To answer your actual question: yes you can have a career without instructing but it takes a lot of networking. I have friends who have built hours banner towing, flying skydivers, crop dusting and doing aerial survey and then ended up at the airlines. CFI jobs are easier to get so most people go the CFI route.

I also want to say that what you're feeling about being a CFI is totally normal. I think I was more nervous during my first meeting with my first student than I was during my CFI checkride. Everyone has anxiety about it, and you're going to absolutely suck at ground discussion with your students at first. The best part about being a CFI is the fact that you learn so much from it. You start to become comfortable with the things that made you nervous before. You find your own flying weaknesses by realizing what areas you're bad at teaching. I am absolutely a better pilot today because of the fact that I was a CFI.

It's possible to have a good career without having your CFI, but it sounds like a person like you could seriously benefit from it. I think you should try it out. I've been at the airlines now for a while but being a CFI is by far the most rewarding job I've ever had. I still try to instruct on the side once in a while on my days off not so much for the money but because I actually enjoy doing it and it keeps my flying skills sharp.