications of that) if you are really dissatisfied, well, that is good enough. I really understand the tendency to determine the "perfect fit" up front, the elegant solution and being efficient in energy expended, but it's unfortunately messier than that, with an element of luck involved - and shaping yourself a bit to plug into the experience you end up choosing.

It might help to list your criteria -- must have's, nice to have's, and then things you can't tolerate -- and then compare any opportunity to that list, to see how each measures up. You might not have a clear winner, but you basically will know the pro's/benefits vs the con's/risks of whatever you are considering.

If you are not comfortable with some of the risks (like when you mentioned large amounts of debt) -- well, that's something to take into account. Does the benefit outweigh that risk, potentially?

Also, some of the stuff that seems like garbage now -- maybe you can find ways to invest in it to make it more interesting. Grant proposals seem like a drag, but you can make it into a puzzle of sorts to figure out how to properly ands strategically get what you need, rather than just being a kowtow to the powers that be.... hey, whatever works. I have to do a lot of organization and scheduling, but that can be interesting when I've made it into a complex puzzle of how to fit various timelines and tasks together and make the efficient use of resources.

It somewhat all comes down to the tagline for Soderbergh's adaptation of Solaris: "There are no answers, only choices."

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Thanks for the advice.
 
Last edited:

JJ_5000

New member
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
4
MBTI Type
INTP
Hello there,

I'm 21 female INTP who I just graduated with a major in biochem and cell bio so of course I'm having a quarter life crisis. I'm positive that I want to pursue another degree because I don't like my options right now. My issue is that I keep switching from wanting a job that challenges me so I'm not bored out of my mind and a brainless well paying job that gives me room to pursue other things creatively. To be honest a well respected career has always been important to me. Since high school, I've been alternating between becoming a doctor or going into academia. I love studying the human body and diagnosing diseases is something I can see myself enjoying as a job. But I'm worried that at the end of the day, all the pros won't be enough to get me through the student debts, long working hours, lack of creativity and all the dreadful costs that come with that career. I definitely don't want to invest into something like med school and end up hating the job itself. I was leaning into academia for a while but the thought of writing grant proposals makes me want to bang my head on a wall. I've also considered just going back to uni to study something like software engineering. I do have some experience with coding as well (and enough people have recommend it as a great option for an INTP). Another side of me also wants to just find a job that pays me enough to survive without having to use any brain power. This way, I also have time to indulge in my hobbies. But I think I'd probably end up hating that too in the long term role due to lack of mental stimulation. And I really want to make use of my degree because I've just invested too much to not end up using it. I was wondering if anyone has also gone through something similar to this. If so, what did you end up deciding? Any advice would be helpful.
IT
 

JJ_5000

New member
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
4
MBTI Type
INTP
Slightly older INTP here. I always liked computer science but resisted because I thought I needed to major in something else. I finally gave in and went with cs, and it worked out.

Programming projects can be very enjoyable. If they are smaller specialized apps. By stark contrast, Heads down Enterprise level or full stack web development has an enormous amount of overhead / heavy process. This may not necessarily be a problem but it tends to be a stressful grind. From experience that's to be avoided.

It could be a shame to "throw away" your major, in a sense. Ideally you might consider earning a masters in biochemistry if it all viable and then combining that with a bachelor or Masters in computer science.

Certain segments of information technology can be ridiculously low stress. And I profoundly understand your need to have a low stress environment that uses little brain power, so you can focus on other more meaningful things / hobbies. I guess the ultimate poster example would be Albert Einstein: working as a patent clerk.

Anyway you might consider leveraging your current undergrad for a job like Computational Chemistry, or some variation. The salaries are well into the six-figure range as well

Ultimately it's absolutely critical to get some type of on the job exposure if at all possible, or at least read some trustworthy account of what various jobs are like. Some positions like law or algorithmic trading may seem cool to the uninitiated. But of course can be far different in practice.

Almost every job is going to have its administrative burdens, psychotic coworkers and bosses, and various unpleasantries (a good manager/management structure is not to be taken lightly)... The trick is to minimize negatives. Also don't be afraid to job hop like crazy if necessary. If I'm in a bad position I will totally leave. It means nothing in the industry. No one cares.

Your situation very much reminds me of my own. Hope this long post, which got a bit out of hand, is of some use. Best of luck.
 
Last edited:

ygolo

My termites win
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
5,988
Hello there,

I'm 21 female INTP who I just graduated with a major in biochem and cell bio so of course I'm having a quarter life crisis. I'm positive that I want to pursue another degree because I don't like my options right now. My issue is that I keep switching from wanting a job that challenges me so I'm not bored out of my mind and a brainless well paying job that gives me room to pursue other things creatively. To be honest a well respected career has always been important to me. Since high school, I've been alternating between becoming a doctor or going into academia. I love studying the human body and diagnosing diseases is something I can see myself enjoying as a job. But I'm worried that at the end of the day, all the pros won't be enough to get me through the student debts, long working hours, lack of creativity and all the dreadful costs that come with that career. I definitely don't want to invest into something like med school and end up hating the job itself. I was leaning into academia for a while but the thought of writing grant proposals makes me want to bang my head on a wall. I've also considered just going back to uni to study something like software engineering. I do have some experience with coding as well (and enough people have recommend it as a great option for an INTP). Another side of me also wants to just find a job that pays me enough to survive without having to use any brain power. This way, I also have time to indulge in my hobbies. But I think I'd probably end up hating that too in the long term role due to lack of mental stimulation. And I really want to make use of my degree because I've just invested too much to not end up using it. I was wondering if anyone has also gone through something similar to this. If so, what did you end up deciding? Any advice would be helpful.
From an unemotional perspective. Software is eating the world--machine learning in particular. No need for a whole degree. Coursera, Udacity, etc. maybe enough. There are bootcamps for more thorough (though very intense) experiences. If you do a degree, a master's is probably the sweet spot.

However, we are emotional beings, even people who call themselves INTPs. Try things that energize you. Find your righteous indignation that will make you wake up and fight the good fight. Find pure joy in your activities. Serve people you love. Connect with people who nourish your soul. Master a craft you love mastering. Stuff like that. Unfortunately, it's trial and error.

edit: I am always going through something similar. I wrote a whole blog on here where a lot of it was being frustrated with work. After undergrad, I made integrated circuits at the leading edge of Moore's Law, then worked on medical device software, and did a PhD in Biophsyics. The jobs generally don't keep me satisfied, because I much more of a broad thinker than a specialist, but hate being superficial so I go reasonably deep. I wish I could say I found my path, but it has been well over 20 years, and I am still struggling. Most of the jobs paid really well though...academia does not.
 
Last edited:

ReginaSingleton

New member
Joined
Sep 21, 2023
Messages
1
It's completely normal to have these career dilemmas, especially after graduation. Your diverse interests and analytical mind are fantastic assets! If you're considering another degree, you might want to check out Colleges with Rolling Admission for flexible options.
It's a tough choice, but remember, your career path doesn't have to be linear. You can explore different fields, take your time to discover what truly resonates with you, and adapt along the way.
 
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SensEye

Active member
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
485
MBTI Type
INTp
Just get a job that pays well. Jobs will bore you out of your mind regardless (and even if you enjoy your work, you'll probably hate your bosses). So your instinct to get a job that pays well and allows you to pursue other interests is the correct one. And well paying jobs also lead to potential for early retirement, which again grants you the most freedom. This is another trade off you will have to deal with: materialism vs retirement savings. Want the fancy house/cars/keeping up with the Joneses (no self respecting INTP should give a shit about the latter)? But if you want those things you probably are going to have to work longer to afford them.

Reading between the lines at the responses here, many of them are I did/got a degree in blah, blah, blah, now I do IT. Why? Because it generally is an in demand job and pays reasonably. All the pursue your muse shit goes out the window when the reality of life sets in (i.e. when you have to support yourself).
 
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