Being an introverted person may seem like an oddity, but it’s a normal personality trait. There are several jobs for introverts to work alone and with minimal team interaction. No one’s just claiming their introversion out loud.
Introverts are detail oriented, appear calm, listen more, and often think before speaking – traits that are beneficial to a larger extent for some jobs. Here, we’ll explore jobs for introverts that don’t require a lot of attention based on data provided by the O*NET Data’s sociability score.
In this article, you’ll learn the following.
- Who is a people’s hater.
- Understanding O*NET Data’s sociability score.
- Top Tech jobs for people who hate people and how to get started with these career paths.
Who is a people’s hater?
If you’re uncomfortable working in a team, hate being around people, or have a hard time tackling meetings, you fall into the category of people’s haters.
An introverted person or people hater does not actually hate people. They only feel uncomfortable and or shy when in the midst of people. They might equally be afraid of getting stressed when faced with a lot of human interaction. So they’ll rather work alone than in teams.
Introverts simply perform at their best when alone than when surrounded by people.
If you belong here, it’s perfectly okay to find a job that warrants high individual autonomy to makes work easier and happier. And many jobs for introverts fit these criteria.
Understanding O*NET Data’s sociability score
We’re basing our list out of this score.
The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is a US Department of Labor database comprising detailed information on over 900 jobs.
O*Net sociability score rates every job on a scale from 0-100 to define how much an occupation requires the worker to contact others or be pleasant with others.
By averaging these ratings, one can identify the occupations that have the lowest overall score.
Therefore by implication, jobs with an ONET sociability score of 65 and below will require minimal good-natured contact with others. The lower the ONET sociability score, the better the job for a people’s hater. It is on this basis that we put forth the following tech jobs for people who hate people.
Working remotely
Working remotely helps reduce or minimize your level of social interaction, so it’s worth looking into remote or hybrid remote jobs. Since you’re working from home, you can avoid verbal communication and opt mostly for SMS or online messaging instead. Most of the jobs we’ll be discussing in this article have remote capabilities, so they’re the perfect career paths for introverts.
Top jobs for people who hate people and how to get started.
Here are some potential careers for introverts to embark upon. The average salary is based in the US.
Video editor
Video editing is a perfect career option for people who dislike interacting with others but also have a creative mind. Editors generally work alone because they have to focus on their tasks. Since there’s minimal social interaction involved, video editing is one of the best career paths for introverts.
Even so, as a video editor, you’ll have to converse about the content/video to your superior or client from time to time, and this will comprise a bulk of your social interaction. Still, you’ll be working alone for the greater part of the task.
The average salary for video editors is $50,584.
How to Get Started
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in any film, broadcasting, or communications-related field. Several universities offer cinematography and other video-editing courses, so seize the opportunity.
- You can engage in some video editing training to gain more work experience. Ensure that you grasp a picture of the different tools that are employed to perform their jobs.
- Cold email startups that want to create videos to build your portfolio,
Researcher, technical writer or content creator
If your strengths lie in communicating through words and working alone, becoming a researcher, technical writer or content creator can make a great career option. Researching demands much attention. These are great jobs for introverts who love to read, write and create.
Keep in mind that some research jobs will necessitate a bit of public speaking and social interactions, especially with the marketing field. So ensure that you’re fine with facing people once in a while. The average salary for a researcher is $57,196 and a bachelor’s degree in a related field is all you need to begin.
How to Get Started
To become a researcher, the requirements may vary, but generally, you need to;
- Pick a field you plan to be a researcher in.
- Get a bachelor’s degree in your preferred field. If you intend to become a corporate researcher, then, a bachelor’s degree will serve the purpose. And for a more advanced career in research, you’ve to consider getting a master’s degree.
- Investigate entry-level job openings. Your university likely necessitates a research associate, so you can apply for the position and begin there.
- After gathering experience, you can extend your career alternatives by applying to research laboratories or large companies that carry out independent research.
- Go on Fiverr or other freelancing platforms to start your portfolio as a technical writer or content creator.
Graphic Designer
Do you love computers, creative design, and working alone? If so, then graphic design can make a great career option for you. Graphic designers imagine and generate visual concepts for brochures, advertisements, and magazines. A graphic designer may use computer tools to create designs and sometimes bare hands to fabricate physical content.
Graphic design is mostly a solo job, so it’s therefore one of the better careers for people who hate people. A typical graphic designer has an average salary of $48,561. To begin, you only need a bachelor’s degree or training in graphic
design.
How to Get Started
Do you aspire to become a graphic designer?
- Train yourself in graphic designing by attending seminars and workshops. Although having a degree will be an edge, you need only skills to make a career.
- Propose low prices for your services so you can establish a complete, unique portfolio.
- Advertise your work and services online and offline to work as a freelancer or apply to different companies to work in a corporate setting.
Video game designer/developer
Passionate about video games and wish to work alone? Well, video game development isn’t always done in groups. There are many indie developers who work on games alone, such as Toby Fox (Undertale), Eric Balone (Stardew Valley), and Cole Jefferies (Shadows of Doubt).
Developing a game solo means little to no social interaction, making it one of the best careers for introverts. You don’t have to be an expert at coding or art to create a fully-functional game. There are many online resources that can help you fill in any gaps in your expertise.
For example, engines like Unreal offer visual scripting to make coding easier for beginners. There are also many game assets available for download on sites like Unity’s asset store, so you don’t have to create them from scratch.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t still work with a company or team. Many game-related roles are remote or hybrid remote since a lot of the work is done on a computer, making it one of the best jobs for loners. Average salaries for game developers are around $83,240 per year.
How to Get Started
- A bachelor’s degree is not necessary but getting some basic training in game design principles would be beneficial. You could also use the opportunity to bolster your portfolio with game development projects.
- Every game requires some form of coding so you should learn the fundamentals of programming. You can use a free game engine like Unity and get familiar with its interface.
- Become familiar with popular software, such as Twine and Blender, which integrate with Unity.
- Enhance and practice your level design and storytelling skills. Make game demos and release them on sites like Steam to get real feedback.
- When you’re a bit more confident, you can also enter game jams (an event where you make a game within a short amount of time) to gain extra experience with game development. Game jams allow you to practice working in teams and try out different aspects of game design, such as character art or level design.
- Apply for entry-level game developer jobs or start marketing your games on social media to increase awareness.
Software developer/Computer programmer
Do you like to code, build stuff online, but just not interact with people? If that’s the case, handling codes and figures might be a top tech job for you. Your job is to create software programs and computer applications by formulating and testing code software developers.
Debugging and troubleshooting errors to maintain programs’ source codes may come along with advanced programming. You’ll mostly be interacting with code, so it’s one of the more ideal careers for people who hate people.
All you need to start with is a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalence. Computer prommers have an average salary of $92,012, so it can be a great career choice if you have the right skillset for coding, like money, and have an introverted personality.
How to Get Started
- Platforms like Udacity allows you to learn programming skills through a fast-track program to get a certificate in 3-6 months.
- Jobs like No CS Degree have postings for people without a computer science degree worldwide.
- RemoteOK and AngelList also posts remote dev jobs from around the world
Frontend developer
Frontend development is another perfect job for introverts who are both creative and technical. It is a blend of computer programming and graphic design. As a frontend developer, you are tasked with the general design and functioning of a website. You’re required to handle both the coding and the aesthetic aspects.
The average salary is $75,487, so this is a great profession for introverts to gain a lot of money in the long run.
How to Get Started
Here’s how you can become a web developer:
- Obtain a bachelor’s degree in computer science or any other related field. Some employers and clients are not that choosy when it comes to hiring. Therefore, advanced skill training could equally serve.
- Become certified by professional associations or software companies to build a great portfolio. You can equally attend workshops and achieve certificates.
Freelancers
Freelancers or independent contractors self-employed persons who are exposed to the freedom of picking their own projects. They do not commit to a single, long-term employer but choose their jobs and clients.
The freedom that comes with freelancing makes it one of the best career paths for introverts. You can control your levels of interaction to a degree since communication is mostly done online via messaging or emails.
If you hate interacting with many people, freelancing is a great career to pursue. You have only your client to deal with.
How to Get Started
Starting a freelancing career is not stress-free. You must establish a status before you can get many clients to meet your demands. But for beginners, you can employ the following tips.
- Select your area of specialty and set definite goals. Then engage in training and seminars to build your portfolio.
- Establish a distinctive, high-quality portfolio probably through the internet.
- Search for potential clients, and market yourself. Create pages on social media platforms to endorse your services.
- As a beginner, it would help to set moderate prices.
Social media manager
With social media management, your job is to examine your audience and take heeds to their needs. Then, you design strategies to get them involved in your services. The average salary is $55,199.
At first glance, this career may not seem to be among the best jobs for people who hate people; social media platforms often center around communication after all. However, you’ll mostly be looking at social interactions online instead of taking part in them yourself. The bulk of your job consists of devising content strategies and overseeing campaigns.
How to Get Started
- Cold-email startups who might need a bit of social media help or go on Fiverr and offer your initial social media services.
- You can obtain a degree, but let’s be honest, you can become a social media manager just by looking for creative ways to expand your portfolio.
- You can also complete an internship in social media management or public affairs or social media management. Often, employers will give priority to those having experience in the field.
Honorable mentions
For those who don’t wish to join the tech industry, here are some alternative career paths for introverts.
2D/3D artists
If you have a creative mind and love making art, such as paintings or sculptures, becoming a 2D or 3D artist could be ideal for you. Find your perfect medium and create wonderful artwork for the world to see. You could draw/design for a company or sell your artwork as a freelancer.
Art comes in a variety of forms, so you can choose both digital and traditional mediums, depending on your preference. Experiment with various tools and styles until you find the one you like best.
For example, if you’re going with traditional, typical mediums include oil paint and charcoal. For digital mediums, you could opt for 2D illustrations with an art software or 3D modeling.
The average salary of an artist is around $57,560 annually.
How to Get Started.
An artist's journey can differ greatly depending on what kind of industry you want to get into, but here are the general requirements:
- Although not always essential, it helps to get an art-related degree such as Fine Art, Design, or Ceramics.
- Create high-quality artwork and form a portfolio online (via your own website). Showcase your best works to attract clients or use your portfolio to boost your job applications. Research your chosen industry first to see what kind of art they wish to see in your portfolio.
- Display your artwork at craft shows or sell your artwork online. Use third-party sites like Amazon or Etsy, to reach more people.
- Do some networking in your chosen industry to form valuable connections. For example, join online art communities on platforms such as Twitter or Reddit.
Creative writer
If you love writing stories, poetry, lyrics, and scripts, creative writing may be the job for you. Writing can take on many forms but they all involve a lot of research, proofreading, and editing. You can take the more traditional route and aim for publication, or you can self-publish your books on sites like Amazon or Tapas.io.
You could even work with an artist to create a webtoon or comic and post them on Webtoons, Webcomics, or another similar platform. Writing can also be a freelance gig — you could write stories for people, scripts for YouTube videos, essays, and much more. Just make sure you respond well to feedback since writing requires a lot of finetuning.
Aside from communicating with editors or clients, you mostly work in solitude. It’s one of the more ideal career paths for introverts or those with social anxiety.
The average wage for writers is approximately $73,150 on an annual basis.
How to Get Started
- For formal writing positions, it helps to have a degree in writing, language, communication, or another similar subject.
- Every aspiring writer should have a portfolio of previous work to showcase to potential clients or employers. If you’ve never written in a professional capacity before, consider your school projects or essays. However, work that’s actually been published is advantageous.
- Make sure you’re familiar with popular writing software, such as Microsoft Word.
- Offer your services on freelance sites, like Fiverr or Upwork, to start building a portfolio of work.
Archivist
Are you a lover of history and great at organization? Consider being an archivist. Archivists typically work alone while cataloging and appraising historical records, so communication is kept to a minimum. This makes it one of the perfect jobs for people who hate people.
However, you’ll need patience to succeed in this occupation since you’ll be preserving a lot of old documents. You must handle them carefully and take care not to lose anything. Your tasks also include digitizing these records and keeping everything up-to-date, so basic computer skills are required.
On average, archivists make $58,640 each year.
How to Get Started
- A bachelor’s degree in history, information science, or other related field is advantageous.
- During your degree, you should look for volunteer work in libraries or museums to gain some helpful work experience.
- Recruiters prefer you to have a master’s level qualification, so obtain a master’s degree in an archives-related subject (e.g. archival science). This will also help you become eligible for the Academy of Certified Archivists’ exam (must be renewed after 5 years).
Find out the perfect jobs for a non-people person with MentorCruise
As an introvert, you must keep in mind that finding an appropriate job does not entail that you become extroverted or live wire. It is just about figuring out your strengths, what you enjoy doing and are satisfied with.
No jobs will give you a warranty of complete solitude, at certain points within your job, you’ll have to interact with a person, two or more when you work. All you should focus on is to look out for the job that minimizes your contact with other people.
A mentor can better help for most of the tech jobs listed above you will require some specific training. So pick a career that you can be zealous about based on your skills, interests and the expertise that people might be ready to pay you for.