Careers for Introverts & Other Solitary Types

Rating:
Summary: Don't give up your day job....
Review: First of all, I am glad that a book was finally written on this topic, since it points out the hell most introverted and shy people go through trying to find, and keep, suitable employment. The unfortunate fact is that in our society extroverts are the great majority and they have structured most workplaces to fit their personality type. Let's face it, there are a lot of jobs that could be done quietly and privately if those in charge, and co-workers, would just let you alone to do your work.

As for the alternatives listed in this book, well, I have some familiarity with most of them:

1) Writer: it is extremely difficult to actually earn your living as a writer in today's world. The days when you had your choice of hundreds of magazines that you could submit to between books is long gone. I remember reading that most working writers do not even earn minimum wage for all the time that they put in. True, you could probably make it as a technical writer, but that means working closely with marketing and engineering types as a "team", so why bother?

2) Artist: If you have the talent and drive, then go ahead. Chances are if you are truly an artist you couldn't live without creating art anyway. Once again however, actually paying the rent with it is something else. There is a reason that the phrase "starving artist" exists. You could become a commercial artist, but that also involves "teams" and marketing people, so why bother?

3) Research: This is only a possibility if you have an advanced degree and tolerance for the academic world.

4) Computers: this is a very viable alternative if you have the training and aptitude. Much depends on your individual boss when it comes to how much independence you actually have.

5) Mail Carrier: every time I have looked into postal jobs I've gotten nothing but the run around. Most postal jobs seem to go to the friends and relatives of people already working for the Postal Service.

6) Park Ranger: Whenever I tried to obtain a job with the Bureau of Land Mangement for the last 30 years I have always been told that there was a "hiring freeze." Even if you score highly on the rating scale of the Office of Personnel Management, a veteran or minority candidate can out score you easily with their "bonus points."

7) Security: most security firms seem to want either military or police training and experience. The shy introvert is not their first choice.

If you want to try for any of these careers then more power to you. However, as this book itself points out- don't give up your day job.

What alternatives do I suggest? Well, as an extreme INFJ in his 40's that is once again between jobs, I really don't have any....

Rating:
Summary: Careers for introverts are obviously very limited
Review: I was extremely disappointed with this book. There are only SEVEN careers mentioned!! Now, I KNOW there are more career choices than that for introverts. Plus, a few of the ones listed (writer, artist) are extremely difficult to make a decent living out of. Let me save you some money and time; the careers listed are writer, artist, freelance researcher, computer professional, security guard, forest ranger, and mail carrier. If none of these appeal to you, don't even bother with the book.

Rating:
Summary: good, but limited reference
Review: So, you're just not a people person, huh?? Prefer to work alone?? Not much interested in surrounding yourself with coworkers every day?? Searching around for a career where you can be allowed to work by yourself most of the time?? This book is worth checking out, then, but don't stop here.

"Careers for Introverts..." takes the reader through a few of the more solitary careers available, mainly writer, researcher, artist, forest ranger, security guard, computer programmer/operator and mail carrier. Each career has a short chapter dedicated to it where important information such as training/education, salary and working conditions are discussed. In each chapter an experienced person in that field (writing, letter carrier, etc) talks openly and candidly about the pros and cons (artists & writers often take a long time to establish reputations and money often rolls in sporadically; letter carriers require good memories for detail and the ability to work in all weather conditions, etc).

The potential reader should note that many of these careers have a relatively low earning potential (with the possible exception of computers), and in the case of artists and writers, one is very likely to find themselves doing something completely unrelated to art or writing until they are established or have a good, finished product to sell. Also, where postal workers and forest rangers are concerned, there are often far more people looking for a job than there are jobs for them to fill.

Overall, the book is good for what it covers, but I find it hard to believe that with so many career options available nowadays, far less than a dozen are highlighted here. I'm sure that a good 20+ more careers would make the book more appealing and useful. It is helpful to read of someone who actually does one of these careers for a living, but I'm willing to bet that 8 out of 10 readers who pick this book up will not be establishing themselves as stained glass artists or live near large forested areas. Finally, note that the book is, as of this writing in 2001, three years old. Testing requirements for these jobs (especially forest rangers and mail carriers) as well as the list of resources/organizations to contact may have changed since its publication.

Is it a worthwhile resource, then?? Yes, it's worth the time to read (though maybe not worth the money), but I would recommend checking out other job related resources as well.