So what are you good at?

This was a question posed to me by a former boss, back when I worked in a fundraising office.  

And it landed with a sting. 

That's probably because of a lifetime of receiving judgment from others; judgments about my competency, confidence, assertiveness, motivation, and extroversion. And when we’re put on the spot like that, it’s easy to feel flustered and struggle to grab hold of our best workplace attributes. 

But, sometimes, it can also be because workplace leaders want predictable strengths from their team:

• A flashy, main character, ‘look at me’ persona
• High levels of extroversion
• Fast-paced productivity and quick results
• Constant interaction with everyone  
• Assertiveness and a visible competitive streak

And the truth is, most of us INFPs find those things repulsive.

That’s not because we’re judgmental or think we’re elite; it’s because we usually value deeper things. Things like kindness, compassion, spirituality, and honesty. We’re congenial,  considerate people who live in our heads and express from our hearts. And we can also find constant interactions draining.  

We also tend to be quirky, unique, and original people who don’t neatly fit into boxes. And the truth of the matter is, workplaces don’t always know what to do with us. 

Regardless of where we find ourselves on our individual journeys, we do have many very positive skills and aptitudes to highlight to our bosses when they ask us this question. We do have INFP strengths that make us creative innovators, exceptional team members, interesting colleagues, and valuable employees. 

Some of the best INFP strengths we have:

1. Being great with people: Despite my quiet reserve and observer approach, I have a solid understanding of people and how they function. This means I can respond to them in ways that retain them as business clients or customers. And this is true for most INFPs: we are masters of understanding the human condition. And this is reflected in the long list of authors, playwrights, screenwriters, and actors who identify as INFPs.  
2. Adaptability: I’ve worked across many areas in my career, from business development to relationship management, finance to law, data handling to event management. Not to mention branding, marketing, and content creation. Being capable and flexible across so many different fields is essential in this ever-changing world. 
3. Creativity: Creativity and originality are two highly sought-after skills, with three-quarters of UK employers finding it hard to find candidates holding these skills. The good news is that most INFPs have creativity in abundance. With our immense imaginations and crafty talents, our creativity usually comes through in very unique and interesting ways. 
4. Diligence: I received tons of praise for being dedicated to my work, strong on research, being prepared, and having a keen eye for finding and addressing problems. Making mistakes is something I want to avoid, and for most employers I worked for they probably didn’t even realise how much money, time, effort, and business reputation I saved them by solving so many problems before they arose! 
5. Communication: While we can become depleted if we’re constantly interacting with others, INFPs are usually talented writers. Communicating in writing is often where we shine and get to show our very best selves to our managers, clients, and bosses who want us to convince them of our brilliance and competence. 

Avoid comparisons with other types

The only way I’ve really survived and thrived in my career is to “own” my identity as a calm, collected, reliable, people-focused communicator with some wicked creative ideas. Whenever I’ve tried to be more assertive (like an ESTJ or ENTJ) I can do it for a week, then I crash out. And that’s because faking or “masking” your true INFP personality type will often result in disaster. 

Own your talents

What I’m trying to highlight here is to own your INFP strengths and talents. Don’t put yourself out there as the best salesman or the most assertive leader. Own your observational nature, your people skills, and creativity. Make yourself the most creative, innovative, interesting salesman by thinking laterally and using your “unusual” way of processing the world. 

Talk yourself up 

Being confident in the workplace is everything. Don’t dumb yourself down or be too modest; talk up your talents and experiences. Make a song and a dance about how amazing and unique your skills are, and communicate your values and attention to detail with others. 

Believe in yourself

Sometimes it takes other people to call us out on our talents. At college, for instance, I volunteered to write for the student magazine. The first article I wrote, about the Beastie Boys’ new album, was talked about throughout the halls and corridors for months. It made me famous, for a bit. And knowing that I have that talent has seen me through more difficult times when various bosses might have doubted that I really had “what it takes” to be in their team. 

INFP Strengths include being amazing writers

It’s no secret that one of the key INFP strengths lies in the written word. Some of the most world-changing authors, screenwriters, playwrights, and poets are INFPs, not to mention musicians and actors.

For many of us, when we bring our art to the world, that is when we shine brighter than most. And it’s when we bring our unique viewpoints and depth of experience to the world in creative and interesting ways that can add value to the world.