Katharina Buczek
Nowadays, it might seem obvious that our personality types and career choices are linked. If you tend to be more creative, you might lean toward writing, designing, or interior design. On the flip side, those who think more mechanically may enjoy engineering, architecture, or business management.
Back in the day, though, this relationship was not really explored in the United States. In fact, due to wartime, the Great Depression, and societal pressure to provide for their family, many people just viewed work as a means to an end, a way to keep food on the table that did not necessarily have to line up with individual interests.
Over the decades, though, psychologists have studied how personality types and careers are undoubtedly linked. So, using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)– the world’s leading personality assessment– you can actually figure out what career paths best fit your temperament and which avenues to avoid at all costs.
“The Negotiator” – ESTP
If you are an ESTP, then you are known for being both practical and flexible. You might notice that you require a lot of stimuli to keep you motivated and enjoy doing hands-on work as opposed to dwelling on ideas.
ESTPs thrive in environments where they can wear different hands– requiring a bit of structure and high energy to keep them on the ball.
For this reason, people with an ESTP personality type usually thrive in careers such as marketing, general contracting, sales, litigation, and talent management. In order to save their sanity, though, ESTPs should stay away from strict routines, deadlines, and cubicles.
“The Boss” – ESTJ
If you have ever felt like you are a total Type-A personality, then you may be an ESTJ. These personalities crave control and love to manage, delegate, and coordinate teams in order to reach goals.
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