3 Careers to Avoid for ISFJ Personality Types

There are 16 personalities according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and one of these is the ISFJ (which stands for Introverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging) personality type. People with this personality are patient, reliable, and supportive, and they’re usually called “The Defender” because they do everything they can to protect their loved ones and help other people. They’re also loyal and hard-working, which makes them a great part of any team and a fantastic addition to any workplace.

Because of the qualities they possess, ISFJ personalities can flourish in almost every workplace. However, they grow best when they’re in a career that allows them to help others, such as healthcare, childcare, social work, counseling, and religion. They also perform well in designing careers (like graphic design and interior design) as well as other kinds of work that allow them to express their creativity (such as art and writing).

However, it’s important to note that there are several jobs that ISFJ people may not be suited to. This doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t work in these careers; in fact, many ISFJ personalities find themselves in one of these lines of work. But, because the nature of these jobs clashes with their innate characteristics, they may find it hard to enjoy what they do and progress in this career path.

If you have the ISFJ personality, you might want to avoid the following careers:

Executive Management

Like many ISFJ personalities, you may not really dream about being a manager and don’t actively pursue these positions. However, in the structured hierarchy of the workplace, the opportunity to fill a managerial position may come to you at some point. There’s nothing wrong with accept this promotion — in fact, ISFJ personalities make great floor and office managers — but you have to be careful about being promoted into an executive management position.

You don’t necessarily have to refuse the offer if you think you can handle the job well, but you have to remember that being too sensitive to other people’s feelings may hinder you from making the right decisions as an executive manager. You may also hate the fact that some of your decisions would negatively affect other people, particularly those who would lose their jobs or get passed over a promotion.

Sales and Marketing

This career path requires you to constantly interact with a lot of people. You most likely have good social skills (most ISFJ personalities do) but, as an Introvert, you probably prefer interacting with a close-knit group of people (e.g. your close friends and family) instead of virtual strangers whom you don’t know. The constant deadlines may also hinder you from expressing your creativity and ultimately reduce your creativity levels.

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering (as well as other kinds of engineering) requires technical creativity, not the artistic creativity that you’re born with. It also involves a lot of memorizing theory and working with machines — two things that aren’t exactly the forte of many ISFJ people.

Here’s the thing, though: the tips above are only suggestions, not rules that have to be enforced. If you find yourself drawn to one of the career paths mentioned above, give it a try and see if you like it! The only thing you must remember is to choose a job that matches your personality and will keep you happy in the long run.