The INFJ is the rarest of Jungian types and as such is in many ways the most enigmatic, difficult to know and difficult to understand. So, people can often read the INFJ wrongly. Serious minded and caring, values are just so important to the INFJ whose word is not just a bond but tied in with who they are intrinsically as people. Integrity is the watchword and they will be excellent listeners, patient, supportive and with a strong desire to ‘do the right thing.’ Their perceptiveness means that others will ‘open up’ and they are often the catalyst for making things better. Although quite gentle and preferring to be out of the limelight, the INFJ will work long and hard behind the scenes to maintain harmony. But they are also intensely independent - both of thought and spirit - and will be outspoken in their defence of human values. An INFJ's values have been honed over some time, deep within their own heads, and they may not be happy to share these. This can make it difficult to get close and may mean that other people see them as a bit strange or quirky. The INFJ would not see the need to alter this view and will generally work quietly until a value is contravened. The problem is that INFJs are so complex, individualistic and un-forthcoming, that the other person may not realise that some value or deeply held belief has been transgressed and be quite surprised how sharply the INFJ can react and how outspoken, assertive and stubborn they can suddenly and uncharacteristically become. This is because the INFJ is sensitive, in both directions, outwardly to the needs of others and inwardly.

The INFJ may be so committed to the cause that other issues take a poor second place. The introvert side means that so much internal processing and reflection goes on but once the course of action has been agreed others, who perhaps perceived a quiet inactive individual, may be surprised by just how decisive, energetic and single-minded the INFJ is. The responsible, serious nature of the INFJ means that they may have to learn to ‘lighten up’ as devotion can take its toll in missing out on the more fun and less intense moments life occasionally throws up. INFJs can make inspiring leaders, (as followers will believe in them and want to ‘sign up’) and have a devotion to the cause that borders on evangelical and certainly those following will have a crystal-clear vision of how it could be.

Like the INTJ, the INFJ has the ability to understand complex processes and systems but the INFJ will use these primarily to understand people, and make things happen for them. Even though they are likely to project to others as quite shy, and certainly quiet, INFJs have a keen interest in others and will work hard and behind-the-scenes to achieve their goals. Never over-exuberant or gushing, trust would take quite some time to build with INFJs, as they do not readily share their emotions with other people. The INFJ likes complexity and theorising, providing the subject-matter is not about them. They value respect, both for themselves and for others, and will only be really forthcoming when hurt or when talking through some complex issue. Those who are campaigners, (many INFJs adopt such roles), are there because they believe in the cause, rather than for personal glory or political power. Astute readers of people, they are naturally suspicious about others' motives. They are friendly and sympathetic, but highly selective about their friends, as to them friendship is something not to be taken lightly so getting emotionally close to an INFJ would take some time - if ever. INFJs are an unusual combination of idealist and go-getter, and so they will have strongly thought through views, and a desire and ability to make it happen.

Linking ‘type’ and ‘careers’ would be easy if it was just about listing specific jobs that perfectly fit specific personalities. However in truth it is more difficult than that as ignores other, more important issues, such as the organisation, the values and the culture, which are far better determinants of suitability than a job title. Also individual jobs vary widely from industry to industry, organisation to organisation and person to person. Therefore our focus on ‘type’ and ‘careers’ will be far more on you: your personality, your aptitudes, interests, likes, strengths and weaknesses and then matching these to the sorts of environments, cultures and norms within organisations that will allow you, given your character, to thrive grow and flourish. We spend a lot of our time at work and so it is important to get these issues right or we could spend a lot of working time unhappy, unproductive and unfulfilled.

Meaning is just so important to the INFJ and they would only really buy in to a team that was trying to achieve something special, or lofty or that will help do something worthwhile. The INFJ can be an intense team member, reminding the group of what is ‘right’ and what their obligations are. They often, once bought into the team, will take on so much responsibility as they have such a strong need to drive things through. They will not deviate from the agreed course of action as such a course will have been arrived at after painful and serious deliberation. The INFJ is unlikely to do anything that abrogates their belief system but their strong ‘J’ means that when they think it’s right, they will drive relentlessly for closure and become animated and outspoken in defence of the cause.

The INFJ personality type will come up with genuinely radical and different ideas and solutions and will be a great driver for the team. Less concerned with self and ego than with the cause the INFJ will work both tirelessly and selflessly in pursuit of the teams’ goals, once these are clearly and completely aligned with their own. Indeed, they often take on far too much, but this is simply due to the INFJ desire to complete. Once they have arrived at the conclusion that this is worthwhile, a process that will see the INFJ be quietly and at times tortuously reflective then they want to get on and do, and quickly. Others may find this paradox perplexing: that a quiet, introspective individual can transform in an instant into a crusading leader. And this transformation is binary, with no granularity; the INFJ will be reflecting or crusading, nothing in between.

Although introverted, the INFJ has very strong opinions, honed over much private reflection and will voice these strongly, less concerned with self and ego than with the cause. INFJs can make inspiring leaders as followers will believe in them and want to ‘sign up’, having a devotion to the cause that borders on evangelical, so people will have a crystal-clear vision of what could be. Strongly humanitarian, INFJs tend to be idealists, but because of their desire for closure and completion, they are generally ‘doers’ as well as dreamers, who take on a disproportionate amount of responsibility.

Meaning is at the heart of who the INFJ is and they would not be motivated by ‘doing a job’ but need a cause, something which is important to them, something to believe in. Strongly humanitarian, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their desire for closure and completion, they are generally ‘doers’ as well as dreamers, who take on a disproportionate amount of responsibility.

INFJs are notoriously private and guarded individuals very much their own person and so getting emotionally close would be difficult, especially at first. They are incredibly independent, and they’re driven by a complex personal belief system that ‘outsiders’ would find it difficult to enter, they’d have to be invited and that would take trust, and trust takes time to build. INFJs are incredibly caring and they are friendly, just slightly closed off. They are quite intense and take their relationships seriously, as indeed they do with everything, and with those allowed close to them they would have a real friend for life, who would do anything for them, unless that trust was broken. Taking relationships so seriously means INFJs will take on a lot of peoples’ problems so much so that they will often need to shut the whole world out to recharge as their energy will become depleted as they can give so much to others, so much emotional energy.

INFJs are great listeners as they want to go deep and understand issues at a complex level. You get their undivided attention as they’ll take the issue so seriously and want to help. They are not forthcoming themselves, giving very little of their feelings away, except to those who are close, but even then these may have to be gently teased out. However, so quiet and gentle are INFJs that when they are vocal in can be stridently so and this will occur when a value is crossed or when something happens that they see as unfair or unjust. Their values are important to them as they have been built carefully over time and if one is transgressed an INFJ can be uncharacteristically crusading and direct. The problem often occurs as INFJs share very little of themselves and so people wouldn’t know they were hitting a nerve until it was too late. INFJs also have a very strong moral compass, right and wrong, fair or unjust and crossing that line would also see them become far more animated, before heading back into their shell.

As INFJs are such serious-minded individuals that, of course, they take their time making decisions as getting it right will be really important as would making sure any decision aligned with their deeply held value system. INFJs do not flipflop and will weigh everything up in their heads, often holding two opposing views, thinking deeply about the consequences and the big picture, letting very few people into that process until the answer pops out, complete, perfectly formed and incredibly well-thought-through, but still not shared with anyone other than those close. This is why their value system is so important to them, it is deep complex and seriously thought about, never, ever taken lightly or with knew-jerk reactions.

INFJs like quiet, privacy and, when they are interacting, harmony. They do not like the limelight or being the centre of attention and prefer one-to-one conversations and even then, would like that to be on serious, important issues close to their hearts rather than chitchat or conversations for their own sake. INFJs set great store by meaning and so they prefer everything they do to be linked to something higher, some overarching context that they can think deeply about. The only thing that will make an INFJ really come out, uncharacteristically so is, as outlined above, a value being transgressed or an injustice. With everything else they will engage in their normal way, giving away very little or withdraw completely.