6 of the Best Careers for the ESFJ Personality Type

Warm, outgoing, loyal, and sensitive are all words used to describe the ESFJ personality type, one of the 16 personality types defined by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Generous and reliable, ESFJs are also known as “The Consul” and they have a knack for making the people in their lives feel supported.

In the workplace and everywhere else, they are expert relationship builders. They naturally connect with diverse groups of people and genuinely enjoy spending most of their time with friends, family, and co-workers.

Check out these workplace insights for the caring and hard-working ESFJ:

Who Are the ESFJs?

E: Extroverted, S: Sensing, F: Feeling, J: Judging.

ESFJs are people-oriented and care deeply about their relationships with others. They enjoy working in a career where they can help others—and they take these roles seriously.

Across the board, most ESFJs are warm and friendly individuals who get along well with people from all backgrounds. But it’s important to acknowledge the two different types of ESFJs: Assertive and Turbulent.

ESFJ-A

The ESFJ-A personality type is more ambitious and, you guessed it, assertive! They are known for putting a positive spin on things and handling stress well.

They are likely to be more outspoken than their turbulent counterparts, and ESFJ-As are usually pretty confident in ability to overcome challenges and motivate others to do the same. These traits allow ESFJ-As to thrive in leadership and authoritative roles.

ESFJ-T

The ESFJ-T personality types tend to be more disciplined and have a stronger sense of self-control than ESFJ-A. They are also known for being social chameleons and mimicking their behaviors to the others in the room.

ESFJ-Ts are such successful chameleons because they’re a tad more introspective and empathetic than ESFJ-As, and they like to spend more time exploring thoughts and feelings. They’re still extroverted and optimistic, but they can be more sensitive to negative moods than an assertive ESFJ.

6 Top ESFJ Careers

Individuals with an ESFJ personality type are very organized and detail-oriented. They are almost always hard workers, but that doesn’t keep them from enjoying close relationships with co-workers and friends.

Their passion for relationship building and caring personality, combined with a killer work ethic, often leads them to careers where they can dedicate themselves to helping others.

Here are some careers for ESFJs to thrive in—where they can use their warm demeanor and strong organizational skills to the fullest:

Event Coordinator

Event coordinators are responsible for planning and organizing special events like conferences, weddings, and galas. There are two strengths that make ESFJ personality types the perfect candidate for the job:

One, they are highly organized and efficient, which is essential for meeting deadlines and juggling a multitude of event details.

Two, an ESFJ is a natural people person! Their ability to connect with almost anyone and anticipate their needs will allow them to coordinate events their clients love.

Human Resources (HR) Manager

An HR manager is responsible for overseeing many functions within a company’s human resource department. This includes hiring, firing, training, and onboarding employees—all sensitive tasks that require considerable interfacing.

ESFJs make great HR managers because they are kind, caring, and sensitive to others feelings. An ESFJ personality type’s strengths will allow them to effectively manage employee relations and keep documents organized while doing so, too.

Medical Assistant

Medical assistants work in a variety of medical settings, such as doctor’s offices, hospitals, and clinics. They are responsible for performing basic medical tasks, such as taking patient histories and preparing patients for examination.

An ESFJ’s interpersonal skills allow them to have top-notch bedside manner, and their detail-orientation will ensure patient records are in good hands.

Healthcare Receptionist

Along with their warmth and kindness, ESFJs are known for their administrative skills. A career as a receptionist in healthcare operations is an ideal setting to maximize each of these strengths, as they are responsible for tasks such as scheduling appointments and handling invoices. Not to mention the important task of greeting patients and making them feel comfortable.

Social Worker

Social workers have a crucial role in helping others solve and cope with challenges in their everyday lives. They use a variety of methods, including counseling and advocacy, to accomplish this goal. Someone with an ESFJ personality type can make an excellent social worker as their empathy and optimism can provide encouragement to those who need it.

Teacher

Not only do ESFJs love to connect with people from any background, they love to motivate them too. Teaching is the perfect role for this caring personality type who has a passion for meeting others where they are and encouraging them to learn and grow.

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3 Jobs for ESFJs to avoid

Individuals with an ESFJ personality type won’t always thrive in fast-paced, constantly changing environments, nor will they enjoy roles that cut them off from social interaction.

They prefer to focus on long term projects and tasks that take concentration and allow them to be thorough and diligent. As a result, jobs that are time-sensitive or involve extensive multitasking can overwhelm ESFJs and make them feel stressed out.

Here are three careers that anyone with an ESFJ personality type should probably avoid:

Data Analyst

While they may be organized and detail-oriented, ESFJs also have a tendency to grow bored with roles that are overly analytical and data driven—like the role of data analyst. And without any human interaction or emotional feedback, they could feel lost or discouraged.

Forensic Accountant

Combining accounting, auditing, and investigative skills, forensic accountants are tasked with examining individual or business financial records and ensuring they are not fraudulent.

Despite an ESFJ’s detail orientation and passion for projects, this role gives them little to no room for relationship building. Similar to the role of data analyst, a lack of emotional connection could lead them to resent a career as a forensic accountant.

Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical engineers design and develop mechanical systems like engines, machines, or tools that perform specific tasks. This role might tap into their creativity or organization skills, but data and scientific driven roles would otherwise leave them unfulfilled.

ESFJ Workplace Strengths and Weaknesses

This upbeat and outgoing personality type has a lot to offer any workplace, but here are a few of the top strengths and skills they can bring to a team: