EditorOne
Prolific Member
Now that I know what I know about myself and INTP, I'd do it all over again much differently. The little boy dream of being a firefighter makes enormous sense for some INTPs, as it presents a problem-solving paradigm requiring endless juggling of problems and solutions. Pre-plans for major structures or high-risk structures give plenty of opportunity for the architect, and the variety of situations you can come across in a metro fire station mean the job need never be boring or "meh". Additionally, the ability to look at any situation rationally when others are in the grip of emotions is a huge plus.
Some who have read other posts may remember I did volunteer firefighting for 17 years, until I lost some hearing in a non-firefighting explosion. The training for volunteer and paid is much the same, the difference is activity level, with paid companies getting more calls (that's why some communities have to have a paid company, the community got too busy for volunteers.) It was quite satisfying, but not because of the usual crap about community service. It was quite satisfying because it was an endless exercise in urgent problem solving, hitting both the INTP highlights and the genetic endowment that makes many of us derive satisfaction from working with others in small groups of limited purpose. Most fire scenes seem like very noisy chaos to bystanders; there's even satisfaction, for me, at looking at that same scene as an insider and being able to tell what's going on and what needs to be done next.
Other similar careers might be nursing, as already noted, and emergency medical technician. In each case, damped-down emotional response is an asset, up to a point, and you get a lot of variety day to day, all within some work paradigm you are presumed to have mastered.
The only part of firefighting I didn't much like was vehicle wrecks involving injury. The injuries themselves didn't mean diddle, but I did have a very basic fear that my lack of real medical training could lead me to hurt someone worse than they already were. I much preferred leaving that part of it to better trained people, whenever possible, and only pitched in when there was some urgent reason to move an injured person out of harm's way. It was a case of needing to add to my roster of competencies, not any reluctance about touching people or whatever. You get over that very quickly in firefighting, where some of it is shoulder-to-shoulder work in close quarters.
Just adding this to the thread for the benefit of younger INTPS seeking career alternatives. :-)
Some who have read other posts may remember I did volunteer firefighting for 17 years, until I lost some hearing in a non-firefighting explosion. The training for volunteer and paid is much the same, the difference is activity level, with paid companies getting more calls (that's why some communities have to have a paid company, the community got too busy for volunteers.) It was quite satisfying, but not because of the usual crap about community service. It was quite satisfying because it was an endless exercise in urgent problem solving, hitting both the INTP highlights and the genetic endowment that makes many of us derive satisfaction from working with others in small groups of limited purpose. Most fire scenes seem like very noisy chaos to bystanders; there's even satisfaction, for me, at looking at that same scene as an insider and being able to tell what's going on and what needs to be done next.
Other similar careers might be nursing, as already noted, and emergency medical technician. In each case, damped-down emotional response is an asset, up to a point, and you get a lot of variety day to day, all within some work paradigm you are presumed to have mastered.
The only part of firefighting I didn't much like was vehicle wrecks involving injury. The injuries themselves didn't mean diddle, but I did have a very basic fear that my lack of real medical training could lead me to hurt someone worse than they already were. I much preferred leaving that part of it to better trained people, whenever possible, and only pitched in when there was some urgent reason to move an injured person out of harm's way. It was a case of needing to add to my roster of competencies, not any reluctance about touching people or whatever. You get over that very quickly in firefighting, where some of it is shoulder-to-shoulder work in close quarters.
Just adding this to the thread for the benefit of younger INTPS seeking career alternatives. :-)
