While most people say that they have great ‘people skills’, some professionals recognize that working with others is not their greatest strength and prefer jobs where you work alone. While psychologists say that creating strong bonds will fellow workers keeps us happy and healthy, there’s also nothing wrong with preferring to work alone. Many prefer an independent work role that is not dependent on interacting with others. Following are some jobs where you work alone:

• Network or Systems Administrator

Administrators of a computer system or network are often empowered to design, deploy and maintain systems that they create themselves. Their role can include interacting with a range of different hardware and software technologies and, while they must interact with others, are usually responsible for overcoming technical issues and budget constraints on their own which often come down to logical or financial constraints that do not demand collaboration with others for their solution. Their technical knowledge allows them to make most decision independently of others within overall planning and other constraints.

• Software Developer

While the lone, genius software developer is something of a cliche, it is true that the nature of the work makes it a highly independent role. While the parameters for what they need to create are usually set by others (clients or business executives), they are usually provided with significant latitude in how they achieve the goals set for them. While there is a requirement to interact with others working on the same project, the majority of time software developers commune with their thoughts and the demands of the programming language they are working in.

• Writer

Writing is surely the most archetypal of lone professions. While research is necessary and a writer than never interacts with others might not have a lot to say, the act of writing is a solitary pursuit. The digital age has opened up many new opportunities for writers and ways to monetize their craft. The internet is essentially an information medium and there is a high demand for content including articles, blog posts, ebooks and so on. Writers necessarily work alone and aside from reviewers and editors need not interact with people as part of their job.

• Accountant

While some accountants move into management in a financial role which requires working with others, the actual practice of accounting involves analyzing financial data and preparing accounts which typically does not require interacting with others. Through careful analysis of financial data, accountants can provide invaluable insights without having to rely on the input of others.