Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks

I write a lot about financial independence and financial freedom. Through a couple decades of experience now, I’ve come to understand that many people give up on the idea of being financially secure. Why do they do this? Perhaps it’s because the job they have or the career they’ve been in for a long time just isn’t providing enough to get ahead. Add the idea of significant change (switching jobs or careers) to the mix and things just get to be overwhelming. It’s possible another character trait is (seemingly) holding you back.

Introverts

Are definitely a group of people I can relate to. Growing up, you would have thought that it physically pained me to speak to another person. Being accused of being too shy or too quiet was something I got all the time. As I started thinking more about what I wanted to be when I grew up, it felt like all the good money making opportunities required a person to be outspoken. Sales, management, and many other options seemed to favor extroverts. This post, Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks, comes as a result of gaining experience in many different types of roles and industries. As an introvert myself, I stumbled upon two careers that I consider to be perfect picks.

Before I get to the two picks, I want to be clear on something. An introvert is not someone that avoids people altogether. Introverts tend to like being in the company of smaller groups of people and rarely like being in the spotlight. Here’s the thing – as a professional in any manner, at some point you will have to interact with other people, and possibly other groups of people. With that in mind, the Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks focuses on two careers that give an introvert the opportunity to engage with people but then have a significant amount of time where they can work by themselves. It ends up being the perfect blend!

There are

a few more benefits to these career options as well. First up, each of them provides you with an opportunity to be exposed to many different parts of a business. This is great because it allows you to see and understand other departments without being committed to working long term in one of those departments. It’s sort of like test driving a car before you buy it. In this case, you can test drive a different department should you ever want to change professions or career paths.

The second benefit is that these career opportunities allow you to influence other people without having direct control. While some may argue that this set up is less than ideal, it reduces or eliminates the likelihood that you will have direct reports. For an introvert, managing people, especially several other people, can be intimidating (I’ve done it and if you can push through the uncomfortableness, it can be a great experience).

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Hold On

I’m sure you’re wondering about the pay associated with the Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks. Sure, someone can go out and find a job that suits an introvert but not all of them pay the best. The good news is that both career opportunities can get you into the six-figures. I’ll provide additional information on the pay but will tell you now that I personally have made in the six-figures in both roles in the past! Ok, that’s enough of a setup, let’s jump into the 2 perfect picks now!

Project Manager (PM)

If you’re not familiar with Project Management or Project Managers, the role, in theory, is straightforward. Working with various business partners, you will plan, manage, and execute activities that deliver the predetermined goal. This goal can be anything from deploying new software systems to constructing new buildings (and pretty much everything in between). While this may sound intimidating at first, know that you generally work your way up in the size of the project you manage. This allows you to build your skills while building trust with your business partners.

When I first started managing projects, I worked on the little ones. I redesigned one department’s monthly report. Over time, I worked my way up to managing company wide projects (for companies doing billions of dollars in sales every year). With each new project, the size grew a little and with each new project, the trust and respect I had within the business grew a little. By the time I moved on, I had the trust and respect of the very top of the organization, not to mention all my colleagues.

Why The Project Manager Career Is Great

Three reasons jump to mind immediately. First, the pay for this role is good. Indeed recently put the average salary at just over $77,000 per year. Senior Project Managers bring in right around $100,000. When I left the role as Project Manager, I was making $130,000 plus a bonus. This isn’t bad pay at all and likely enables you to start thinking more about being able to save more and potentially retire early.

The second reason I chose this career as part of the Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks is because it can be found in almost all industries across the globe. Software companies need Project Managers, construction companies need Project Managers, Finance, Insurance, Manufacturing…almost all industries can benefit from a skilled Project Manager! As an added bonus, many Project Managers get to work remotely (at least part of the time). That’s a big plus for an introvert!

Finally, you don’t necessarily need a college degree to become a Project Manager. As this career path is a bit more focused, several different certificate programs exist. The Project Management Institute offers a variety of certification options based on your experience. These will set you back a few thousand dollars however; it is very common for your employer to pay for some, or all of the training.

Ok, What Are The Downsides?

Very, very few careers out there are “perfect”. To be transparent, being a Project Manager has a few downsides. The biggest downside for an introvert is that you will have to facilitate group sessions. Keep in mind that interacting with people is likely to happen with almost any role. I see this facilitation as an hour of my battery being drained. The good news is that after most status update meetings, many of the takeaways are for others to complete and you to follow up on. This can be done from home via email in a lot of cases. So, while your battery gets depleted a few times each week, you’ll have plenty of time to recharge.

Other drawbacks to being a Project Manager are that you’ll experience longer hours and higher stress levels as your project gets to the implementation phase. You also get the pleasure of organizing everyone else’s chaos. Some days are frustrating because you’re relying on other people to get things done and you’re constantly chasing them for updates.

All in all, being a Project Manager isn’t a bad career opportunity for an introvert. It has its challenges but the pay is good and it allows time for your battery to recharge while working on several tasks independently. If you’re interested in learning more about introverts and Project Management, here are a few links to books I’ve enjoyed!

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

Get A Grip: How to Get Everything You Want from Your Entrepreneurial Business

Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

Ok, it’s time for us to take a look at the second perfect pick in the Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks.

Lean/Six Sigma Practitioner

Of all the jobs and careers I’ve had (yes, I’ve changed careers a few times), being a Lean/Six Sigma Practitioner is my favorite! Investopedia describes the role as business people who use statistics, financial analysis, and project management to achieve business functionality and quality control by reviewing mistakes and defects. Yes, that sounds like a lot. No, I don’t totally agree with the description. Let’s take a closer look.

I have been a certified Master Black Belt since 2013. Yes, numbers and statistics are a big part of the role. This is great if you’re an introvert because you get to spend the bulk of your time analyzing and a much smaller portion of your time presenting your analysis. Where I disagree a bit with the description above is that a large part of my experience as a Lean/Six Sigma Practitioner has focused on change management and facilitation. Yes, facilitation. This may make you swallow hard but it’s not as bad as it sounds once you get used to it.

Like Project Managers, Lean/Six Sigma Practitioners can add value in practically any business in any industry. Any repeatable process can benefit from having this role. Manufacturing companies tend to be big into Lean and Six Sigma but many other industries like Finance, Insurance, and Healthcare employ these methodologies as well.

Why Lean/Six Sigma Practitioner Career Is Great

Let’s start by looking at the pay. Salary.com puts the typical range between $95,900 and $124,900 for Chicago. Like the Project Manager role, this one isn’t bad relatively speaking. Once you build your skills and experience, you become employable in practically any business in any industry – that has a ton of value! You’ll also likely have the flexibility to work remote on a regular basis (great for introverts) and will find time to recharge your batteries with independent work.

Another reason I chose this career as part of the Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks is because you can tailor the role to the things you like. For example, in my current position, I’m using more of the Project Management side of the Lean/Six Sigma skillset. In my prior position, I used much more of the Change Management skillset. If you find that you like certain parts of the job better, you can always carve that skillset out and make a career of just that piece alone!

Finally, just like the Project Manager role, you don’t have to spend an insane amount of money getting a fancy degree. Many companies out there will get you certified for a few thousand dollars – and again, many employers will help pay for some or all of the training costs.

Ok, What Are The Downsides?

Perhaps the biggest downside to this career option is that you will have to facilitate. Much like the Project Manager path, the facilitation is the roughest part for an introvert. The good news is that as a facilitator, your job is to draw the information out of others. The art of facilitation is a whole separate topic but if you can get past the initial fear, it works well. Large portions of your time are spent on data analysis, observation, and talking with very small groups. The facilitation will drain your battery, but you typically get lots of time to recharge.

Another potential downside is the travel. I’ve been around the world in this position. England, Switzerland, Australia, UAE, and China are some of the places I’ve been as a result of choosing this career path. For some, that is exciting. For an introvert, it can be exhausting. Just a heads up that travel is typically a bigger part of this career opportunity.

Finally, just like Project Managers, you will do your share of herding cats. Chasing people down for updates is a regular thing. The good news is a lot of the chasing can be done via email from just about anywhere. This is a plus for an introvert. Here are some great Lean/Six Sigma reads!

The Machine That Changed the World

What is Lean Six Sigma

The Lean Startup

Also to note – both roles add expense to a company. It is when you manage a project well or drive out waste in the process where your value is realized. Yes, you are an expense, however, it is possible (and should be your goal) to save 2, 3, or even 5 times what you cost in what you deliver in efficiencies to the business.

Best Careers For Introverts 2 Perfect Picks

These career paths might not be what you usually find when you google this topic. I provide these to you as an introvert with firsthand experience in both. I have made a good living in each role and enjoy the opportunities they have presented me with. If you can overcome the fear of facilitation, you may just end up loving either (or both) roles above! I think about it as the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of your time you’ll love what you do and 20 percent you’ll be drawing from your battery. In a world where six-figure jobs where interacting with many different types of people is the norm, these two options give you a good balance, great opportunity for learning and developing, and a solid paycheck!

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