Best Careers for ESFJs ESFJ Careers

ESFJ personality types are welcoming, sociable and warm. These traits lend well to career success – in the right situation. In this article, we will explore an ESFJs strengths, what they can bring to the workplace and what careers they are best suited to.

If you have tested as an ESFJ – or are looking to learn more about career matches for these personality types – then    we hope you find this information useful.

Overview of the ESFJ (The Provider)

Gregarious and welcoming, the ESFJ knows exactly how to host a great party, meeting, or after-work happy hour. They excel in positions of leadership, with high emotional intelligence and passion for the teams they manage. As a colleague, the ESFJ is warm, ready to jump straight into planning, and highly organized.

The ESFJ personality is one of the “16 personality types” that we see in several different models based on the work of Carl Jung. These models include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Keirsey Temperament Sorter, among others. It represents an individual who is Extroverted (E), Sensing (S), Feelings (F) and Judging (J). This indicates that they are a person who is energized by spending time with others, who focus on facts and details rather than ideas and concepts, who makes decisions based on feelings and values and who prefers to be planned and organized opposed to spontaneous and flexible.

The ESFJ is often referred to as “the Provider” or “the People’s Champion” because they tend to have a genuine interest in providing for others and taking care of them. ESFJ’s typically like a sense of harmony and cooperation and are sensitive to the needs of others. They value loyalty and make their loved ones their top priority.

Career Considerations

Many of an ESFJs strengths lay in their emotional intelligence and passion. However, they truly stand out at work because they bring key characteristics such as:

  • Welcoming. ESFJs are sociable by nature and make others feel welcomed and accepted.
  • Networking. ESFJs are excellent at establishing report with people and tend to have many connections.
  • Sociable. ESFJs can be counted on to arrange group outing, meetings and get togethers.
  • Emotional Sensitivity. ESFJs can pick up on others’ emotions and needs.
  • They are also excellent at goal-setting, budgeting and planning ahead.

Best Careers for ESFJ

ESFJs are very sociable and will be best suited to work that allows them to help people. Careers in fundraising, counseling, social work or childcare are suited to ESFJs. Similarly, due to their sociability, ESFJs are likely to thrive in positions of power, where they can lead a team of people and for relations with others. For example, in human resources, retail management or purchasing.

Healthcare careers, such as nursing, may also appeal greatly to ESFJs. This is because they often want to follow schedules and procedures, as well as being sociable!

Worst Careers for ESFJs

Any career that is largely impersonal and lacks human interaction with frustrate the sociable ESFJ. For example, ESFJs may want to avoid careers in data-entry or stringent research roles.

Careers in computing or programming may also frustrate ESFJs, because of the independent working and repetitive nature of the work. Finally, careers that are erratic and unstructured, such as journalism, will bring out the worst in an ESFJs perfectionistic tendencies.

Impact of the Identity Modifier on Career & Work life

As with all of the 16 personality types, ESFJ’s will sit somewhere along the identity scale, which ranges from assertive to turbulent. This scale indicates how confident a person is in their own abilities and decisions and it triggers the way in which each type reacts to things.

ESFJ-A and ESFJ-T will express their shared features in different ways. Let’s take a look!

ESFJ-A

Assertive ESFJs are more likely to view themselves to be successful at self-discipline. However, this does not stop them from making mistakes. When ESFJ-As make mistakes, they do regret them, but are more likely to find this regret motivating. During any part of their life, including when at work, ESFJ-A are likely to want to alleviate hurtful emotions quickly.

ESFJ-T

Turbulent ESFJs are more sensitive than their assertive cousins. They find it hard to let go of painful feelings and tend to view themselves negatively as a result. ESFJ-Ts need other people. Although this makes them adaptable to teams at work, they can make people who hurt them work hard to earn forgiveness.

Best ESFJ Career Matches:

Career Guide Category
Correctional Officer Public Services
Counselor Healthcare
Court Reporter Legal
Customer Service Business
Elementary School Teacher Education
Fundraiser Marketing & Sales
Human Resources Business
Kindergarten Teacher Education
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) Healthcare
Nurse Midwife Healthcare
Nurse Practitioner Healthcare
Purchasing Manager Business
Registered Nurse (RN) Healthcare
Retail Manager Business
School Administration Education
School Nurse Healthcare
Special Education Teacher Education

Type:  [Extraverted – Sensing – Feeling – Judging]

Keirsey temperament group:  Guardians (SJ)

ESFJ Jungian cognitive functions stack:

  1. Extraverted Feeling (Fe)
  2. Introverted Sensing (Si)
  3. Extraverted Intuition (Ne)
  4. Introverted Thinking (Ti)