Are introverts suited to counseling/advising jobs?

[Double J]

I am interested in possibly breaking into academic advising. However, I've read conflicting information as to whether counseling/advising suits an introvert's personality. Some sources say yes because introverts are understanding, empathetic and good listeners. Others say no because naturally the job would require spending a lot of time around other people, thus leading the introvert to burn out quickly.

 

What's your view on this?

[Stay_home]

Not neccessarily, I'm a bit of an introvert to some extent and I work in a completely different field.

[Mercurial Girl]

I'm about as introverted as they get, but when one-on-one and in a position of giving advice and having empathy and hearing someone's struggles, it is a whole other story. It does not feel stressful and draining the way that normal socializing, meetings, office politics and parties do.

 

Maybe consider the type of person you are one-on-one vs in groups and in what type of setting you are most comfortable with and what interaction you're most tolerant of, and find a counseling/advising path that might work well with that. There are a lot of career paths to choose from, especially if you were to consider social services.

[AuthenticAuthor]

It really depends on the office environment. Will your coworkers and your boss respect the fact that you prefer some alone-time now and then? I've once worked in a place where being outgoing was mandatory; not a good mix for someone who likes to take a breather from conversation, and very annoying when your job performance is based on how popular you are.

[Melodi]

What group of people are you going to be counseling? Because I think you would work better if it's one on one with people who are having social issues like doing bad in school, having troubles in marry than being with people who have drugs related problem.

 

Introverts are much better listener and they spend more time examining themselves and people around them. I generally prefer to go to someone who is an introvert for my emotional problems; they know how to listen, give advice(s) and keep secret.

 

I'm very shy, but I'm proud to say that I am a great listener and Jack-of-all-trades. I like to look into different subjects so I know a little bits of everything. People like to come to me for questions and I simply answer what I know.

[catfeeder]

Consider taking a Myers-Briggs test that will help you discover more about your personality beyond the introversion. Plenty of introverts work well with others or in helping professions, especially in one-to-one contact situations.

 

Everyone channels their focus and energies in different ways, and you don't need to be an attention-lover to be a terrific professional.

[YabbaDabba]

I think you should look more closely into what type of counseling you're interested in. For me, my introvert tendencies are more pronounced in certain situations (like, say, a really stringent office environment), while other times, you might not know I was introverted. I tried my hand at being a receptionist, and that lasted about four days because I hated it and I felt awkward--it just didn't suit my shyness. Now, though, I work in a fast-paced, public service field, where I help people on the phone and in-person, ALL the time. It's weird because, although I'm still shy and have trouble making small talk at times, I love my job--to the point that I'm getting a masters degree in my field.

 

So, one-on-one interactions don't always spell doom for us introverts. If possible, see if you can intern somewhere, or volunteer in a closely-related field, just to get an idea of what you do and don't like about your chosen field. I mean, I used to think I wanted to be a writer, like a journalist, but once I got experience doing that, I realized that although I love writing, the work environment just wasn't for me. So, try to get a sneak peek at the field you want to go into; who knows, you might surprise yourself when/if your introversion goes away because you love your job so much.

[LightbulbSun]

I think introverts are best suited for jobs that don't require a lot of social contact, or limited social contact, as in one-on-one. A psychologist, for example, who has his own private practice...that is an example of something that an introvert would be good at.

 

Someone who works in a hostile environment, like retail, on the other hand, don't do so well.