My Intro

[jgreensp]

22 year old male from Toronto who discover I was an INTP a couple years ago. Discovering this and reading about it became almost therapeutic for me given that I was going through a tough time in my life. You see, I am studying business at a prestigious business school in Canada and although this is what I thought I wanted to do, I really don't like it much and I am not doing well for some reason. I lack the organizational and time management skills others in my program have. My program put emphasis on how pretty assignments look and how much ass you kiss, two things I don't care about it. As poorly as I have done in school, I still believe I'm smarter than most of my peers. Is this arrogance? I don't know. I envisioned University to be a place where we sit around and think which I'm good at. Aside from school, I am a passionate and proficient musician who teaches privately. I love history, politics, philosophy and anything else I can dream up new theories about. Just finished a Deepak Chopra book that I loved. What I would like to find out from this forum is if any other INTP's are studying business or working in the corporate world and if so, in what capacity?

[mgb]

I stayed as far away from business as possible. Sounds like you are in for a rough road.

Welcome.

[Six]

Welcome :hello:

no business here as well... law instead and thinking of starting something totally different ;)

[jgreensp]

I guess there are certain aspects I enjoy like economic and organizational behaviour theories but most of this stuff i boring. I am very entrepreneurial so I'm hoping this will help me out.

[jgreensp]

Do you enjoy law school? Do you find you have much in common with your classmates?

[int]

I majored in Economics and it took 7.5 years to do it, so don't feel too bad. I hated school.

I have worked in the corporate and government worlds in the past and am glad I'm not there anymore. Now I go into those worlds, as I work as a freelance computer/network geek, for a paycheck and a paycheck alone - while building all my real interests on the side (mostly music related too :) ).

[Birdsnest]

Hi, Welcome!
Yes, in business, and doing pretty well. I have a BA degree in Business Administration-Accounting. I'm actually an Accountant, but work in Accounts payable. I like desk work, and details, and working independantly, and solving problems, and there are plenty of them. I like clean desk work, and the independance, once you get the complex rules and laws. The side I am not thrilled about is that my supervisors always put ME in positions dealing with people because I am more polite than many other people. Accountants themselves can be a bit snobby, and high and mighty, but I actually like some snobbishness, thats how everyone was where I came from anyway, I am used to that.

I have to deal with vendors, divisions, office co workers, strangers, international and domestic students at an agency, so unfortunately, its not really as independant as I would like. I'd rather be in a back office to myself really. I have to pretend an outer self of professionalism and courtesy to the max. At home, I don't act like an accountant, I am much more care free, in fact, I secretly like to spend money for fun!

[jgreensp]

It sounds like you do enjoy your job or at least certain aspects of it. I'm surprised to meet an INTP accountant. I figured that would be a better career choice for an ISTJ or INTJ. Well, anyhow, thanks for the reply. Do you think an INTP could make a good portfolio manager/analyst?

[Birdsnest]

Actually, yes if thats something you imagine you could do. We would probably make fine managers, its just our own image that might get in the way. And once someone IS a manager, employees often serve them well. I personally wouldn't want to have to fire someone. You've got to be good at telling people what to do and giving them a common goal. Even though I might not be great at it, I think we could do just fine.

Portfolio, sure because we might be more intuitive than others. Just try it if you are drawn to it.

I've chosen it both because it pays the bills, and is also my dream job. When you work with business or money, people do leave you pretty much alone, thats a plus.

[jgreensp]

I guess INTP's "theoretically" should make better analysts than managers since we value ideas over people. We might be better up at coming up with a great business idea and starting it up and then then letting a true "drill sergeant" manager take over. But again, I hate making generalizations. In a more flexible and adaptable industry, I guess an INTP may be very suitable.

[matthew0028]

I majored in Economics and it took 7.5 years to do it, so don't feel too bad. I hated school.

Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who's taking forever (It'll've been 6.5 - 7 years by the time I graduate) to get through school. Although personally, I enjoy school, and am majoring in math and computer science, with a minor in statistics. Not that I really enjoy statistics, but given my other two majors, I only needed 2 extra classes to get the minor. Plus, I can see how it could be an extremely useful tool, and very useful to know. The math and computer science on the other hand... yummy. (okay, so I dislike applied math--calculus, etc., but I do so love the more abstract and general math areas).

</tangent>

[Clara]

jgreensp - hi :hello:

Are you thinking of going into "portfolio manager/analyst" yourself? (Have you worked (summer, e.g.) at an investment company?)

Do you love math?

[badgerheadsuperhero]

Whenever I have to deal with people I put my "game face" on. I'm not particularly social, but I can fake gregariousness when I need to, and may actually shake a hand here and there. But it is like licking a nine volt battery on the posts. It is stimulating, but doesn't taste too great in the end.

Why are the smileys as an option. I would rather fellate Ron Jeremy than use a smiley.

[Miss Anthropic]

Whenever I have to deal with people I put my "game face" on. I'm not particularly social, but I can fake gregariousness when I need to, and may actually shake a hand here and there. But it is like licking a nine volt battery on the posts. It is stimulating, but doesn't taste too great in the end.

Why are the smileys as an option. I would rather fellate Ron Jeremy than use a smiley.
Oooooooh ICK!

[Six]

Do you enjoy law school? Do you find you have much in common with your classmates?hm... actually I feel (uh) like having almost nothing in common with them...besides going to the same classes etc... I don't even dress like them (usual uniform is girlie shoes, pearl earrings, never Jeans) http://intpcentral.com/forums/images/smilies/alttongue.gif

but I don't know...do I have much in common with anybody I know? just with one or two, so it's not very surprising that most people around there aren't soulmates... http://intpcentral.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

as for enjoying it...it's not that I dislike it.
but it would have been enough to having understood the matter once. I'm just not disciplined enough to sit down and study...so others are definitely better than I am... something I don't like particularly but it doesn't bother me enough to do something about it...

as for changing carriers... It's really appealing right now (not without finishing the law stuff first...just to "be" something), but I'm not sure if I weren't in the same place no matter what I studied...
maybe it's true and INTPs aren't made for staying in one field forever because they are bound to loose interest after a while.

but even if that's the case it might be a good idea to graduate in something that doesn't limit you in your following options... so law seems not to be the worst choice... business as well, I think.

as for fitting in at that point... I don't really like most of my fellow law students and wouldn't want to be like them in the least...
thinking about leaving the law exclusively to people like they are...geez... maybe I should feel obliged and practice the law...
just doesn't feel like fun right now...what do I care why Mr. X wants to divorce his wife... http://intpcentral.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue10.gif

guess that's pure P speaking here... one day I might come to a conclusion http://intpcentral.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif

[jgreensp]

Well, I was unable to secure an internship in the industry..really tough to break in. I have a mentor who is a top money manager and he has brought me into his office a couple of times to see how things work. I'm definitley interested in the industry. However, I don't LOVE math. The thing is I don't mind math in finance and when it has more application but I can't stand statistics because it is so boring and irrelevant the way we are taught it.

[jgreensp]

I agree with you about graduating with something that keeps your options open. Especially for an INTP because we are likely to shift from one career to another and having a degree to fall back on aint so bad. Is there a particular stream of law that interests you? What would you consider doing other than law?

[Six]

I did this career analysis last year...where I took the MBTI and a lot of other psycho-tests... the outcome was that I should finish law and study some sort of media science plus media law to build some sort of connection...

So now I'm dreaming of making/ producing movies :lol:

[jgreensp]

I'm like that as well. As much as I hate people and hate small talk, I know when and how to put the "game face" on. The other day my girlfreind heard me talking to one of my clients on the phone and she couldn't believe how charming and likable I sounded.

[Geoff]

Us INTP's can find their way in a business environment. Have a look at the hello hello thread for me (I'm new too!)

[cuspuser]

Well, i started in business and economics and wound up in philosophy and psychology so alot can change :)

[int]

...Not that I really enjoy statistics, but given my other two majors, I only needed 2 extra classes to get the minor. Plus, I can see how it could be an extremely useful tool, and very useful to know. The math and computer science on the other hand... yummy. (okay, so I dislike applied math--calculus, etc., but I do so love the more abstract and general math areas).

</tangent>

I loved my stats class. But I love calculus too (thinking of taking some self-paced advanced calc courses in the coming months). I also loved Finite Math classes as well.

[Six]

Well, i started in business and economics and wound up in philosophy and psychology so alot can change :)are you "happier" now?? what made you switch courses?

[cuspuser]

"happier" yes, "better off" prolly not :)

what made me switch ... thats a good question ... well i did business and economics alot in high school, those were pretty much all my classes ... and then i had a year of business and eco in college before going to university (i graduated at the top of my class which is how i got into university for bus/eco) where i got introduced to phil and psych, two things we didn't have in high school ... i was fairly tired with business and eco by then and it wasn't challenging in first year because we were just redoing what i spent the previous 5 years on in a semester so i was way ahead, 2nd year courses weren't any better - accounting and what not which i had done for many years before as well, i was bored to say the least ... and i got hooked on the other subjects which i never took before ... i really liked how they made me think ... so i went with what was most interesting rather than my eternal struggle up to that point of wanting to make a load of cash ... i decided that some things make you more wealthy without the money. i'll tell you how that works out for me ;)

The big picture thinking is what really made me interested in philosophy, my interest in psychology came later ...