Are you tired of customer-facing jobs?
Looking for something that might minimize your contact with other people?
We don’t blame you. People seem to be getting ruder, and it rarely feels like you’re paid enough to be screamed at by someone over an expired coupon.
The good news is that there are jobs which involve far less interaction with others. While there are no jobs where you can completely eliminate contact with other people, there are plenty where you won’t need to be all that social for much of the time.
If you fancy a career change, consider these jobs for people who hate people.
1. Graphic Designer
Graphic designers serve many different roles in their general sphere of design. Some work freelance, where businesses may hire them to do their design work. Others may work as subcontractors for marketers or design firms to help meet an excessive workload. They may also find themselves producing infographics and other materials for social media marketing. Though this is a low socialization vocation, the ability to communicate ideas and reasoning for design choices is necessary.
2. Web Developer
Nowadays, almost every business requires a website, even if it’s just a basic page with contact information. Though there are many plug-and-play solutions for everything from blogging to e-commerce to membership sites, someone has to develop and maintain these things. Regular updates roll out through the internet that can affect everything from security to SEO. A web developer focuses their work on designing and upkeeping websites. They may work freelance or for a traditional employer.
3. Software Engineer
Software is a ubiquitous part of our everyday life. Everything from computer programs to phone apps to the video games you play requires a software engineer to help put it together. A software engineer requires strong logic-based thinking skills but does require some skill with socialization as they will likely need to interact with a team. In addition, they may need to explain different concepts to management and even help create understandable technical information for laypeople.
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4. Animal Care Worker
The category of animal care worker can cover different vocations. That could include veterinarians, animal keepers, animal trainers, ranchers and farmers, groomers, or animal care assistants. These vocations don’t typically require a heavy amount of socialization other than providing service to the owners of said animals. Animal care workers can be found in all types of employment, from working for oneself to animal hospitals to private clinics.
5. Truck Driver
Everything you find on the shelves at your local store was delivered via truck. Semi-trucks are the backbone of commerce. Most companies that employ truck drivers will also pay for the training and licensing of new drivers who want to get into this career field. There are different types of truck drivers. Local drivers may only drive in a local city, region, or state and will find themselves home regularly. Long-haul drivers may drive cross country, which requires being comfortable alone for long periods.
6. Landscaper
Landscaping is a job that doesn’t require much social interaction. The landscaper often works with tools like weed-eaters, tractors, and trimmers. In addition, they often work in teams, so some socialization is to be expected with other landscapers. However, landscaping is excellent for working with your hands to have a tangible effect on your immediate environment. That may be caring for a lawn, planting a flower garden, or building a walkway for customers.
7. Plumber
Without plumbers, we would all be in big trouble for obvious reasons. Plumbing doesn’t require much social interaction with customers, particularly if you go into a field like commercial or new installations. For people who don’t want to get their hands too dirty, new plumbing installers handle installations in new constructions before they’re used. Socialization is minimal because you’ll mostly be working with contractors.
8. Electrician
Much like plumbers, electricians serve an essential role in our society. Not many of us want to go back to the good old days of writing by candlelight and to read the back of shampoo bottles while using the bathroom. (Yes, this is really a thing that happened.) Electricians may also work in residential, commercial, or new construction. None of these roles require much socialization beyond those you’ll work with. Most private jobs require little socialization past individual customers.
9. Data Analyst
Data analysts are in strong demand due to the importance of statistics and analysis. These numbers are used in marketing, manufacturing, intelligence gathering, commercial retail, and so many more industries. As a result, data analysts typically spend their time immersed in numbers and charts, working to make sense of them to accurately communicate their meaning to decision-makers.
10. Writer
Writers and authors don’t spend much time talking with other people. The field itself is broad. Technical writers focus on creating manuals, handbooks, and instructions that are easy for the layman to understand. Content writers help create the information you see online in various forms. And still, there is plenty of room for traditional authors looking to write novels and short stories for their audience’s reading pleasure.
11. Researcher
The roles of researchers are varied across different industries. They may find themselves working in laboratories, poring over data, testing theories, or in the field to collect relevant information. Researchers may hold different levels of education depending on the industry that they work in. Researchers require soft skills to best work with colleagues and report to the decision-makers and management above them. They may also find themselves discussing their industry and working at conferences and meetings with colleagues.
12. Editor
You might think you would lump editing in the same category as writing, but they are different skill sets. The editor’s job is to take the writer’s work, check for grammar and spelling, and ensure ideas are conveyed accurately. Writers often have blind spots where they may express an idea or think in a way that makes sense but doesn’t translate well to the reader. So editors serve a vital role in bringing good writing to life. It also happens to be a vocation where you don’t spend much time talking to others.
13. Translator
Different translators serve different roles in their interactions with other people. Yes, plenty of social translators help provide direct information and context to other people. Still, one might not consider this socialization as they often talk at the audience instead of with the audience. Other translators may focus on text translations, transcribing information for a particular audience.
14. Remote Customer Service
Remote customer service is social-oriented, but it is different in that it does not require face-to-face socialization with customers. Different industries use remote customer service workers to offset expenses on common customer service. Banks are a good example. Many inquiries people have do not require highly-specialized knowledge to answer questions about bank balances, bills, or other general questions that a customer might have. More complicated problems often escalate up the food chain to other specialists who can address specific issues.
15. Surveyor
Surveyors serve different roles depending on their industry and specialty. They often find themselves in the field with minimal social interaction except with other contractors. They may work for entities like the Department of Transportation and civil service to assist with infrastructure projects. Surveyors may also be found looking for pins on property claims. Then some surveyors are geologists that head out into wilderness areas to scout for potential areas of mineral deposits for mining.
16. Civil Servant
The profession of civil servant covers a lot of ground. These people may work at different levels of government or with government agencies. They may be customer-facing jobs, like working at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or they may be found doing legal and research work in offices. Civil servants often have a steady career because the government tends to be a consistent employer for the most part.
17. Network Specialist
Networks are an integral part of our lives. Almost every house and every phone are connected to a network of some kind. Businesses require networks for the transmission of data and information within various departments. Network specialists help plan, maintain, and fix network problems when they arise. This role does not require much socialization beyond speaking with management generally. Different I.T. network professionals may do more customer-facing work if they are responsible for handling employee devices.
18. Accountant
Accountants serve an essential role for private individuals and businesses. The truth is that the tax code is both complicated and regularly changed. And while an individual can do the uncomplicated, individual filing for themselves in many cases, more complicated tax filing typically needs someone knowledgeable to accurately file. That’s where accountants come in. In addition, accounting is not a profession that requires a great deal of socialization. You may need to socialize with the public if you handle personal tax returns. Still, corporate accountants tend to stay within house or with colleagues.
19. Security Guard
People who think of security guards often picture people who are wrangling people, like at a concert or other event. And while that is a security guard position, plenty do not require much socialization. Security guards are a deterrent more than they are enforced. Property crime drops significantly when criminals think they will be observed and reported. That’s where security guards come in. Many security positions boil down to not falling asleep or walking around in regular circuits until your shift ends. You may not talk to anyone at all on some shifts.
20. Medical Coders and Transcribers
Medical coders and transcribers are both auxiliary careers adjacent to the medical field. A medical coder specializes in compiling the appropriate insurance codes for care and submitting them to insurance companies so that medical providers can get paid. A medical transcriber takes verbal communications between doctors and patients and commits them to a written record. Both of these roles are low on socialization. Some work from home, while others work in an office, mostly buried in their computer screen.
These are but a handful of low-socialization careers. It’s not likely that you’ll ever be able to find a career where you talk to no one in a customer service fashion. Still, you can certainly minimize that contact through careers such as these.
