Myer Briggs Personality Test

How Your Personality Type Can Define Your Career

An extrovert, an introvert and your boss walk into a bar. Can you guess which drink each of them will have – or what their ideal job would be, for that matter?

We didn’t come into this world to work our way to retirement, but the professional segment of our lives still takes up a significant share of our life. And if you’re going to spend a good part of your life chained to your work, you might as well try and land a job you truly enjoy doing, and not just waste your days at a gig that pays the bills and does little else.

So how can you pick a career you won’t end up hating from the bottom of your heart in a matter of months? Hail the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), one of the most reliable personality tests, which has been making huge waves among psychology fans for years now.

In case you couldn’t tell, we at Lucid are passionate about body betterment, neuro-enhancement, productivity & focus. To be kept up to date on any other blogs or infographics, add yourself to our community mailing list.

The ABC of Myers-Briggs personality indicators

Though not specifically designed for career testing purposes, MBTI is used by as many as 80% of the Fortune 500 and 89 of Fortune 100 companies to analyze employee personalities in an effort to assign them to positions which will allow them to realize their potentials to the maximum and succeed in the professional race. Using the test, personality types are classified into 16 different categories based on the following traits:

  • Focus on the inner world (i.e. Introversion), or outer world (i.e. Extraversion);
  • Focus on basic information as it’s perceived (i.e. Sensing), or on interpretation and attachment of meaning to perceived information (i.e. Intuition);
  • Preference for emotions (Feeling), or cognition in decision making (Thinking);
  • Preference for analysis (Judging), or openness to information (Perception).

So, how can you use the MBTI personality test to select a career in line with your character?

Both feet firmly planted on the right career path

Here’s a brief overview of the most suitable vocations for each of the 16 personality types based on their behaviour, performance and core values, as measured by the MBTI.

 

Myer Briggs 16 PersonalitiesCourtesy of www.16personalities.com

 

1. ISFJ
Empathetic and warm, ISFJs are born defenders and they excel in healthcare and work with children. Still, due to their well-organised and methodical approach to work, they’ll also do well in lines of work where precision and attention to detail are important, such as bookkeeping.

2. INFJ
Intense, perceptive and creative, INFJs have a gift for languages and symbols, and they can read people with a great deal of accuracy. They crave for meaning and higher purpose in their profession, which is why an average INFJ will do best in medicine, education, arts, military and science.

3. ISTJ
With a tendency for logic, practicality and organisation, ISTJs are logisticians by nature and are great problem-solvers who excel in careers that focus on numbers, facts and data. This makes ISTJs a good fit for fact-focused jobs, such as accounting, engineering, air traffic control, security and systems administration.

4. INTJ
Insightful, logical and innovative, INTJs have an innate flair for conceptual planning, so they can make the most of their skills and big picture thinking as architects, scientists and engineers. On top of that, INTJs are ideally suited for extremely technical professions, like microbiology and robotics.

5. ISTP
Practical, tranquil, efficient and exacting, ISTPs have a flair for troubleshooting and problem-solving, and excel in lines of work which involve state-of-the-art electronics and technology. In addition to that, ISTPs are skilled in outdoor work, so they’ll also make great farmers, ranchers and police officers.

6. ISFP
Observant, kind, loyal and adaptable, ISFPs are adventurers who love to serve others, especially those in need of care and assistance, so they’ll do well as nurses, teachers and coaches. Still, ISFPs will also make fine jewelers because of their exacting nature and appreciation for beauty, arts and detail.

7. INFP
Curious and creative, yet perceptive and gentle, INFPs are idealists with excellent communication skills and will make great writers, musicians, graphic designers, painters and linguists. Dreamers at heart, INFPs will perform best in arts that allow them to express their perception of human nature.

8. INTP
Inquisitive, objective and analytical, INTPs will do well as engineers, architects, scientists and as construction experts. Apart from that, they will also make great professors and educators due to their natural knack for logics, analysis, information breakdown and knowledge transfer.

9. ESFJ
Caring, sensitive and sociable, ESFJs perform best in lines of work that allow them to tend to the needs of others. For this reason, an average ESFJ will make an excellent childcare worker, nurse, ambassador, doctor, teacher, or educator.

10. ENFJ
Charismatic, imaginative, kind and passionate, ENFJs swear by humanitarian values and excel as leaders, which is why they’ll be a perfect fit for jobs which entail support and assistance to those in need. Armed with superb communication skills, ENFJs are protagonists by nature and they’ll make great teachers and counsellors, but imagination and creativity can also earn them a thriving career in the arts.

11. ESTJ
With an inclination for logic, assertive attitude and sharp decision-making skills, ESTJs will excel as supervisors, executives and team leaders in any line of work. ESTJs are result-driven and love corporate environments, which is why they will make a good fit for a range of industries without major difficulties.

12. ENTJ
Logical, meticulous, judicious and hard-working, ENTJs are extremely career-oriented and thrive in the corporate environment. With their strong organisation, planning and time management skills, ENTJs will perform equally well in sports, sciences, law, engineering and arts – for as long as they’re in charge, that is.

13. ESTP
Analytical, smart and armed with limitless energy and strong people skills, an ESTP will make a great entrepreneur, salesman, or military officer. Still, ESTPs like to stray from the beaten track every so often, which is why they will achieve best results if not bound by a rigorous routine.

14. ESFP
Quick-witted, adaptable and caring, ESFPs are constantly on the lookout for games and thrills, what makes them great entertainers and performers. Since they love to be of help, ESFPs will do well in close contact with people and should take up a job in healthcare, food service, hospitality, or catering.

15. ENFP
Insightful, gentle and imaginative, ENFPs’ biggest strengths are great communication skills and service-driven approach to work. For this reason, they will perform well in vocations that involve helping others, such as counselling, campaigning, fitness coaching, or physical therapy, but they can also make fine artists, musicians, dancers, or landscape architects.

16. ENTP
Theoretical, analytical and born problem-solvers, ENTPs will make excellent leaders, debaters and executives, and they will perform with equal ease and efficiency across industries, including arts, sports, business, diplomacy, or the media.

All work and little play can make an average Jack and Jill dull, worn-out and grumpy office dwellers in a matter of weeks – unless they pick a career that’s right up their personality street, that is.

If you want to double-check whether you’ve selected the right job based on your personality type, take the Biggs-Myers test and find out the line of work in which your fortunes untold lie.

In case you couldn’t tell, we at Lucid are passionate about body betterment, neuro-enhancement, productivity & focus. To be kept up to date on any other blogs or infographics, add yourself to our community mailing list.
Hendrik Kruizinga

Hendrik is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Lucid. He avidly pursues great design, experiential products and the a daily dose of betterment.