Thursday, September 30, 2010

Career Chemistry: Best Jobs for Enterprising People


By Marty Nemko
Posted 7/19/07
 
Would you rather sell it than analyze it? More interested in the big picture than the details? Such "enterprising" types of people tend to be competitive and aggressive—and they're often behind the success of thriving businesses. As part of our guide to career chemistry,these are our top career picks for go-getters who feel more at home leading a group or project than being a rank-and-file team member:


Michael Poehlman/Riser/Getty Images 
 
Manager/executive
The stereotype of the boss is changing: Today's successful manager is generally more of a facilitator than an autocrat. Yes, managers can unilaterally hire, fire, and evaluate employees, but much of the job entails running meetings, guiding teams, building consensus, collaboratively setting policy, and troubleshooting. Happy managers enjoy that process, and would rather plan, inspire, and guide than crank out reams of paperwork.

Over the coming decade, the job market is likely to be most robust in computer systems, health services, financial management, and many areas of government. Training managers, who figure out what kind of instruction employees need and who should conduct it, tend to be unusually happy across a wide range of fields.
 

Financial manager/officer
 Money is the lifeblood of every business, and the stewards of that vital resource are treasurers, controllers, senior accountants, and other financial managers. These professionals are no mere bean counters—they're often on the leadership team that decides where the company should spend its money. One frustration: With recent accounting scandals at big companies, financial officers spend an increasing amount of time on government-mandated paperwork, such as that required by the Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. But these careers are often quite rewarding, and since this role is critical and requires high-level quantitative skills that aren't easily acquired, pay is often excellent.
 

Sales manager
 A few salespeople need no management—they have a knack for selling virtually anything, with good business ethics to boot. But most salespeople need a bit more shepherding. Enter the sales manager, who hires, trains, cheerleads, and when necessary, whips the sales force into shape. Day-to-day duties include watching the salespeople in action and offering feedback, and maybe even figuring out how to lead a former high-flier back to cruising altitude.
 

Sales representative
 Every product needs somebody to sell it, and sales reps in certain specialties, such as medical, electronic, and mechanical equipment, can earn good pay. But not just anybody can sell. A good salesperson makes a warm first impression, listens more than he or she talks, and responds wisely. Rejection comes with the turf, so you have to be resilient. And please be ethical, even though sleaziness is often tolerated by bosses and even customers. Cheaters do sometimes win in the sales game but lose in the game of life.

Venture capitalist
Behind this mystical term lies a simple concept: You look for new businesses to invest in and even guide. These financiers raise money by convincing wealthy individuals, banks, pension funds, and other fat cats that they'll reap a fine return by investing in the companies the venture capital firm selects. Successful VCs can get rich and have a grand time scouting out companies and guiding their growth, but working at an established firm typically requires heady credentials like a molecular biology degree from Harvard and an M.B.A. from Stanford. What if you're a mere mortal? You might try being a self-employed VC, often referred to as an angel investor. If you try that, at least when starting out, it's wise to play with other people's money. How to get it? When you find that "can't-miss" start-up, invite a collection of wealthy investors to a dog and pony show—then make sure the lure is irresistible.


Career Chemistry: Best Jobs for Artistic People


By Marty Nemko
Posted 7/19/07
 
Many people enjoy decorating their home, orchestrating a wardrobe, or tending a colorful garden. But for some folks, creative inclinations are much more than hobbies. True artistic types prefer jobs where they can do creative, expressive work rather than structured tasks. They think of themselves as nonconformist, artsy, and often disorganized. As part of our guide to career chemistry, we've highlighted these top career picks for people with the artistic temperament:


 Glow Images/Getty Images
Landscape architect. With just a bachelor's degree, you can be designing resorts, industrial parks, and rich people's backyards. And today's hottest religion is environmentalism, so many landscape architects work in fields like coastal habitat restoration.
 
Literature or arts teacher. Teaching is one of the few bastions of job security for artistic types. Job availability is expected to be better in colleges than in K-12 schools. In addition to art talent and teaching ability, a knack for dealing with unruly students comes in handy.


Graphic designer
Here's the catch: You must be an artist who accepts the reality that the best shot at making a living in your field is to design ads, magazine pages, and websites. And keep in mind that even though computers are now the predominant tools of the trade — and they can do wonders—excellent freehand drawing skills are still essential.
 

Director
Most director gigs are far from the Hollywood studios. Plays, movies, commercials, instructional and promotional videos, and TV shows—including local, cable, and satellite TV productions—all need directors. So do direct-to-Web videos, like many on YouTube. And relatively few people have the right mix of skills. A director must be able to manage a complex project with diverse and often temperamental casts and crew members. The job also requires an artistic and literary bent, along with knowledge of sets, lighting, sound, costumes, music, and choreography.

Producer. Most productions need, well, a producer. This entrepreneur comes up with the idea, raises the money, hires the director, makes or approves key hiring decisions, and makes the business decisions throughout the production.
 

Interior designer. Partway between an interior decorator and an architect, interior designers figure out how to make a space functional and beautiful. While they may suggest finishes for floors, walls, and windows, they're as likely to recommend where to knock down a wall (without the building collapsing). A bachelor's degree should suffice, as long as it's from a program accredited by the American Society of Interior Designers.
 

Editor. Most editors do much more than processcopy. They also choose which stories to pursue, select writers, and occasionally attain the wordsmith's holy grail—writing about the things that really interest them, knowing it will get published. The job market will probably be best for Web editors with expertise in both video and text.

Perfumer. What do laundry products, candles, lotions, and colognes have in common? Their fragrance was created by a perfumer. Most members of this small but enjoyable profession learn via an apprenticeship, such as Procter & Gamble's. Jobs aren't terribly plentiful, but it's great work if you can get it.


Career Chemistry: The Best Jobs for Six Personality Types


By Marty Nemko
Posted 7/19/07
 
When seeking your true love, you had better look for someone with a compatible personality. The same thing is true when choosing your career.
As part of its Best Careers guide, U.S. News has selected the top careers for each of six personality types. Sure, everybody's an individual, but researchers have observed that most people have certain characteristics that can be grouped into a small number of categories. We've used the methodology developed by respected career psychologist John Holland, who identifies six general types of people. For each, we've selected careers—both white-and blue-collar—with good job availability and respectable pay, in fields that offer psychological satisfaction and reasonable quality of life. Most people will recognize themselves in at least one of these categories:

Realistic, hands-on people tend to be practical and straightforward. They like to work with concrete objects. Careers compatible with this personality type: electrician, orthodontist, surgical technologist, biomedical engineer.

Investigative people are analytical, intellectual, and scientific. Typically, they like to gather a lot of information before making decisions. And they question ideas that aren't backed up by rational data. Compatible careers: professor, software developer, physician's assistant, veterinarian, librarian.

Artistic people are creative and imaginative, as you might expect. But they can also be strong problem solvers, since they bring an intuitive mindset that complements the more rational approach others might offer. Compatible careers: landscape architect, graphic designer, director or producer, interior designer, editor.

Social people often end up in "helping" professions where attributes like patience, empathy, and generosity make a difference. They're often strong team players good at achieving consensus. Compatible careers: school psychologist, mediator, nurse, physical therapist, social worker.

Enterprising people are competitive, energetic extroverts. They often end up as entrepreneurs or group leaders, and prefer to delegate the pieces of a project while focusing on the big picture. Compatible careers: executive, financial manager, sales rep, sales manager.

Conventional people, also described as orderly, are somewhat misnamed. They're not necessarily bland, though they do tend to be reserved, careful, and efficient. These are the folks who handle all the details that keep the trains running on time. Compatible careers: accountant, actuary, financial planner, technical writer, building inspector.

This system for categorizing personality types obviously isn't perfect. Many people, for instance, are an amalgam of two or three different types. A few people might feel they don't fit into any of these categories. But whatever your attributes and idiosyncrasies, the odds of finding a fulfilling career are greater if you match your job to your personality. That's why, under each entry, we've also included additional resources for folks who want to do more research. It may not be as easy as jumping at the first opportunity that comes along. But most people probably wouldn't marry their first dates, either.



What Career is Right For Me?


When you ask the question "what career is right for me?" there are a number of things to take into account:

Personality. Is there a good match between your personality and chosen career? This can have a significant impact on whether you find your work fulfilling. There are two main aspects to take into account:
  • Whether the career matches your personality, that is, how much you work within your preferences - see our article on stretch for more information
  • To what extent you will need, at times, to flex outside your preferred style - see our article on the MTR-i Flexibility Factor for more information.
Motivation. This is one of the most important factor for long term career satisfaction. Find a job that motivates you and you've found the right career. Motivation covers a wider range of topics, such as:
  • Your interests
  • What gives you a "sense of achievement"
  • Unconscious motivation factors, illuminated by models such as Maslow, Hertzberg or Firo
Skills. Having the right skill set is the key that opens the door to many careers. The skills you acquire are the result of:
  • Your innate ability or aptitudes, developed by:
  • The training you receive
Values.This might include:
  • The lifestyle you want
  • Your beliefs, religion or ethical guidelines you follow
  • The type of organisation or people you want to work for
  • The product or service you want to contribute towards
Constraints. These might include:
  • Financial commitments or limitations
  • The geographical location where you can work
  • Family responsibilities
  • Physical disability or restriction
  • Your qualifications/education
Ambitions . What are your long term aims? This might include questions such as:
  • If and when you want to start a family and "settle down"
  • Whether you want a single job for the rest of your life or have the option to change career
  • Do you eventually want to set up your own business or climb the ladder inside a large organisation
  • When do you want to retire?
Opportunities. Deciding what you want to do is of no use unless there are opportunities for you to pursue. You can find opportunities through actions such as:
Responding to advertisements for jobs or vocational training/sponsorship
Unsolicited approaches to organisations to see if there are any vacancies
Networking through people you know to get referrals
Creating your own business. 


by www.teamtechnology.co.uk



What Career Will Suit Your Personality?

by Hannah Du Plessis


Work is something you do all day, and for most of your life. It is therefore necessary that you to have to be completely happy in your work. You therefore need to not only find a career doing what you enjoy doing, but you also need to find a career that suits your personality.

It can be very difficult to search through what’s out there. A normal person like you and me just don’t know all the possibilities. You could go to a career advisor, but if you are older and feel a bit shy about going to see someone, it can be a bit daunting.

This is when online psychometric tests can come to the rescue. You can do these tests in the privacy of your own home. The beauty about them is that they do not take long, about 15 – 20 minutes.

The problem with them is there are so many out there. Which one to go to? I have just put the word “career” into a Google search bar, and did about five different free tests, each one telling me to become something else. One gave me a short list, with one of the possibilities a Financial Advisor, and another possibility a teacher, and another one said I had to be an artist. (I cannot draw to save my life, but I used to be a music teacher, which I did enjoy … well, sort of) So I found that free isn’t necessarily good.

So doing many different tests can be quite confusing. You need a good test that you can trust. If you really want free, the MAPP test is quite good. However, it just gives you certain parts of the test, and you have to buy the full test if you want to read everything. Another one that is designed especially for careers, that is 98% accurate, is called MyCareerMatch. It gives you quite a few possibilities that you might not have considered before. So seeing you might have to purchase a test anyway, you might as well purchase one that is excellent.

With the MyCareerMatch test you will:
  • Connect who you are with what you love to do
  • Discover your perfect career
  • Uncover your strengths and talents so you make the right choices
You will also discover:
  • Ideal jobs that match your personality
  • Strengths and qualities you have to bring to a job
  • Things you value and what annoys you
  • Why you are attracted to some jobs but not others
  • Great content to add to your resume
Psychometric testing is a great tool to help you discover who you really are.


The Relationship Between Personality and Career Type: Step One -- Self Assessment


by Maureen Crawford Hentz
 
Whenever I talk about personality in relation to choosing a career type, invariably someone groans and tells me a story like this: Those tests are so stupid. When I was in the sixth grade, I took one of them and it said that I should be a farmer. I think I also took the same test with the same results, and while I don't think I would be a very good farmer, the results are probably a lot more accurate than I'd like to admit. At the time, it seemed ridiculous -- I hated the outdoors and physical exertion, and was particularly averse to being dirty or sweaty. Now, though, as I think in terms of personality, it might have had some elements that appeal to my personality: I like long-range planning (good for planning how to rotate crops), working by myself (for those long days on a tractor), sometimes working on a team (for harvest time), and being the master of my own destiny (if I don't plant the corn, I can't grow the corn). 

Personality tests abound, and some are sheer nonsense. Be wary of any personality test that claims to be able to tell you what your dream job is by the type of animal you'd like to be, or by your favorite breakfast cereal as a child. While there are many personality assessments that are statistically valid and tremendously accurate, I'd venture to say that they are a second (and often expensive) step. The best personality inventory is self-reflection and self-awareness. 

Before delving into the ways to examine your work preferences, it's important to make a clear distinction between liking a topic and liking the work. As the director of volunteers at a large aquarium, I often talk to people who have “loved the ocean their whole lives” and want to dedicate themselves to marine biology. Many people have no concept of the work and skills involved in a chosen career. It is very important to understand the difference between liking the topic and liking the work. I once had an applicant who was a third-year marine biology student at a large state school in Ohio. He applied for and was placed into the Whale Watch internship program, where he found out that he became violently seasick on any kind of boat -- a big drawback for a student who thought he wanted to study whales in the wild. 

The best match is a career in which the major tasks of the work are the tasks you most enjoy doing and the topic is one of interest. If that career is unavailable, or not feasible, my advice would be to take the position where there is a skill match. In this way, you will succeed at the essential tasks of your position and perhaps become interested in the topic. 

A self-examination is the best way to begin thinking about career and personality. Conduct your self-assessment in a thoughtful and focused manner. Try these exercises to help you focus:
  1. Make a List. Write down everything you enjoy. That's right -- make a list of everything you enjoy doing. Reading, spending time with friends, organizing closets, listening to music, balancing your checkbook. Allot 10 minutes, and make yourself keep writing things until your time is up. Don't limit yourself in what you write. Put this list away for a day or two and review it later.
  2. Black and White and Read All Over. Get out your resume and look it over. Every resume book you've ever read has told you to use active words. Skim them, and circle the ones that appeal to you most, or those that remind you of good times in your past job situations. Make a list of those words, and add others describing skills you would have enjoyed using. Now, take out today's help-wanted ads. Read every position description, and circle those that use similar skill words to those on your list. Don't look at the job titles, just the descriptions!
  3. Walk Down Memory Lane. Many of our formative personality characteristics have been clear since childhood. In your free time, what did you play? School? Cops and Robbers? When you played, did you organize the games, motivate others, call everyone to get together? When it came time for the school's candy drive, did you go door to door gladly, or beg your mom to take the candy to work for you?
  4. Watch the Tube. Be conscious of the television shows that are of interest. Are they fact-based shows, are they comedies, are they cliffhanger whodunits? The kind of shows we watch can be a good indicator of the kinds of information processing that are most appealing.
  5. Look at your calendar. Everyone needs time on the weekends to recharge. It's how people recharge that varies. Do you long for the weekend so that you can cut loose with friends and go out, or do you hoard free time on weekends so you can read a book, watch TV, and get organized for the week ahead?
  6. Get a little help from your friends. Tell a non-work friend that you are trying to approach your job search from a different angle, and that you need help. Ask him/her to send you a list of 20 words or phrases that describe how you are at work. What our friends imagine us to be like at work is sometimes completely different from how we actually are outside of it.
As you complete these exercises, you should develop greater self-knowledge of your personality. The next step is to research careers that match that personality. 

Careers for INFP Personality Types


Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

INFPs generally have the following traits:
  • Strong value systems
  • Warmly interested in people
  • Service-oriented, usually putting the needs of others above their own
  • Loyal and devoted to people and causes
  • Future-oriented
  • Growth-oriented; always want to be growing in a positive direction
  • Creative and inspirational
  • Flexible and laid-back, unless a ruling principle is violated
  • Sensitive and complex
  • Dislike dealing with details and routine work
  • Original and individualistic - "out of the mainstream"
  • Excellent written communication skills
  • Prefer to work alone, and may have problems working on teams
  • Value deep and authentic relationships
  • Want to be seen and appreciated for who they are
The INFP is a special, sensitive individual who needs a career which is more than a job. The INFP needs to feel that everything they do in their lives is in accordance with their strongly-felt value systems, and is moving them and/or others in a positive, growth-oriented direction. They are driven to do something meaningful and purposeful with their lives. The INFP will be happiest in careers which allow them to live their daily lives in accordance with their values, and which work towards the greater good of humanity. It's worth mentioning that nearly all of the truly great writers in the world have been INFPs. 

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.


Possible Career Paths for the INFP:
  • Writers
  • Counselors / Social Workers
  • Teachers / Professors
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Musicians
  • Clergy / Religious Worker
by www.personalitypage.com
 

Careers for ENFP Personality Types


Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

ENFPs generally have the following traits:
  • Project-oriented
  • Bright and capable
  • Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills
  • Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people
  • Able to relate to people on their own level
  • Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own
  • Future-oriented
  • Dislike performing routine tasks
  • Need approval and appreciation from others
  • Cooperative and friendly
  • Creative and energetic
  • Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
  • Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
  • Resist being controlled by others
  • Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
  • Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories
ENFPs are lucky in that they're good a quite a lot of different things. An ENFP can generally achieve a good degree of success at anything which has interested them. However, ENFPs get bored rather easily and are not naturally good at following things through to completion. Accordingly, they should avoid jobs which require performing a lot of detailed, routine-oriented tasks. They will do best in professions which allow them to creatively generate new ideas and deal closely with people. They will not be happy in positions which are confining and regimented. 

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

Possible Career Paths for the ENFP:
  • Consultant
  • Psychologist
  • Entrepreneur
  • Actor
  • Teacher
  • Counselor
  • Politician / Diplomat
  • Writer / Journalist
  • Television Reporter
  • Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, or Computer Specialist
  • Scientist
  • Engineer 
by www.personalitypage.com


Careers for INFJ Personality Types


Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

INFJs generally have the following traits:
  • Intuitively understand people and situations
  • Idealistic
  • Highly principled
  • Complex and deep
  • Natural leaders
  • Sensitive and compassionate towards people
  • Service-oriented
  • Future-oriented
  • Value deep, authentic relationships
  • Reserved about expressing their true selves
  • Dislike dealing with details unless they enhance or promote their vision
  • Constantly seeking meaning and purpose in everything
  • Creative and visionary
  • Intense and tightly-wound
  • Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
The INFJ is a special individual who needs more out of a career than a job. They need to feel as if everything they do in their lives is in sync with their strong value systems - with what they believe to be right. Accordingly, the INFJ should choose a career in which they're able to live their daily lives in accordance with their deeply-held principles, and which supports them in their life quest to be doing something meaningful. Since INFJs have such strong value systems, and persistent intuitive visions which lend them a sense of "knowing", they do best in positions in which they are leaders, rather than followers. Although they can happily follow individuals who are leading in a direction which the INFJ fully supports, they will very unhappy following in any other situation. 

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

Possible Career Paths for the INFJ:
  • Clergy / Religious Work
  • Teachers
  • Medical Doctors / Dentists
  • Alternative Health Care Practitioners, i.e. Chiropractor, Reflexologist
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Counselors and Social Workers
  • Musicians and Artists
  • Photographers
  • Child Care / Early Childhood Development 
by www.personalitypage.com



 

Careers for ENFJ Personality Types


 Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

ENFJs generally have the following traits:
  • Genuinely and warmly interested in people
  • Value people's feelings
  • Value structure and organization
  • Value harmony, and good at creating it
  • Exceptionally good people skills
  • Dislike impersonal logic and analysis
  • Strong organizational capabilities
  • Loyal and honest
  • Creative and imaginative
  • Enjoy variety and new challenges
  • Get personal satisfaction from helping others
  • Extremely sensitive to criticism and discord
  • Need approval from others to feel good about themselves
The flexibility of these characteristics leave the ENFJ a lot of leeway in choosing a profession. As long as they're in a supportive environment in which they can work with people and are presented with sufficient diverse challenges to stimulate their creativity, they should do very well.
The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed here.
Possible Career Paths for the ENFJ:
  • Facilitator
  • Consultant
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker / Counselor
  • Teacher
  • Clergy
  • Sales Representative
  • Human Resources
  • Manager
  • Events Coordinator
  • Sales Representative
  • Politicians / Diplomats
  • Writers 
by www.personalitypage.com



Careers for INTP Personality Types

Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

INTPs generally have the following traits:
  • Love theory and abstract ideas
  • Truth Seekers - they want to understand things by analyzing underlying principles and structures
  • Value knowledge and competence above all else
  • Have very high standards for performance, which they apply to themselves
  • Independent and original, possibly eccentric
  • Work best alone, and value autonomy
  • Have no desire to lead or follow
  • Dislike mundane detail
  • Not particularly interested in the practical application of their work
  • Creative and insightful
  • Future-oriented
  • Usually brilliant and ingenius
  • Trust their own insights and opinions above others
  • Live primarily inside their own minds, and may appear to be detached and uninvolved with other people
INTPs have a special gift with generating and analyzing theories and possibilities to prove or disprove them. They have a great deal of insight and are creative thinkers, which allows them to quickly grasp complex abstract thoughts. They also have exceptional logical and rational reasoning skills, which allows them to thoroughly analyze theories to discover the Truth about them. Since the INTP is driven to seek clarity in the world, we have a happy match of desire and ability in this personality type. INTPs will be happiest in careers which allow them a great deal of autonomy in which they can work primarily alone on developing and analyzing complex theories and abstractions, with the goal of their work being the discovery of a truth, rather than the discovery of a practical application.
The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

Possible Career Paths for the INTP:
  • Scientists - especially Physics, Chemistry
  • Photographers
  • Strategic Planners
  • Mathematicians
  • University Professors
  • Computer Programmers, Systems Analysts, Computer Animation and Computer Specialists
  • Technical Writers
  • Engineers
  • Lawyers / Attorneys
  • Judges
  • Forensic Research
  • Forestry and Park Rangers 
by www.personalitypage.com


Careers for ENTP Personality Types


Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

ENTPs generally have the following traits:
  • Project-oriented
  • Enjoy generating ideas and theories
  • Creative and ingenius
  • Bright and capable
  • Flexible and Diverse
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Enjoy debating issues with other people
  • Excellent people skills
  • Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
  • Resist being controlled by people
  • Lively and energetic; able to motivate others
  • Highly value knowledge and competence
  • Logical, rational thinkers
  • Able to grasp difficult concepts and theories
  • Enjoy solving difficult problems
  • Dislike confining schedules and environments
  • Dislike routine, detailed tasks
ENTPs are fortunate in that they have a wide range of capabilities. They are generally good at anything which has captured their interest. ENTPs are likely to be successful in many different careers. Since they have a lot of options open to them, ENTPs will do well to choose professions which allow them a lot of personal freedom where they can use their creativity to generate new ideas and solve problems. They will not be completely happy in positions which are regimented or confining.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

Possible Career Paths for the ENTP:

  • Lawyers

  • Psychologists

  • Entrepreneurs

  • Photographers

  • Consultants

  • Engineers

  • Scientists

  • Actors

  • Sales Representatives

  • Marketing Personnel

  • Computer Programmer, Systems Analyst, or Computer Specialist


  • by www.personalitypage.com



    Careers for INTJ Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    INTJs generally have the following traits:
    • Able to absorb extremely complex theoretical and complex material
    • Driven to create order and structure from theoretical abstractions
    • Supreme strategists
    • Future-oriented
    • See the global, "big picture"
    • Strong insights and intuitions, which they trust implicitly
    • Value their own opinions over others
    • Love difficult theoretical challenges
    • Bored when dealing with mundane routine
    • Value knowledge and efficiency
    • Have no patience with inefficiency and confusion
    • Have very high standards for performance, which they apply to themselves most strongly
    • Reserved and detached from others
    • Calm, collected and analytical
    • Extremely logical and rational
    • Original and independent
    • Natural leaders, but will follow those they can fully support
    • Creative, ingenious, innovative, and resourceful
    • Work best alone, and prefer to work alone
    More so than any other personality type, INTJs are brilliant when it comes to grasping complex theories and applying them to problems to come up with long-term strategies. Since this type of "strategizing" is the central focus and drive of the INTJ, there is a happy match between desire and ability in this type. Accordingly, the INTJ is happiest and most effective in careers which allow this type of processing, and which promote an environment in which the INTJ is given a lot of autonomy over their daily lives.
     
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

    Possible Career Paths for the INTJ:
    • Scientists
    • Engineers
    • Professors and Teachers
    • Medical Doctors / Dentists
    • Corporate Strategists and Organization Builders
    • Business Administrators / Managers
    • Military Leaders
    • Lawyers / Attorneys
    • Judges
    • Computer Programmers, Systems Analysts and Computer Specialists
    by www.personalitypage.com
     

    Careers for ENTJ Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ENTJs generally have the following traits:
    • Driven to turn theories into plans
    • Highly value knowledge
    • Future-oriented
    • Natural leaders
    • Impatient with inefficiency and incompetence
    • Want things structured and orderly
    • Excellent verbal communication skills
    • Dislike routine, detail-oriented tasks
    • Self-confident
    • Decisive
    ENTJs are especially well-suited to be leaders and organization builders. They have the ability to clearly identify problems and innovative solutions for the short and long-term well-being of an organization. Having a strong desire to lead, they're not likely to be happy as followers. ENTJs like to be in charge, and need to be in charge to take advantage of their special capabilities.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

    Possible Career Paths for the ENTJ:
    • Corporate Executive Officer; Organization Builder
    • Entrepreneur
    • Computer Consultant
    • Lawyer
    • Judge
    • Business Administrators and Managers
    • University Professors and Administrators 
     by www.personalitypage.com


    Careers for ISFP Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding.
    ISFPs generally have the following traits:
    • Keen awareness of their environment
    • Live in the present moment
    • Enjoy a slower pace - they like to take time to savor the present moment
    • Dislike dealing with theory or abstract thought, unless they see a practical application
    • Faithful and loyal to people and ideas which are important to them
    • Individualistic, having no desire to lead or follow
    • Take things seriously, although they frequently appear not to
    • Special bond with children and animals
    • Quiet and reserved, except with people they know extremely well
    • Trusting, sensitive, and kind
    • Service-oriented; they're driven to help others
    • Extremely well-developed appreciation for aesthetic beauty
    • Likely to be original and unconventional
    • Learn best with hands-on training
    • Hate being confined to strict schedules and regimens
    • Need space and freedom to do things their own way
    • Dislike mundane, routine tasks, but will perform them if necessary
    The ISFP is a very special individual who needs to have a career which is more than a job. The middle of the road is not likely to be a place where they will be fulfilled and happy. They need to have a career which is consistent with their strong core of inner values. Since they prefer to live in the current moment, and take the time to savor it, they do not do well with some of the more fast-paced corporate environments. They need a great deal of space and freedom if they are going to function in their natural realm of acute sensory awareness. If they give free reign to their natural abilities, they may find a wonderful artist within themselves. Almost every major artist in the world has been an ISFP. Since the ISFP is so acutely aware of people's feelings and reactions, and is driven by their inner values to help people, the ISFP is also a natural counselor and teacher.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.
    Possible Career Paths for the ISFP:
    • Artist
    • Musician / Composer
    • Designer
    • Child Care / Early Childhood Development
    • Social Worker / Counselor
    • Teacher
    • Psychologist
    • Veterinarian
    • Forest Ranger
    • Pediatrician 
     by www.personalitypage.com

     

    Careers for ESFP Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ESFPs generally have the following traits:
    • Live in the present moment
    • Are stimulated and excited by new experiences
    • Practical and realistic
    • Warmly interested in people
    • Know how to have a good time, and how to make things fun for others
    • Independent and resourceful
    • Spontaneous - seldom plan ahead
    • Hate structure and routine
    • Dislike theory and long written explanations
    • Feel special bond with children and animals
    • Strongly developed aesthetic appreciation for things
    • Great people skills
    ESFPs are good at many things, but will not be happy unless they have a lot of contact with people, and a lot of new experiences. They should choose careers which provide them with the opportunity to use their great people skills and practical perspective, which will also provide them with enough new challenges that they will not become bored.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

    Possible Career Paths for the ESFP:
    • Artists, Performers and Actors
    • Sales Representatives
    • Counselors / Social Work
    • Child Care
    • Fashion Designers
    • Interior Decorators
    • Consultants
    • Photographers 
    by www.personalitypage.com


    Careers for ESTP Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ESTPs generally have the following traits:
    • Action-oriented
    • Live in the present moment
    • Dislike abstract theory without practical application
    • Like to see immediate results for their efforts
    • Fast-paced and energetic
    • Flexible and adaptable
    • Resourceful
    • Seldom work from a plan - make things up as they go
    • Fun to be around
    • Highly observant
    • Excellent memory for details
    • Excellent people skills
    • Good-natured
    • Excellent ability to see an immediate problem and quickly devise a solution
    • Attracted to adventure and risk
    • May be flashy or showy
    • Like initiating things - not necessarily following them through to completion
    ESTPs have some advantageous traits which are unique to their personality type. Their skills of observation make them extremely good at correctly analyzing and assessing other peoples' motives or perspectives. Their people skills allow them to use this knowledge to their advantage while interacting with people. For this reason, ESTPs are excellent salespeople. They also have a special ability to react quickly and effectively to an immediate need, such as in an emergency or crisis situation. This is a valuable skill in many different professions, perhaps most notably in action-oriented professions, such as police work. ESTPs enjoy new experiences and dealing with people, and dislike being confined in structured or regimented environments. They also want to see an immediate result for their actions, and don't like dealing with a lot of high-level theory where that won't be the case. For these reasons, they should choose careers which involve a lot of interaction with people, and do not require performing a lot of routine, detailed tasks.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.
     
    Possible Career Paths for the ESTP:
    • Sales Representatives
    • Marketing Personnel
    • Police / Detective Work
    • Paramedic / Emergency Medical Technician
    • PC Technicians or Network Cablers
    • Computer Technical Support
    • Entrepreneurs 
    by www.personalitypage.com


    Careers for ISTP Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ISTPs generally have the following traits:
    • Interested in how and why things work
    • Do not function well in regimented, structured environments; they will either feel stifled or become intensely bored
    • Constantly gather facts about their environment and store them away
    • Have an excellent ability to apply logic and reason to their immense store of facts to solve problems or discover how things work
    • Learn best "hands-on"
    • Usually able to master theory and abstract thinking, but don't particularly like dealing with it unless they see a practical application
    • Action-oriented "doers"
    • Focused on living in the present, rather than the future
    • Love variety and new experiences
    • Highly practical and realistic
    • Excellent "trouble-shooters", able to quickly find solutions to a wide variety of practical problems
    • Results-oriented; they like to see immediate results for their efforts
    • Usually laid-back and easy-going with people
    • Risk-takers who thrive on action
    • Independent and determined - usually dislike committing themselves
    • Usually quite self-confident
    The ISTP is fortunate because they have the abilities to be good at many different kinds of tasks. Their introverted and thinking preferences give them the ability to concentrate and work through problems which leaves many doors open to them. However, to be happiest, the ISTP needs to lead a lifestyle which offers a great deal of autonomy and does not include much external enforcement of structure. ISTPs will do best working for themselves, or working in very flexible environments. Their natural interests lie towards applying their excellent reasoning skills against known facts and data to discover underlying structure, or solutions to practical questions.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

    Possible Career Paths for the ISTP:
    • Police and Detective Work
    • Forensic Pathologists
    • Computer Programmers, System Analysts and Computer Specialists
    • Engineers
    • Carpenters
    • Mechanics
    • Pilots, Drivers, Motorcyclists
    • Athletes
    • Entrepreneurs 
    by www.personalitypage.com

     

    Careers for ESFJ Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ESFJs generally have the following traits:
    • Organized
    • Loyal
    • Can be depended on to follow things through to completion
    • Enjoy creating order, structure and schedules
    • Enjoy interacting with people
    • Warm-hearted and sympathetic
    • Tend to put others' needs above their own
    • Very good at giving practical care
    • Very cooperative, good team members
    • Practical and down-to-earth
    • Value peaceful living and security
    • Enjoy variety, but work well with routine tasks
    • Need approval from others
    • Receive satisfaction from giving to others
    • Live in the here and now - dislike theorizing about the future
    The ESFJ has two primary traits which will help define their best career direction: 1) they are extremely organized and enjoy creating order, and 2) much of their self-satisfaction is gotten through giving and helping others. Accordingly, they will do well at tasks which involve creating or maintaining order and structure, and they will be happiest when they are serving others.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

    Possible Career Paths for the ESFJ:
    • Home Economics
    • Nursing
    • Teaching
    • Administrators
    • Child Care
    • Family Practice Physician
    • Clergy or other religious work
    • Office Managers
    • Counselors / Social Work
    • Bookkeeping / Accounting
    • Administrative Assistants
    by www.personalitypage.com
     

    Careers for ESTJ Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ESTJs generally have the following traits:
    • Natural leaders - they like to be in charge
    • Value security and tradition
    • Loyal
    • Hard-working and dependable
    • Athletic and wholesome
    • Have a clear set of standards and beliefs which they live by
    • No patience with incompetence or inefficiency
    • Excellent organizational abilities
    • Enjoy creating order and structure
    • Very thorough
    • Will follow projects through to completion
    • Straight-forward and honest
    • Driven to fulfill their duties
    ESTJs have a lot of flexibility in the types of careers that they choose. They are good at a lot of different things, because they put forth a tremendous amount of effort towards doing things the right way. They will be happiest in leadership positions, however, because they have a natural drive to be in charge. They are best suited for jobs which require creating order and structure.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed. 

    Possible Career Paths for the ESTJ:
    • Military leaders
    • Business Administrators and Managers
    • Police / Detective work
    • Judges
    • Financial Officers
    • Teachers
    • Sales Representatives 
    by www.personalitypage.com

     

    Careers for ISTJ Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding.
    ISTJs generally have the following traits:
    • Value tradition, security, and peaceful living
    • Will work long and hard to fulfill duties
    • Can be depended on to follow through on tasks
    • Loyal and faithful
    • Stable, practical and down-to-earth
    • Family-minded
    • Dislike doing things which don't make sense to them
    • Dislike abstract theory, unless they see the practical application
    • Natural leaders
    • Prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when necessary
    • Extremely observant, they take in facts via their senses and store them internally
    • Vast, rich inner store of facts which they rely on to understand problems which they encounter in their lives
    • Profound respect for facts and concrete information
    • Make decisions objectively, applying logic and rational thinking
    • Dislike change, unless they are shown it's benefit in a concrete way
    • Have strong opinions about the way things should be done
    • Appreciate structured, orderly environments
    • Have very high standards for their own behavior and the behavior of others
    • Not naturally in-tune with other people's feelings
    • Able to accomplish almost anything if they put their minds to it
    • Community minded "good citizens"
    ISTJs have one character trait which puts them at a definite advantage in terms of career success - Perserverance. An ISTJ can do almost anything that they have decided to do. However, there are areas in which they will function more happily and naturally. An ISTJ will do best in a career in which they can use their excellent organizational skills and their powers of concentration to create order and structure. ISTJs seem to fit extremely well into the Management and Executive layer of the corporate business world.

    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.
    Possible Career Paths for the ISTJ:
    • Business Executives, Administrators and Managers
    • Accountants and Financial Officers
    • Police and Detectives
    • Judges
    • Lawyers
    • Medical Doctors / Dentists
    • Computer Programmers, Systems Analysts, and Computer Specialists
    • Military Leaders
    by www.personalitypage.com

     

    Careers for ISFJ Personality Types


    Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding. 

    ISFJs generally have the following traits:
    • Large, rich inner store of information which they gather about people
    • Highly observant and aware of people's feelings and reactions
    • Excellent memory for details which are important to them
    • Very in-tune with their surroundings - excellent sense of space and function
    • Can be depended on to follow things through to completion
    • Will work long and hard to see that jobs get done
    • Stable, practical, down-to-earth - they dislike working with theory and abstract thought
    • Dislike doing things which don't make sense to them
    • Value security, tradition, and peaceful living
    • Service-oriented: focused on what people need and want
    • Kind and considerate
    • Likely to put others' needs above their own
    • Learn best with hands-on training
    • Enjoy creating structure and order
    • Take their responsibilities seriously
    • Extremely uncomfortable with conflict and confrontation
    ISFJs have two basic traits which help define their best career direction: 1) they are extremely interested and in-tune with how other people are feeling, and 2) they enjoy creating structure and order, and are extremely good at it. Ideally, the ISFJ will choose a career in which they can use their exceptional people-observation skills to determine what people want or need, and then use their excellent organizational abilities to create a structured plan or environment for achieving what people want. Their excellent sense of space and function combined with their awareness of aesthetic quality also gives them quite special abilities in the more practical artistic endeavors, such as interior decorating and clothes design.
    The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.
      
    Possible Career Paths for the ISFJ:
    • Interior Decorators
    • Designers
    • Nurses
    • Administrators and Managers
    • Administrative Assistants
    • Child Care / Early Childhood Development
    • Social Work / Counselors
    • Paralegals
    • Clergy / Religious Workers
    • Office Managers
    • Shopkeepers
    • Bookkeepers
    • Home Economics 
    by www.personalitypage.com


    Common Careers for Personality Types

    Research has shown that many of the different Personality Types tend to have distinct preferences in their choice of careers. We have incorporated observations of each type's character traits which affect career choice along with some suggestions for possible directions. We have also included lists of actual careers which the various types have chosen in their lives.

    This material is provided for your reference, and is intended to be an informational guide. It does not comprise a complete analysis of ideal careers for individuals, and does not guarantee success or failure at any occupation. As we know, individuals vary greatly. However, we certainly encourage personal self-knowledge and research in your quest to live up to your fullest, and for this reason we provide you with this information. For a complete and personal evaluation of career possibilities, you should speak with a career guidance counsellor.
    • ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers
    • ESTJ - The Guardians
    • ISFJ - The Nurturers
    • ESFJ - The Caregivers
    • ISTP - The Mechanics
    • ESTP - The Doers
    • ESFP - The Performers
    • ISFP - The Artists
    • ENTJ - The Executives
    • INTJ - The Scientists
    • ENTP - The Visionaries
    • INTP - The Thinkers
    • ENFJ - The Givers
    • INFJ - The Protectors
    • ENFP - The Inspirers
    • INFP - The Idealists
    by www.personalitypage.com