INTP is one of 16 different personality types from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI). INTPs represent about 5% of the general population (5% of men; 2% of women). Famous INTPs include Albert Einstein, biologist Charles Darwin, and philosopher René Descartes.
On this page, we’ll help you get a better understanding of INTP strengths, weaknesses, and the best INTP career choices.
Learn which careers are ideal for you based on your Myers-Briggs personality type.
Doesn’t sound like you? Learn more about the best careers for your MBTI personality here.
What Does INTP Stand For?
INTP stands for Introvert, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving.
Also known as the Thinker, INTPs are philosophical beings who are fascinated by logical analysis, systems, and design. They spend a lot of time focusing internally, seeking to understand the universal law behind everything they see, exploring concepts, and making connections.
INTPs are articulate communicators who can discuss complex ideas with carefully selected words, creating numerous possibilities for INTP career paths. They insist on intellectual rigor even in casual conversations, and won’t hesitate to point out inaccuracies or inconsistencies. Most importantly, INTPs are eager to analyze and pick apart ideas that others take for granted, which leads to innovative thinking.
INTP Personality Strengths & Weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Ability to think abstractly | Insensitive |
| Open-minded | Absent-minded |
| Enthusiastic | Self-critical |
| Objective | Condescending |
| Honest | Withdrawn |
What Careers Are Best for INTP Personalities?
The best careers for INTPs enable them to devise solutions to interesting problems and find their own way of doing things rather than following the crowd. INTPs favor precision and intellectual rigor, so they’re drawn to careers where they test hypotheses and challenge the status quo. Architect, technical writer, computer programmer, and forensic medical examiner are the top INTP career options.
- Computer programmer. INTPs excel at identifying areas for improvement with an eye for efficiency. Computer programmers are tasked with gathering business requirements, writing code, and debugging software. INTPs are natural perfectionists with a high attention to detail, so the daily tasks of troubleshooting and solving complex problems makes computer programming one of the best jobs for INTP personality types.
- Information security analyst. Information security analysts monitor an organization’s security network, install and deploy software to protect sensitive information, and simulate attacks to find potential weaknesses—a good INTP career match. INTPs excel at reverse-engineering solutions and understanding weaknesses. Working as an information security analyst also caters to INTPs’ love for systems and design.
- Business analyst. Business analysts are responsible for analyzing an organization’s systems and processes and recommending areas for improvement using technical and data-driven solutions. INTP business analysts will focus on ways to streamline production and keep projects organized. They are gifted at “cutting the fat” and getting to the heart of what really matters.
Are INTP Types Good at Becoming Data Scientists?
Data science involves a lot of experimentation and hypothesis testing, something INTPs naturally warm to with their love of exploring abstract concepts. While INTJ tends to be the most common personality type in data science, INTPs have strengths that set them up for success in the field.
Data scientists are required to challenge assumptions and recommend more efficient business practices that may fly in the face of how things are traditionally done—something INTJs relish. Working as a data scientist affords INTJs the opportunity to be innovative and communicate complex ideas to a non-technical audience— an ideal INTP career.
How Does Springboard Help INTPs Achieve Their Career Goals?
INTPs are uniquely suited to work in tech. You seek to understand how things work and their underlying systems, and you’re talented at communicating complex ideas in a simple way. Springboard’s online, self-paced courses can help you make the most of your smarts.
Springboard helps mid-career professionals land jobs in tech through courses in UX design, software engineering, machine learning engineering, data science, and data analytics.
- A career in data science enables you to change how organizations do what they do. Data scientists clean, organize, and process data to produce data insights that can change how an organization operates. As a data scientist, you’ll use statistical analysis and data manipulation to solve complex business problems. Springboard’s Data Science Career Track allows you to choose a specialization that aligns with your career goals.
- Put your critical thinking skills to use. You like to be challenged, and don’t back down when someone counters your opinions. Every Springboard Career Track is designed to challenge you, giving you all the skills you need to hit the ground running in a new career. You’ll also receive 1:1 coaching from a personal mentor, a professional who works in your chosen industry, who can offer industry insights and help keep you on track.
Since you’re here…
Switching to a career in data analytics is possible, no matter your background. We’ve helped over 10,000 students make it happen. Check out our free data analytics curriculum to gauge your interest, or go all-in with our Data Analytics Bootcamp.
