If you have an ESFJ—also known as consul—personality, it’s important to match your strengths with your work. While you have the potential to succeed in almost any path you choose, the ideal FESFJ jobs will cater to your traits. As an extrovert who cares about others, you can add so much to the workplace, so it’s well worth it to look for consul personality jobs that will bring out the best in you.
What is an ESFJ?
ESFJ is one of the 16 personality types used in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and one of the four belonging to what psychologist David Keirsey referred to as the Guardians. The abbreviation ESFJ stands for this type’s key personality indicators: extraversion, sensing, feeling, and judgment. ESFJs have high expectations for others. This type values tradition and loyalty and typically has a family-above-all mentality. ESFJs don’t hold anything back when it comes to giving their effort and time to others. They often bear the burden of their situations and will attempt to give back to help improve their environment.
What are ESFJs like in the workplace?
In the workplace, ESFJs seek cooperation and harmony. There is no gray area. ESFJs see actions as right or wrong, want everyone to be held to the same standards, and gravitate toward roles that allow them to enforce social order. ESFJs feel personally responsible for whether the needs and desires of others are met. This type is pragmatic and puts work above play. Lastly, ESFJs are creatures of habit. They feel best and most productive when they get into a consistent routine.
What are the best careers for ESFJs?
ESFJs make up 9 to 13% of the population. As an ESFJ, you are likely comfortable following the status quo. Your skills and preferences do not limit you to any career field, but a few paths should allow you to maximize your sense of justice.
ESFJs are:
- Focused on tasks and routines, making them effective at day-to-day operations
- Driven by a strong sense of duty
- Loyal, and usually very popular
- Sensitive to the feelings of others
- Skilled at social interaction and reading social cues
These are 10 of the best jobs for ESFJ personalities in the workplace:
1. Corporate Trainer
ESFJs love day-to-day operations and tasks, which makes them highly effective in this role. A corporate trainer must make employees care about the little details. The responsibilities of a corporate trainer include developing easily digestible learning materials for employees; creating training manuals; reporting to management, vendors, and trainers; and motivating the company staff.
2. Optometrist
Optometrists are process-oriented. ESFJs don’t skip steps, which is why this personality type is a natural fit for optometry. This occupation requires optometrists to perform vision tests and analyze the results; diagnose eye problems; provide treatments; prescribe glasses, contact lenses, and medications; and promote eye health among their patients.
3. Special Education Teacher
Special education teachers assess students’ skills to determine their needs; develop teaching plans and individualized education programs for each student; teach students individually and as a class; and communicate student progress with counselors, administrators, and parents. Successful special education teachers care deeply about their students, which makes this one of the best jobs for ESFJs.
4. Nurse
ESFJs tend to have a by-the-book mentality, which is precisely what makes them great for the medical field. People’s lives depend on nurses following procedures. Nurses record patient medical history and symptoms, observe patients and record observations, administer treatments and medicine, coordinate with doctors, use medical equipment, and help perform diagnostic tests on patients.
5. Dietitian
Dietitians want the best for people, which is a characteristic of the ESFJ personality type. In this occupation, you’ll be expected to provide health advice, plan diets, establish key health needs, encourage dietary changes, and support others in health and nutrition.
6. Real Estate Agent
Real estate agents must be gregarious. The good news for ESFJs is that their keen awareness in social situations allows them to adapt to satisfy potential clients from all angles. Real estate agents rent, sell, buy, promote, and advertise properties; create lists of properties for sale; and advise clients on all information regarding the real estate market. They also mediate negotiations between buyers and sellers and ensure contractual obligations are met.
7. Office Manager
This is about as ESFJ as any occupation gets. ESFJs seek to create a harmonious workplace. What better way to do that than to manage the office? Office managers organize meetings; arrange appointments; monitor the work of the administrative staff; manage office budgets; keep personnel records; organize onboarding programs for new hires; delegate tasks to junior employees; and serve as the liaison for staff, suppliers, and clients.
8. Advertising Sales Agent
This is one of the better ESFJ jobs because it involves communicating and coordinating with others. It is an advertising sales agent’s job to locate and contact potential clients to offer ad services, explain to clients how specific advertisements will help promote their products or services, provide estimates, prepare and deliver sales presentations, and process paperwork for all accounts. They also deliver proofs for approval, develop promo plans, and recommend sizes and formats for ads.
9. Receptionist
The receptionist is often the first face people see when they step into an office. They are the first impression of a company, which is exactly why the socially savvy ESFJ is the one for this job. Receptionists answer, screen, and forward phone calls; greet visitors and customers and escort them through the office; monitor who comes and goes; process travel vouchers or other documents; copy, file, and maintain records and documents; and perform administrative service tasks.
10. Buyer
Another job dealing with customers and negotiations is a buyer. Once again, an ESFJ is an ideal fit for this career path. Buyers find suppliers, negotiate prices, pitch ideas to senior management, react to changes in customer demand, select new products while reviewing the old, maintain relationships with existing suppliers while also seeking new ones, gather feedback from customers, and attend trade events.
Stay strong and keep looking
Your job search might not be the most fun part of your day, but you should never feel discouraged. There are many options for ESFJ careers in the workforce, and you’re sure to find a suitable position soon enough. Just keep plugging away, and before you know it, you’ll land an excellent job that speaks to your strengths.