MBTI Careers - Be and Do What You Are

BRIEF OVERVIEW from e-mbti

ENFPs are open-minded, imaginative, caring and outgoing. They thrive on the drama of life by observing everything enthusiastically and associating meaning and human motive with all they survey. To the ENFP, no life event is devoid of significance–a belief which may justify others’ perception of them as hyperalert, oversensitive and even suspicious at times. Charming, interactive, charismatic, communicative and ingenious, ENFPs often are expansive in their approach to life, love and work–multitalented individuals who may succeed in a number of creative endeavors, so long as a strong human element is present. “Do this, do that!” jobs demanding strict compliance with rules, regulations and procedures, and attention to logic, facts and details are stressful for most ENFPs. Their characteristically short attention span and diversity of interests may sabotage their accomplishment in enterprises demanding tenacity and single-mindedness. This type’s natural gift for inspiring others often is their salvation: the projects ENFPs start may be completed by their followers.

As an ENFP, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in primarily via your intuition. Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit in with your personal value system.

ENFPs are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it.

ENFPs have an unusually broad range of skills and talents. They are good at most things which interest them. Project-oriented, they may go through several different careers during their lifetime. To onlookers, the ENFP may seem directionless and without purpose, but ENFPs are actually quite consistent, in that they have a strong sense of values which they live with throughout their lives. Everything that they do must be in line with their values. An ENFP needs to feel that they are living their lives as their true Self, walking in step with what they believe is right. They see meaning in everything, and are on a continuous quest to adapt their lives and values to achieve inner peace. They’re constantly aware and somewhat fearful of losing touch with themselves. Since emotional excitement is usually an important part of the ENFP’s life, and because they are focused on keeping “centered”, the ENFP is usually an intense individual, with highly evolved values.

An ENFP needs to focus on following through with their projects. This can be a problem area for some of these individuals. Unlike other Extraverted types, ENFPs need time alone to center themselves, and make sure they are moving in a direction which is in sync with their values. ENFPs who remain centered will usually be quite successful at their endeavors. Others may fall into the habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving.

Most ENFPs have great people skills. They are genuinely warm and interested in people, and place great importance on their inter-personal relationships. ENFPs almost always have a strong need to be liked. Sometimes, especially at a younger age, an ENFP will tend to be “gushy” and insincere, and generally “overdo” in an effort to win acceptance. However, once an ENFP has learned to balance their need to be true to themselves with their need for acceptance, they excel at bringing out the best in others, and are typically well-liked. They have an exceptional ability to intuitively understand a person after a very short period of time, and use their intuition and flexibility to relate to others on their own level.

Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery. They place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks, and will frequently remain oblivous to these types of concerns. When they do have to perform these tasks, they do not enjoy themselves. This is a challenging area of life for most ENFPs, and can be frustrating for ENFP’s family members.

An ENFP who has “gone wrong” may be quite manipulative - and very good it. The gift of gab which they are blessed with makes it naturally easy for them to get what they want. Most ENFPs will not abuse their abilities, because that would not jive with their value systems.

ENFPs sometimes make serious errors in judgment. They have an amazing ability to intuitively perceive the truth about a person or situation, but when they apply judgment to their perception, they may jump to the wrong conclusions.

ENFPs who have not learned to follow through may have a difficult time remaining happy in marital relationships. Always seeing the possibilities of what could be, they may become bored with what actually is. The strong sense of values will keep many ENFPs dedicated to their relationships. However, ENFPs like a little excitement in their lives, and are best matched with individuals who are comfortable with change and new experiences.

Having an ENFP parent can be a fun-filled experience, but may be stressful at times for children with strong Sensing or Judging tendancies. Such children may see the ENFP parent as inconsistent and difficult to understand, as the children are pulled along in the whirlwind life of the ENFP. Sometimes the ENFP will want to be their child’s best friend, and at other times they will play the parental authoritarian. But ENFPs are always consistent in their value systems, which they will impress on their children above all else, along with a basic joy of living.

ENFPs are basically happy people. They may become unhappy when they are confined to strict schedules or mundane tasks. Consequently, ENFPs work best in situations where they have a lot of flexibility, and where they can work with people and ideas. Many go into business for themselves. They have the ability to be quite productive with little supervision, as long as they are excited about what they’re doing.

Because they are so alert and sensitive, constantly scanning their environments, ENFPs often suffer from muscle tension. They have a strong need to be independent, and resist being controlled or labelled. They need to maintain control over themselves, but they do not believe in controlling others. Their dislike of dependence and suppression extends to others as well as to themselves.

ENFPs are charming, ingenuous, risk-taking, sensitive, people-oriented individuals with capabilities ranging across a broad spectrum. They have many gifts which they will use to fulfill themselves and those near them, if they are able to remain centered and master the ability of following through.

ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental.

ENFP Profile [from ENFP Personality Types] 

ENFPs direct their energy towards the outer world of actions and spoken words. They seek to develop new potential, explore new possibilities and create new situations that yield the expectation of something better. They often enjoy work that involves experimentation and variety.

The Dominant function is the perceptive one of iNtuition. Characteristics associated with this function include:

• Likes looking at information from a global viewpoint, spotting patterns and relationships, that lead to an understanding of the key issues
• Focuses more on possibilities for the future than the here-and-now
• Enjoys change, challenge, and variety

The perceptive iNtuition function is extraverted. That is, iNtuition is used primarily to govern the outer world of actions and spoken words. The ENFP will therefore:

• Try ideas out, to explore new possibilities and discover, by experience, which ones work
• Change procedures to see if any improvement can be made, rather than just operate them
• Be interested in evolutionary development, but with an eye on the strategy.
• Be more interested in exploring ideas than bringing them to closure

The iNtuition function is primarily supported by introverted Feeling judgement, That is, Feeling judgement is used primarily to manage the inner world of thoughts and emotions. This will modify the way that the iNtuition is directed, by:

• focusing the (outer world) iNtuition on ideas and possibilities that relate to people
• inwardly appreciating the contributions of others, though not expressing it that often.
• internally rejecting any options that clearly conflict with the ENFP’s values - though the rejection might not be expressed or seen to others

The classic temperament of an ENFP is Apollonian, or Choleric, for whom a basic driving force is the search for meaning or purpose.

Contributions to the team of an ENFP

In a team environment, the ENFP can contribute by:

• acting as a catalyst for change, and encouraging the team to change together
• focusing on areas of agreement and building on others’ proposals
• where there are areas of disagreement, exploring a wide range of options to see if a point of agreement can be found.
• contributing creative ideas, particularly those involving people
• including others in the process of developing ideas and vision, and being very accepting of contributions, even of varying quality
• generating team spirit though the ENFP’s own energy and enthusiasm

The potential ways in which an ENFP can irritate others include:

• losing sight of the main purpose of the discussion and going off at tangents
• initiating too many projects, and not being able to deliver on all of them
• talking too much
• introducing too much change, and not leaving well-established, workable routines alone.
• making errors of fact
• wanting to pursue ideas without fully thinking through the consequences in, say, cost terms

Personal Growth

As with all types, the ENFP can achieve personal growth by developing all functions that are not fully developed, through actions such as:

• being selective about starting projects, and producing plans to help identify which ones can be delivered
• pausing and thinking, and recognising that others will accept the ENFP and his/her ideas more if given sufficient time to make their own contribution
• being more accepting of existing routines that work well
• investigating the facts, and documenting them, before interpreting what they mean
• listing options and undertaking a formal process of evaluation against criteria, including a cost benefit analysis
• changing his/her vision to fit more closely with what is possible
• expressing the appreciation that is felt towards others

Recognising Stress

As stress increases, ‘learned behaviour’ tends to give way to the natural style, so the ENFP will behave more according to type when under greater stress. For example, in a crisis, the ENFP might:

• involve people in brainstorming ideas
• be democratic about choosing the solution to use
• provide a lot of drive, but try to do too much
• make errors of fact, or ignore routine matters that might nevertheless be essential

Under extreme stress, fatigue or illness, the ENFP’s shadow may appear - a negative form of ISTJ. Example characteristics are:

• being pedantic about unimportant details
• doing things to excess - e.g.: eating, drinking or exercising
• being critical of others, and finding fault with almost everything
• taking charge without consideration to others

The shadow is part of the unconscious that is often visible to others, onto whom the shadow is projected. The ENFP may therefore readily see these faults in others without recognising it in him/her self.

Profile by Sandra Krebs Hirsch and Jean Kummerow

ENFPs are initiators of change who are keenly perceptive of possibilities, and who energize and stimulate through their contagious enthusiasm. They prefer the start-up phase of a project or relationship, and are tireless in the pursuit of new-found interests. ENFPs are able to anticipate the needs of others and to offer them needed help and appreciation. They bring zest, joy, liveliness, and fun to all aspects of their lives. They are at their best in situations that are fluid and changing, and that allow them to express their creativity and use their charisma.

Living

ENFP children are ‘into everything.’ Their natural curiosity results in children for whom questions were invented. They often spend long periods of time devising new and original — but not necessarily practical — languages, plays, and scenarios. Many ENFPs enjoy drawing, writing, playacting, and dreaming. They are often chosen as leaders because of their persuasive enthusiasm and their energy for new and different ways of developing things.

ENFP teenagers are agreeable, sociable, outgoing people who like to imagine themselves in the future. They spend many hours wondering and discussing with friends whom they will marry, where they will live, what their children will be like, and what work they will do. They leave no option or possibility unexplored and find it difficult to see themselves in any single job or career.

Because they see endless possibilities, to select one possibility appears to the ENFP to be too narrow a focus. They hate to be boxed into a career for life and therefore hesitate and resist making decisions. It is unwise for ENFPs to settle down too early, and they make the soundest choices when they delay career and marriage decisions until their middle to late twenties. Often when a decision is made, ENFPs will still leave a number of options open or change their minds as they encounter new information.

Even in their everyday activities, ENFPs often search for the new and the novel. If there is a logical route to work and ENFP has been driving that way continually, he or she will likely tire of it and look for other routes.

ENFPs are more likely than other types to change from one career to another, demonstrating their versatility in doing so. It is not uncommon to hear stories of ENFPs who have established themselves in a career and who, when faced with the daily routine of maintaining it, leave it to start another.

Adult ENFPs maintain characteristics that might be considered youthful, such as enthusiasm, curiosity, and a zestful outlook on life. As a result, people often enjoy being with them. Many times they are young-in-spirit as they age, perhaps because of their temperament.

ENFPs look forward to retirement as a time that can bring freedom from the restrictions of the work world and ample opportunity to pursue their varied interests. However, if ENFPs become disabled or experience a lack of resources, such as money, they may become despondent because this restricts their ability to quest after new experiences.

ENFPs often learn best through a variety of means, such as observing, reading, and listening to and interacting with others. They enjoy the search for new ideas and possibilities, and will put in the time necessary to master subjects they find interesting. One strength is their enthusiasm for the process of discovery. They enjoy survey courses, comparative studies, and disciplines in which there is much to research and explore. They do not like classes that are too structured, that consist only of lectures, and that allow no room for their imagination. They may get caught up in the learning process and consequently need strict deadlines to bring a project to completion.

ENFPs prefer a learning environment in which the teacher takes personal interest in them, in which there is an opportunity to talk about ideas with their peers, and in which there is a chance to ask questions and develop new ideas.

A motto that might describe the ENFP as a learner is “There’s always another way or another answer.”

Working

ENFPs often follow a nonlinear career track and nontraditional routes to obtaining knowledge, qualifications, and skills. When they are committed to what they do, they are enthusiastic to the point of preaching to the entire world about it. For an ENFP, work must be fun and must contribute to something larger than merely collecting a paycheck.

The preferred work setting for ENFPs contains imaginative people focused on human possibilities. ENFPs want a work environment that is both physically and mentally colorful. They prefer a participative and collegial atmosphere in which employees are included in the decision making. ENFPs are less productive where there is disharmony because they pay more attention to the relationships between people at work than they do to the tasks. Their ideal job would offer variety, novelty, challenge, and freedom from tight supervision; it would be idea oriented and imaginative, and would have lively, energetic people enjoying themselves and their tasks.

Most ENFPs will say they are organized, but others might not see them that way. Their desire to be open to the moment tends to outweigh their need to be organized. Usually ENFP work space is arranged haphazardly, with work materials and personal momentos scattered about. In terms of the management of time, ENFPs find it particularly difficult to estimate accurately how long an activity will take. Because people’s needs are more important than schedules, ENFPs are often late and characteristically full of apologies for their tardiness.

Work Environment

ENFPs are pleasant, easygoing, and usually fun to work with. They come up with great ideas, and are a major asset in brainstorming sessions. Followthrough tends to be a problem, however; they tend to get bored quickly, especially if a newer, more interesting project comes along. They also tend to be procrastinators, both about meeting hard deadlines and about performing any small, uninteresting tasks that they’ve been assigned. ENFPs are at their most useful when working in a group w ith a J or two to take up the slack.

ENFPs hate bureaucracy, both in principle and in practice; they will always make a point of launching one of their crusades against some aspect of it.

ENFPs prefer occupations that reflect their ideals and that promote harmonious relationships with others. They tend to be attracted to occupations with a service orientation. ENFPs usually find a place in their work life for creativity. They particularly enjoy people-oriented work in which they are able to combine things in new and different ways to benefit humanity. Flexibility and autonomy are important to ENFPs, who may bolt from organizations in which this is not attainable.

Common occupations picked by ENFPs include artist, clergy, consultant, counselor, entertainer, journalist, public relations worker, social scientist, social worker, teacher, and other occupations that allow ENFPs to use their creativity and insight.

Leading

ENFPs are energetic and enthusiastic leaders who are likely to take charge when a new endeavor needs a visionary spokesperson. ENFPs are values-oriented people who become champions of causes and services relating to human needs and dreams. Their leadership style is one of soliciting and recognizing others’ contributions and of evaluating the personal needs of their followers. ENFPs are often charismatic leaders who are able to help people see the possibilities beyond themselves and their current realities. They function as catalysts.

Leisure

ENFPs often have a difficult time separating their work from their leisure. Because they like to have fun while they work and usually arrange their work lives to meet this need, the boundaries between their work and their leisure may not be as clear as they might be for some other types.

Because of their continual search for new things to experience, it is rare for ENFPs to become heavily involved in a single activity; their appetite for involvement is too great. Generally, ENFPs are on the lookout for new things and may come across what is “trendy” before others. They tend to participate early on in those new activities.

ENFPs like travel and reading because these activities open experiences of other times and places. Their reading often brings quiet and reflection time, as well as new material for their dreams. Their travels afford them opportunities to experience different people and cultures.

Some ENFPs may invite others to join them at plays, films, or in classes. Some enjoy physical activities in which they are able to challenge themselves, release their energy, and maintain their physical fitness.

ENFPs are most likely to find interesting and satisfying those careers that make use of their breadth of interests, their grasp of possibilities, their warmth and sympathy (i.e., their emphasis on interpersonal values), and their adaptability.

ENFPs are very often found in careers that are characterized by interests and abilities in working with people and fostering their growth, or that require skills in communication and expression, whether in oral or written form. Their interest in symbols, meaning, and human relationships often attracts them to careers where they can be active, involved with others, and/or pursue new horizons. These same qualities can also lead to their developing particular skills in understanding others and drawing out the possibilities in them. Their imagination and enthusiasm lead them to be innovative in whatever they have chosen as a career, and they are almost driven to think of new projects and new ways of doing things. Their inspirations provide them with the energy to initiate a variety of new activities, and finding solutions to problems energizes them. They do not sit still for long, if ever, due to their active involvement with the world.

For ENFPs the job search can be an opportunity to use their energy, creativity and adaptability. They can imagine a variety of job possibilities, make use of their wide variety of relationships to gather information about job opportunities, and market themselves with confidence. Their ingenuity, enthusiasm, and people skills will usually be communicated to others during the job search. Potential drawbacks for the ENFP in the job search include unrealistic expectations about jobs or the job search, a tendency to let opportunities pass by for lack of decision-making, and failure to be organized or to follow through on important details. Under stress, ENFPs may become withdrawn and listless, or they may become inappropriately concerned with the details of the job search. They may find it helpful to reconsider what their values are and what is important to them as they attend to the realities of the job search, and to appreciate the necessity of taking a measured approach to the job search process.

Examples of careers often chosen by ENFPs include counseling, teaching (particularly at the high school and university level), psychology, journalism/writing, social science, fine arts, acting and entertainment, music, the ministry and religious education, food service, and public relations.

ENFPs are found much less often in careers that require a great deal of precision and logical analysis, or careers that are highly structured or routinized, such as careers in management or in the hard sciences. ENFPs are also found less often in careers that require a great deal of hands-on work or work in isolation.