Being extroverted or introverted isn’t a matter of whether your teen “likes
people” or “doesn’t like people.” It’s about where
he goes to get energy and where he focuses most of his concentration. Introverts
find energy in their inner world of ideas, so they require less from the outside
world. Extroverts find their energy in things and people; pulled by this outer
life of action and interaction, they spend less time with thoughts and concepts.
Can you have both “innie” and “outie” traits? Sure.
Is it better to be an innie or an outie? Neither. Both have their strengths
and weaknesses.
If your teen is more of an extrovert, he tends to like action and gets along
well in social settings. He’s likely to be an optimist. He gets bored
or impatient with slow jobs and slow people, enjoys talking on the phone, and
is generally confident and relaxed. He tends to work well under pressure, like
when he takes tests.
What jobs do extroverts tend to like? Look for those that provide lots of activity,
variety and stimulating input. Your teen probably will do best where he has
plenty of interaction with people, many things going on at the same time, and
deadlines to meet. Extroverts also enjoy jobs that let them turn ideas into
reality.
In which career fields do we find more-extroverted people? Here are some: marketing,
restaurant managers and workers, actors, salespeople and sales managers, dental
hygienists, bank and office managers, religious and personal service workers,
hairdressers and cosmetologists, self-employed business people, and teachers.
If your teen is more introverted, she tends to focus her energies inward;
she’s energized by times when she can be alone to ponder her thoughts,
let her mind wander. She needs time to reflect before taking action. She’s
always asking questions (though not always out loud), tends to be more negative
than positive in her outlook, and may get tagged as a pessimist. She tends not
to work so well under the pressure of exams.
What kinds of jobs work well for introverts? Consider those that would allow
your teen to work alone for much of the time, and where the stimulation level
is low. She’ll probably do best where she can have her own quiet space
and work at her own pace. She may prefer an environment with fewer deadlines,
one that lets her think up ideas and overcome the challenges that stand in the
way of their becoming reality.
In which career fields do we find more-introverted people? Electrical and electronic
engineers, chemists and other scientists, librarians, archivists and curators,
mechanics and other repair people, lawyers, computer programmers, physicians,
health technicians, priests and monks, and college professors.
