37 Worst Jobs for Introverts [Personal Experience!]
Hey fellow introvert, want to know the worst jobs for introverts? O_O
For us shy and timid people, living in our world is tougher than our extroverted counterparts.
Social situations can easily drain our energy and make us anxious.
So, based on personal experience, here’s a list of all the worst jobs for introverts, so you can steer clear of them whenever possible!
If you’re somewhat of an introvert like myself, navigating the workforce might feel nerve-wrecking for the majority of the time.
But it’s not the end of the world! There are still plenty of great jobs out there that you’ll enjoy and thrive in, you just need to know yourself well enough.
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37 Worst Jobs for Introverts
1. Singer
2. Politician
3. Recruiter
4. Real Estate Agent
5. Insurance Broker
6. Salesperson
7. Flight Attendant
8. Event Planner
9. Secretary
10. Human Resources Jobs
11. Public Relations Expert
12. Hairdresser
13. Customer Service Representative
14. Bartender
15. Waiter
16. Teacher
17. Police Officer
18. Coach
19. Tour Guide
20. Social Worker
21. Architect
22. Comedian
23. Nurse
24. Influencer
25. Journalist
26. Psychiatrist
27. Public Speaker
28. Actor
29. Master of Ceremonies
30. Caretaker/Babysitter
31. Security Personnel
32. Chauffeur
33. Tattoo/ piercing artist
34. Activist
35. Personal Assistant (PA)
36. Delivery man
37. Lawyer
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Even within the introvert’s spectrum, the more popular belief is that there are 4 types of introverts:
Social, Thinking/Introspective, Anxious, Restrained (STAR).
I’m going to bring back the tier system to make this list resemble the types better.
1 – You do not dislike socializing entirely, but need time to prepare and warm-up. (Thinking | Restrained)
2 – You find socializing draining but will be able to recover with a little “me-time”. (Social)
3 – You are terrified of the idea of dealing with strangers and prefer never to work with them. (Anxious)
The tiers show that the job could be considered by the responding type equal to or lower than it.
For example, a tier-2 job means that Social, Thinking and Restrained introverts should be OK with it.
1. Singer
Tier – 2
It usually isn’t enough to just be good at singing to make a career out of singing, the reality is often dependent on how good you are at reaching people.
Your next gig is often going to depend on how many people you can pull on your previous gig.
Being a singer demands a certain level of charisma and social skills, which is why it’s at the top of my list of the worst jobs for introverts.
2. Politician
Tier – 0
Politics is a bit like a popularity contest, you can draft the best policies for the country.
But if you can’t persuade the people to like you, you probably will not get elected, making it one of the worst jobs for introverts.
It is often required for you to be known and respected in the community.
You will also be expected to be able to bring in funds or protect the rights of local groups to keep a large suite of supporters. That requires a lot of people skills and grit!
3. Recruiter
Tier – 0
You are kind of expected to screen and engage with strangers on a daily basis.
Depending on the size of the company you are working for, you might be expected to reply to hundreds of mails every day or even attract talents from career-fairs.
3 cups of coffee probably won’t charge you enough to go through this much socializing! Being a recruiter definitely makes the list of worst jobs for introverts.
4. Real Estate Agent
Tier – 1
Real estate agents are not the same tier as your average sellers, since they often are required to show buyers around various properties.
Good sellers will also follow up every once and awhile to try to push the buyer into buying.
You are also going to collaborate and compete with a bunch of colleagues within the company.
This makes your working environment more competitive and tenser than other operational offices, so it’s a less ideal line of work for introverts.
5. Insurance Broker
Tier – 1
Why do you think most of our first insurance is from a friend (or a friend of a friend)?
Brokers have to be relentless as they are trying to sell a product that is in essence, infinite and immortal.
Having to be hardsell makes it one of the worst jobs for introverts.
Brokers will earn a commission for each sale they closed and be paid to manage the contract for as long as they work in the same office (usually).
The earlier they accumulate sales, the harder they can snowball into a comfy salary.
6. Salesperson
Tier – 2
This title accounts for a large range of jobs on the market.
The on-contact type of salesperson who does face to face sales is probably too much for even tier-1 introverts.
But the office type sales and marketing role should be fine for most, even anxious ones!
The lucky thing for you introverts out there is, as on-the-ground marketing is gradually being automated.
There are more vacancies popping up for the marketing agencies that require more writing and design skills.
7. Flight Attendant
Tier – 2
A very service oriented job that requires more care and patience as well as people skills.
Passengers generally will not trouble you over anything that you are not trained for, and you won’t need to hold a conversation more than 5 sentences long.
So long as you are friendly with your cabin crew, this job shan’t be too demanding for introverts tier-2 and below!
8. Event Planner
Tier – 0
Organizer jobs generally will require you to deal with multiple parties to get a big job done.
Although event planners are more prone to require communication between different parties frequently, meaning different clients, teams and venues.
This could get very uncomfortable for tier-1 introverts as it forces you to deal with too many strangers all the time!
9. Building Contractor
Tier – 1
This job needs big organizing skills, from the top dog in the company to the secretaries working in it.
Each project will require you to deal with close to over 20 parties of different sizes and dynamics.
Success of the project will come down to how well you can coordinate different teams of workers on the site while executing the client’s and architect’s demands.
Here’s the catch! Although the scale and cooperation needed is much larger than the event planner, each project will take from 1 to 3 years to complete.
That means if the project is running smoothly, you won’t need to work with new people as much!
10. Human Resources Jobs
Tier – 0
As the office’s HR personnel, you’re everyone’s go-to person whenever they need any assistance.
From matters ranging from payroll, sick leaves to even office amenities, you have to deal with people all the time which makes it the worst job for introverts.
11. Public Relations Expert
Tier – 2
Despite the word public, you rarely need to address the public personally.
You are, however, tasked to communicate and connect your organization with the public, so being more strategic and emphatic will help.
You don’t automatically jump to a position that makes strategic plans for a company from the get-go though.
One would normally start with client servicing, and that is more demanding of your social skills, so this job gets put on a tier 2 to average it out.
12. Hairdresser
Tier – 3
This is on the list because sometimes customers will make small talk with you, but don’t forget!
Introverts need haircuts too! And when they do, they probably will leave you alone.
So long as you do a decent job you probably won’t have to hold a bunch of conversations! It’s worth trying!
13. Customer Service Representative
Tier – 1
Your day-to-day job requires you to answer and reply to tons of emails and complaints.
The anxiety and pressure of dealing with complaining customers all day long makes it the worst jobs for introverts everywhere.
14. Bartender
Tier – 2
As long as you’re not uncomfortable with densely packed and noisy venues, being a bartender actually isn’t that bad!
People aren’t as interested in chatting with you as they are with their drunk buddies.
15. Waiter
Tier – 2
Similar to being bartenders, people aren’t generally interested in talking to you.
Majority of the time, you don’t have to have conversations that go past 1 minute with each customer unless your chef messes up badly.
16. Teacher
Tier – 3
This one’s hotly debated, but I have a lot of friends and teachers who are considered introverts.
I believe that being an introvert does not mean that you have no people skills!
On the contrary, studies have shown that introverts are just as good with connecting with people deeply and being empathic.
Kids are also hardly as intimidating as Karens yelling at you in the restaurant!
17. Police Officer
Tier – 0
By being a policeman you are the eyes of the system, and are constantly present and tasked to monitor and exert control over its subjects.
It is a huge responsibility, and your job in essence is to keep the law in order.
This demanding job puts you in situations where you have to constantly communicate with strangers, making it one of the worst jobs for introverts.
18. Coach
Tier – 1
This is a tricky one.
Coaches are tasked to train and track the progress of athletes or if termed more broadly, average gym-goers.
There are usually a lot of 1 on 1’s in your job that lasts for at least an hour, so it is mandatory to bond with them a little.
19. Tour Guide
Tier – 1
You are going to have to babysit a group of foreigners traveling to your local place for a couple days.
I have seen tour guides that sit alone whenever they are free, so you would get a break once in a while.
However, it is maintaining a good atmosphere around the pack that is hard.
20. Social Worker
Tier – 3
There are plenty of social works that are done through monasteries or religious bodies, and I peg most of them to be introverts.
There is just so much to do in social work that no matter what you are good at, there is bound to be something fit for you!
21. Architect
Tier – 1
While you are not expected to be constantly on the site like the builders, part of the nature of the job is to host meetings and handle disputes at the site.
Designing is your first job, but a big part of the job is communicating with the client, the builders and also the authorities.
That’s a lot of communication for an introvert!
22. Comedian
Tier – 1
Almost similar to being a singer, talent alone cannot get you far unless you can put up a crowd for your acts.
With a bit of help from the internet and perseverance though, you will likely still be able to make it.
The ability to read the room is also an important skill for this role, making it just as demanding as being a singer, which is why it’s easily one of the worst jobs for introverts.
23. Nurse
Tier – 1
A key role in clinics and hospitals, as a nurse you’re required to attend to patients and care for them day and night.
A lot of patience and empathy is needed for this demanding role with long shifts.
If working closely with people freaks you out, it’s probably not the best job for you.
24. Influencer
Tier – 1
The yardstick for the success of the influencer is, surprise, the amount of people the influencer can influence.
You’ll need a fair bit of confidence to be an influencer. This job also requires going to events and meeting a lot of new people all the time.
25. Journalist
Tier – 3
There are journalism roles that are research-based, meaning you can skip all the interviewing if you’re not keen on talking to strangers.
So all hope is not lost if you have a passion for journalism but are a bit too shy.
However, it does limit the quality of your work a little, but social media has made it so that anyone can do their own journalism, and even make money off it!
26. Psychiatrist
Tier – 2
If you are uncomfortable with interacting with people, imagine interacting with uncomfortable people.
This is pretty personal for your client and you need a certain level of social skills to ease the tension.
The profession is pretty regulated these days, and would probably train you to be ready for the job.
If you feel like this is your calling, go for it!
27. Public Speaker
Tier – 1
There are plenty of academics who become public speakers in the end, but that’s mostly through a university route.
However, there are easier ways to become a public speaker, that is to talk about things people want to hear, like hustle and grind culture.
The key is to find an interesting subject, be controversial and profit.
But, I imagine most introverts are not that comfortable with putting themselves out there, so steer clear of similar jobs like these!
28. Actor
Tier – 1
Actors and actresses are generally required to show their personality and open up more, even outside of their acting roles.
Going to parties, interviews and red carpet events are also part of the job, with frequent contact with strangers and fans alike.
This will definitely send introverts like us running the other way!
29. Master of Ceremonies (MC)
Tier – 1
As an event host, all eyes are constantly on you whenever you’re all stage.
You’re the person that holds down the fort at all the events, weddings and parties. The public pressure of this role can be too much to bear for introverts.
30. Babysitter
Tier – 2
Kids are not as scary as adults, but you’ll be dealing with their parents a bit more to try to land or keep the job.
Communicating with children also requires a lot of patience, so it’s great for people who love kids.
31. Security Personnel
Tier – 2
A security personnel’s daily tasks revolve around securing the premises by patrolling, monitoring surveillance equipment and verifying visitors at the entry points.
It rarely requires contact with another human being, so it’s actually quite a decent option for introverts.
32. Driver
Tier – 3
E-hailing drivers, taxi drivers and personal chauffeurs are all under this category.
It’s pretty similar to being hairdressers, where some clients prefer their company a little more robust, some prefer their drivers as silent as a grave.
33. Tattoo And Piercing Artist
Tier – 2
This point right here should be one of the worst servicing jobs for an introvert.
You get pretty up close and personal with your client, and tend to be with them for over an hour during the procedure requested.
34. Activist
Tier – 2
We can draw similarities with social workers, but the core nature of an activist is one who propagates an idea.
The idea itself needs to be properly communicated with the mass in order for the message to be accurately disseminated.
As an activist, you’ll have to face huge crowds and be an eloquent speaker, making it quite terrifying for introverts out there.
35. Personal Assistant (PA)
Tier – 2
It’s a bit like secretarial work, but revolving around a single person rather than a company.
It’s a bit less complex, but it gets a lot more personal and menial.
You will basically be helping this one person with reservations or other personal requests.
All of this used to be a lot harder as there is a lot of running around to do.
Thanks to the digitalization of our modern world, virtual assistants now exist and you can do all of the work behind a screen.
36. Delivery Man
Tier – 3
This technically is the least demanding job, in terms of social skills, that is. You pick up the package or order and get it delivered to the customer.
It’s a simple and straightforward task that requires little to no communication on most days.
37. Lawyer
Tier – 2
Contrary to common belief, almost 60% of lawyers are introverts.
They are trained to be objective and analytical.
There aren’t many traits that extroverts have that would benefit them on the job more than introverts.
FAQS on Worst Jobs for Introverts
Remote Jobs For Introverts
- Blogging
- Freelance Writing
- Web Development
- Graphic Designing
- Social Media Manager
Are There Any Successful Introverts?
Wondering if there are any successful introverts? Being an introvert doesn’t necessarily mean that one can’t be successful. There’s a long list of successful introverts in history, such as President Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Michael B. Jordan, J.K. Rowling, Christina Aguilera, Emma Watson and many more.
Is It Hard For Introverts To Be At Work?
Wondering if it’s hard for introverts to be at work? For introverts, modern workplaces where many organizations and offices are built without walls can be challenging for those who prefer a quiet place to do their best thinking. Being at work particularly at brainstorm meetings might require an introvert to be more vocal.
Do Introverts Make Less Money?
Wondering if introverts make less money compared to their counterparts? According to the research, introverts earn less than extroverts. A study done based on the 14 Myers-Briggs (MBTI) personality types shows that introverts are 5 of the 7 lowest earners based on the average yearly income.
Are Introverts More Likely To Be Successful?
Wondering if introverts have a high chance of being successful in life? For starters, they’re wonderful listeners, always paying attention to what’s happening around them. They’re also observant and mindful to notice the mistakes and successes of others, as a way to imitate the path to success.
Now that you’ve read about the worst jobs for introverts that you should avoid, you can go forth and take charge of your destiny in your work life.
Make the first step in building a career path that you can thrive in and be proud of.
I would also love to hear your career experience as an introvert thus far, feel free to share them in the comments!
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