Your ESTJ Personality Type and Your Career

Individuals with ESTJ personality types are organized, logical, and motivated by their goals. Projects and teams of people are what they love, and they are highly structured and dependable even in their personal lives.

Their skills make them good at networking, organizing the right people for their jobs, and making tough decisions with confidence and tact. A higher percentage of leaders are ESTJs than any other personality type.

In this article, we’ll look at your personality traits and then tie them to careers that match your best talents.

Why Personality Type Matters in Your Career Choice

Your personality type influences not only what career you choose but your comfort in the business culture, your job performance, your strengths and weaknesses, and your job satisfaction.

Ensure you complement your future work associates by knowing the talents you bring to the team.

Compatibility is crucial for your department to encourage team cohesion and enhance performance.

You work best when you fit in the culture.

Having a career that complements your personality will help you achieve your best job performance and boost your business performance.

Recognizing your weaknesses can enable you to identify areas that need improvement. Your strengths will determine the career path where you should excel, but you may also learn how to reduce your weaknesses.

So, you should develop an action plan that addresses these gaps.

So, you should develop an action plan that addresses these gaps.

The more chemistry you have with colleagues and greater productivity, the higher career satisfaction you achieve.

Due to tasks and assessments that are specific to both your strengths and personality traits, you become more confident in your abilities, giving you a more positive attitude about your career.

Your feeling of value as a worker also increases workplace happiness.

Additionally, when employees’ values align with the company’s values, they often feel more comfortable in the workplace and more committed to their role.

The Efficient ESTJ Type

ESTJs are the ultimate organizers and want to bring structure to their surroundings. Predictability is their goal and their preferences are to proceed in a logical order. ESTJ often takes the initiative to establish processes and guidelines in order to ensure everyone knows what’s expected when they see a lack of organization.

The ESTJ Personality Functions

ESTJ is an acronym used to describe one of the sixteen personality types created by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Myers. It stands for Extraverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging. These are the cognitive functions that describe how ESTJs operate in the world.

• Extraverted – energized by time spent with others
• Sensing – focuses on facts and details rather than ideas and concepts
• Thinking – makes decisions based on logic and reason
• Judging – prefers to be planned and organized rather than spontaneous and flexible

ESTJs are often called Organizer or Supervisor or Executive because of their personality functions, taking charge and getting things done correctly.

ESTJ Motivations and Values

ESTJs often serve as project managers at home and at work, skilled at setting goals, making decisions, and organizing resources to accomplish a task. The ESTJ believes efficient productivity is best achieved by well-organized people and systems.

ESTJ Strengths

Strengths are tied to your personality functions. Career and life choice decisions are influenced by aligning strengths. Knowing your strengths will allow you to filter career activities that suit your personality.

Efficient Organization. Typically scheduled and ordered, ESTJs are list makers and planners. They impose structure on their time and in their lives, making them punctual. They enjoy creating order out of chaos. This creates the perception others have of them as reliable, dependable, and steady.

Dedicated Commitment. ESTJs go all in and they do it with boundless energy. They make personal sacrifices of personal time rather than renege on a commitment or do less than excellent work. Employers can count on ESTJs to uphold the vision of the organization at all times, to move quickly and encourage others to do the same.

Integrity. The ESTJs show consistent integrity in their responsibilities as leaders, thinking they are equally responsible as their subordinates. However, they still show great respect for their own superiors and are not slow to follow orders with their skillful exercise of authority. ESTJs believe organizations and societies are most successful when respect and duty are at their core.

Stewardship. ESTJs function as societal gatekeepers. They feel responsible for upholding standards and setting parameters. An ESTJ can be trusted to uphold the laws, rules, regulations and ordinances that keep society organized and functioning smoothly. ESTJs are committed to their families and hope to provide well for others who are considered under their care.

ESTJ Weaknesses

Use your strengths to align your career, and know your weaknesses in order to become more successful by overcoming them.

Judgmental. ESTJs can live in a black-and-white world. Despite their commitment to their beliefs, they often forget that all of the principles they espouse are neither universal nor objective, and the traditional, time-honored method isn’t always the best. ESTJs may fail to recognize that innovations can be beneficial, and may be impatient with people who chose non-conventional lifestyles, coming across as judgmental or narrow-minded as a result.

Apathetic Emotions. ESTJs often miss their own and others’ feelings and this makes them appear harsh, abrasive, utilitarian, and uncaring. With their predominantly low emotional quotient, they may misjudge others’ intentions and be equally misunderstood. Often, they have little patience for people who think or act intuitively or react emotionally, considering them liability rather than potential strengths.

Workaholism. Although the work ethic of ESTJ is laudable, workers of this type can also err on the side of perfectionism and workaholism. Their intensity can be challenging for others, because they are often quite unsympathetic to those who may not work as hard or as “perfectly” as they do.

Inflexibly Stubborn. ESTJs are committed to their own way of thinking as objectively correct. This can slow or limit their personal growth. The beliefs of ESTJs, as well as their own rightness, often hold them so tightly that they fail to acknowledge new or conflicting information that could lead to an altered and perhaps truer conclusion. Rigidity can prevent them from being truly open-minded, but their practical approach to thinking and life may stifle their ability to think imaginatively or to exercise vision.

The ESTJ at Work

ESTJs quickly establish themselves in the workplace as individuals who are trusted to deliver on time and as requested. Unquestionably reliable, they enjoy helping a project become a reality. Their eagerness to take on responsibility sometimes causes them to become overworked.

ESTJs should seek highly structured work environments with clear expectations and organized authority structures. An ESTJ’s ideal job is to utilize their organizational skills within a set of standardized procedures to produce a tangible product.

ESTJ Leadership

In leadership positions, ESTJs ensure everything is done correctly, results are reliably produced, and standards are met. They provide clear expectations to their teams, including what should be done as well as how to do it and with clear deadlines. Managed projects typically feature methodical processes and detailed plans. They make sure the end product is delivered as expected.

They tend to uphold the traditions, but are not aware of innovation’s advantages. Oftentimes, they are confident about their past experience and aren’t comfortable with an uncertain future. Vision can prove difficult for ESTJ leaders, who often are better at implementing changes than imagining them.

In most cases, ESTJs are confident in their authority and seek to establish a clear hierarchy. They are comfortable taking orders from superiors and expect to be respected in return. They are typically decisive and may show little flexibility after reaching a conclusion.

ESTJ as a Team Member

ESTJs are take-charge types who bring order and industrious energy to a team making sure structures are implemented and action is taken. ESTJs don’t mince words, sharing their objective viewpoints directly and honestly. Working hard and oriented toward results, they expect others to fall in step with their methodical determination.

ESTJs are very task-focused and may become impatient with colleagues who want to discuss things for too long before deciding on action steps, particularly if the discussion is overly abstract or theoretical. Generally, they will try to take the lead on a decision and move on with a concrete plan of action. ESTJs are planners with respect for schedules and deadlines who are reluctant to deviate from the plan. They want to know how the procedure works and may be annoyed by team members who do not follow the rules.

ESTJ Compatibility in Relationships

They can be domineering and will often dictate schedules and procedures for their colleagues. They’re determined and strong-willed, and sometimes they’re impatient with others’ feelings. Perhaps they need to relax control and begin to open the lines of communication.

The ESTJs want a relationship that they can rely on, one that allows them to live their traditional life. ESTJs value a partner who appreciates their responsibility and productivity, and who notices the ESTIJ’s tangible contribution to the relationship.

ESTJ Personality Career Choices

Understanding what you value and your needs can establish a baseline of priorities you can take with you when you evaluate new roles and situations. Because structure is important to you, you’ll be happiest in an environment that fosters structure and organization.

Here are some career choices that suit ESTJs.

• Sales Engineer
• Stockbroker
• Insurance Agent
• Sales Manager
• Purchasing Agent
• Real Estate Agent
• Hotel Manager
• Credit Analyst
• Budget Analyst
• Insurance Adjuster
• Financial Counselor
• Project Manager
• Management Consultant
• Office Manager
• Public Administrator
• Chief Financial Officer
• Chief Information Officer
• Military Officer
• Police Officer
• Airline Pilot
• Vocational Teacher
• Farmer or Rancher
• Chef
• Attorney
• Paralegal
• Judge
• Auditor
• School Principal
• Property Manager
• Restaurant Owner
• Pharmacist
• Dentist
• Physician
• Athletic Trainer
• Civil Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Industrial Engineer
• Flight Engineer
• Database Administrator
• Real Estate Appraiser
• Cost Estimator
• Building Inspector
• Factory Supervisor
• General Contractor
• Funeral Director

ESTJ Careers to Avoid

Any personality type can be successful in any occupation. But, some occupations are well suited to the natural talents and preferred work style of the ISFJ, while other occupations require modes of thinking and behavior that do not come as naturally to the ITFJ. You may find that occupations that require the ISFJ to operate outside their natural preferences are stressful or draining, and may be unappealing.

The following occupations have been found to be unpopular among ISFJs.

• Executive
• Management Consultant
• Sales Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Financial Manager
• Insurance Agent
• Copywriter
• Art Director
• Journalist
• Actor
• Photographer
• Military
• Mechanical Engineer
• Chemist
• Attorney
• Market Researcher
• Economist
• Social Scientist

Famous ESTJs

Politicians

• Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President.
• Richard M. Nixon, U.S. President.
• Alexander Hamilton, U.S. Founder.
• Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister.
• Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister.
• Elizabeth I, Queen of England.
• Julius Caesar, Roman general and Emperor.
• Napoleon Bonaparte, Italian-French general, emperor, and king.
• Angela Merkel, German chancellor.
• Karl Rove, U.S. political strategist.
• Rahm Emanuel, U.S. White House chief of staff and mayor of Chicago.
• Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy activist.
• Hannibal Barca, Carthaginian general.

Business

• Bill Gates, U.S. entrepreneur and philanthropist.
• Warren Buffett, U.S. investor.
• Steve Jobs, U.S. entrepreneur.
• Jack Welch, U.S. CEO.

Performers and Actors

• George Clooney, U.S. actor.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Austrian actor and politician.
• Harrison Ford, U.S. actor.
• Jim Carrey, U.S. comedian and actor.
• Charlize Theron, South African actress.
• Robert Downey Jr., U.S. actor.
• Dwayne Johnson, U.S. wrestler and actor.
• Matt Damon, U.S. actor.
• Patrick Stewart, English actor.
• Jamie Foxx, U.S. comedian and actor.
• Steve Martin, U.S. comedian, writer, and actor.
• Katharine Hepburn, U.S. actress.
• Quentin Tarantino, U.S. director.
• Steve Buscemi, U.S. actor. source
• Salma Hayek, Mexican-American actress.
• Peter Sellers, English actor.
• William H. Macy, U.S. actor.
• Candace Bergen, U.S. actress.
• Richard Dean Anderson, U.S. actor.

Scientists

• Carl Sagan, U.S. astronomer.
• Werner von Braun, German engineer.
• Edward Teller, Hungarian physicist.
• Murray Rothbard, U.S. economist.

Athletes/Competitors

• Vince Lombardi, U.S. football coach.
• Steve Young, U.S. quarterback.
• Greg Maddux, U.S. pitcher.
• Boomer Esiason, U.S. quarterback and broadcaster.
• Ryne Sandberg, U.S. second baseman.
• Pau Gasol, Spanish power forward/center.
• Garry Kasparov, Russian chess grandmaster.

Musicians

• Adele, English singer. source
• Gene Simmons, U.S. rock musician. source
• Ice-T, U.S. rapper and actor. source
• David Geffen, U.S. music and film producer. source
• Steve Vai, U.S. guitarist. Source

Career Choices for the ESTJ

Finding the best career for an ESTJ personality type demands a close look at personal preferences. Because an ESTJ can succeed in many jobs in a variety of industries, understanding your core values and priorities will help you narrow the field.

1. Self-Assessment
2. Identify and Research Options
3. Evaluate and Prioritize
4. Take Action and Try Options
5. Reflect and Re-evaluate

And they advised:

If you’re going through the process, you are making progress. Each area you explore and check off, takes you closer to narrowing down the options that are a good fit.

Pay attention to your gut feeling, because you’ll be working on a daily basis. Just because you have strong analytical skills and could be a credit analyst, don’t forget you’ll feel more fulfilled putting things in order. You might be happier as a management consultant.

If you are challenged with choosing the next step in your career, Elevanation will help you sort through your ESTJ career choices. We’ll clarify your personal preferences, look at your skills, and help you take the next step to success. Schedule your free action call to supercharge your career now.