ESTJ at Work

ESTJs enjoy structured work that allows them to control, enforce and supervise people, project and processes. They are the classic executive: highly task-oriented and efficient planners.

ESTJs want a clear job description with well-defined roles and responsibilities. Any form of ambiguity in defining their job scope will cause them unnecessary stress and frustration. They have a reputation in the workplace as highly responsible individuals, and therefore often get promoted to management fast.

They are highly organized, scheduled and work comfortably with deadlines. They expect the same from their co-workers and direct reports, frowning upon the spontaneous and independent behaviour of some of the other types.

ESTJ at Work: ESTJ Careers Suggestions

Before you get to the top career suggestions, it must be stressed that all personality types exist in all occupations.

Due to other factors involved such as interests, geography, salary and working hours, most individuals do not end up in occupations that ideally fit their personality.

However, if you are in a job or career that is not suitable for personalities of your type:

• You may have trouble communicating or agreeing with your co-workers.
• You may find communication issues arising in your work.
• What you deem to be important in a job may not be in sync with your colleagues; hence, the use of your personalities’ strengths during your work MAY NOT lead to promotion or reward.
• Because you do not feel your work is valued, you may experience stress, dissatisfaction, burnout and lack of productivity.

Executives/Sales

ESTJs are energetic, task-oriented and organized, making them suitable for most jobs out there in the marketplace. They are also very comfortable with a high level of social interaction with colleagues and partners in the course of their work.

With their natural drive to succeed, most ESTJs do well in most executive roles in traditional organisational settings. These jobs could include:

• Sales agent
• Pharmaceutical sales representative
• Underwriter
• Budget analyst
• Regulatory officer
• Government employee
• Personal financial adviser

Specialized Crafts

ESTJs enjoy working with their hands and tinkering with various kinds of objects. In fact, they may prefer working with objects than with people. Their attention to detail and focus to follow through makes them great craftsman. They can consider jobs like:

• Engineer
• Farmer
• General contractor
• Construction worker
• Technical trainer
• Clinical technician

Management

ESTJs make great managers because of their organizational ability and decisiveness. They respect organizational hierarchies and expect others to do the same as well. They are comfortable taking charge of a situation and in making a logical, fair and objective assessment and decision.

ESTJ managers are known to be tough but fair. Jobs in management include:

• Project manager
• Factory supervisor
• Management consultant
• Bank manager
• Credit analyst
• Property manager

Professional

ESTJs are suited for most kinds of professional work. However, they shine in fields where the use of clear, objectively applied reasoning is recognised and rewarded. Professional work that deals with facts, details and concrete evidence will appeal most of the ESTJs; and could include:

• Dentist
• Stockbroker
• Judge
• Teacher
• Lawyer

ESTJ at Work: Ideal ESTJ Career Environments

Even though you’re in the right job, it is the culture of the organisation that will ultimately determine your job satisfaction.

There are work environments that will support your professional development, and there are those that stress you out.

When you are applying or considering a new job, consider looking for organisations that are known to have:

WELL-DEFINED HIERARCHY

ESTJs enjoy being part of organisations that have a well-defined hierarchy and structure. They respect the position of their manager, and they want to be respected when they do take a supervisory role. This kind of organisational structure is found in most established multi-national companies. If this is important for you, do avoid small to medium-sized enterprises, where there is little to no hierarchy.

DEFINED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ESTJs want to be in roles where their job scope is defined by objective, measurable factors. They are motivated to succeed when they are given clear indicators of success. Objectives such as “Sell $50,000 of products per month” are an example of clear job expectation. When you are being interviewed, a simple question such as “What is my responsibility?” will help you determine if your job scope is going to be clear.

CLEAR PATH OF ADVANCEMENT

Similarly, if they are clear about the criteria for promotion which includes meeting objective key performance indicators, they will be driven to meet those indicators for success. In general, larger organisations have clearer paths for advancement, and you should inquire about them during the interview. You should speak to people within the company to understand whether these indicators exist and are made clear to all in the company.

Return to the 16 Types