The Worst Career Advice for Each Personality Type

When my sister was in high school, she had a meeting with her school career counselor. My sister explained that she wanted a job where she could travel to new places and see the world. Their advice? Become a taxi driver.

In the spirit of clumsy career advice, we’ve compiled a list of the top worst snippets of career advice for every personality type that you definitely should not follow. If you’re looking for genuine career advice, you’ve come to the wrong place—this is strictly for fun!

ESTJ (traditional types)

Advice: Your job is to make your boss look good. Do everything they say and don’t ask questions. Even if you don’t agree with it.

Reality: Your boss isn’t always right, no matter what people may tell you. Just because you respect authority doesn't mean you should follow them blindly just because they hold a more senior position in your company. For ESTJs, it could end up hurting your career in the long run.

ENTJ (ambitious types)

Advice: Avoid any job that challenges you too much. Don’t overstretch yourself, the benefits are not worth the stress.

Reality: As one of the most ambitious personality types, ENTJs need a role that will challenge them, not a lazy girl job that will bore them to tears! It might not be the most stress-free option, but pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is essential for personal and career growth. Just because a high pressure job isn’t right for some people, it doesn’t mean it’s not right for you.

ESFJ (provider types)

Advice: Be more ruthless. You have to step on other people to get to the top. You’ll never be successful if you care about others.

Reality: As an ESFJ, you’re more likely to get further in your career by nurturing relationships and building connections rather than burning bridges. This ultra-aggressive outlook on work and business rarely works long-term—and it will not make you happy.

ENFJ (mentor types)

Advice: Emotion in the workplace is inappropriate. You should never show your emotions or vulnerabilities in front of your co-workers. It’s unprofessional and makes you look weak.

Reality: Don’t be afraid to be your true self at work. In the right work environment, your ENJF personality will be valued rather than dismissed. You’re not a robot and you shouldn’t try to be.

ISTJ (systematic types)

Advice: Ignore all established processes and systems at work. Companies value innovators. Ask for forgiveness not permission.

Reality: Creativity is a great thing at work, but that doesn’t mean you should completely do away with what’s come before. Sometimes systems are there for a reason and you, ISTJ, are great at following them. Remember that your attention to detail is a super power, so use it wisely.

ISFJ (loyal types)

Advice: Career stability is overrated. You should jump ship every few months to keep things interesting.

Reality: Constantly moving jobs can hurt your professional development, ISFJ, leading you to miss out on opportunities to grow and progress in one company. If you’re feeling happy and fulfilled in your current job, there’s no rush for you to leave. Stability is important to you, so don’t throw it away for no reason.

INTJ (problem-solvers)

Advice: Investing in professional development is a waste of money.

Reality: If you want to take steps forward in your career, investing in professional development can be really beneficial, especially if you’re the type of person who’s always hungry for new knowledge and ideas (looking at you INTJs).

INFJ (nurturing types)

Advice: Don’t try to get close with your co-workers. Your job will be easier if you remain detached.

Reality: As an INFJ, you're naturally caring and you have a talent for helping other people realize their true potential. If you can build connections with your colleagues at work, you’re more likely to enjoy your job and could have a positive impact on the people around you. Don’t shy away from your interests, values and strengths at work.

ESTP (thrill-seekers)

Advice: Don’t take any risks in your career. It’s a bad idea to make a big leap if it means losing the security of your current job.

Reality: Making a career change can be scary but if you’re not feeling satisfied with your current role or employer, it might be the right thing to do. And the risk could pay off. You won’t know unless you try, will you, ESTP?

ESFP (social butterflies)

Advice: Don’t waste time networking with other people. Focus on your tasks and forget about making connections.

Reality: Networking can be hugely beneficial, especially if you’re an ESFP who finds connecting with other people easy and fun. Building a network in your industry can help your career and open up new opportunities for your current company (even if they can’t see it yet). 

ENTP (curious types) 

Advice: Forget about performance reviews. Never ask for feedback. You don’t need to understand what’s happening and why. Just do your job.

Reality: Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. It’s one of the most effective ways to learn and improve in your career, especially if you’re an ENTP who’s always seeking new ideas and opinions.

ENFP (people-centered types)

Advice: Teamwork is inefficient. Adopting a silo mentality is the best way to work effectively within teams.

Reality: Collaboration is essential to encourage creativity and help employees feel connected. If you’re an ENFP, it’s even more important to lean into this side of your personality to help you feel interested, engaged and able to do your best work.

ISTP (troubleshooters)

Advice: Never admit you don’t know something. It makes you look bad. Pretend you know everything and don’t ask dumb questions.

Reality: Admitting when you don’t know something can be a huge strength at work, aiding discussions and helping other people on the team who might also be in the dark. It’s only by asking questions and being curious that you can grow and develop your natural ISTP problem-solving abilities, so don’t be afraid to speak up.

ISFP (spontaneous types)

Advice: Don’t waste your time looking for a flexible job. There’s no such thing as work-life balance. That’s just the reality of being an adult.

Reality: There are more opportunities than ever before to have flexibility and balance in your career. If this is something that’s important to you – and if you’re an ISFP it probably is – make it a priority in your job search.

INTP (trailblazers)

Advice: Stick to your assigned tasks and don’t ask questions. Only do exactly what you’ve been told to do at all times. Don’t try to innovate, understand or interrogate. 

Reality: As an INTP, you work best when you’re able to be creative and inventive. Some people in the workplace might feel threatened by this aspect of your personality, but it could actually be your biggest strength.

INFP (authentic types)

Advice: Fake it til you make it. 

Reality: Be yourself, INFP. Please. For everyone’s sake.

Want some better advice?

Choosing a career can be tough. And this career advice won’t help to make it any easier. We’ve pulled together some of the worst advice around that people say and believe too often. Please don’t follow it. We beg you.

If you’re looking for a genuinely helpful resource (that’s not sarcastic in any way), check out the Career Personality Profiler Test. This will help you understand what careers align with your personality and values, and understand what you need to be happy and perform at your best, so you can make informed decisions about your professional future. And hey, that’s some good advice right there.