If you’re a natural extrovert, you get energized just from talking to people. Your enthusiasm lets you thrive in constantly-changing environments. Socializing comes easily to you. That’s a good skill to have, but you don’t want it to get in the way of your job. Fortunately, many careers are tailored to that kind of personality. Here are 5 career options that any natural extrovert can thrive in.
Recruiter
Public businesses, private businesses, and the government all need someone to be out in public, directly recruiting talented individuals. If talking comes naturally to you, this may be the perfect job for you.
Recruitment involves patience, attention, and answering lots of questions. You will also need to be comfortable meeting new people, speaking in interviews, and attending job or talent fairs. In addition, you will need to earn a bachelor’s degree and have a decent network of friends in HR and recruitment agencies across several industries so you can point your recruits in the right direction.
The average salary for a recruiter lies between $48,000 and $60,000 per year, and work with agencies or HR companies. A recruiter will typically earn a base salary, but also accrue commissions and even percentage-based bonuses from their recruitment numbers.
Sales
A good salesperson sells themselves as much as their product or service. This type of skill is something you’re already doing naturally as a people person, though you will need some sales training to get you started. It’s all about how persuasive you are. You will also need to be able to contend with rejection, which is a good skill to have regardless of whether you’re an extrovert or introvert.
You can get a job in sales in many industries, ranging from tech, solar, utilities, vehicles, and product sales. Most sales reps earn from $20,000 to $470,000 per year, depending on their field, experience, and skillset. The average sales rep earns around $94,000, and can be earned whether in-person or over the phone or internet. Many sales jobs include a base salary, and added commissions pay based on generated sales, but each field varies. Finding a product or service you enjoy, and making it your passion will be quintessential to your success in sales.
Lawyer
If you like making convincing statements to groups of people, you might want to put those strong oratory skills to use as an attorney. Your public speaking abilities could sway juries in your favor and win trials for you and your clients. By being able to establish a connection with them, you could make a difference in people’s lives with your legal counsel.
Bear in mind that there is no one type of attorney. Many of the highest-paying attorneys perform work in immigration, personal injury, real estate, bankruptcy, and family courts. Each field requires a unique skillset, including deductive reasoning, oral competence, and the ability to work under pressure.
To become a lawyer, you will need to attend a university and achieve at least a bachelor’s degree. In addition, you will need to pass the bar exam. While the average salary for a lawyer is $73,000, different types of lawyers make money in different ways. Criminal and civil litigation lawyers typically charge hourly rates between $190 and $354, while others such as family law attorneys charge flat fees $500 to $1,500. Other lawyers, like injury lawyers, will only be paid if a trial is won.
Teacher
Another great way for an extroverted person to make a difference is to work as a teacher. It can take a lot to coax any real dialogue out of children, especially in an environment where their social skills are still fledgling. But the right personality and attitude from a teacher can help students thrive and become successful and happy.
Before becoming a teacher, keep in mind that you need to have a specific focus on grade level and subject, or whether or not you want to specialize in music, art, or physical education. A teaching degree of at least a bachelor’s is required before you can become a teacher, and these classes can include child development, psychology, and crisis intervention.
The average salary for a teacher is $38,000, with eligibility for pension if you work for a district long enough. While teachers often work long hours grading assignments and spending their days in their classrooms, they also enjoy weekends and holidays off, as well as summers off.
Social Worker
A social worker’s entire career revolves around forming and maintaining relationships with all sorts of people. They protect and support some of the most vulnerable members of society. Typically, social workers provide advice and direction for people struggling with financial, familial, or psychological problems.
An average salary for a social worker includes around $25 per hour, and earning roughly $50,000 to $60,000 per year. To become a social worker, you will need to attend around 4-6 years of school and earn at least a bachelor’s of social work, but you can also aim higher for a master’s or doctoral degree. Rewarding as social working is, it is an intensive job that requires massive amounts of empathy, critical thinking, and problem solving. But in the end, this rewarding career guarantees that the open-hearted people who pursue it have a chance to do some real good.
If you love connecting to people, you have a valuable resource that can open countless doors for you. The only question is what you choose to do with it. Ask yourself what you want from a career, and the answer you find will help you pick a career.
Dixie Somers is a freelance writer who loves to write for business, health, and women’s interests. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters.