Your personality type does not prevent you from succeeding at any career.
And it does not prevent you from working a certain job. Any skill can be learned, and if you have enough determination, you will go far regardless of your personality.
That said, here is a list of the thirty worst jobs for introverts: if you are not very sociable, and you hate dealing with people all the time, you may want to avoid these and look for different career options.
I have written an article on the best careers for introverts as well, so feel free to check it out.
Let’s begin…
Worst jobs for introverts
1. Real estate agent
This is the kind of job that can be overwhelming if you’re not a people person.
You will have to talk to buyers and understand what they are looking for, schedule and attend property showings, and negotiate requests.
Although part of the job consists in working on your own — for instance, when you create or update property listings online — you do have to interact with people quite often.
And if you are a very introverted person, being a real estate agent may not be the right career for you.
2. Recruiter
As a recruiter, you have to have people skills, and there is definitely selling involved.
You have to be good at finding and interviewing potential candidates, as well as keeping in touch with them during the whole recruitment process.
You also have to liaise with your clients, and negotiate their requests.
Typically, a recruitment position is varied and there’s a lot of different things you need to do, but for someone who tends to be quiet and reserved it could be overwhelming.
3. Restaurant server
This job can be hell for introverts as you are constantly dealing with people.
Although there’s no selling involved, you do have to talk to each customer while maintaining a positive attitude and being fast, especially when the restaurant is busy.
That said, depending on where you work, you may get used to the job and even get to know most of the customers in a relatively short period of time, so it won’t be as intimidating after a while.
4. News reporter
Is this a bad job for introverts? It pretty much depends on the kind of role you get hired for.
If your job consists in gathering information, contacting and interviewing people, or reporting live, it may be too stressful and draining.
Conversely, a role in which you mainly collect data (by studying reports or attending events), write news, and fact-check information, may be suitable for you even if you are an introvert, especially if you really like the job and the people you work with.
5. Tourist entertainer
Most introverts simply won’t be able to perform as a tourist entertainer — it’s just not what they’re naturally inclined to doing.
Proactively engaging a lot of people, and being the life of the party sounds like a nightmare for those who are quiet and reserved.
If you’re an introvert, chances are you hate being entertained by complete strangers and being forced to have fun, so imagine being the person who is in charge of that.
For some extroverts this could be a dream job, but if you don’t like being the center of attention, or you’re a bit shy, forget about it.
6. Event planner
As an event planner, your job is to coordinate and organize events for clients, and make sure everything runs smoothly.
You will have to interact with people all the time, whether it’s taking on the phone or meeting them in person.
You are the one who is in charge, and you are supposed to deal with any last minute problems as well.
If you’re not a people person, or you dislike having to deal with unexpected issues, then you may want to consider a different career path.
7. Customer service representative
Almost all customer service jobs will require you to talk on the phone non-stop and deal with people’s anger and frustration.
And even if you are using chat and email only, it can still be mentally draining.
Talking on the phone is bad enough for introverts, and if you’re dealing with angry customers, it can be a bit of a nightmare.
8. Teacher
Depending on the kind of role you get, this may be a great career for introverts as well.
However, be prepared to interact with your students and talk most of the time — if you are an introvert, it may be very draining physically and mentally.
Teaching can be a fulfilling job because you contribute to the growth of other people, and inspire them to learn useful skills, so if this is what motivates you, go for it.
Just be aware that dealing with students can be stressful at times.
9. Professional pusher
This is a rare profession — one you probably never even thought about.
Most professional pushers work in Tokyo train stations and their main job is to make sure all passenger board trains quickly and safely. In japan, professional pushers are called Oshiya.
It’s easy to see why this is the kind of job where most introverts would feel overwhelmed: dealing with large groups of people packed like sardines, hearing incessant noise and having to shout isn’t exactly inspiring for those who tend to be quiet.
10. Social worker
As the name says, a social worker is someone who works with people.
You will have to support families and individuals (including children) who may be going through tough times, offer information and counseling to these people, make decisions about their situation, and talk to your supervisors.
This is the kind of job where you are dealing with vulnerable individuals, whether it’s the elderly, the homeless, drug addicts, or those with mental disabilities.
You will need a lot of patience and empathy; and while this isn’t exclusive to any personality type, introverts may find this job too draining.
11. Influencer
Most influencers make money by working with brands that are related to their content on social media, or their lifestyle, and promoting and advertising their products.
For example, an influencer who is creative and engaging, and has enough followers, may charge a certain amount for a post on their profile.
Although some people would enjoy it, most introverts could feel uncomfortable being the center of attention and sacrificing their privacy online.
There is such a thing as being an anonymous influencer, but it’s usually much harder to succeed that way.
12. Bartender
Some introverts say being a bartender actually helped them improve their social skills without being too overwhelmed — essentially, your job is to prepare drinks, serve customers, and occasionally make small talk, so you definitely don’t need to be super outgoing to do it.
However, if you dislike noise, crowded places, shouting, and dealing with goofy drunks, it may not be for you.
You will also have to work nights most of the time, so it’s not ideal for morning people either.
13. Salesperson
This could be the worst job for a very introverted person. When you sell, you always sell to people; and people usually buy emotionally rather than looking at numbers and data about a particular product, so you need to be talkative and persuasive.
Not only that — you will probably have to meet goals and targets as well, and yes, it can be quite stressful.
Again: being an introvert doesn’t necessarily prevent you from working any job, and excel at it; there are many successful introverted sales people out there. But in general, selling is for those who are more sociable.
14. Babysitter
Spending time with children is different from spending time with adults; if you like working with kids and you are empathic, it may be a fulfilling job regardless of your personality type.
Much like teachers, though, you do need to be in control, and constantly interact with the kids so they don’t become bored or do anything too dangerous: as an introvert, it could be exhausting.
15. Flight attendant
This is a job where you are dealing with all kinds of people.
And many of the people you have to deal with are very tired, stressed out, hungry, or impatient, as they are traveling. Not ideal if you’re like most introverts.
You are also likely to work different shifts, and your hours may not be guaranteed 100 percent of the time (for example, if one of the flights you are supposed to attend gets canceled).
On the plus side, it’s definitely a unique career.
16. Singer
Can you handle being in front of big crowds while you are performing? As a professional singer, you don’t really have to interact with others, at least not most of the time.
But being the center of attention, even if in a good way, could be overwhelming.
If you’re a singer, you are basically an artist — someone who makes a living from art, your passion, your talent, your dedication — which can be very rewarding. But if you’re an introvert, it may be tough at first.
17. Manager
You have to be a people person to excel at this role.
As a manager, your responsibilities include supervising and sometimes teaching your colleagues, dealing with complaints and requests, and being in charge of a particular department or operation.
It’s essential that you have good empathy as well: you will need to understand other people’s personality and the way they function in order to motivate and guide them (if it’s employees), as well as address their needs and handle their complaints assertively (especially when dealing with customers).
18. Tour guide
If you speak one or two foreign languages, and you are passionate about the history of your country, or at least the history of a particular place, then being a tour guide might be the perfect job for you.
Just be aware that if you’re an introvert, it could be physically exhausting: you have to talk all the time, and talk in a way that engages people and sparks their interest and curiosity.
Not all tourists will pay attention to what you say, and some may even be a bit rude, and you have to be able to handle that professionally.
19. Broker
Brokers take care of business transactions, so naturally there is a lot of selling involved.
As we’ve seen already, the art of selling and negotiating can be learned by anyone, but for most introverts it can be a nightmare.
Typically, brokers work in high-pressure, fast-paced environments. And even though part of the job involves researching data on your own, in front of a computer screen — you still have to talk on the phone and contact clients all the time.
20. Ticket inspector
Much like being a police officer, this is a role where you have to be authoritative and polite at the same time.
This, plus being surrounded by dozens or hundreds of people all the time, makes it quite stressful for those who are more on the introverted side.
On the plus side, you won’t have to make small talk, or hold long conversations with anyone; you will simply do your job without any selling or entertaining involved.
21. Hair stylist
If you are passionate about hair styles and making people look amazing, this could be the right career for you.
You don’t need any college degrees to get started, just a short course; it’s a flexible job and there will always be demand for it.
Now, as a hair stylist or hairdresser, you should have great interpersonal skills, and enjoy talking to strangers (though some customers will prefer to relax and not say anything): for those who are very introverted, it could be draining.
22. Army officer
To be an officer in the military, you probably have to say goodbye to the idea of having a private space in which you can recharge and hide from people — not ideal for introverts.
The good thing is that there are many different roles available in the military, so you may choose one that doesn’t sound too overwhelming even if you are on the introverted side.
For example, you can work as a mechanic, or take care of paperwork.
23. Casino dealer
Casino dealers have to be good at maths and, most importantly, deal all casino games quickly and efficiently.
The faster the games, and the less mistakes they make, the more money the casino will earn from customers each hour.
If you like to gamble yourself, or you are passionate about casino games, it could be a rewarding job.
However, be prepared to work in a noisy environment, make small talk with all kinds of people, and deal with annoying drunks from time to time.
24. Public relations officer
As a PR professional, your responsibility is to build and maintain the reputation for your clients.
Some of your tasks will include attending public events, building strong relationships, responding to enquiries from the media, and teamwork.
To excel at this role, you have to be able to multitask, be a people person, and communicate efficiently: those who are quiet and reserved most of the time may find this job too demanding.
25. Actor
Are there excellent actors who are introverted? Of course.
But in general, most introverts may find it difficult to perform as actors. While extroverts find it easy to be spontaneous, even in front of the camera, introverts may feel too anxious at first.
That said, it can be an amazing career regardless of your personality and behavior. If you feel that acting is one of your talents, go for it.
You may not be able to earn a full time income, at least in the beginning, but it will give you some unique opportunities and develop your social skills.
26. Receptionist
Depending on where you work and the amount of people you are supposed to deal with, this could actually be an okay job for most introverts.
Chances are you will be on your own a lot of the time (or at most you will be working with one or two other receptionists) and you will be able to recharge and take breaks easily.
On the other hand, working in a place that’s super busy and where you constantly talk on the phone may be mentally and physically draining if you’re introverted.
27. Politician
There are some politicians with an introverted personality, but again, we are not looking at the exceptions here.
In general, those who are politically active need to be great leaders, and be very persuasive.
On top of that, they also need to deal with criticism and hate.
Politicians tend to have a bad reputation, and regardless of how honest or competent you are, there’s always going to be people who criticize you.
28. Coach
As a coach, your main responsibility is to motivate, inspire, and train people.
You must be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as their personality traits, and help them perform at their best.
Constantly dealing with people isn’t ideal for introverts, however, do keep in mind that as a coach you usually work with one person at a time rather than large groups. It can also be a very rewarding career, regardless of your personality type.
29. Insurance agent
This is another job where you need to be good at selling, otherwise you won’t go very far.
You have to contact potential clients and explain why they should purchase a certain insurance plan, whether it’s property, health, or life insurance.
Typically, you will talk to clients on the phone and then meet them in person. Some of your time will also be spent on research and maintaining records, however your main responsibility will be to sell — probably not the most exciting thing if you’re an introvert.
30. Anything you hate doing
The third and final worst job for those who are quiet and reserved is… anything they hate doing.
Just like people tend to excel at careers they enjoy, similarly, they are usually pretty bad at working jobs that make them miserable.
Whether you’re predominantly introverted or extroverted, you know what motivates you: that’s a potential career.
And if you care about mental health, avoid anything that doesn’t line up with your talent, values, and skills.
To paraphrase Confucius, “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”.
