ESFJ Jobs to Avoid

Are you an ESFJ personality type? If so, you need to know which ESFJ jobs to avoid to make finding the perfect career a lot easier. It’s not just tough finding a career you can enjoy and grow as a person in, it’s important for your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Too many people are stuck in careers they don’t enjoy. I see it all the time and it breaks my heart to hear how frustrated they are on how much of a negative impact it has on them. Figuring out what your personality type is and how this can help you choose a career is going to change everything.

On the flip side, seeing someone in a well-matched career is a beautiful thing. It becomes natural and intuitive and ‘fits’ well in no time and I see them progressing and growing as individuals. When I then look at their personality type and what career they are in it always reinforces how well the Myers-Briggs personality typing works.

ESFJs are known as ‘The Caregivers’. Its abbreviated form and meaning is:

(E) Extraverted – good in social situations, motivated by others, outspoken.

(S) Sensing – focuses on details and are attentive, not general and vague.

(F) Feeling – personable, considerate, not objective.

(J) Judging – plans, organizes, and orderly.

As you can see from the breakdown above there are some desirable qualities that an ESFJ can bring to their chosen career. They are great in teams and social situations, good at focusing on details, and have a genuine desire to help and please others.

If you want a more detailed breakdown see how compatible ESFJ and INTJ are as personalities, and how they manage their relationships in these posts.

Careers ESFJ Should Avoid

There are jobs and careers that are just not suitable for someone with an ESFJ personality type. No matter what you think of the role, your personality traits will make it difficult to handle the requirements of certain roles.

Here are some jobs to avoid if you’re an ESFJ:

Journalist

The environment that journalists typically operate in is as lone wolves chasing leads and being competitive with other journalists. These aren’t characteristics that work well with ESFJ’s and it’s very unlikely to find one in this role doing well and feeling satisfied.

General IT Roles

This is a general classification and there are some roles within IT that will suit this personality type. But generally speaking, working with systems instead of people goes against the grain of the extrovert in their character.

Driver

Being a driver, especially a long-distance driver means long periods of time with oneself in a small space and not much else to do. This is almost the opposite to what someone with this personality type wants to do. I’d find it very surprising to see an ESFJ working in this job for a long period.

Sales Rep

Another role that involves working solo and competing against others in a lot of situations. Trying to sell items to people and being persuasive isn’t something they will be able to put their heart into and give 100%. It can be a competitive environment, not a gregarious and sharing one that they would flourish in.

Freelancer/Contractor

Freelancing or jumping from contract to contract is better suited to people who work best on their own. There is also a lack of security and stability in these roles, this doesn’t sit well with an ESFJ and will ultimately be their undoing in this kind of role.

ESFJ Famous People

Everyone is interested in famous people and their personality types. It tends to add some weight to what we think about the personality type seeing what kind of careers they have had. Here are a few of the most notable famous ESFJ personalities:

• Gerald Ford – U.S. President
• Francis – Pope
• Sarah Palin – U.S. Governor and Vice President Candidate
• Larry King – Talk Show Host and Author
• Celine Dion – Singer
• Alicia Keys – Singer/Songwriter

Best Jobs and Career Choices for ESFJ’s

Some of the best careers and jobs for this personality type include:

• School teacher
• Childcare worker/supervisor
• Social worker
• Actor
• Performer

ESFJ Career Choices in Summary

Hopefully, this article has helped outline what makes an ESFJ tick in their working life. What brings them satisfaction and will motivate them, and some of the roles out there that fit the bill.

You can see from the famous ESFJ personalities that being in the public eye is a recurring theme. Being a talk show host, a position of power, performer, these roles crop up over and over.

With a fine eye for detail, determination to succeed, an extroverted personality, and being able to bounce well off others, it’s a catalyst for success in these types of roles. They are attentive to others’ needs and enjoy helping them, often putting themselves in the limelight without intention.

Competitive workplaces or environments that contain conflict or negative behaviours are the opposite of what they need. Knowing these details can make all the difference between pursuing a career you will enjoy and be satisfied in, and one that will cause you stress and anguish.