10 Career Paths for an Enneagram Type 4

Are you ready for a new career opportunity? Do you find yourself bored with your current industry and looking to make a significant career change?

Starting over in a new position or industry can be simultaneously challenging and exciting. But knowing what industries to consider is hard. One way to determine what to try is by better understanding your likes and dislikes, analyzing your strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out your Enneagram personality type.

In this article, we’ll discuss the Enneagram Type 4, mentioning what they’re like and what Enneagram Type 4 careers might best suit you.

Enneagram Type 4: The Individualist

The Enneagram Type 4 personality type is commonly known as the Individualist. They’re self-aware, reflective, and sensitive individuals motivated by desires to find or create their own identity. Often, this influences them to pursue work in the creative industries.

Type 4 thrive in open environments that allow them to express themselves, be creative, and protect their emotional well-being. That can factor into the working environment they thrive in. Along with how their attributes influence the careers suited for them, so can their wings, which are Wing Three and Five. Enneagram 4w3s may be more outgoing, while Enneagram 4w5s tend to be detached.

But before diving into the best-suited Enneagram 4 careers and jobs they should avoid, let’s examine their strengths, weaknesses, and some of their most prominent attributes.

Prominent Attributes of an Enneagram Type 4

Another great way to describe Type 4 is as emotionally expressive. They experience a basic instinct to be authentic but consistently struggle to find themselves. For that reason, they often feel misunderstood. Nevertheless, some of their greatest attributes include their quest for self-identity and their supportive, passionate, and clever personalities.

With such attributes come many strengths, which can help them thrive in the right working environment. Some of those strengths include:

Exceptionally imaginative minds that innovate unique creations and solutions
Heightened sense of empathy and sensitivity toward the emotions of others
Increased self-awareness and understanding of their potential growth
A natural inclination for aesthetics and creativity
The ability to express themselves authentically without fearing what others think

But everyone has weaknesses. Those of an Enneagram Type 4 are:

Having an isolating and withdrawn nature during hard times
Spending too much time focused on themselves
Experiencing intense emotional reactions to difficult situations

Who we are as individuals impacts how we work and what work we’re attracted to. With these attributes, strengths, and weaknesses in mind, let’s now consider some of the top careers for an Enneagram Type 4 to consider and some to avoid.

Top 5 Enneagram Type 4 Jobs

Because of their creativity and high emotional intelligence, many Individualists excel in careers pertaining to the arts and humanities. That includes these five careers:

1. Writer

By nature, writers are thoughtful individuals. To be a good writer, you must be meticulous with your words, and more importantly, you must be able to connect with readers. The Individualist often feels different from others. This feeling manifests through creative skills. Writing can be an exceptional personal outlet for an Enneagram Type 4, and they can turn their writing skills into a career as a poet, freelance writer, journalist, or a number of other writing-related professions.

2. Graphic Designer

The Enneagram Type 4 inherently seeks out jobs that emphasize creativity and authenticity. Working as a successful graphic designer requires two essential qualities—the ability to understand your clients and the ability to tell compelling stories through your designs. As a graphic designer, you can work for an advertising agency, freelance, or in-house for a company within a marketing department.

3. Photographer

Many people take up photography as a hobby. But if you love it, why not turn it into a career? An Enneagram Type 4 may thrive working as a photographer. They’re creative, authentic, and aesthetically driven, providing them the eye to capture beautiful photos. Their empathy helps them work well with clients, providing them with memories of a special event to last them a lifetime.

4. Therapist

So far, we’ve discussed a few careers within the creative industries that may be best-suited for Individualists. But other careers outside the creative industries may be a good fit for you if you’re an Enneagram Type 4. Along with their creativity, Type 4s enjoy helping others because of their high level of empathy and ability to understand others. The Individualist thrives on creating deep and meaningful connections with others and helping people achieve self-growth goals, making them excellent therapists.

5. Professor

In addition to helping people achieve their self-growth goals as therapists, an Enneagram Type 4 can help as professors. Individualists thrive off teaching and inspiring others, making them exceptional professors or teachers. They have the creativity and intuition to help students learn and excel at new skills and discover their own passions.

More Careers for an Enneagram Type 4

Other ideal career paths for an Individualist include:

Creative director
Social media manager
Event planner
Marketing coordinator or manager
Project manager

Enneagram Type 4 Careers to Avoid

Just as creativity and authenticity motivate Enneagram Type 4s, many things can demotivate them. That includes feeling misunderstood or doing something they don’t see as meaningful. Because of this, you may want to avoid some jobs as an Enneagram Type 4.

Executive Assistant

An Enneagram Type 4 thrives when the work they’re doing involves their own personal passions. Working for someone else as an executive assistant doesn’t generally offer the type of freedom Type 4s look for. Working directly for someone in an office or desk job may not be the best working environment for an Individualist.

Police Officer

As a Type 4, you may also avoid working in law enforcement careers. The Individualist is emotional and often embraces chaos. Law enforcement requires individuals to remain level-headed and rational, especially during times of crisis. Additionally, the challenging working environments of law enforcement can drain the Individualist, making it difficult for them to function in a role when negative vibes are hard to overcome.

Financial Analysts

Another career path that may not suit the emotionally driven personality of Type 4 is working as a financial analyst. They thrive in unique and creative roles and think in abstract ideas. Financial analysis requires rational thought. The typical financial institution working environment won’t offer the type of work Type 4s thrive in.

What’s the Individualist Like at Work?

As leaders, Type 4s can connect with people uniquely and are good at motivating others to find meaning in their work. However, they can also come across as moody or temperamental. Their work is who they are. So, it’s not unheard of for their passions to become intense. Type 4 leaders can motivate others to contribute to creating innovative solutions to work problems. But they can also work on becoming more aware of realities and offset their hearts and minds at work.

As mentioned, Type 4s thrive in work environments that are creative and authentic. Considering this is critical when determining what career is best for you. If you’re an Enneagram Type 4 looking for your next job, consider working with Insight Global and check out our job board today.

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