What Type of Career Will Suit You?
What motivates you? What do you find satisfying? What projects do you naturally excel at? What sorts of tasks and activities could you do every day, without getting bored?
These are key questions to ask when searching for a career. Your ideal career will make the most of your strengths, so that your work feels natural and comfortable to you. It will also tap into your core motivations, so that you have a sense that what you do is important and authentic to who you are. It will also suit you in a practical sense, by asking you to work on the sorts of tasks and activities that you naturally enjoy.
These factors are different for every individual. Some people are motivated by money and fame, while others simply want to know they are making the world a better place. Some people like to use their minds in their work. Others prefer to use their hands.
In this report, we'll look at both your personality and interests, so that you get a full picture of the type of career that will make the most of your strengths and bring you satisfaction over the long run. You'll discover what motivates you, what you're naturally best at, and how to match your innate characteristics with a real-world career.
You're a Caring Creator
You are concerned with helping others and making practical contributions to the world around you. For you, work is an opportunity to be of service to the people and organizations that you care about. You are caring and supportive and like to feel that you have been helpful to others.
You are a natural caretaker who tends to see what other people need and step in to offer assistance when you can. You like a sense of camaraderie and cooperation, and want a workplace where everyone works together to get things done.
You appreciate systems and processes that allow you to be efficient and effective in accomplishing useful tasks. You like clear expectations and want to know how your work has helped others in practical ways.
You are drawn to work that allows you to express your unique vision. You want to be an individual and come up with original ideas. You like a lot of freedom in your work so that you can do what inspires you.
The chart below describes your overall approach and core motivations in your work. To read this chart, look at the size of each quadrant. A larger area indicates that a particular style is a better fit for you. Smaller areas indicate that the style is not a very good fit.
Idealistic
Driven to make the world a better place. Creative and imaginative in coming up with insightful solutions to meaningful problems.
Caring
Wants to be of service to others. Prefers to work within established institutions to find ways to maintain stability and security for people.
Analytical
Likes to solve complex, rational problems. Uses analytical skills to come up with innovative ways to improve logical systems.
Pragmatic
Wants to ensure accuracy and efficiency. Enjoys working within structured, logical systems to accomplish realistic goals.
This chart shows broad patterns in how you work, and can give you a handy reminder of what's most important to you in a career. Next, we'll go deeper into the details, to get a more complete understanding of what you bring to your work.
Your Personality Type
Your personality type drives the most fundamental aspects of your motivation and satisfaction at work. Personality is at the core of who we are, and does not easily change. In contrast with your interests, which we will explore later, your personality type stays mostly constant throughout your life, forming the core of what you want, what you enjoy, and what you're good at.
In this section, we'll take an in-depth your personality type profile to understand how you approach your work and what strengths you bring to a career. We'll start with an overview of your personality type, then look at how it drives your needs, motivations, and work style.
You're an ESFP
You are a vivacious entertainer who charms and engages those around you. You are spontaneous, energetic, and fun-loving, and take pleasure in the everything in your environment: food, clothes, nature, animals, and especially people.
The Meaning of Your Type Code
Your four-letter type code is a quick way of describing your preferences on four key dimensions of personality. Each of the letters signifies an important aspect of how you think, make decisions, and navigate the world around you.
This score describes how you manage your energy. As an Extravert, you tend to be energized by being around others. In contrast, Introverts are more energized by being alone.
This score describes how you process information. As a Sensor, you focus on concrete, factual information. In contrast, Intuitives focus on imagination and interpretation.
This score describes how you prioritize values. As a Feeler, you are most concerned with people and their personal needs. In contrast, Thinkers focus on logic and objectivity.
This score describes how you manage your life. As a Perceiver, you prefer to be spontaneous and flexible. In contrast, Judgers prefer to be orderly and organized.
Your Values and Motivations
You live in the moment, enjoying what life has to offer. You are especially tuned into your senses and take pleasure in the sights, sounds, smells, and textures around you. You like to be in the middle of the action and the center of attention. You have a playful, open sense of humor, and like to draw out other people and help them have a good time.
- Enthusiasm
- Realism
- Playfulness
- Empathy
- Encouraging interaction
- Observing facts about people
- Entertaining others
- Experiencing sensory pleasures
You are characteristically fun-loving, but also practical and down-to-earth. You are grounded in reality and are usually keenly aware of the facts and details in your environment, especially as they pertain to people. You are observant of others and their needs, and responsive in offering assistance. You enjoy helping other people, especially in practical, tangible ways.
You are warm and talkative and have a contagious enthusiasm for life. You like to keep busy, filling your life with hobbies, sports, activities, and friends. Because you'd rather live spontaneously than plan ahead, you can become overextended when there are too many exciting things to do. You hate nothing more than missing out on the fun.
How Others See You
You are often the life of the party, entertaining and engaging others with humor and enthusiasm. You notice whether other people are having fun, and do your best to create a good time for all. Typically at home in your physical environment, you may take the lead in getting everyone involved in some active diversion. You are generally friendly and likable, but can be hard to get close to; although you tend to be very open, you are reluctant to be serious or to talk about anything negative.
You are tuned into your senses, and often gravitate towards pleasing colors and textures in your environment. You often carefully choose fabrics and decorations with which to surround yourself. This attention also often translates into your appearance; You may prefer to dress in sensuous fabrics or bright, dazzling colors. You are often up on the latest trends, and like to excite the people around you with new environments and experiences.
- Sharing activities and interests
- Being empathetic and caring
- Making time for your loved ones
- Keeping things fun and lively
You are fun and social, and enjoy keeping the lives of your loved ones fun and active. You value family, and prioritize spending quality time with them above all else. You likely have a large circle of friends, and are always the first to offer to lend a hand or throw a party. Although you are sympathetic and supportive, you usually prefer to move on to the next activity, rather than spend time focusing on difficult issues.
Your Communication Style
You are an enthusiastic, light-hearted communicator. You often love just interacting with people, with no particular goal in mind, and tend to keep conversations fun and full of laughter. You are a good problem-solver when it comes to practical and interpersonal issues, and often draw people in with your positive approach and ability to observe other people’s needs.
- Appreciating fun and liveliness
- Sharing positive feedback
- Developing connections
- Observing feelings and emotions
ESFPs are easy going and effervescent communicators, capable of creating great rapport with their audience. You engage in dialogue easily, perhaps too easily, and often make conversations the main part of your day. Humor, anecdotes and personal stories play a major part in your conversations; take care that your whimsical remarks are not misinterpreted as flippancy or disrespect.
- You communicate easily with a wide range of people
- You excel at presenting information, teaching or facilitating groups
- You easily provide positive feedback, making others feel appreciated
- You have a natural ability to lift the mood and make people laugh
- You are primarily concerned with personal experience and may disengage from the dialogue if it becomes too logical or theoretical
- You may irritate others by jumping from one topic to the next, seemingly at random
- You have a tendency to deflect or avoid serious conversations, especially when feelings may be hurt
- Others may perceive that your lighthearted communication style is unbusinesslike or has no respect for the seriousness of a situation
Your Personality at Work
At work, you want to be hands-on and in the middle of the action. You prefer an active, social work environment where you are free to be spontaneous and have fun, with co-workers who are friendly, laid-back, and enthusiastic.
- Social and collaborative
- Allows flexibility and autonomy
- Focused on practical results
- Attractive aesthetically
- Energetic Entertainer
- Enthusiastic Motivator
- Observant Aesthete
- Responsive Helper
You are pragmatic, realistic, and tuned into the needs of others. You often choose a job that allows you to be of service to people, and where you can see real, tangible results for your efforts. You are talented at solving practical, people-centered problems, and can put this skill to good use in assisting others.
You are keenly tuned into your senses and often have an artistic streak. You may choose careers that engage your sensual nature through food, textiles, art, or music. You often want a career that allows you to move around, and generally prefer a work environment that is aesthetically pleasing.
- Offering the practical viewpoint based on common sense
- Encouraging harmony and cooperation
- Accepting others as they are, even treating them generously
- Bringing energy, enthusiasm and fun
- Providing realistic solutions to problems
- Hands-on work that produces immediate and tangible results
- Communicating with a wide range of people
- Helping others in practical ways
Your Leadership Style
ESFPs are highly energetic and motivated to solve present problems in real and practical ways. These strengths make you a talented and likable "troubleshooting" leader; however, you may struggle with strategic leadership and the setting of long-term goals. Your biggest contribution as leader is the ability to build team support and encourage others to perform. In the long-term, your goal is to build a caring organization known for its friendly culture, productivity and performance.
- Acting swiftly to address crises
- Building relationships
- Encouraging teamwork
- Taking direct action
In leadership positions, you are realistic, encouraging, and enthusiastic. Your strength lies in your ability to energize and motivate a team to address immediate goals and crises. You are keenly observant of the moods and behavior of other people, and typically use this perceptive ability to connect with your employees and provide them with what they need to succeed.
- You use your clear enjoyment of life to motivate others
- You foster an energetic, "can-do" environment that encourages participation
- You provide a moderating perspective when situations become stressful
- You are quick to spot the frustrations and feelings of others, providing support when it is needed
- You use your large network of contacts to find the right people for the job
- You establish friendships, then use your popularity and interpersonal skills to make things happen
- You are not interested in controlling people, preferring to give employees the flexibility and freedom to do things their own way
- You go out of your way to accommodate the needs of others
Your Teamwork Style
You are a fun-loving team member who brings a sense of humor to the process. You simply love socializing with people, and typically see teamwork as a chance to interact and engage in a lighthearted way. You may not seem particularly driven or task-oriented to your teammates, but you keep an eye out for the needs of others, and offer assistance and support in a practical, down-to-earth way.
- Providing practical support
- Engaging socially
- Fostering connections
- Inspiring positivity
ESFPs were born to work in teams and gain considerable energy from the group dynamic. Your practical troubleshooting skills and cheery disposition make you a reliable and entertaining team player who motivates people to get up and moving with projects. You love to socialize and can usually be relied upon to incorporate fun, spontaneity and laughter into the workplace. This may not please everyone, however, since some people will be overwhelmed by your endless diversions and distractions.
- Making sure all relevant facts have been identified and presented
- Seeing other people's viewpoints
- Adding a sense of humor and optimism to team meetings
- Organizing the team's social calendar
- Appreciating everyone's contribution and celebrating everyday success
- Interrupting people's routines whenever you feel the urge to discuss something
- Seeking immediate gratification and avoiding tasks that provide only future payoff
- Allowing yourself to be pulled in many directions so that you are unable to complete your tasks
- Being overly sensitive to feedback from others, since you live in the moment and are not usually prone to self-reflection
Your Career Interests
Your personality type is an important part of your career discovery process, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. In addition to understanding what drives you and where your natural strengths lie, it is also crucial to understand the daily tasks and activities typically required by a job and how these match up with what you like to do. While it may seem simplistic, many people find that they like the idea of a career but don't enjoy the actual day-to-day work. To choose a job that you'll truly enjoy doing, it's important to take a detailed look at your interests and how these match up with potential careers.
This section shows your top career interest areas. There are 6 total interest areas, each with its own set of typical work tasks, roles, and values. Some of these interest areas will appeal to you, while others will be less attractive. Choosing a career which is a good match for your interest profile ensures that you enjoy your daily work and get fulfillment out of your accomplishments.
The Six Interest Areas
Each of the six interest areas describes a cluster of related work tasks and activities. People who are drawn to each of these interest areas tend to have certain characteristics, preferences, and traits in common.
Building
Building jobs involve the use of tools, machines, or physical skill. Builders like working with their hands and bodies, working with plants and animals, and working outdoors.
Thinking
Thinking jobs involve theory, research, and intellectual inquiry. Thinkers like working with ideas and concepts, and enjoy science, technology, and academia.
Creating
Creating jobs involve art, design, language, and self-expression. Creators like working in unstructured environments and producing something unique.
Helping
Helping jobs involve assisting, teaching, coaching, and serving other people. Helpers like working in cooperative environments to improve the lives of others.
Persuading
Persuading jobs involve leading, motivating, and influencing others. Persuaders like working in positions of power to make decisions and carry out projects.
Organizing
Organizing jobs involve managing data, information, and processes. Organizers like to work in structured environments to complete tasks with precision and accuracy.
Your Top Interests
Your top interest area is Creating, which indicates that your primary drive is to use your creative talents and express yourself artistically through your work. You have a strong aesthetic sense and seek work that allows you to connect with experiences that stimulate the senses. You enjoy art, music, drama, dance, architecture, and literature, and seek work that exposes you to various art forms and allows you to communicate your own vision among them.
Top Job Tasks
- Creating Art
- Writing
- Interpreting
- Designing
- Expressing Ideas
Your Core Values
- Individuality
- Creativity
- Originality
- Freedom
- Flexibility
Sample Career Fields
- Fine & Craft Arts
- Performing Arts
- Design
- Writing, PR, & Communications
- Film & Media
Because you are a Creator, you will seek a career that allows you a great deal of freedom to express yourself. You want to imagine, envision, experiment, and create. You want to develop your own unique point of view and see it manifest in your chosen field.
Creators tend to be idealistic, artistic people who are drawn to cultural experiences. They often have many artistic interests and seek out novel forms of expression, from modern art museums to experimental dance. They tend to be unconventional and interested in the offbeat and unusual.
Creators like their work best when they can be free of rules and regulations, and follow their inspiration to create something original. As a Creator, your primary career goal will be to decide on the best outlet for your artistic talent and creative expression, and then to create a plan for channeling your inspiration into a profitable career.
Your secondary interest area is Building, indicating that you will be interested in physical work that uses your hands and body and gives you a tangible result for your efforts. You may be drawn to work with tools, machines, plants, or animals. You may find that it is important to you to be physically active during the day, and you may want a career that takes you outdoors. You value tasks that have a practical benefit.
To satisfy your interest in Building, look for a career that allows you to use and hone your hands-on skills. You may enjoy learning to construct, craft, repair, maintain, or tinker. You will be interested in creating practical things and fixing essential systems.
Your Career Matches
Now that we've looked at both your personality type and your interests, let's look at how your profile matches up with possible careers. In this section, we'll show you the top careers that match your personality type and interests profile. There are a few things to keep in mind as you read over these career suggestions:
1. These career titles are just a starting point. The careers listed here are among the most commonly found in the labor market and are careers that many people will recognize, like lawyer or physician. However, many people have jobs that don't exactly fit any of the descriptions listed here. You might end up with a job that combines several of these typical roles. You might have a job that's specific to one company or industry. Or you might invent a new career altogether! In short, do not limit your imagination to the jobs listed here. These are a representative sample of jobs that fit your personality, but they do not cover every possibility or opportunity that you will come across in your career path.
2. Your individuality is key. The careers in this section are listed generally by how well they fit your profile. However, you should not assume that the first career on the list is the best career for you, that the second career listed is the second-best, and so on. You may find careers that spark your interest anywhere on this list. You may also see several careers that do not interest you at all. This is normal and does not mean that your results are not accurate! Everyone is unique, and even someone with an identical profile to yours will have different inclinations, passions, and preferences. So while this assessment can point you in the right general direction and give you some good ideas to get started, the ultimate choice of your best career will be up to you.
3. Ultimately, the choice is yours. Because no assessment can tell you exactly which career will be perfect for you, the best way to think of this list is as a starting point for your career research. You can use this list to get ideas of careers that may suit you, but you'll still need to read more about each career that interests you, do real-world research (like interviewing or shadowing people in the field), and evaluate each career according to your own personal criteria. We'll discuss this in more detail later in your report, but for now, just read over this list with an open mind. See if any career ideas stand out as particularly interesting, and which seem worthy of further inspection.
With that in mind, let's look at some careers!
The following list shows the careers that best match your personality type and interests. For more information about any career, click the Read More link on the bottom right of the career listing. This will open a new window with a full description of that career.
Making the Most of Your Strengths
If you're like most people, you've wondered what you're really capable of in your career. Maybe you've questioned whether you're smart enough, or motivated enough, to pursue a particular path. While there are no guarantees, choosing a path that suits your natural gifts is without a doubt the best way to maximize your chances of success. When you are not trying to be someone you are not—and instead, using the talents that come naturally to you—you are much more likely to do well in your career (and enjoy yourself in the process!).
Let's look now at some of the ways you can make the most of your strengths and minimize your potential blind spots.
Becoming Your Best
At your best, you are passionate and active, and enjoy engaging with others. You prefer taking direct, hands-on action, when you identify a problem. You typically jump into projects and activities with enthusiasm, knowing that you'll figure things out as you go. You are focused on enjoying life, and look for opportunities to help improve the lives of those around you.
To perform at your best, look for opportunities in organizations that value energy and collaboration. You enjoy working with a team, and enjoy socializing and connecting on both personal and professional levels. You are most productive when you are not micromanaged; you need flexibility and the freedom to express yourself in order to thrive.
Opportunities for Excellence
- Choose roles that allow you to interact with others in an official capacity. Your ability to connect easily will give people a positive image of your organization.
- Look for a cooperative and social work environment. Your ability to empathize with others will help you to bring people together.
- Focus on practical implications of a course of action. You excel at understanding the direct and immediate repercussions of a plan that are often overlooked.
- Look for ways to demonstrate your willingness to help. You are happiest when you are being of service, so make sure people know they can turn to you.
Potential Pitfalls
- Take care to respect other people's need for privacy and quiet time. Not everyone is as energetic and social as you are, so make sure to recognize when you might be a distraction.
- Watch out for your love of socializing. You have a tendency to focus on fun before work, which could cause you to fall behind schedule.
- Avoid organizations that do not have a sense of fun and cooperation. You are too lively and social to be happy in an overly serious and formal environment.
- Don't be afraid to make hard decisions. You want to please everyone, but there are times when it simply isn't possible.
Your Personal Strengths
Your ideal career will allow you to regularly utilize these natural strengths. If there is a strength listed here that you are not sure describes you very well, then look for ways to develop in that area. You may find you are much more effective when you are using all of your natural strengths to their fullest potential.
Action
Sympathy
Practicality
Generosity
Choosing the Right Career for You
Now that you’ve reviewed some possible careers, you may be wondering where to go next. Perhaps your list of suggested careers seems overwhelming and confusing. Perhaps you saw some career ideas that sounded interesting, but you’re not sure how to proceed, or how to decide which is really best for you.
Before you begin researching careers, use this report as a starting point to build a sort of "wish list" for your new career. You don’t need to know exactly which career is right for you, but you do need to know what you are looking for. Re-read your report, and take notes on the parts that seem most important to you. Take note of what you want and need in a new career. Equally, take note of any aspects of a career that you want to avoid.
The following are some suggestions based on your profile, which you can add to or edit to create your personal career wish list.
Signs a Career is Right for You
- You are able to be useful to other people and to help them in practical ways
- You have the opportunity to work in a supportive environment where people care for each other
- You are able to use your skills and experience to assist others
- You can clearly see the tangible results of your efforts on a regular basis
- You have the opportunity to practice useful skills to the point of mastery
Signs a Career is Wrong for You
- You work mostly with ideas, objects, or data, with little personal connection
- You are constantly asked to change direction or learn new methods
- There is little interest in relationships and the people around you focus only on the task at hand
- You work with people who take advantage of your good nature to overburden you or disregard your needs
- There is a lack of clear expectations and you are unsure how to succeed
Key Questions to Ask About Potential Careers
- Will this career allow me to feel that I am make a real, positive impact in the lives of others?
- Will this career allow me to work cooperatively with people who share my values?
- Will this career let me use my experience and skills to help others in practical ways?
- Will I able able to work steadily toward a feeling of mastery in this career?
- Will this career allow me to come up with my own unique and original way of doing things?
- Will this career allow me to be authentic and true to myself on the job?
- Does this career take advantage of my creative talents?
- Will this career put me in environments which are aesthetically pleasing and stimulating to the senses?
Once you've used your report to create your personal list of what you are looking for in a career, use this list as your guide as you begin researching careers.
When you're ready, revisit your list of careers and pick out the ones that sound most appealing. Click on the "Read more" link next to each of these careers to learn more about them. Think about whether each career seems to meet your criteria. For those that do, or ones where you are not sure, you will want to do further research by searching the job title online, looking for magazines or trade journals that are focused on the industry, and/or interviewing people in your desired occupation or field.
At each step of the research process, keep your priorities clear. Do not be distracted by what other people say is a "good" career or a career to avoid. Remember, everyone wants something different out of their career, and your only question is whether a job will be good for you. If you find yourself becoming unsure, come back to this report to refocus on what's most important to you.
You have plenty of work ahead of you to find your ideal career, but you should now feel well prepared to get started. The very best of luck to you in your search!
