Jobs That Can Cause Burnout for Introverts

An introverted personality can be an asset for many professions, but it's important to consider how your work environment might impact your energy levels before you commit to a career path.

While you may enjoy some aspects of these careers, they offer certain challenges that can become draining and fast. Communication with customers, facing conflict, and over-exertion are just a few of the ways these jobs can cause a zapped battery.

Burnout is a very real phenomenon that can cause a disinterest in activities you once loved, low motivation, and fatigue. Below are some common jobs that may inevitably cause burnout for introverts.

Recruiter

Recruiters have to be outgoing and friendly, which can be challenging for introverts. They also have to deal with rejection on a frequent basis, which can be extremely discouraging for them. In addition to having to occasionally work nights and weekends, recruiters often deal with the stress of talking on the phone all day long.

It's probably not surprising to hear that this job is rated as one of the most challenging jobs for introverts because it involves so much interaction with people. The flexibility of the position can be appealing but the workload is far heavier than some may think.

Depending on the economy, it can be incredibly challenging to find qualified applicants to fill certain roles. The pressure from upper management can cause high levels of stress, and exhaustion can set in quickly.

Retail Work

Since you'll likely be interacting with many people over the course of your shift, retail work may expose you to a wide range of personality types and moods. If you're not a fan of small talk, like most introverts, this job won't be ideal for you. Plus, since retail employees are required to stand up for long periods of time, it can become exhausting quickly.

These jobs also involve dealing with unpleasant customers on a regular basis, which can be hard to handle for many introverts as they are easily drained by conflict. Additionally, they become sensitive when others aren't receptive to their boundaries.

In the retail environment, boundaries can be challenging to maintain. Aside from these drawbacks, many retail jobs are unfulfilling and offer little room for personal growth.

Selling clothing or items that have little value to introverts can make them feel like they are stagnant. Introverts seek to better themselves whenever possible, and retail positions are not likely to contribute to this progress.

Sales Representative

The job of a salesperson is to essentially sell products or services and make money for the company they work for. They need to be able to communicate persuasively, listen actively, and take criticism well in order to succeed.

Some sales positions are solely commission based, which means that there is no salary to fall back on should you be unsuccessful in landing a sale. This can be incredibly stressful and overwhelming for anyone, especially an introvert. Having your income rely solely on your ability to chat with strangers is a daunting concept. Even for positions that do offer a base salary, there is a lot of pressure to continue making sales and keep your employers happy.

Criticism, rejection, and conflict are all aspects of a sales job that can be draining for introverts. Day after day, you are likely to hear no from a customer at least once. This can be harmful to your confidence as well as induce stress regarding income. In general, this job comes with quite a few aspects that can cause burnout.

Real Estate Agent

Having a job as a real estate agent is incredibly multifaceted and can take quite a bit of mental energy. This position involves a large amount of sales expertise and requires significant communication with other people. Holding open houses, mingling with fellow agents, trying to close large deals, and communicating bad news are all challenging aspects of this job.

Although many introverts can handle communication with strangers in small doses, this position is almost entirely consumed with it. You may also have to learn how to handle multiple people seeking your attention at once.

In the event of an open house, potential buyers will want to ask you questions and seek your advice as you are the expert in the situation. Being burnt out is likely to be unavoidable in a job such as this, regardless of how much recharging you are able to do.

Customer Service Representative

Working in the customer service realm is another way that introverts can achieve burnout relatively quickly. While some positions may be in person, others can work from their homes or in a call center. Either way, interactions with customers is the bulk of this position. This means dealing with potentially frustrated people and facing frequent conflict.

Communicating with strangers is a quick way to zap an introvert's energy but when you add conflict into the mix, it can happen in a flash. Additionally, speaking on the phone and being unable to read the other person's body language or face can be draining as well.

Human Resources

The upside of this position is that in many cases, you are dealing with familiar faces or people you know fairly well. This can alleviate some of the stress that comes with frequent communication. That being said, some human resource departments are incredibly large, like those for big tech companies or department stores.

Human resource jobs offer an opportunity to help others, which introverts tend to thrive in. On the flip side, they are dealing with frequent challenges and potentially disturbing topics like harassment or theft. This job can contribute to burnout due to elements of conflict and frequent conversations.

Trainer or Coach

Being a trainer or a coach involves tough love, which does not often come naturally for introverts. Having to offer correctional advice or point out errors may be uncomfortable as well.

Both of these positions require you to push other people and may involve conflict should the students or clients not like what you have to say.

Although this job does involve assisting others and contributing to positive activities like movement, it may still cause burnout in the long run.

Conclusion

When you're an introvert, there's a good chance that you'll have to face challenges within the workplace. If you do happen to have your heart set on a job that's not ideally suited for your personality type, it can be helpful to try to pick one that isn't quite as overwhelming.

You can attempt to find quieter jobs where there aren't as many people to interact with. This way, when you do want some silence while working, there will be fewer distractions keeping you from achieving this goal. With any career path that involves communicating with others, the chances of burnout are real.

Fortunately, should you find yourself in one of the careers above, you can combat this burnout by prioritizing self-care and allowing yourself to recharge whenever possible.