Are you an ENFJ? After taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a personality inventory,
you may have learned this is your personality type. No doubt, you are
curious about what that means. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Does
it mean you will succeed in life or fail? First off all, ENFJ is your
personality type. Second of all—and this is very important—it is not a
good thing or a bad thing and it does not indicate whether or not you
will be successful in life.
It is simply one of the 16 personality types psychiatrist Carl Jung identified many years ago. Career development professionals frequently use these types to help clients make career-related decisions.
Jung
believed there are four pairs of opposite preferences for how people
energize, perceive information, make decisions and live their lives. He
said we prefer to energize through extroversion (also spelled
extraversion) or introversion (E or I), perceive information by sensing
or intuition (S or N), make decisions by thinking or feeling (T or F) and live our lives by judging or perceiving (J or P).
Jung also thought each of us exhibits aspects of both preferences
in every pair, but we exhibit one more strongly than the other. Your
personality type is made up of the letters assigned to those stronger
preferences. Now that you have all that information. let's take a look
at what your particular four letter code means.
E, N, F and J: What Does Your Personality Type Code Mean
- E (Extroversion): You are energized by other people or outside experiences, as your preference for extroversion (sometimes spelled extraversion) reveals. You enjoy and do well in situations where you interact with others.
- N (iNtuition): Intuition is like a sixth sense that lets you visualize beyond what you can see, hear, smell, taste and touch. It gives you the ability to consider future possibilities and ultimately take advantage of those opportunities.
- F (Feeling): As someone whose preference is feeling, you often make decisions based on your personal values. You are inclined to move ahead without fully considering the consequences of your actions. You are sensitive to the needs of others. This makes you a caring person who likes to help people.
- J (Judging): Your preference for judging indicates that you like to have all your ducks in a row. Spontaneity makes you uneasy. You are successful when you have deadlines you have to meet.
One of the things you should know about
your preferences is that they aren't absolute. While you may favor one
preference in a pair, if the situation calls for using the other, you
can do it. You should also note that all four of your preferences
interact with one another, so each personality type is unique. Finally,
your preferences may change as you go through life.
How to Use Your Personality Type to Help You Make Career-Related Decisions
Knowing
your personality type can help you make career-related decisions
because suitable careers are associated with each one. You can also use
this information when deciding whether or not a particular work
environment is right for you. That's very helpful when you are deciding
whether to accept a job offer. While all four letters in your code are
relevant, the middle two, N and F, are the most important when you are
trying to choose a career. They indicate you would probably enjoy an
occupation that allows you to develop and implement new ideas, as well
as help people. Some options for you to investigate are teacher, speech pathologist, career counselor, architect, health educator, sociologist, writer, psychologist and librarian.
Since
being around people motivates you, as indicated by your preference for
extroversion, a solitary work environment isn't for you. Your preference
for judging indicates you should look for jobs that emphasize tight
deadlines and a lot of structure.
Sources:
- The Myers-Briggs Foundation Web Site.
- Baron, Renee. (1998) What Type Am I?. NY: Penguin Books.
- Page, Earle C. Looking at Type: A Description of the Preferences Reported by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Center for Applications of Psychological Type.
- Tieger, Paul D., Barron, Barbara, and Tieger, Kelly. (2014) Do What You Are. NY: Hatchette Book Group.
