No one wants a laid-back bridge builder or an overly sensitive psychologist. You can’t make progress in therapy if your counselor just keeps apologizing for his choice of sweater. You don’t want to walk over a bridge and wonder if the engineer who designed it looked at her calculations and said, “Eh, close enough.”

On the flip side, it’s refreshing when someone’s personality lines up perfectly with the work they’re doing.

So what exactly makes one person a good fit for certain careers and not so well equipped for others? The question is at the heart of an entire field of study called “personality theory.”

The MBTI assessment (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) stands as one of the most long-standing, popular tests for understanding our personalities and the careers for which we’re best suited. The MBTI claims there are four aspects to personality (each split into two parts) that dominate to different degrees in each of us. You can take a free version of the test here.

The MBTI categories

ENERGY STYLE: Introverts/Extroverts

You’ve probably heard people refer to themselves as extroverts or introverts. Well, that distinction is only one-fourth of the assessment. It refers to our “energy style,” or what it is that fuels us. According to Truity.com, extroverts, who are roughly 49 percent of the population, tend to get their energy from being around others. These types are outgoing and don’t mind being rushed. Introverts, however — the other 51 percent — can be outgoing in short spurts, but they need to be alone in quiet spaces to recharge.

THINKING STYLE: Sensors/Intuitives

“Thinking style” is the second portion of personality, made up of “sensors” and “intuitives.” Sensors like working with numbers, machines and objects. About 73 percent of us are sensors. Intuitives are less common. These are the bigger-picture people who like thinking about thinking. They like ideas and possibilities and considering concepts.

VALUES STYLE: Feelers/Thinkers

Up next is “values style,“ where we split into “thinkers” and “feelers.” Thinkers (40 percent) gravitate toward deduction and logic, toward the mathematical and analytical. Feelers (60 percent) prioritize empathy, harmony and consensus. Their work needs to reflect their personal values and they need to know they’re truly helping others. Think chemist (thinker) vs. mayor (feeler).

LIFESTYLE: Judgers/Perceivers

“Lifestyle” is the last quadrant of the MBTI. Here we have the “judgers” and the “perceivers.” Judgers (54 percent) are the people at the office who really can’t function unless they know at all times who’s in charge of whom and who’s doing what. They need organization and structure. Perceivers (46 percent) are the people who really gravitate toward flexibility and autonomy. They don’t mind a little bit of pandemonium in the workplace.

Potential careers for each personality type

Keep in mind that these four categories have two variables apiece allowing for 16 possible combinations: [Introvert/Extravert] + [Sensor/Intuitive] + [Feeler/Thinker] + [Judger/Perceiver] = ISTJ/ESTP/etc. These 16 results can then be broken down into four career groups: pragmatists, caretakers, theorists and empaths.

Below we’ve listed possible career options that match with each personality category. We've also included links to KSL Jobs so you can get an idea of the current market and duties of each career. Which one makes the most sense for you?

Pragmatists — ESTJ, ISTJ, ESTP, ISTP

An overall pragmatist is the type of person who needs to be able to use logic to produce concrete results.

Suitable careers for pragmatists include:

• School administrator
• Insurance agent
• Developer
• Engineer
• Sales manager
• Mechanic

Caretakers — ESFJ, ISFJ, ESFP, ISFP

A caretaker is someone who needs to help in some practical way in order to feel that they are being useful.

Possible careers for pragmatists include:

• Nurse
• Teacher
• Nutritionist
• Social worker
• Executive assistant
• Receptionist
• Dental assistant
• Recreation director
• Surveyor
• Vet Tech
• Customer service rep

Theorists — ENJT, INTJ, ENTP, INTP

Theorists, the third group, tend towards jobs such as:

• Physician
• Attorney
• Architect
• Software developer
• Judge
• Urban planner
• Real estate agent
• Psychiatrist
• Mathematician

Lastly, empaths are the ones who have a need to function in the world by making it more beautiful. They’re most engaged when they’re improving people’s lives in less concrete ways.

Potential careers include:

• Writer
• Counselor
• Teacher
• Health educator
• Psychologist
• Librarian
• Nonprofit director

Of course, this isn’t a foolproof method, but the MBTI is a good place to start for getting a little career self-knowledge. If you want to know more about your personality and where you land in all of this, go check out a personality assessment and see what you learn about yourself.

Once you’ve narrowed down the fields suited to your personality type, go to KSL Jobs and start searching. Even if you aren’t changing jobs, understanding the various types of personalities out there can help you understand your coworkers a little bit better. Like that one guy who seems like he spends all day checking who is in charge of donut club this month (ENFJ).

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