by Patrick Glynn
The empathetic leader who helps elevate your team is likely an ENFJ—one of the 16 personality types defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Myers-Briggs describes ENFJs as:
- In touch with the emotions and needs of others
- Catalysts for growth of individuals and groups
- Empathetic and warm
- Sociable and loyal
People with this personality type are strong adds to any organization. Now let’s talk about what ENFJs are like and eight of the best ENFJ careers for those with the ENFJ personality type.
What is an ENFJ like?
ENFJs are known as “The Protagonist.” They are natural-born leaders and possess powerful leadership skills that are hard to teach. ENFJs have a strong desire to help people, have a knack for motivating and inspiring others to do their best work, and genuinely want to make a difference in the world. They also have a strong sense of responsibility and morality.
ENFJ-A
The “A” in ENFJ-A stands for “assertive.” Assertive ENFJs are more likely to be driven by their values and principles and live with a sense of rationality. Self-confidence defines an ENFJ-A, and at work, this can help those with this personality type provide a sense of objectivity that is detached from emotion.
ENFJ-T
ENFJ-Ts are slightly more introspective and introverted than ENFJ-As (though they still lean toward being extroverts). The “T” stands for turbulent, though that doesn’t mean they’re irrational. It means they’re typically more sensitive than an ENFJ-A, and they bring emotions into problem solving and working more than their counterpart. They are also more analytical and logical.
Top ENFJ careers
There are many jobs that can make a good career choice for ENFJs. One of the most important factors is finding a career that allows them to use their natural strengths and abilities. ENFJs are highly intuitive and compassionate people who have a knack for understanding others and reading their emotions.
Since they can be quite empathic, many ENFJs are drawn to careers in the helping professions such as psychology, counseling, social work, and teaching. However, there are also many other career paths that can be a good fit for ENFJs.
Below are eight of the best ENFJ career matches for those with ENFJ personality types:
- Nurse Practitioner
- Customer Service Representative
- Reporter
- Occupational Therapist
- Physician Assistant
- Speech-Language Pathologist
- Training or Development Specialist
- Psychologist
Nurse Practitioner
An individual with this personality type is compassionate, warm, and has a big heart. These traits make for excellent patient caregiving skills as well as the ability to relate to patients of all ages.
ENFJs are natural leaders with outstanding interpersonal communication skills which makes them especially great at counseling and caring for their patients as nurse practitioners.
Customer Service Representative
ENFJs are known for their warmth, sincerity, and sensitivity. They make honest connections with people, which helps them to understand what customers need so that they can deliver a better service experience.
The ENFJ personality type loves helping others because it makes them feel valued, respected, and needed in the world. It is important for ENFJs to have meaningful work that contributes to the greater good.
Reporter
Journalists and reporters seek the truth, and that lines up perfectly with ENFJs’ tendency to be led by responsibility, objectivity, and morality.
A reporter seeks out information, is empathetic and compassionate with their sources and interview subjects, and brings truth to those who need their story to be told. One of the most famous ENFJs is Oprah Winfrey.
Occupational Therapist
Occupational therapists help patients with physical, mental, emotional, and social disabilities to regain independence in their everyday lives. They do this by helping patients learn new skills, adapt to changes in their lives, and manage their emotions. ENFJs enjoy working with patients one-on-one as they help them regain independence.
Physician Assistant
ENFJs are natural helpers and have a genuine desire to care for others. They work well with people, making them excellent communicators and problem-solvers. ENFJs also tend to be very organized, which makes them efficient in the medical setting. ENFJs will enjoy working with physicians one-on-one as they help them provide excellent patient care.
Speech-Language Pathologist
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with patients who have problems producing spoken or written language due to developmental disorders, emotional conditions, neurological impairments, physical inabilities, or aging. They do this by assessing patients’ communication skills and creating therapy plans to help their patients improve their language and speech abilities.
ENFJs are often gifted with strong people skills, making it easy for them to connect and empathize with patients. They also have a knack for detail, which comes in handy when helping patients work through difficult speech issues.
Training or Development Specialist
ENFJs are usually great at taking charge of a situation and creating a positive, productive environment for everyone. They want to make sure everyone on a team is working toward a shared goal, which makes them excellent trainers and developers. ENFJs also tend to communicate clearly and concisely, which is important in this role.
Psychologist
ENFJs are incredibly warm and genuinely care about the well-being of others. They have a natural ability to relate with people on an emotional level, making them excellent listeners who can provide good insight into their patients’ needs. That’s crucial for a good psychologist.
Careers ENFJs Might Want to Avoid
Some jobs are poorer career choices for ENFJs because they require certain levels of independence and solitude. Jobs like a librarian, tax accountant, or researcher require the individual to work independently without a lot of interaction with others. This can be difficult for an ENFJ who prefers working in a consistent team environment and enjoys helping others.
Here are three careers ENFJs might want to avoid:
- Computer Programmer
- Chemical Engineer
- Systems Analyst
Computer Programmer
It’s not that ENFJs are incapable of programming—it’s the frequent lack of interaction with other people. Programmers spend a lot of time independently writing code and debugging programs, often in remote work environments. Though there are times when programmers meet to work on code together, ENFJs prefer human contact to feel fulfilled at work. They can have difficulties working independently for long periods without social interactions.
Chemical Engineer
ENFJs are cooperative and want to be a part of a team. They can see all sides of an issue and come up with creative solutions. This can make them good problem solvers, but it also means they need someone else to help them stay on track when it comes to details.
Chemical engineers work in laboratories and need to be very detail-oriented and follow strict sets of procedures. This may be counterintuitive to what plays into ENFJs’ strengths.
Systems Analyst
ENFJs talent lies partly in their ability to communicate with humans and make them feel comfortable and heard. However, they may not be as adept at understanding or dealing with machines.
ENFJs deal best when they can combine both skills into one job that allows for socialization while still being able to do some work on the computer, if that is their area of interest.
ENFJ strengths in the workplace
As extroverts, ENFJs are energized by being around others, especially those with whom they have strong personal connections. These traits can be exceptional assets in the workplace as they make ENFJs excellent communicators who truly care about people and want to help them succeed both personally and professionally.
ENFJs are also very creative and strategic thinkers, able to see the big picture and develop long-term plans that achieve objectives. They often have a strong sense of intuition which leads them to make insightful decisions quickly.
Some other strengths of ENFJs include:
- Being the “glue” that binds a team
- Developing long-term strategies that can help the team succeed in the short- and long-term
- Communicating well across team members and making sure everyone is on the same page
- Making decisions impartially and for the benefit of team goals
Generally, ENFJs are viewed as great leaders in the workplace.
ENFJ weaknesses in the workplace
While ENFJs often have many strengths in the workplace, they may also have a few weaknesses. ENFJs may dislike conflict and try to avoid it if possible. Conflict—which doesn’t mean getting in fights—is necessary in leadership roles, Sometimes you have to make unpopular and tough decisions, so innately avoiding conflict can result in making a decision that isn’t in the best interest of the team or organization.
Lastly, ENFJs may also struggle to delegate tasks and may want to take on too many responsibilities themselves.
Are You An ENFJ Looking for a New Career?
Do any of these job titles—or jobs in similar fields or roles—call to you? When you’re ready for a career or job change, head over to the Insight Global job board, which features thousands of listings for jobs that match up with ENFJ personalities.
If you’re not an ENFJ, check out our posts about these personality types:
by Anna Morelock 
