Career Planning: Personality and Careers: ENFJ

Extravert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging - ENFJs represent approximately 5% of the population. ENFJs actively care about people in an intense manner and they have a strong desire to bring harmony into their relationships. They are empathetic, intuitive, warm, enthusiastic, compassionate, responsible, and idealistic. They have a clear sense of right and wrong and they share this openly with others. They draw conclusions about people they interact with quickly and with certainty and it is difficult for them to change these perceptions, good or bad, once the conclusion has been drawn. They would be best in, and need, a career in which they will work with people and be able to make decisions based on their personal values. A career that makes good use of their organizational skills, breadth of interests, their grasp of possibilities, and their warmth and sympathy, would be an interesting and satisfying choice for ENFJs (1,2,8).

ENFJs are people-focused individuals. They live in the world of people possibilities. More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills. They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others. ENFJ's main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people. They are focused on understanding, supporting, and encouraging others. They make things happen for people, and get their best personal satisfaction from this. They are concerned, caring, congenial, conscientious, curious, diplomatic, nurturing, and energetic individuals (1,2,8).

An ENFJs Career Choice Should Probably Include...

1. A supportive and friendly environment where they work with people they trust and like, and where they feel appreciated for their efforts.
2. The opportunity to work with groups, feel challenged, and be able to meet new people and develop warm, long-term relationships.
3. A career that offers responsibility and the chance to fulfill their humanitarian values.
4. The chance to utilize their curiosity for ideas and think about possibilities and work on creative solutions to problems that will help others or improve the quality of life.
5. Clear expectations from others and a system that recognizes their contributions and lets them grow and develop personally and professionally into leadership roles.
6. The ability to work on many interesting projects, use their great organizational skills, and maintain a high degree of control and responsibility.
7. The opportunity to learn from others through interpersonal interaction.
   

An ENFJs Strengths are...

Because it is so important that other people like them, ENFJs are outgoing, friendly, and genuinely concerned about the welfare of others and they try to handle things with regard for other people's feelings. They tend to be rather idealistic and use their personal values to rule their lives. They are caring, warm, and enthusiastic people, with great energy for projects or causes they believe in (1,2,6).

 

Natural leaders, ENFJs, are usually able to communicate in ways that make others feel excited about their ideas and they are social, popular, and active in a variety of settings. They work hard to develop and maintain harmony in all their relationships. ENFJs are intrigued with new possibilities, especially those that make positive changes, help other people, or generally make the world a better place (1,2,6,8).

 

ENFJs are good at...

• organizing and following through on all parts of a project
• exciting others with my ideas and recruiting them to be part of my team
• communicating and establishing rapport easily and gracefully; they are natural public speakers
• public speaking and leading group discussions of any size or subject; probably less skilled in expressing their ideas and concepts in writing and may need to work on this
• getting things done, being productive, and working hard
• enthusiastically taking on new projects and seeing possibilities for solving problems in fresh ways
• making other people feel important and valued

An ENFJs Weaknesses are...

ENFJs thrive on recognition and appreciation and it is important to them that they feel they are liked. They often talk around issues or are less than direct and honest in an attempt to avoid conflict. ENFJs may sacrifice their own needs and make choices that are not in their own best interests in order to please others. By choosing not to see the facts that contradict their idealistic view of other people, they may end up disappointed and hurt (1,2,8).

 

ENFJs sometimes rush through the information collecting stage, due to their eagerness to have things decided and projects finished, and might make hasty or flawed decisions. It is important for ENFJs to appear capable, organized, and in control at all times and they may hesitate asking for help or admitting they need to start over. Approaching projects with a clearer sense of the logical steps necessary to make them a success will help them avoid making mistakes or committing to causes they might later regret (1,2,8).

 

Things to watch out for...

The ENFJs optimistic outlook toward social relationships is a burden to them at times. When external conflicts affect a group, the ENFJ is likely to assume responsibility. Their ability to empathize then turns into a liability. ENFJs, when over-identifying with the pain of others, will lose sight of their own concerns and interests. Their idealism can also be the cause of some distress when their assumptions are unable to weather the winds of reality. Fantasized relationships rarely translate into reality and even the best charismatic leader encounters unexpected resistance (1,2,7,8).

ENFJs will disassociate themselves from stressful situations in an effort to protect their sense of well-being and togetherness. The ENFJ, however, will repress the unpleasant side of life only to have to face it later in an intensified form when it explodes from its hiding place. It can manifest itself as fits of anger, sudden outbursts, or emotional explosions. Often the ENFJ's body will reflect pent-up stress by manifesting various physical symptoms that will erupt unexpectedly (1,2,7,8). Other concerns to watch for are:

• becoming rigidly narrow in their perceptions when under stress
• making decisions too quickly before gathering all the facts
• becoming excessively critical of self and others when stressed
• taking criticism personally instead of accepting it as a learning experience
• seeing their world in a black-and-white manner
• taking on too many projects at once and feeling overwhelmed
• becoming bored with repetitious tasks and making mistakes
• letting conflicts build rather than being direct and up front
• seeing people as you wish they were, rather than as they really are

Developmental Needs: ENFJs may need to develop an ability to manage conflict in a productive manner. When the facts warrant it, ENFJs need to learn to set aside personal relationships and feelings in order to obtain an objective view. They may need to recognize that people have limitations and that blind loyalty is not always appropriate.

Careers ENFJs Might Consider
Politician	Career Counselor
Novelist	Housing Director
Optometrist	Program Designer
Dental Hygienist	Social Worker
Public Relations Manager	Nonprofit Director
Sales Trainer	Newscaster
Psychologist	Sales Manager
Mental Health Counselor	Executive: Small Business
Holistic Health Advisor	Outplacement Counselor
Clergy/Minister	College Prof.: Humanities
Teacher: Art/Drama/English	Human Resource Trainer
Social Scientist	Physical Therapist
Actor/Actress	Restaurant Worker
Factory Supervisor	Computer Analyst
Construction Worker	Medical Secretary
Coal Miner	Military Officer/Enlistee
Advertising Sales Executive	Entertainer/Musician
Graphics Designer	Marketing Manager
Educational Consultant	Occupational Therapist
Special Education Teacher	Journalist
Recreation Director	Communication Director
Playwright	Optometrist
Fine Artist	Farmer
Recruiter	Police Officer
Preschool Teacher	Probation Officer
Physical Therapist	Steelworker
TV Producer	Alcohol/Drug Counselor
Librarian	Interpreter/Translator
Fundraiser	Travel Agent
Facilitator	Child Welfare Worker
Child Care Worker	Dean of Students
Psychodrama Therapist

Sources:

1. Looking at Type and Careers, by Charles R. Martin, Ph.D., Copyright 1995 by Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT)
2. Looking at Type: The Fundamentals, by Charles R. Martin, Ph.D., Copyright 1997 by Center for Applications of Psychological Type (CAPT)
3. Jedi Girl: Careers and Jobs - The Jedi Girl Internet Community - Concept and Design by Robert Jon Religa
4. Career Manager (US Department of the Interior)
5. The Virtual Office - may no longer be at this URL
6. Hardcopies from an Internet resource based on the Kiersey Bates material - URL unknown/no longer available
7. Personality Types Under Stress
8. The Personality Page

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"What Can I Do With A Major In...?" Personality & Careers

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Ron Vick, MA, LPC
Counselor / Academic Advisor
Int'l Student Advisor