what's a people-loving introvert to do for a career?

Having a personality very similar to yours, I'll recommend my job, which I love. I'm a clerk in the courts system. It requires no education beyond high school, so you could adapt easily without higher ed expense. A court clerk takes payments on fines, answers questions about legal processes, and advises people of their rights, interspersed with recharging desk work processing cases. What I love about the job is that you really do get to help people. Often they are agitated and worried about the charges against them, so they're grateful for the information you provide to guide them through the steps of resolving their case. The job is also frequently a challenge, as sometimes those same people are agitated at YOU. A non-aggressive demeanor really helps calm people down (and it gives you practice in assertiveness, if you happen to struggle with that). Every day is interesting and just the right amount of social!

Public librarian! I am also an introvert who likes working with people, and it is a great job for me. Virtually all of your interactions with library patrons are one-on-one (computer training, recommending books, helping them find information). You get the satisfaction of helping people who really need it. It breaks my heart how frequently people love us just for being nice to them, because no one else is. You get to know your regulars really well, but you also meet new people all the time. There are library jobs where you're expected to present (at schools or nursing homes or meetings of other librarians), but those assignments are pretty easy to get out of, in my experience as a person who is terrible at public speaking. At most libraries, patrons come to you, so you don't have to be aggressive in approaching people (a thing I always hated about working retail) - and even when you do approach someone, you're not trying to sell them anything, so they are nice to you. Plus most librarians have some off-desk time during the day, which is a great way to get work done and recharge if you find some patrons interactions draining. (Some of them are.) To get a full time job, you'd probably need a master's degree, which is dumb and mostly unnecessary but true. There are plenty of part-time jobs doing librarian work. But honestly, degree aside, it's a wonderful job. Part of the reason jobs are hard to come by is because people never leave - it's low-stress and fulfilling. Only downside is working nights and weekends, which - ugh. Oh well.

Academic Advisor.

Social worker, like an advocate

I have a very similar personality. I love working one on one with people but need lots of down time to recoup. I was a librarian before and that didn't work for me. I was in academic libraries so I did lots of group presentations, a little one on one instruction (I enjoyed that part), and lots of meetings. I moved into clinical research at a university which is an awesome fit! I'm a research nurse, however, you could do something similar as a research coordinator. Typically a BS is required to get started as a coordinator though there were positions at my institution that only required an AS. You work one on one with patients who are enrolling in research studies explaining studies to them and ensuring all study procedures get done according to protocol. If it is a behavioral/survey type study you may administer the survey. Depending on the type of study there may be a lot of collaboration with people in other departments (scheduling, lab, etc.). My last job was about 30% paperwork at my desk & 70% people interaction time (patients and various people in other departments) which worked well for me. In addition, my coworkers and I regularly chatted throughout the day about various projects and got to go on lots of walks taking research supplies here, there and everywhere :) Also, almost no meetings. Yay! Stacey's suggestion of research administration is also good. And her idea of volunteering as the community member on the local IRB would be great experience for any job in clinical research! The other thing I like about clinical research is there is a lot of opportunity. There are a lot of people needed to make clinical research work so there are a variety of different jobs in the area and various pathways for advancing. PM me if you have any specific questions.

Therapist! I'm an introvert and becoming a therapist has been perfect for me. One on one interaction doesn't require the same amount of energy output as a big group interaction. And in one on one therapy, the client often does most of the talking while the therapist intervenes occasionally with a question, statement, idea etc.

Super-introvert here, more and more so as time goes by and I grow more cynical about humans. I'm in corporate communications, I write a lot of the time, my participation in meetings is largely as an observer, and I get to interview people one-on-one for our reports and newsletters and the like. I'm fortunate because it's a great company I work for and I'm 100% in agreement with their mission, so I get the added bonus of feeling like I'm doing Work That Matters. I've done some variation of this for 20 years, as a writer/editor/publications person. The market has tightened up considerably in this field in recent years but it's nice work if you can get it. I can't imagine being a therapist, they have to be "on" for others so much of the day.

Another vote for public librarian! I'm fairly introverted, and goodbye waffles described it really well. I love my job.

Seconding massage therapist. I'm quite an introvert, but working one on one with just a few clients every day works for me. It might work for you, too: not at all aggressive person I can't imagine a less aggressive job. who likes to talk to one person at a time Check. hates sitting in a cubicle alone all day No cubicles ever!