Here’s What Job Satisfaction Means to You, Based on Your Personality Type

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The ENFP – Creativity and Flexibility

Diversity, fun, and flexibility are all things that you crave in a career. Driven by your creative inspiration you see possibilities and potential everywhere that you want to explore. You can be quite determined and motivated when you’re pursuing a project that has personal meaning to you. Jobs that allow you to inspire people, challenge them, or impact them in a positive way attract you. This is why many people of your type are drawn towards careers in the arts, counseling, and teaching.  That said, you don’t want a job that is highly structured or repetitive. You want to juggle several projects at once and work at your own pace and schedule with a lot of freedom to be spontaneous. Ideally, you prefer a career that is done in a friendly, relaxed environment with lots of brainstorming sessions and collaborative opportunities.

Career Suggestions: Artist, Blogger, Special Education Teacher, Counselor, Entrepreneur, Project Manager, Performer, Marketer, Writer, Travel Consultant.

Find out more about ENFPs: A Look at the ENFP Leader

The ENTP – Energy and Innovation

You thrive in a career that is fast-paced, varied, and creative. Being in an energetic environment with an innovative team makes you come alive! You enjoy coming up with creative solutions to problems, improvising, and generating new and innovative ideas and possibilities. More than anything, you don’t want a job that confines you to a rigid routine and a repetitive set of tasks. You want to be able to be spontaneous and react to new information and ideas on the spot, coming up with creative strategies and brainstorming novel approaches. It’s also important for you to be able to increase your professional and personal impact and interact with a wide variety of ambitious, creative people.

Career Suggestions: Entrepreneur, Inventor, Journalist, Producer, Radio/TV Talk Show Host, Internet marketer, Director, Strategic Planner, Politician, Detective, an Investment broker.

The INFP – Integrity and Imagination

Creativity, originality, and integrity are the things that motivate you in a career. It’s essential that what you are doing feels important to you. You want to look back on your life and see a career that meant something to yourself or the world and was not simply a meaningless race to get to your next paycheck. You want to express your vision through your work and you crave time to develop ingenious ideas and creative solutions. A quiet place to work, a friendly, caring environment, and an atmosphere of creativity and vision will make you feel at home.

Career Suggestions: Artist, Writer, Musician, Counselor, Religious Advisor, Social scientist, Arts therapist, Human resources worker, Educational software developer.

Find out more about INFPs: 10 Ways to Spark Your Creativity as an INFP

The INTP – Autonomy and Originality

Independence, ingenuity, and room for creativity are all things that you need in a career. Being able to develop and critique new ideas gives you a rush. You also need plenty of quiet time to complete your thoughts and projects in peace. Busy, highly-structured environments overwhelm you, especially if you have a supervisor looking over your shoulder on a regular basis. Being an idea-person, creating innovative solutions, and interacting with a small group of respected friends allows you to be comfortable. Delegating the nitty-gritty detail work while you work on the bigger plans and concepts is also something you enjoy.

Career Suggestions: Software developer, Strategic planner, Computer animator, Cybersecurity specialist, Microbiologist, Economist, Architect, Intelligence specialist, Mathematician, Astronomer.

Discover more about INTPs: A Look at the INTP Leader

The ENFJ – Inspiration and Teamwork

For you, job satisfaction means getting three things: Variety, Creativity, and Teamwork. You thrive when you are able to develop creative solutions to problems that people face. Whether you’re counseling, inspiring, or comforting, you want your work to benefit others in some way. You also crave exposure to new ideas, challenges, and perspectives. Juggling several projects at once is exciting to you as long as you have a supportive team at your side and a sense of order and control. You want to feel like you’re being a catalyst and improving the world, one person at a time. Regular feedback also helps you to feel reassured that you’re on the right track.

Career Suggestions: Public Relations, Journalist, Life Coach, Guidance Counselor, Teacher, Sociologist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Eco-tourism specialist, Travel consultant.

The ENTJ – Challenge and Intellectual Stimulation

Independence, variety, and creative challenges are all things that inspire you in the workplace. You crave a career that will challenge your mind and intellectual curiosity. Working with complex and difficult problems doesn’t overwhelm you, it excites you! You want to advance your workplace by implementing visionary strategies. Setting and meeting goals, competing with other people or businesses, and taking charge are all things that keep you motivated. You enjoy a career that will introduce you to a variety of people and situations and might even allow you to travel abroad. More than anything, you want the freedom to change things, make systems more effective, and propel a business towards higher output and effectiveness.

Career Suggestions: Executive, Project manager, Stockbroker, Venture capitalist, Business consultant, Attorney, Surgeon, Information and design architect, Entrepreneur, Networking specialist.

The INFJ – Originality and Personal Meaning

As an INFJ you crave a career that is filled with meaning, creativity, and independence. Mundane repetition will stifle your imagination, so working with a variety of ideas and creative projects keeps you excited. A friendly, tension-free environment is also essential – being in highly competitive workplaces can feel overwhelming to you. More than anything, it’s vital that your career line up with your personal values and that you are able to have professional integrity. This is why many people of your type are drawn towards careers in the arts, religion, or psychology. Being able to work creatively to understand or inspire others or create something new is something that fulfills your deeper desires.

Career Suggestions: Psychologist, Religious worker, Playwright, Marketing, Crisis hotline operator, Philanthropic Consultant, Human Resources, Teacher, Life Coach.

Read This Next: 3 Weird and Wonderful Secrets of the INFJ Personality Type

The INTJ – Independence and Creative Control

Autonomy, originality, and creativity are all things that you crave in a career. Whether you’re developing groundbreaking software or writing a screenplay, you want something that challenges your imagination, vision, and strategic nature. Getting a steady stream of new information and ideas helps you to stay inspired, but you also want peace and quiet to focus on one task at a time. You enjoy having a lot of control over your projects and an atmosphere with few interruptions is essential for that. Finishing what you start and then moving onto another challenging project keeps you going. Getting credit for your originality and execution is also important to you – being able to get higher pay for a job well done or being able to compete for rewards entices you.

Career Suggestions: Cybersecurity specialist, Strategic planner, Environmental planner, Scientist, Programmer, Mathematician, Psychologist, Microbiologist, Writer, Developer, Inventor, Architect.

Read This Next: 10 Things That Excite the INTJ Personality Type

The ESFJ – Clarity and Compassion

You crave a job that will allow you to make a real difference in the lives of people and communities. A friendly atmosphere, clear expectations, and a sense of structure help you to feel comfortable and at home. You’re able to do your best work when you know that you’re providing a practical service to people and improving their quality of life. You also feel at your best when you know specifically what’s expected of you, you’re given regular feedback, and you have opportunities to interact with co-workers in an authentic, friendly manner.

Career Suggestions: Teacher, Health care administrator, Athletic coach, Volunteer coordinator, Religious educator, Wilderness adventure leader, Veterinarian, Credit counselor, Travel consultant, Chef.

The ESTJ – Control and Competence

As an ESTJ you value competence, achievement, and personal responsibility. You enjoy having control and stability in your career and enjoy the opportunity to lead others towards a common goal. Knowing that everyone is putting forth their best effort is essential for your happiness. Measured, logical, explicit standards help you to feel more comfortable in your job. A lot of ambiguity and inconsistency will make you stressed and irritable. You want clarity so that you can be as productive as possible, without having to expend a lot of energy on guesswork or dealing with people’s emotional sensitivities.

Career Suggestions: Military officer, Chef, Budget analyst, Lawyer, Administrator, Executive, Budget analyst, Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer, Judge, School principal, Engineer.

The ISFJ – Stability and Personal Meaning

You want a job that allows you to either express compassion or else coincides with your deeply-held interests. As a detail-oriented, meticulous type, you thrive in careers where you’re given your own private space to focus intently on what you’re doing. A lot of noise and commotion will make you stressed and exhausted at the end of the day. That said, working one-on-one with people can be really energizing to you, especially if you’re able to help them improve their life. You may enjoy coaching students who have special needs or you might get a thrill from the quiet, homey nature of a library. Whatever your career, you appreciate having clear objectives and expectations and regular feedback so that you know you’re on the right track.

Career Suggestions: Family physician, Teacher, Optician, Veterinarian, Librarian, Genealogist, Religious educator, Writer, Organic farmer, Floral designer, Artist, Interior decorator, Photographer.

Find out more about ISFJs: The Shadow of the ISFJ Personality Type

The ISTJ – Dependability and Proficiency

Clarity, security, and dependability are all things that you highly value in a career. It’s important for you to feel like you’re working with a team of competent, reliable individuals and that everyone is doing their part effectively. You want instructions and guidelines to be clear, and you want to have privacy and independence to concentrate on your projects. A lot of noise or ambiguity will leave you stressed and exhausted at the end of the day. Having explicit objectives and goals and being given independence to work towards them in your own way is essential. You enjoy organizing, planning, and effectively completing a task on your own without a lot of outside micro-management.

Career Suggestions: Accountant, Auditor, Police detective, Pilot, Treasurer, Budget analyst, Mechanic, Meteorologist, Engineer, Agricultural scientist, Judge, Veterinarian, Surgeon, Medical researcher.

The ESFP – Passion and Variety

You’re someone who likes to make an impact, so a job that harnesses your creativity, passion, and cleverness is ideal. Whether you’re rapidly assessing someone’s injury in an emergency room or acting on stage, you enjoy responding to your environment and dealing with the unexpected. A lot of routine and predictability will make you bored and listless. You also crave a job that lets you work with friends and gives you a variety of new activities. Bonus points if those careers utilize your natural aesthetic sense or realistic point of view.

Career Suggestions: Early childhood educator, Athletic coach, Surgeon, Emergency room nurse, Art therapist, Actor, Animator, Dancer, Photographer, Floral designer, Chef, Environmental scientist.

The ESTP – Action and Spontaneity

Spontaneity, action, and variety are all things that excite you in a career. You want to solve problems on-the-spot and make an immediate improvement in the world around you. Rather than the humdrum 9-5 office job, you crave something that makes use of your tactical abilities. Whether you’re a firefighter or a detective, you enjoy responding to immediate problems without a lot of rules or restrictions. You also need some free time after completing assignments to interact with friends and take a breather. Jobs that introduce you to new experiences and situations excite you! For this reason, opportunities for travel tend are often high on your list.

Career Suggestions: Pilot, Stockbroker, Investigator, Paramedic, Investor, Entrepreneur, Performer, Carpenter, Engineer, Marine biologist, Salesperson, Marketer, Personal Trainer, Professional Athlete.

The ISTP – Flexibility and Competition

Autonomy, challenge, and action are all things that draw you to a particular career. You want a job that lets you apply your understanding of technical knowledge to current problems and dilemmas. You like fixing things and finding resources to create unexpected solutions.  Being able to move around and get outdoors is also a bonus for you because sitting at a desk from 9-5 drains you. Competitions, prizes, and opportunities for travel also tend to get you invigorated and focused. Being able to move, respond to situations as they arise, and be flexible is ideal. Independence is also essential. You want to be able to create plans and come up with solutions without having to worry about a lot of micro-management or rules.

Career Suggestions: Race car driver, Missing persons investigator, Software developer, Computer programmer, Geologist, Paramedic, Coach, Mechanic, Flight engineer, Audiovisual specialist.

The ISFP – Personal Meaning and Growth

As an ISFP the most important aspect of a job is how well it applies to your values and personal goals. You want to feel that you’re working towards something you care deeply about. You enjoy work that requires attention to detail and uses your natural aesthetic sense. Whether you’re creating art, cooking a meal, or designing a computer program, you put a lot of your unique style into what you do. It’s also important for you to do a job that helps you experience inner growth and advancement. You want to feel like you’re learning more about yourself and becoming a better person each day. A quietly cheerful setting is also a bonus.

Career Suggestions: Designer, Chef, Artist, Musician, Entrepreneur, Massage Therapist, Pediatrician, Recreational Therapist, Botanist, Zoologist, Veterinarian, Crisis hotline operator, Athletic Coach.

Find out more about ISFPs: 24 Signs That You’re an ISFP, the Virtuoso Personality Type

Do You Have Any Thoughts?

Let us know about your best and worst career experiences in the comments!

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic, and The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer. You can also connect with me via Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

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