INF]
Introverted, Intuitive,
Profile 1: Helen
"Doing something that is really worth
doing-and doing it right."
Helen works all day with two things that she
loves: words and ideas. She especially enjoys
taking concepts and theories that matter to
her and making them accessible to a wide
range of people. From her small, home-
based publishing company, Helen does just
that: she creates illustrated materials that
~resent innovative ways to involve families
in Christian education. Helen's press
produces modestly priced booklets
cal~ nd ars, and other items for use i~
~piscopal churches nationwide. Her clientele
hgure in at about one thousand with three
Ulltlred 0rdering on an annual' basis. Helen
~~wb ~nakes all transactions through her
Site where
array f customers can order from an
ch~ ho about thirty products. Because
re es (her · ·
n1aterials th principal customers) print the
emselves after ordering them,
117
Feeling, Judging
"Catalysts for Positive
Change"
Helen's business has very low overhead
costs, with no need for staff or shipping and
no warehousing fees. This independence is
appealing to Helen, who delights in making
biblical stories relevant and channeling them
into activities that engage families, especially
those with young children. Her work is
deeply rooted in her personal values, and
she is gratified by remaining connected to
those values, as well as by the positive
feedback she receives from clients who
purchase her products. Helen appreciates the
human interaction when clients order by
telephone, and she describes herself as
"addicted" to the warm gratitude expressed
by her customers. Highly adept at and
oriented to customer service, Helen is eager
to advise her clients about tailoring products
to their needs, and she enjoys the problem-
solving aspects of consultation.
Helen's is a nontraditional career history.
She worked as a secretary prior to marriage
and then as a homemaker for fifteen years.

118 II Part Three: Getting to work
During her time as a homemaker, Helen
served in a variety of volunteer posmons,
. n coordinator
including precinct cha1rwoma • Sun day
· 1 1· ·c
of volunteers for a hosp1ta c im • 0f
school teacher, and then superinte~dent
Sunday school responsible for cumculum
development. Her next paid ~osition w_as as
administrative assistant to a diocesan bishop
and editor of a diocesan newspaper. She
then became administrative assistant in an
education think tank run by the federal
government. She served as the coordinator
of a publishing project that a year later
became a for-profit publishing corporation.
After leaving that organization, Helen created
the Christian educational press that is her
current pursuit.
One of the things that Helen finds most
rewarding about her job is sitting down with
an idea that has energized her and crafting
words to express a fresh message. "It's so fun
for me to get an idea based on a theological
principal or concept and make it accessible
and usable and fun for families. " Many of the
booklets that Helen produces integrate
spiritual questions with activities that
families can undertake together. For
instance, inspired by the occasion of Lent
and its focus on sacrifice, Helen designed a
soup can bearing the question "What Can
We Do?~ Families are encouraged to keep
the can m a conspicuous place in their
homes, to devise a variety of ways to collect
or save spare change, and then at the end of
each year to turn the money over to a
ch_antable organization they select. Helen is
dr;en to produce work that she is proud of
an . to create products that can really have
an impact on people.
Another satisfying as ec f
is collaborating with ·11 p t o Helen's work
generates the concep;s ~~~a~ors. After Helen
The constant presence of creativity a
the next stage is tak . h oes the writing
mg er work t ' innovation keeps Helen interested in her
several illustrators with h o one of
w om she has a Jong work.
,~.,..
history and close connection B
their mutual understanding a~d ecalJse Of
aesthetic sense, Helen and the ilt'llJilar
share a sort of shorthand that Ustrat01
to move swiftly . and pleasurabJenabJes thes
calla orat1ve process b ecause th
b • Y thr0 ugh ~
each other." An editor provides ey really ,
1
eye and gives Helen the polish an °utside !(I
perspective . th a t ma kes her workand
sale. ready far
Although Helen cherishes the
independence that her situation affi
can sometimes feel the strain of w 0~ds, 51)!
alone. When an idea pops into hero~ 10&
there is no critical sounding board ead,
immediately available to help her test h
idea and determine whether it really . er
. quandaries. Running her own business has
snuff. Helen satisfies her need for colleIS Up. ~
compamons 1p y trave1·mg often to attg,all{j1
· h ' b
Christian education conferences around~he
country. She represents her region of the
United States at the Christian Educators
Association, where she makes new contacts
and extends her customer base.
Why This Career Works for Helen
Helen's work is a perfect vehicle for the
expression of her Idealist values. Her
mission, or calling, is to spread God's word
and to help facilitate people's spiritual
growth. Adhering to her fundamental value
system in her work satisfies Helen's need fa
integrity and meaning in her career. Helen's
dominant introverted Intuition provides her
with a vision of the way things can be. 11
leads her also to draw connections between
concepts and to see alternative applications
for ideas. The work that Helen does requires
access to her intuitive imagination and
creativity-producing artistic work thar
engages a broad spectrum of age groups.
nd
INF] Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging
's auxiliary, extraverted Feeling
rr is H':s1e;er to share her beliefs and values
hat dnv Not content just to keep her
1
,;,,,ith orn;r~~dings to herself, she strives to
ideas an find the kind of opportunities for
help Ocners rowth that she herself finds so
spint:u~g. 1 Belen also exercises her
colllP d feeling in her skillful dealing
-~craverte
'-". . s1tuat1ons.
tomer service . . Her
with cuscy and ability to negotiate with a
diploma of different types of people 1s . a
range ent to her aux1·1·1ary f unction. .
reSCam
The introverted Th m ' k'mg th at 1s
. He1en's
third function ~as d_evelol;'ed over time,
wing to situauons m which she has been
~reed to confront logical and logistical
required Helen to use a particular set of
cools, and she finds that she must sometimes
exercise certain Thinking traits as she deals
with the more practical aspects of her
business. Helen has noticed a growing
interest in Thinking areas. "The subjects that
I had no interest in in college, like physics
and mathematics, I now find fascinating. I
Meet the Millennial
Name: Maggie
Age:23
Fulbright grant recipient
"Radio for social cbange. "
Backstory
"How can I get paid to travel? " This
was the phrase that Maggie Googled in
the spring of her senior year of college.
Maggie had enjoyed the true liberal arts
II 119
have no interest in becoming a physicist, but
I am eager to get a solid layperson's
understanding of it."
Helen's extraversion has also developed
through her experiences traveling and her
newfound willingness to make presentations
at conferences. She often stays in the homes
of people within the church community who
are at first strangers but soon become dear
friends.
Finally, Helen is beginning to see
evidence of the development of her Sensing
(fourth function), a sign of type maturation.
Once hesitant to deal with technology and
afraid of computers, she now faces the
technological frontier with a much more
adventurous attitude, opting to troubleshoot
on her own and to "crawl under the desk" to
see what she can do. Rather than throw up
her hands at the Sensing details of
mechanical problems, Helen feels competent
and proficient enough to try fixing things
herself, which fuels pride in her natural
independence.
experience at Sarah Lawrence College,
pursuing a wide, interdisciplinary course
load of politics, literature, gender studies,
and Spanish. Then she studied abroad in
Barcelona during her junior year and fell
(continued)

120 II Part Three: Getting to Work
. l which is what brought
in love with crave ' h her to the
her to Googe.I Google broug h'ch
t
Maggie
prestigious Fulbrigh~ gr~ni; f~llowing
applied for and receive •
fall she headed to Argentina for. ten .
months to teach English in university
while designing and execuung an
independent research project.
Although Maggie originally planned
on teaching creative writing workshops,
her project evolved when she met .
another girl who shared her interest m
radio. Maggie had explored radio
production in college, and the two girls
set up a radio series through a website-
a sort of call-and-response between two
cities several hundred miles away. When
they began the series, their stories
centered on finding a sense of place as
outsiders: two girls from Brooklyn in the
heart of Argentina. But when Maggie met
people engaged in grassroots social
activism, the series evolved even more-
as did Maggie's project. She made radio
pieces championing the causes of the
people she'd met while teaching mini-
workshops on how her new friends could
create radio of their own. Since radio is
fairly easy and cheap to produce, it
makes an ideal vehicle for sharing stories
and communicating ideas. for Maggie
the exp enence
· was a two-way street. "It'
really became a partnership of teaching
them about radio and making my own t0
spread their messages."
A Good Fit
Because Maggie is an INFJ h
domma 0 t f . , er
unction is Intuiti .
she uses her Intu·r on. In radio,
through intervie: ion ficonstantly, sifting
s to nd the story she
~7
wants to tell, always keepi h
·
the Iarger picture. She conrng er eye
connections between seern~Ual!y Illa~
stories to e_lucidate a larger :~!ly d' ·
is dnven, hke most Idealists rne.
that are in sync with her vai' to ten stor·
·1·impact. Her auxilia Uesad1e;
a soCia fu n hav
Feeling is evidenced by the 1, nction ~
that interest her-stories ab tnd of stories
and the things that matter too: People
Maggie is warm, personable ern.
. bl ,and
charmmg, a e to connect With h
1 doctor . a rivate geriatric psyc 1atnc
people she interviews and exce /
adept at drawing them out I-! P 10na11y
· erh natu raI
empathy and sensitivity allow
connect wit ' h ot h ers-especiall erto.
one-on-one settmg, . which she Y Ina ,
. pre,ers.
Looking Ahead
At the end of the ten-month Fu!b .
. b nght
grant, M agg1e came ack to New York
City to look for full-time work while she
became a part of the radio communit •
. For th e time
. b emg,
· accompany such condition~.
t11e city. she worksYinas
the front desk manager-her official title
is Queen of the House-at a company
that does innovation consulting, which
she describes as all of the work an
in-house creative team would do in a big
company, only outsourced to them. '1t's
nice to be in an environment where
creativity is king," she explains. Maggie ~
now beginning a radio series through her
blog called Are You There, God? It'sMe,
Margaret, which will focus on questions
of faith and spirituality. Ideally, she wouW
love to continue to travel, working
freelance in radio journalism, meetin~
new people, and telling their stones _in
the increasingly popular form of radio
podcasts.
INF] Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging I\ 121
as a therapist in private practice. After these
file 2: Delia
various experiences, Delia spent eleven years
pro athize with people in pain as a therapist in a social service agency,
"I naturalf?:;n-1:notivated to help so,~ve where she commuted to her patients' homes,
nd am btg Y omnassionate way. as most of the patients were aging adults
a ,nsinac r
t a pace that is thoughtfully with limited mobility. The strain of constant
proble
. moves a
oehaddeher 'b ate. In some
. .
c .
pro,ess1ons, b
commuting and the atmosphere at the
agency were not what Delia was looking for,
slow an c coward reflection might e ,
this cenden Y dary to action. But m Deltas however, and she left the practice.
deemed secon ral qualities are just what the But Delia loves both the environment and
career, her natu · · I socia
d Delia is a chmca · I the mission of her current place of work.
ordere · h' . Geriatrics is rapidly expanding, and it is an
exciting field to be in. As dementia becomes
worker mAb~ut 80 percent of the patients
pracuce. I' sees suffer some type of much more widespread due to the general
aging of the population, people in the field
whorn 1:'e ~er job is centered on working
dementia. ts and their families to educate are constantly discovering new permutations
·ch patten d
of the disease, which keeps Delia interested.
wihem ab ou t the process ' what to expect,d an
"Most people who work in this field had an
tth •1 ble resources for treatment an
older person in their life who was really
e avai ;elia also helps families deal with
copmg. · f d t· important to them-for me, that was my
behav1O · r problems that anse rom emen 1a,
uncle Frank." Delia has a genuine interest in
and she supports families through the . the people she treats. "This particular
depression and other issues that sometimes
generation is so interesting: they were born
. . at the beginning of the twentieth century,
Delia visits with six to eight patients daily,
and they lived through the Great Depression
usually seeing a patient together with a
and World War II. It is such a grateful
family member, and spends time in
generation, so appreciative of attention and
conversation assessing the current situation
support." Aside from the patients, Delia feels
and then consulting with two staff
supported and appreciated by her
psychiatrists to create strategies for managing
colleagues. She has two great bosses who
the various implications of these tricky
recognize her strengths and play to them and
diagnoses. She talks the patients through the
doctors' recommendations, medicine and who also encourage her professional growth.
Delia is gratified by the sense that she is part
treatment changes, and suggestions for how
of a great, collegial team. In addition to
to manage behavior, and she helps break
working with patients, Delia conducts
through the natural and inevitable denial
research into the ever-expanding types of
that accompanies these diseases. Delia's
ability to listen to patients and to let the dementia and the particular manifestations
in her patients. She loves the opportunity to
natural process unfold make her extremely
effective at what she does. delve deeply into fascinating research that
could make a difference in people's lives.
Delia began her work in this field with a
Less interesting to Delia are the pressures
master of science degree in social work in
to document everything and the low-grade
adult
and·10 psychology. She worked in hospitals
fear of being faced with a lawsuit. Dealing
community mental health offices, and with insurance companies that question
 . to work
l 22 I/ Part Three: Getting .
. draining to Delta,
atment ,s k never talks down to them s resPec
diagnoses or tre . ference in her wor .
and she hates the inter ent Delia felt
In her previous ~mp~oy:e p~ce, a feeling
rushed and harned yd! ss paperwork and
exacerbated_ by the:ho:ever, there is a
documentauon. No ' those important
clerical team to managemuch more
details, and the pace ,s tf l of Delia's need
professional and respec u
for time to think.
Wh This Career Works/or Delia
U . d
Delia's Idealist temperament is we suite
to the field of social work and therapy. Her
instinctual drive to help a nd u nd erSt a nd
people coincides with her empathy a nd her
grasp of larger connections. This makes her
a born nurturer of people in pain as well as
an effective problem solver.
Delia is a dominant Intuitive, and she sees
this as a huge element in her work. Much of
her job is based on interpreting symptoms
and behavior, a skill that relies on the
connections she makes between pieces of
information. Delia must be adept at paying
attention to cues and tones of voice while
building a story or pattern in her mind and
then figuring how best to respond. Her
intuitive grasp of the larger picture is
instrumental in making sense of seemingly
disparate or unrelated bits of information.
Delia's auxiliary function, extraverted
Feeling, makes her extremely empathetic.
"People feel comfortable with me-I've
always been told that." Her nonjudgmental
attitude and utter concentration while
listening causes people to believe that she
really hears them and cares about what they
are saymg. Delia's unconscious style of
mrrronng people allows all kinds of eo I
to feel comfortable with her Al . p p e
to her lin f . · so important
. e o work is the fact that Delia
d oesn t treat elder!
1 as though they're
invisible-somethy peolPe
mg t lat tends to happen
. - -
in our society. Instead, she i
dementia, and Delia ad~·r· lier lllothtfu1 ,.,
strugg le d wit . h depression'" 1 s to havin erh:~
understands her patients ' so she g
nd
their circumstances. a can rei,
Introverted Thinking D . 1
functmn,. h as emerged for 1 th·trd
, heta's
in her job. She has develop as a nee .
disengage emotionally frame h the abii;~ I
not respond on a personal er P,
· en·t·1ca l t o D e 1·ias
1s ' maintenIevel ' a •111 ~
. l strength and Wellance
0
emot1ona b . ofh e, ,,,·~
bl
better a e to analyze clinical in · he is- e1ng s
and feels competent in all ar forrn,tion
. . eas ofh
Recreation 1s where Delia er~-"'
fourth function, . extraverted Ssees. rn0s1 Oft~
loves the outdoors and is dee;~Sing. She
of beauty in the natural World ;, appre~
. doing work that:
than she used to, Delia enjoys . "lUCh
d nit,,
. I . .. O Ut OOr
recreattona act1v1t1es and seeks to be
exposed to nature as often as she
deveIopment o fh er Perceiving, .. Delia can.In
en·
the level of passivity that necessarily Ill
characterizes her work life and is
increasingly comfortable with the inevi~lt
slow disease process that her patients and '
their families confront.
Common Threads
Although Helen, Delia, and Maggie hair
different backgrounds, experiences, and
careers, there are certain common threaru
woven through their stories. Specific inteit;
and abilities may differ, but owing to thri,
similar temperament values , the same
hierarchy of their psychological functiooi,
and the "world" they use them in (inner a
outer), there are certain observations , t r.i
make about the needs of many INFJs.
What follows is a list of the most imJJ011:L1
elements-the formula , if you will, for INF)
satisfaction. Given the uniqueness of all Ill'
individuals-even those who share the s:J
....
INF] Introverted, Intuitive, Feeltng, Judging
. t ill not describe each INFJ
_this hS ;;' important thing is that these
·"<I
tY~Uy well. T .~ varying degrees of intensity
eternents, wi rders of importance, identify
te d·fferent o d
e~ and in 1 d to be satisfie .
what INfJs n~:ve reviewed this list, you
,;.Jeer you eful to go back and try to
rnight Ii n
d 1t us f h .
lements in order o l etr
Prioritize che e ou When doing this, think of
tancetoy ·
;,npor eriences as well as your
1 past work bexfnd what you found particularly
present JO ' nsatisfying. Try to look for
·•1
sacisfyin~a~rr~n through several experiences,
themes t n•s which might be true of one
00 t ·ust eve •·
. ation but not of another.
"' workJ situ
As an INF], career satisfaction means
1 Lets me consider and create new ideas
· and/or approaches to a variety of
problems, mostly those that help
others to grow and develop
2. Lets me produce a product or service
that I believe in and am proud of
3. Recognizes my authorship and
ownership and my unique
contributions
4. Lets me express myself and see the
results of my vision
5. Lets me implement my ideas for the
good of people or in the service of
others; lets me work with others on a
one-to-one basis
6. Is done in a friendly and tension-free
environment where my ideas are
seriously considered and where I am
psychologically supported for my
efforts
7. Can be done independently but with
the opportunity to share frequently
with others in an environment that is
friendly and free of interpersonal
conflict
II 123
8. Lets me organize my own time and
work environment and exert
significant control over both the
process and product
9. Gives me adequate time to formulate
and process my ideas so they are
thoroughly prepared
10. Is in harmony with my personal values
and beliefs and lets me maintain a
high degree of personal and
professional integrity
Popular Occupations for INJ:fs
In listing occupations that are popular
among INF]s, it is important to note that
there are successful people of all types in all
occupations. However, the following are
careers INFJs may find particularly satisfying
and some of the reasons why. This is by no
means a comprehensive listing but is
included to suggest possibilities you may not
have previously considered. Although all of
these occupations offer the potential for
career satisfaction, the future demand for
some careers is anticipated to be greater than
for others. Based upon our research, the
occupations that are italicized in the lists
below are forecast to enjoy the fastest rate of
growth over the next several years.
COUNSELING/ EDUCATION
• Career counselor
• Clinical psychologist
• High school teacher: English/art/ music/
social sciences/drama
• College professor: English/art/music/
social sciences/drama
• Educational consultant
• Curriculum designer
• Librarian
• Special education teacher
• Bilingual education teacher
• Early education teacher
• Online educator

124 II Part Three: Getting to Work
• Employee assistance counselor
• Elder care specialist . •
• Marriage and family therapist
• Child welfare counselor
• Substance abuse counselor
• Social worker (elderly and child day
care isSues)
• Sociologist
• Museum research worker
• Public health educator
• Occupational therapist
• Educational program director
• Parenting instructor, child development
course
• Museum educator
• Developmental psychologist
These occupations allow INFJs to use their
ideas and knowledge to help others. The
counseling and teaching fields require very
personal interaction, often on a one-to-one
basis, allowing INFJs to make in-depth
connections with others. INFJs also enjoy
studying, learning, and the growth
opportunities found in an educational
context, so they are usually quite
comfortable in an academic setting.
RELIGION
• Priest/clergy/monk/nun
• Religious worker
• Director of religious education
Religious work requires a deep and
personal commitment and a work
phil~sophy that can be characterized as a
~1ss1on. INFJs frequently see their work
t at _way and find deep satisfaction in
therr philosophy and beliefs with
CREATIVE
• Artist
• Playwright
• Novelist
• Poet
• Interior designer
Informational-graphics d .
• .
Umversa Id es1gn
. architeqes1gner
• Freelance media planner
• Editor/art director (rnaga .
. (family tree Z1ne)
• Genea 1og1st
• Print designer researcher)
• Interaction designer
• Multimedia producer
• Editor/art director (website)
• Film editor
• Documentary filmmaker
• Set designer
• Educational software develop
• Exhibit designer er
• Costume designer
• Merchandise designer and disp!
ayer
The appeal of t~e arts to the INFJ is the
ability to create ':1~1que works, using their
own ideas and v1s1on. The arts enable INF]
to express themselves in a personal way,a~
the result is often to have an impact on
others. With these occupations, the work ~
generally done independently, allowing the
INFJ to organize and control the
environment, the process, and the produa.
HEALTH CARE/SOCIAL SERVICES
• Director, social service agency
• Mediator/conflict resolver
• Social scientist
• Social worker
• Mental health counselor
• Dietitian/nutritionist
• Speech-language patbologist/audio/ogw
• Holistic health practitioner (a/tematfff
medicine)
• Massage therapist
• Occupational therapist
• Chiropractor
• Grant coordinator
• Health care administrator
,..___
./
d-raising director
• fU 11 ediator
• iegal f!1 care coordinator
• p.dult ~~!e therapist
• correch tline operator
• en·515. [iveO
assistant
• iegis1a
. rvice occupations require a
rhe socia1sehelping others, often within
•rf!lent to
cof!lfl1 1 . • nal structure. Most INFJs en1oy
ao organ1zat1o
. ch a setting, espec1a · IIy w h en It
worki11S 10 suall and close-knit staff. Social
iovolves ~=:es the JNFJ to consider and
service e approaches to the problems of
develo~~::r society. Many times social
indivtd rk independently on a caseload,
rkers wo
wo . them to have frequent and
allowtng e interacuon · wit · h c 1·1ents and
one-on-o n
colleagues.
BUSINESS
• Human resources manager
• Marketer (of ideas and/or services)
• Organizational development consultant
• Employee assistance program coordina-
tor/counselor
• Job analyst
• Diversity manager: human resources
• Corporate/team trainer
• Preferred customer sales representative
• Merchandise planner
• Environmental lawyer
• Interpreter/translator
• Planned-giving officer
• Philanthropic consultant
• Curator
• Literary agent or editor
• Online publisher (e-books)
• Outplacement consultant
Alth0ugh INFJs do not tend to gravitate
toward bu· s mess careers in large numbers,
th
ere are areas of business in which INFJs
may find satisfaction.
INF] Introverted, Intuittve, Feeling, Judging \\ 125
Human resources, or personnel and
org~~izatio~al development cons~lting are
the people parts of business, requiring an
interest m and facility with many different
types of people. These occupations enable
the l~FJ to help others find jobs, structure
effec~1ve work environments, and engage in
creative problem solving in which people are
the focus.
.
The marketing occupations enable INFJs
·
to use their creative problem-solving abilities
often working on a team. If INFJs have '
significant input into the process and are
able to maintain a comfortable level of
personal and professional integrity, they can
find this type of work satisfying.
Remember, these are only some of the
areas that provide satisfying expression for
the unique natural talents of the INFJ.
TECHNOLOGY
• Customer relations manager
• Staff advocate (technology consultant)
• Project manager
• Engagement manager
• Human resources recruiter
With the proliferation of technology, there
is a rapidly growing need for people who
understand technology but also have good
people and communication skills. Being the
liaison between the technology people and
the end users appeals to many lNFJs, who
find these jobs satisfy their need to help and
be connected with their co-workers.
Customizing Your Job Search
Knowing the particular strengths and
blind spots of your type can afford you a
tremendous advantage in your job search
campaign. In all aspects of the process, from
conducting research into available positions,
identifying and contacting prospective
employers, developing personal marketing
tools such as resumes, arranging and

126 fl Part T!Jree: Getting to work
conducting job interviews, negotia~ng
salaries, to finally accepting a pos1oon,
people wiJJ act true to their rype. Being able
ro capitalize on your assets and compensate
for your liabilities can make the difference
between a successful and an unsuccessful
job search.
The differences berween rypes are
sometimes subtle and other times dramatic.
It is the subtle variations in advice we offer
that make the real difference between
success and failure in a job search. The
concept of "networking," or meeting with
and talking to people to gather information
about potential jobs, serves as a good
example. ExrravertS will naruraJly enjoy
networking and are advised to do so on a
large scale, while Introverts find more
limited and targeted networking, especiaJly
with people they already know, easier.
Sensors tend to network with people in a
defined scope, while Intuitives will go far
and wide to find people often seemingly
unrelated to their field of interest. Further
Feelers take networking, like everything ~lse
very person~lly and enjoy establishin warm'
rapport, while Thinkers will be g carefully weighing the pros and cons of each
obiective and d h . more
Judgers tend to!~~ c ed m their style. Finally,
,ewer and more
structured questions dur' . her progress.
while Perceivers could izg the1~ networking,
sorts all day Jon ' O as quest10ns of all
technique g. ne valuable search
' many ways to implement it.
Pathways to Success: Using Your Strengths
As we will detail in the following pages,
your strength and talent for the job search lie
in thoughtful planning, creative problem
solving, and your ability to communicate
your commitment to what you believe in. But
beware your tendency to become single-
minded in your research and unrealistic in
your objectives.
fulfilling work-work that would serve/tf
As an INF], your most e[fi .
will build on your abilities t eq1\>e St
o, rate,,
Think through andfonn l
. organ iZedJob seu ctte ll~
innovative,
ctrchpi
• Use your creativity to I <1~.
. . Pot 0 ,.
pa1gn m a new anct dt'fc st a
. you apart from ieren
settmg h t IVa,ca~.,,.
.I Ot er ,,
to potent1a em~Joyers. candid,,
• Use your organ1zationaJ sk
top of the project, make a dis to sr ,
time, remember to send Plan, be~~
. •
mterv1ew, c 11
,o ow up Witha note a&erII)
employers, etc. Proslletuve~
While working With us to lllake
switch from corporate law to th a career
spec1a. 1·1zed area of environment
. e more
easily saw poss1'b'J"1 1t1es that couJcta1.lal\l,slit
her legal skills and her interests. s~:co~
brainstormed the names of organ· .
might hke. to work ,or, c 1
then resea~za11011s
h *,
.
thoroughly. Havmg attempted to deter c ed11,:"',._
their needs, she "packaged" herself i /Jiil:!
that ma de her attractive . to prospectivna~~
employers. An organize . d person by naru e
Sue designed and co~ducted_ her search~
to her type, by followmg up mtef\>iewswij
Jette rs, calling people back at the times lhey
asked her to, and keeping good records()'
Network on a limited basis.
• Enlist the help of people with whom
you have developed relationships or~
the years and who know you well 10
identify people to contact about career
opportunities.
• During each interview, ask for addi-
tional recommendations of other ~
for you to see to more fully research I~
field or a particular job.
When Helen was looking for more
L_
,.,.
i,
INF] Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling,judging II 127
. -she began by speaking conversation also allowed John to
se of missiond priests wit. h'in the ch urch . demonstrate his knowledge of and interest in
se.~h friends an·onaJ interviews led her to
1111"' . c rrnat1 . .h community activities and his ability to get
rnese 1n10 ·ob plans and interests wit the
along well with people.
. 1 ·scuss her 1 rdinator of the educational
ulhen ac!I•og coo•ect. In talking . to h'1m, she
t" h·ng
I proJ only serving temporan·1y, Consider options thoughtfully, without
bliS
ptJ .., he was rushing to judgment.
JeMneu the job was about to become
'<ti
and, cheret~etteJen, talking to '.riends and • Capitalize on your propensity for think-
available. a one-on-one basis helped her ing things through in a careful way.
associates on fying position which (like many • Decide to give yourself a few minutes to
10 ti nu
.., a saus
. bs) was never ad verttse
. dm . t he keep open options you might have
;v~lic
f tie best JO
job market.
eliminated at first thought.
Upon relocating to New York City, Cynthia
. b raMort with interviewers and began interviewing for positions in art
£stablts rr
otential employers. departments of advertising agencies. She
p our extraordinary ability to "read" found herself with a "good" problem: after
.useY d . . completing interviews at four agencies, she
eople's needs an mo!Iva!Ions.
P mployers sense your natural was offered positions at two. Both would
• Let e .
rmth and enthusiasm, and demon- provide steady work at competitive salaries.
strate your ability to 1·1sten and commu-
wa Instead of making a hasty decision that
nicate articulately. would result in job security and an end to
·, the search process, Cynthia asked both
A client of ours, John, was in the running agencies for one week's time to consider her
for a personnel manager position at a small options. During that week she spent time
company. He learned that he was one of four
applicants asked to return for a second
opportunity until she came to a surprising
interview and felt he needed to set himself decision: she declined both offers and
apart from the other candidates. In
instead began working on a freelance basis
preparation for this important interview, at all four agencies! Her decision gave her
John spent some time rereading background
the flexibility, free time, and independence
information on the company with an eye for
she would have given up had she accepted
more personal details about the staff.
either of the staff positions.
Being a father of two young children,
John was interested to discover that two of
Create a position that will meet your
the principals were parents of school-aged
specific needs.
children in his hometown. During the first
moments of the interview, while everyone • Use your vision to anticipate trends,
was getting seated, John asked how the where people with your talents will be
children were enjoying the new playscape needed in the future, etc.
recently constructed on their playground. • Demonstrate that talent to prospective
Thus, he was able to establish something employers by letting them know how
th ey had in common while creating a
you will help them achieve goals or
frie nd1 Y and relaxed atmosphere. The solve problems.

------· ""'~
. to work
Three· Getting
128 II Part · .
designer,
Bob
kl·ng as a kitchen he need for
While wor . see t
d his natural rnruiuon tois customers to
r:::
:~~stem chat would :1::at~heir redes(gne~e
actually see like before sp~~~::e to
kitchens wou f money it wou
enormous amount o a ining that the
have the work done. !:Jable to create such
technology might b~ dy be in existence,
a system, or might a re~irst he talked to a
he began his researc:, which ultimately Jed
computer-whiz fnen , represents. Hts
y he now
him to the compan 'b'l1·t1·es and then
.. to see the poss1 1 .I
ability . . to the potentta
demonstrate chat v1s:;•ob he now loves.
employer won him t 1
. bstacles that
Find creative solutions to o
arise.
• A roach temporary setbacks as prob-
Je: to be solved rather than rebuffs or
insurmountable obstacles.
• Use your natural ability to look ahead,
focus on the next opportunity, or
recover from a disappointment.
Another client, Sandy, tried unsuccessfully
for six weeks to get an appointment with the
director of human resources of a company
he wanted to work for. In discussions with a
neighbor who worked for the company,
Sandy discovered that the director was an
avid sailor. On a long shot, Sandy sent a copy
of an article listing new and innovative
gadgets and supplies for outfitting sailboats.
He attached a personal note saying he was
trying to get an appointment to see the
director and would like to talk with him
further about the other creative ways
Sandy might be able to make his life easier
When Sandy calJed to folJow up three days.
later, the director not only remembered h.IB
. • Engage in "reality testing" to make sure
name but mterviewed him the follow·
week. rng
.......... __ _
........
Possible Pitfalls
Although all people are u .
certain potential blind spots ni~ue, ther
share. We specify "potential": Ich lllane •ti
the following may be true of eca.uSe Y'\
may clearly not apply. 'Wli.i!e riu•.\Vhi~ ~
you may notice that these tend ns1?erir)
relate just to the job search bu encies d; 1~
pitfalls that you may have 1:'-ther d
aspects of your life as Well. It is ~encect i~
helpful to consider each one . herefore ,
. in tern,_
past expenences by asking yo ·.. .,of y~
true for me?" And if so, "How ~::lf,."Islh~r
tendency prevent me from getr this
that I wanted?" You will proba~7g sornethi'
the key to overcoming your blinJ 00tiee thai
conscious and thoughtful develo SPots is~
third and fourth functions (Thin0mentorl'II;
Sensing). Many of the suggestio~ng_~nd
difficult to implement, but the mor:11 be
these functions, the fewer problems use
cause you in the future.
i~u
eyWill
Concentrate on the facts and details ,1
· t·ion, not·stth
sztua JU ·
e more interesting bi011bi
picture. 8
• This requires a conscious effort to tu~
in to what is actually before you- 10
read what is on the lines, not just what
is between them.
• Make notes ahead of time to be sure yoo
ask the practical questions about what a
job is really like, including hours, duties,
salary, benefits, reporting structure, etc
Try to establish realistic expectations aboid
the job search process and the potential
outcome.
you are being realistic about the markl'I
your skills, and the amount of time a
..._,;-..
INF] Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging \\ 129
. ake, Ask a friend to help • Develop a reasonable list of options to
earcl'l will t devil's advocate with
pursue and a timetable in which to
sou bY playing research them. Hold yourself account-
yotJr plan. e realistic goals to avoid
Y t mor able for meeting an established quota of
'frY co se to become overly penec-
c
letters written, phone calls made, or
• rhe re~dencY · h
and then expenence t e 1sap- d" interviews completed within a particular
(ioniStlC that comes from not time frame.
poincrne~th. g all you hoped. • Try to be flexible in setting job criteria
accomphs in
and throughout the negotiation process,
·d aking decisions based solely remembering that sometimes unex-
r,-y to avot ~fieelings rather than on pected benefits appear when you stay
our persona
open to another point of view.
on Y b ·ective data.
,rioreo '} ber that you natu~a IIy see t h"mgs
• Remern sonal perspective and need to Tbe Final Piece: Changing or
from pe~y engage your logical think- Keeping Your Job . . . the Key to
conscious
Success for INF]s
1•ng skills.
,
.
nfuse rapport established ur-
d
o Don t co · Now that you have a solid understanding
If"
•nterview with persona nen d -
ing an' . of your type, you can see how your natural
f
h' Keep yourself a bit detached rom
preferences make you better suited for
ship.
t em
•tuation , deciding not to. make a
permanent connection until you know a
certain kinds of jobs. You can also see how
knowledge of your type-related strengths
lot rnore. and weaknesses can help you conduct a
more successful job search. But as an lNFJ,
When discussing your skills and abilities, you've already realized that you are not
focus on bow you can meet the prospective equally drawn to every career or field listed
employer's needs rather than your own. in the Popular Occupations section. The next
and final step is to narrow down the field
• Show the prospective employer you
and find the work you were meant to do.
have done your research by incorporat-
In addition to Type, several other
ing information about the company's
current challenges and then demon- factors-such as your values, interests, and
skills-also contribute to your level of
strate how you might help meet them by
recalling your past experiences and
satisfaction on the job. The more compatible
accomplishments.
you are with your job, the happier you'll be.
• Express the willingness to take some So prepare to use everything you've learned
necessary risks to handle a new chal- (in this book and in life) to create your
lenge and prove yourself. Take an extra strategic career plan. The exercises in
few s~conds to consider another way, Chapter 24, Putting It All Together, are
especially after you think you have designed to help you do just that.
made up your mind. However, you may have decided it makes
more sense (if perhaps only for the moment)
spending too much time considering
to stay in your present job or with your
posszbzltties and not enough time acting on
them .
current employer. There may be many valid
reasons-financial pressures, family
 ~__,_,,,,_-.,.--- -.;.,a . -..>--•~

r ·•- _,,,,,,,--
P""' INF] Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging I\ 131
130 II Part Three: Getting to work one JNFJ turns lemons int
o Lein 0
considerations, a rough job market for your Although Mark was a su~ ~q<te. uine interest in others and talent for • Tendency to be impractical about viabil-
specialty, or just bad timing. But take heart! he was extremeIY f rustrated~cess"-
th •u1int · .0en
helping others grow anddeve1op ity and/or feasibility of some ideas
What you've learned in this book can bureaucracy of managed care ~t the etii~ ependent streak and strong personal • Difficulty working in competitive or
also help you be more content and successful limited the amount of tirne h act seve • Ind tension-filled environments
in your current job. And should the time h
with each patient. While he cou1c1 8~ )
. lime
.
convictions .
• Drive to be producuve and reach your • Reluctance to revisit or reverse decisions
come when you're ready to make a major value d h avmg to discus act .aJ.....
"'ay8,,~ once they've been made
career move, you'll have a much better idea of h . s Wtthh• • goals
Deep cornrnitment to work you believe in • Difficulty dealing with conflict and ten-
patients t eir concerns, he reaJjz is
where you want to go, and hoW to get there, dency to ignore unpleasantness
missed most was the teaching ect "'hat
these sessions. Mark ultirnateJ/~Peq af your work-related weaknesses may • Trouble disciplining subordinates with
"So, ifyou can't have the job you love objectivity and directness
teach a course in family rnedi· . eqdect,,
(yetO ... love the one you've got." . he found extrerncine at an~~ "' ; 11 ctude: • Difficulty changing plans or directions
college, which • Single-mindedness that can result in quickly
The simple truth is, with the exception of rewarding. eIY ·
work on a factory assembly line the vast inflexibility • Difficulty communicating complex ideas
• unrealistic sense of how long things simply
majority of jobs allow a good d~al of
flexibility in the way tasks are performed. Use what you've got to get what take • Tendency to be judgmental
Youneeii • Difficulty working on projects that con-
=1ere are ~ome ways you may be able to Simply put, the best advice on h ·
. ,n ·t flict with your values
massage your current job into one that succee d 1s to ca1.,i a ize on your stren
t · OIVto
th
better fits your needs: and compensate for your weakness g s
• Make sure you have plenty of uninter- Learning how to do this can make
~upted time to think; close your office difference between succeeding or fail' Using your strengths is easy.
. 1ng
oor a~d occasionally take a break f and loving or h atmg your work. To he! The secret to success for an
answermg your phone rom you, we include the following invento~q INFJ
• :~~:et~:}~:~la?ning .committees your potential strengths and weaknesses. is learning to:
• Try not to give your creative input And while every individual is unique, asan
get enmesh d · · INFJ, many of the following should apply
conflicts between e m personality Pay attention to details, be flexible,
• Try to work co-workers. to you.
.
time. on one ma·JOr proiect
. at a and be willing to act spontaneously.
Your work-related strengths may include
• Volun'.eer to help draft
organization'sIdepartmeyour
t' . • Integrity that inspires people to value
statement. n s mission
your ideas
• Seek out other ere . • Focus and single-mindedness about
• four ideas. ative people to hear
projects that are important to you
ry to put your ideas • Decisiveness and strong organizational
paper and get th and thoughts o
somewhere em published n skills
• Make sure to. strik • Creativity and ability to come up with
your work a e a balance b original solutions ,
• Consider b nd personal life etween • Empathy and ability to anticipate othell
ecomin ·
your field of g a trainer o needs
• E-mail a f . expertise. r coach in 0
nend w· h • Perspective to see the big picture a~
message of It an ins . . the future implications of actions a
when th ~upport daily p1rational
e spmt move , weekly or ideas ceJii
s you. '
• Ability to understand co mplex con