Personality Types and Careers: What’s Your Perfect Match?
by Kathy Seaton
Have past jobs left you feeling unfulfilled? Or do you feel like you don’t belong in your career? You should try taking a personality test for jobs to understand how your personality, skills and interests capitalize on your best assets in the workplace.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) assessment is one of the most widely used personality tools and has been in use for over 70 years. Take the Myers-Briggs test today to get a unique read or perspective on how your brain works and what makes you tick. You may find this test useful in narrowing your list of possible career options.
After you’ve answered the 93 questions in the MBTI assessment you will learn what your personality type is. These 16 personality types are listed below, followed by a short paragraph that discusses possible career paths for each *Myers-Briggs personality type.
ISTJ – The Duty Fulfillers
Your inner drive for success comes from relentless perseverance, and once you’ve set a goal, you strive hard to achieve it. Career paths for ISTJs include business executives, administrators or managers. Your organizational skills and focus create order and structure.
ISFJ – The Nurturers
Excellent memory skills and the ability to be in-tune with others make you a perfect fit for service-oriented careers in social work, bookkeeping or office administration. You take your responsibilities seriously and are a dependable worker, and these career paths would fulfill your desire for order and structure.
INFJ – The Protectors
You’re a logical and rational person that constantly seeks meaning and truth. As a visionary you would work best in psychology, alternative medicine or counseling.
INTJ – The Scientists
Absorbing complex ideas and theories is simple for you because you have a highly analytical brain. You’re creative and innovative because you are able to see the big picture. A career in science, medicine or teaching could be in your future.
ISTP – The Mechanics
You’ve always been interested in the way things work and enjoy a work environment where ideas flow freely and organically. You enjoy applying logic and reason to your ideas, and you put your ideas into action. Ideal careers for an ISTP would be in public service, forensics or computer programming.
ISFP – The Artists
Your keen awareness of your surroundings and individuality are at your core, as well as your appreciation for aesthetic beauty and originality. A career in music, fine arts, teaching and social work would give you great job satisfaction.
INFP – The Idealists
Genuinely interested in people, you’re also laid back and flexible. As a great communicator a career in social work, psychology or teaching would be perfect for your advanced intrapersonal skills.
INTP – The Thinkers
You find yourself working alone most often and enjoy understanding and analyzing complex concepts. A career in a highly specialized scientific field would stimulate your need for insight and reasoning. Forensics, programming and mathematics would all suit an INTP.
ESTP – The Doers
An action-oriented person such as yourself would do best in a problem-solving position, such as sales, marketing, detective work or computer technical support where you are working with details in a fast-paced environment.
ESFP – The Performers
As a spontaneous person you also like to keep things practical and realistic. You’re interested in people, but you are independent and resourceful at the same time. The arts, design or social work are best suited for your strongly developed aesthetic.
ENFP – The Inspirers
You love a good project. You’re service-oriented and like to have variety in your work. The best careers for you would be in consulting, teaching, counseling, programming or news reporting.
ENTP – The Visionaries
You’re bright and capable, to say the least. As a natural leader you would do best in an energetic position where you’re able to problem solve in a group setting. Engineering, sales and medicine are all fields that would suit you well.
ESTJ – The Guardians
As a natural leader, you follow through on your goals and you live up to a set of standards. ESTJ career paths include business management, administration or law because of your need to create structure.
ESFJ – The Caregivers
Loyalty and organization are your strong suits. You enjoy helping others and love to interact with people socially or work in a group. Becoming a nurse, teacher or administrative assistant would be natural for the knack you have in aiding others.
ENFJ – The Givers
Creativity and organization unite to create a unique personality in which harmony is desired and honesty is appreciated. Your personality type works well in diplomatic fields such as politics, sales, teaching or social work.
ENTJ – The Executives
When you enter a room, you effortlessly take over. You’re very future-oriented and appreciate a high level of communication. Your strong confidence would work well in positions in business administration, management or entrepreneurship.
Your Myers-Briggs personality type can tell you a lot about yourself, your interests and your ideal career. It’s why you are best suited for certain careers, but not others. Knowing your personality type is the first step in finding a position that is meaningful and rewarding, because it’s the perfect career match for your personality traits.
*Source: http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.htm