ISTJ Careers (A comprehensive list)

In this brief guide, we will look at some of the best ISTJ careers, as well as some ISTJ careers to avoid. 

ISTJ Careers

ISTJ careers are often characterized by efficiency and order, and some of the most commonly found ISTJ careers are as follows:

  • Banker 
  • Military Personnel 
  • Lawyer
  • Judge
  • Accountant or Auditor
  • Financial Manager
  • Insurance Underwriter
  • Labor Relations Specialist
  • Budget Analyst
  • Loan Officer
  • Compensation or Benefits Analyst
  • Job Analysis Specialist
  • Cost Estimator
  • Financial Analyst
  • Claims Adjuster, Appraiser, Examiner, or Investigator
  • Financial Examiner
  • Logistician

ISTJ careers almost always seem to be centered around efficiency and order, and they will seldom take on roles that are chaotic or that involve too many unknown factors or that are unpredictable.

ISTJ may actually not approve of careers that are unpredictable or impractical for the people in their life, and they may gravitate strongly towards jobs that are more standard and real-world than boisterous or significant.

ISTJ Careers and ISTJ Personality 

These individuals are known for being dependable and meticulous, which means that no matter what career they choose, they may end up being a vital part of the organization, and it is often said that this personality type being so common is what makes the world run.

This adage comes into being because of the invaluable work that ISTJs do, in their quiet and graceful manner they can take care of practical matters with ease and without delving into stress or worry about how things are going to work out.

At the same time, ISTJ careers are also likely to be speckled with complete deadlines and specifications, which are pretty much the lifeblood to these people, and in leadership positions ISTJs can even get somewhat rigid about deadlines or work being completed in time.

Because of their introverted tendencies, ISTJs also like to work independently and systematically on their own, which may be something their bosses may also allow them to do, given how well they complete the tasks they are given. 

A stable work environment is key for any ISTJ career, and they need to have clear expectations and few surprises, because any chaos can make them very anxious and worried and they may not know how to cope.

An ISTJ stuck in a situation that feels out of control or in a job that feels unstable may quickly succumb to depression, which is why it is important for these people to hone their tolerance over time and also find fields that offer relatively more stability.

If you’re facing this, it may be a good idea to seek the help of a therapist or other mental health professional. You can find a therapist at BetterHelp who can help you learn how to cope and address it.

At their best, ISTJ careers are full of detailed plans of action and which are followed with little deviation, and this may often be why these people find themselves in law and order related fields so often, or why so many of them make for such great military personnel.

Despite their introverted features, however, the ISTJ individual also greatly appreciates the value of participating and their colleagues might often find them to be the most reasonable individuals as long as they are approached in the right manner, with the right proposals.

They are also very helpful and when they start working at a certain career they will always give it their all, and very few people are capable of the kind of loyalty and gravity that ISTJ personalities show.

ISTJ careers also have a clear hierarchy so that they know who is in charge and when they are aware of how things are working they may go about solving problems more efficiently.

To summarize, Any ISTJ career needs to be about logical problems, the workplace needs to be on the quieter side and organized, and lastly, they need to lead structured professional lives that are rife with rules and regulations that are well established and clearly adhered to by all.

Based on the features discussed above, given are the best ISTJ Careers:

  • Actuary
  • Statistician
  • Operations Research Analyst
  • Administrative Services Manager
  • Bill or Account Collector
  • Bookkeeping, Accounting, or Auditing Clerk
  • Financial Clerk
  • Compensation or Benefits Manager
  • Property, Real Estate, or Community Association Manager
  • Biomedical Engineer
  • Cartographer or Photogrammetrist
  • Electrical or Electronics Engineer
  • Environmental Engineer
  • Environmental Engineering Technician
  • Health and Safety Engineer
  • Top Executive
  • Chemical Engineer
  • Civil Engineer
  • Drafter
  • Electrical or Electronic Engineering Technician
  • Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technician
  • Agricultural Engineer
  • Civil Engineering Technician
  • Computer Hardware Engineer
  • Electro-mechanical Technician
  • Industrial Engineer
  • Environmental Scientist or Specialist
  • Forensic Science Technician
  • Forest or Conservation Technician
  • Geological or Petroleum Technician
  • Natural Sciences Manager
  • Nuclear Technician
  • Policeman
  • Detective
  • Professor

ISTJ Careers to Avoid

As a rule of thumb, ISTJ careers to avoid include just about anything that is missing the classic law and order that they crave, and where they are unable to be efficient and organized.

Practicality is everything to the ISTJ personality, which means that any field that does not allow the ISTJ person to make practical decisions or be in control of what they do or the results they achieve, will make them feel lost and untethered.

ISTJ careers that involve a high degree of risk may also be avoided and they are not something that the person will gravitate towards anyway.

Another type of career that ISTJ should avoid, or likely will avoid given their propensity for being realistic and practical is anything to do with arts or humanities; this does not mean that these individuals won’t engage in these jobs at all, it just means that they will likely not be comfortable in these fields.

If an ISTJ does find themselves in arts related fields like acting or modeling, one can rest assured they will find the most orderly way of going about it, and their attitude will show regardless of how unpredictable that field is.

Other ISTJ careers to avoid may be those where there is no distinction of hierarchy or how things work, and where everything is done in a haphazard sort of way, which will pretty much finish off their drive to function.

Based on these aspects of the ISTJ personality, here are some of the most common ISTJ careers to avoid:

  • Graphic Designer
  • Actor
  • Photographer
  • Art Director
  • Musician
  • Recreation Worker
  • Cosmetologist
  • Child Care Provider
  • Preschool Teacher
  • Speech Pathologist
  • Restaurant Host
  • Bartender
  • Retail Salesperson
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Receptionist
  • Craft Artist
  • Journalist
  • Dental Hygienist

ISTJ Characters

To understand the ISTJ personality better one might study some of the classic ISTJ characters, which are as follows:

  • Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin: Anna Karenina
  • Jeanine Matthews: Divergent
  • Walter Fane: Painted Veil
  • The Swede: H. on Wheels
  • Gilbert Norrell: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
  • Captain Ray Holt: Brooklyn Nine-Nine   
  • Rycroft Philostrate: Carnival Row  
  • Chas Chandler: Constantine   
  • Queen Elizabeth II: The Crown
  • Theo Galavan: Gotham
  • Pete Hornberger: 30 Rock   
  • Commander Lexa: The 100
  • Dr. Abigail Griffin: The 100
  • Jermaine: Adventure Time   
  • Stannis Baratheon: Game of Thrones   
  • Dean Forester: Gilmore Girls   
  • Maximus: Gladiator   
  • Vito Corleone: The Godfather
  • Sophia: The Golden Girls
  • Shaun Murphy: The Good Doctor  
  • James Gordon: Gotham   
  • Kim Kil Whan: Adventure Time   
  • Zoe Washburne: Firefly   
  • Dr. Caitlin Snow: The Flash
  • Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark: Game of Thrones   
  • Gisele Yashar: Fast & Furious Franchise   
  • Gill: Finding Nemo 

ISTJ Careers: 5 Career Change Tips

If you are an ISTJ looking to change their careers, you will probably have an inkling of where you want to go anyway, but here are 5 great career change tips that may help you in your quest.

Work with your Introversion

Try to work with your Introversion and don’t shy away from opportunities just because you feel like you will have to abandon your quiet and focused ways of working, because there can always be ways to get around that.

You might need to take a leap of faith sometimes and see about trying a career that maybe sounds like something you wouldn’t necessarily do but if you get good and understanding colleagues and clients, you may get used to thinking on your feet as you go you, and if not, you can always take the more orderly approach you are used to, rather than the way others function.

Engage your Sensing

ISTJ is all about the introverted sensing, which means you are good at handling concrete facts and processes, so use that, look for more technical or analytical fields or look for the technical or analytical aspects of the field you are working in and go towards those.

Every single career in the world always has both predictable and unpredictable sides, and there are always enough spaces in every career for creative types and ordered types, to figure out how you can manipulate a given field to get your ordered approach in place.

You will probably want something where you can see some immediate practical application, so try to start with a pros and cons list of the fields you already have thought of, because as an ISTJ you probably already have an idea of where you are going.

Assess these fields for how much analysis they will allow you to do, and rank them accordingly.

Dive into your Thinking Function

Thinking is the best tool in the ISTJ armor, and these individuals are clear-headed, logical  and they are great at weighing up pros and cons objectively, so if you are an ISTJ looking for a career change, start with that.

Sit down with nothing else in mind and nothing else to do but think, and do just that, write things down if that helps you or just stare into the space, just make sure you are on your own with no one to disturb you.

After you have thought up a concrete plan you feel comfortable with, share it with those you trust implicitly and people whose decisions you think mirror or at least complement your own.

You are likely to prefer a work environment where similar thinking strategies are welcome, so it may also be good practice for you to think this way.

Go towards your Judging traits 

ISTJs always tend to prefer a planned and orderly approach to things so why not look for fields that also encourage it, and think about them in a similar fashion?

Whatever career you change to, you are likely to be methodical and systematic in the way you function so try to eliminate possibilities that don’t allow you to do this.

Try to be more Open

As an ISTJ looking at a career change, this is not something that may come easily to you, but while you are obsessing about what to do and what will not work, try to engage someone you trust in the process, and keep someone around who preferably thinks in a more intuitive way so that you don’t get stuck in your own patterns.

Also, don’t expect a job to fit your requirements like a glove, keep possibilities for an adjustment of expectations open.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we looked at some of the best ISTJ careers, as well as some ISTJ careers to avoid. 

ISTJ personality is known for their thinking and real world abilities and their tendency to be extremely rooted in the real world, which makes them the backbone of many workplaces.

ISTJ is also one of the most common personality types, which is possibly why they are found in so many types of careers regardless of what the career is.

If you have any questions or comments about ISTJ careers or you are confused about what career or major you would fit into as an ISTJ, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): ISTJ Careers

What jobs are good for Istj?

Some jobs that are good for ISTJ are as follows:

Dentist. 
Bank teller. 
Military officer. 
Business analyst. 
Supply chain manager. 
Certified public accountant. 
Inspector.

Who should Istj marry?

An ISTJ should marry someone like an ESFP, because they have function stacks that might gel well with one another.

ISTJ has a dominant function of Introverted Sensing which may work well with someone who is dominated by Extraverted Sensing, which means they could potentially marry someone like the ESFP or even ESTP.

Are ISTJs smart?

Yes, ISTJs are often very smart, and even if they are not the smartest person in the room, their introverted thinking may often make them so, because they focus on the rational and practical aspects of things.

ISTJs like to get things done efficiently and they are often successful in doing so, which may also make them appear incredibly smart, and their unique brand of smartness may often be hard to miss because of how well it allows things to happen.

Citations

https://www.truity.com/personality-type/ISTJ/careers

http://career-change-ideas.blogspot.com/2011/08/istj-careers-5-career-change-tips-for.html

https://toughnickel.com/finding-job/Job-Hunting-Tips-for-ISTJ-Personality-Types

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