Top Five Careers for the Extrovert

By Clare Kaufman

Extroverts are the life of the party--social, assertive, and full of energy. The ultimate team players, they come alive in the company of others. In short, extroverts have the social intelligence and drive to make things happen. Here's a look at five hot careers that call for the extrovert's charisma.

1. Financial Advisor - Median Salary: $66,800
Financial advisors develop an intimate understanding of their clients' life goals and plan their financial management strategies accordingly. Communication is as important as financial savvy, as an advisor adapts investment strategies to fit each client's unique profile. The extrovert's risk-taking nature may play well with a younger investor looking to ramp up quickly with high-stakes investments. But clients nearing retirement may prefer to protect their nest egg with a more conservative financial plan. A good advisor tailors the strategy to the client.
Education Requirements
Financial advisors typically enter the field with a bachelor's degree in a business with an emphasis in finance. Online financial planning courses offer applied training in investments, tax policy, and estate planning. These classroom hours may also count toward a Certified Financial Planners (CFP) credential, which is available with at least three years' work experience.

2. Human Resources Specialist - Median Salary: $44,430 to $79,918
Human resources specialists are in the business of keeping employees happy and productive. Their social intelligence helps them place employees in the right job, develop morale-boosting initiatives and programs, and create a pleasant work environment. HR specialists may also be called upon to mediate conflicts or negotiate labor contracts. Communication, cultural sensitivity, and diplomacy are crucial job skills. Aside from the interpersonal dimension of the job, human resources specialists collect and analyze HR data and present recommendations to management.
Education Requirements
A bachelor's degree in human resources prepares extroverts to focus their social sensibility in a business context. HR coursework covers compensation, recruitment, training, performance appraisal, as well as general topics such as business management and organizational psychology.

3. Purchasing Agent - Median Salary: $64,195 to $80,046
Purchasing agents are professional shoppers. They acquire materials for manufacturers or build inventory for retail stores. Extroverts excel at this social career that requires them to maintain long-term relationships with suppliers and network with peers in order to keep a finger on the pulse of the market. Purchasing agents may be found chatting up potential suppliers at trade shows and negotiating favorable pricing. In a volatile industry such as fashion, purchasing agents also keep time with industry A-listers in order to anticipate coming trends.
Education Requirements
A bachelor's degree in marketing offers the right business perspective for a purchasing agent career. Coursework should cover quantitative market research, financial analysis and budgets, merchandising strategy, and negotiation.

4. Mediator - Median Salary: $54,760
Extroverts are great diplomats, capable of grasping conflicting vantage points and bridging the gap between them. This social intelligence finds a natural outlet in the legal mediator role. With rising litigation costs, more and more people are trading their day in court in favor of an amicable resolution behind the scenes. Mediators are neutral third parties who resolve conflict by clarifying the underlying problem and developing a compromise sensitive to both parties. Consistent with their empathetic natures, mediators are more likely to focus on their clients' motivations rather than an abstract ideal of justice.
Education Requirements
A bachelor's degree in social sciences or business offers a solid foundation for a mediator role. Most mediators go on to complete a J.D. as well, honing their diplomacy and negotiation skills in three years of law school.

5. Physical Therapist / Assistant - Median Salary: $61,334 to $70,463 / $37,890
Physical therapists help patients afflicted by injury and illness regain their functioning or adapt to their new condition. They develop exercises to regenerate strength and mobility, teach patients to use adaptive devices, and track progress. Therapist assistants help physical therapists, and they also perform treatments.
Extroverted physical therapists and assistants have a strong advantage because of their communication and interpersonal skills. As Julie, a physical therapist in Chicago, points out: "Being an extrovert, my interactions with patients come freely and naturally." This interaction ensures the compassion and empathy so crucial to the patient-therapist relationship. It's this trust that helps patients discover the inner resources for overcoming physical adversity.
Education Requirements
Physical therapists qualify for licensure by earning a master degree from an accredited physical therapy program, though a doctorate will command a higher salary. Besides basic science courses, they take specialized courses in biomechanics, neuroanatomy, and therapeutic procedures. Therapist assistants, poised for a 44% growth in their profession, can get into the profession with a two-year associate's degree or completion of an equivalent medical assistant training program.

Extroverts possess a perfect profile for business, healthcare, and advisory roles. They are capable of reaching out to others and building strong relationships. They lead and take risks, but without losing touch with the human motivations underlying any venture. Extroverts understand that the bottom line in any occupation is not the bottom line--it's the people. With an innate ability to navigate the complicated terrain of human nature and an online degree in hand, extroverts have what it takes to make it in nearly any walk of life.