Stuck on career ideas.

[Scarlett Hayden]

Hey everyone I'm new to this forum, this is my first post. I was wondering if as fellow INTP's you could help me with this problem. I'm eighteen, homeschooled, and currently studying my last year of A Levels in science oriented subjects but I realize that soon I need to choose a career, and most probably (as is the norm to get any secure job these days) go to university. Now I have two problems:
One is I can't choose because I know that whatever I put my mind to I can achieve, as well as the fact i genuinely love everything. Throughout my childhood I have changed my mind constantly unsure as to what I actually want to do, because I want to do it all. It seems I have no goal in life and I'm slightly worried that I may be scatty minded?
Two is that I love abstract thinking and feel like i need something creative to stimulate me, to truly enjoy it, yet another part of me always comments on how pointless a career involved with abstract thinking would actually be. My mind seems to be contradicting itself.
Ahh yes and not to mention my massive ego complex that begs to be out in the limelight despite spending most of life inside my head.
Am i the only one with this problem or is it an INTP trait and if so what were your experiences like in choosing? How did you choose? Is there anything you could suggest?

 

[gruesomebrat]

I keep wanting to go the self-employment route here, as there's plenty of room for abstract (creative) thinking but the job won't be pointless. The only two major problems are coming up with a viable business plan, then executing it. The business plan probably won't be any trouble, if you're serious about enjoying creative thinking. The execution, on the other hand... well, I've been waiting for 3 years to start my business, and I'm not much closer today than I was 2 years ago.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and welcome to the forum, new person. Look out for Gophers.

 

[MEDICaustik]

I have that contradication problem in my head as well.

I've considered the idea that I may have two personalities or something.

I've been trying to decide what career I might like the most for years, and I always have an inner battle about the relevance of these careers. There is a part of me that NEEDS to do something "important", ie. Medical Doctor, Astrophysicist, Biomedical Engineer, etc. I have this great desire to do something great with my life.

Then another part of me recognizes that life is short, and should be enjoyed. It tells me that one day I will be dead and it won't matter. It tells me to forget the worries, and just enjoy life.

I spend hours every day thinking about what a good "career path" would be for me, and I always come back to the need for my job to mean something.

Even worse than that, I can talk myself out of becoming a Doctor, by arguing it isn't important ENOUGH. I can't make a big enough impact as a doctor.

Basically, I want to change the world, and have yet to find my cause, because I feel so strongly about all the causes.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Engineering is a good field to get into. There is also a deficit of statisticians in the world.

 

[Ermine]

Hey everyone I'm new to this forum, this is my first post. I was wondering if as fellow INTP's you could help me with this problem. I'm eighteen, homeschooled, and currently studying my last year of A Levels in science oriented subjects but I realize that soon I need to choose a career, and most probably (as is the norm to get any secure job these days) go to university. Now I have two problems:
One is I can't choose because I know that whatever I put my mind to I can achieve, as well as the fact i genuinely love everything. Throughout my childhood I have changed my mind constantly unsure as to what I actually want to do, because I want to do it all. It seems I have no goal in life and I'm slightly worried that I may be scatty minded?
Two is that I love abstract thinking and feel like i need something creative to stimulate me, to truly enjoy it, yet another part of me always comments on how pointless a career involved with abstract thinking would actually be. My mind seems to be contradicting itself.
Ahh yes and not to mention my massive ego complex that begs to be out in the limelight despite spending most of life inside my head.
Am i the only one with this problem or is it an INTP trait and if so what were your experiences like in choosing? How did you choose? Is there anything you could suggest?

Welcome! This sounds almost exactly like me 1.5 years ago. I was a freshman/sophomore in univers. I was heading for a graphic design major, but also felt a little conflicted since I have also been good at almost everything I put my mind to. At the time I was conflicted between music, computer science, and graphic design. I chose graphic design because it lets me express my creative side and also involves my left brain with all the technology, web development in my case, having an eye for detail when printing, etc. Graphic designers also wear many different hats in a days work (programmer, printer, artist, salesperson, educator, etc), so there's lots of variety. And even outside that, I still want to continue playing music in some sort of ensemble (a rock band, orchestra, jamming, something) and I still wander into the realms of computer science with web design.

Here are some things I wish I knew/understood when I was in your position:
- don't be paralyzed by fear that you'll make a wrong choice. Just keep moving.
- your career is not necessarily your life. You have your hobbies, family, and friends as well. Also most people switch jobs or careers a few times in their life anyway.
- There's a big difference between things you're interested in and things you can happily do for hours on end until you lose track of time.
- There are many ways to do one career. Just because you have a certain career means you After all, a big part of what sets you apart is because you do things differently than the next person.
- There are many ways to earn money other than the "standard" careers you would find in a book or database. I don't know how it is where you live but in my experience, people have all sorts of creative ways to earn money. I've seen all sorts of things from engineers running restaurants, a married couple making a doggy day care that looks like something out of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, a photographer (happily) working at the front desk at a dental office. It seems unlikely combinations could be the norm.

Good luck.

 

[Lot]

It took me 5 major changes before I finally agreed to do what I wanted to originally do. As you I also wanted to achieve some greatness in the world. I'm going into psychology btw. 5 years spent wandering in community college. I would actually suggest a community college, if there is one in the area. It's far cheaper, so if you don't know what you want, you don't spend a fortune searching. To get over the whole influencing human history forever mentality, if that is something you don't want, realize that most people in history didn't make any real impact until their 40's and 50's. You've got plenty of time to change the world.

The field you choose to work in now can change. The world can change in an instant, leaving your learned skills useless, and you'll need to learn new things. My parents didn't think that computers were going to be so big. Now my mom, with no training growing up (or even in her young adult years), and now she is 1 of 3 tech specialists in her region of a national corporation. So remember, you have time. So have fun and learn all that you can. Hope that helps

 

[Amagi82]

Finding a suitable job is one of the hardest things for an INTP to figure out. Truth is, we don't belong in any traditional "job"- all of them are far too stifling for our minds. What I've settled on after a decade of internal debate, is that what you do for money, and what you do to change the world are two entirely different things. You just need a job you can tolerate while you pursue your true vision, because no mere job is big enough in scope. I would advise you to come up with 5 or 10 jobs you think you could live with, then do research on the field, the job prospects, the requirements of entry, the costs, and then actually find a few people that do each one, and interview them to see what their days are like, and what creative freedoms they have.

Alternatively, you could start your own business, but make sure you have a very clear idea of how to do this, and lots of startup cash before you take the plunge. I recommend getting a job in the industry you're thinking about starting a business in to learn how things work from the inside, before starting out on your own.

 

[Dapper Dan]

Computer Science. At the very least, you should take an intro class or two to test the waters.

 

[Ex-User (5841)]

I've found that the key isn't to pidgeonhole yourself into a specific field, but pick a general direction and combine fields to create something new and expansive.

I've gone through a similar process, and even after you choose a field, you'll likely find that there are many specialties within the field itself that operate on many different scales. Here's my timeline:

Spoiler

1. Graduated high school

-vague visions of becoming a psychologist, mechanic, or park ranger


-worked in retail and considered opening a store



2. Enrolled in B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology



-spent entirely too much time (?) on a now defunct politics forum shaping political and life philosophy and debating everything from theory to specific policy decisions


-flirted with getting multiple degrees/minors in Applied Sociology, Secondary Education, and Chemistry


-became an auction hound raiding estate sales and reselling stuff at flea markets and pawn shops


-flirted with opening a horticulture operation, becoming a pilot, auctioneer, and/or artist



3. Enrolled in M.S. in Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology



-has concocted a secret plan that simultaneously revolutionizes.... many things in many fields, but the world will have to wait until I'm in a Ph.D. program.



-will soon be applying to a dual Ph.D. program in Restoration Ecology and Environmental Social Sciences


-flirting with entering real estate business


-flirting with law school


-flirting with med school


-flirting with pursuing a postdoctoral degree


-flirting with taking up residence in another country


-flirting with doing them all at once...

 

[Beholder]

that sounds exactly like me, except for the home schooling part. My ultimate goal though is to upload my brain into a computer, once I've done that I have no limitations on time, and I'm free to do or learn whatever I want. So what I'm planning on doing is getting into a field related to that (maybe neuroscience or computer science, or some kind of hybrid) and meanwhile have all kinds of investments on the side, the idea is to have enough money to afford it once the technology inevitably comes along.
I'm taking a year and a half to travel around the world before I start studying though, so maybe something will change by then, we'll see.

 

[Synthetix]

Have you considered acting? I've found an interest in it lately and have accompanied my friend to some of his roles.. That would suit your need for limelight. Which I share with you... Yes it takes work and serious connections, but I can see it as a great job for an INTP. You get called once in a while when you're needed for a role, get paid good, have other people handle shit for you, and lay around doing whatever the fuck you want most of the time.

 

[Scarlett Hayden]

I've found that the key isn't to pidgeonhole yourself into a specific field, but pick a general direction and combine fields to create something new and expansive.

I've gone through a similar process, and even after you choose a field, you'll likely find that there are many specialties within the field itself that operate on many different scales. Here's my timeline:

Spoiler

1. Graduated high school

-vague visions of becoming a psychologist, mechanic, or park ranger


-worked in retail and considered opening a store



2. Enrolled in B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology



-spent entirely too much time (?) on a now defunct politics forum shaping political and life philosophy and debating everything from theory to specific policy decisions


-flirted with getting multiple degrees/minors in Applied Sociology, Secondary Education, and Chemistry


-became an auction hound raiding estate sales and reselling stuff at flea markets and pawn shops


-flirted with opening a horticulture operation, becoming a pilot, auctioneer, and/or artist



3. Enrolled in M.S. in Evolution, Ecology, & Organismal Biology



-has concocted a secret plan that simultaneously revolutionizes.... many things in many fields, but the world will have to wait until I'm in a Ph.D. program.



-will soon be applying to a dual Ph.D. program in Restoration Ecology and Environmental Social Sciences


-flirting with entering real estate business


-flirting with law school


-flirting with med school


-flirting with pursuing a postdoctoral degree


-flirting with taking up residence in another country


-flirting with doing them all at once...

That's what I've been thinking recently, from researching some on the internet i've realized that getting a Bachelors in Chemistry seems to be the best way to go as apparently the amout of specializations that can be gained from that are endless and it's not limiting in any way career wise considering it's one of those inteween subjects. In theory it should cause for a somewhat content life, the problem is sticking it out... I agree i've flirted with many ideas as well as them all simultaneously and personally concluded i would be better off perhaps by being turned into a mythical immortal so that i could have all the time in the world to study/do everything lmao. Has anyone else here had experience with chemistry as a major or a chemistry related career? I notice alot of people here tend to be more physics oriented...?

 

[Scarlett Hayden]

that sounds exactly like me, except for the home schooling part. My ultimate goal though is to upload my brain into a computer, once I've done that I have no limitations on time, and I'm free to do or learn whatever I want. So what I'm planning on doing is getting into a field related to that (maybe neuroscience or computer science, or some kind of hybrid) and meanwhile have all kinds of investments on the side, the idea is to have enough money to afford it once the technology inevitably comes along.
I'm taking a year and a half to travel around the world before I start studying though, so maybe something will change by then, we'll see.

Btw this is an awesome idea... sorts reminds me of that tv series 'Chuck' where the computer gets uploaded into his head except you're suggesting it the other way round. I would do everything in my power to pay for this technology if it existed now. All the best to you. :-)
Actually I did think about getting into nueroscience myself but i know virtually nothing about the subject and would rather not start to study it then realize it's not for me. However as always it fascinates me.