The average worker in the US spends over 1700 hours every year at work.

If you’re spending that much of your life on the clock, you want to make sure you’re doing something you enjoy – or at least that you’re good at. While it can be hard to find the perfect career, knowing your personality type can help you find a profession that matches your unique skills and strengths.

Here are the best careers for each of the 12 DISC subtypes.

Drive styles

D: Pure Drive

High Drive types are competitive, decisive and direct. For anyone who has a Pure Drive personality, their career is likely to be extremely important to them. This personality subtype will usually look for job opportunities that give them the chance to pursue their goals, lead a team and make the most of their competitive side. High Drive types tend to be self-reliant so they work well in entrepreneurial careers or management positions.

Best careers for D types:

  • Entrepreneur
  • Public relations manager
  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Attorney

DC: Drive + Clarity

Combining a dominant Drive personality with a Clarity subtype, the DC personality is heavily focused on efficiency when it comes to achieving their goals. They focus on concrete results and approach every target with a determined, industrious and tireless attitude. This means they’re well-suited to structured, detail-oriented careers that let them hunt down the next target.

Best careers for DC types:

  • Project manager
  • Investment manager
  • Chief Technical Officer (CTO)
  • Architect
  • Marketing director

DI: Drive + Influence

If your personality type puts you in the Drive Influence subtype, you’re likely to thrive in a career that lets you use your naturally charismatic, sociable and driven personality to achieve your goals. Naturally resourceful and strategic, DI subtypes excel at bringing people together to achieve their unique vision and deliver impressive results.

Best careers for DI types:

  • Event planner
  • Politician
  • Consultant
  • Sales director
  • Art Director

Influence Styles

I: Pure Influence

Anyone with a High Influence personality puts their relationships first. They are social butterflies, easily building strong working relationships and a wide network of acquaintances. At every stage of their careers, High Influence types work to motivate the people around them, bringing energy and positivity to every team. This means they’re well-suited to any role that lets them use their social skills to the fullest.

Best careers for I types:

  • Recruiter
  • Public speaker
  • Teacher
  • Social media influencer
  • Customer success manager

ID: Influence + Drive

For the Influence Drive subtype, relationships and tasks are approached with equal determination and enthusiasm. This DISC personality type loves to take a big-picture approach, drawing in the people around them to help them solve problems and come up with novel solutions to challenges in their workplace and the world. 

  • Film producer
  • Dean or professor
  • Advertising director
  • Sustainability director
  • Sports coach

IS: Influence + Support

When Influence is combined with Support, the result is a caring, collaborative person who works hard to make sure everyone in the team feels like they belong. For IS subtypes, choosing a career is more about the people than the profession. They enjoy close-knit social environments where they get to work closely with colleagues and clients and spend as much time as possible in the company of others.

Best careers for IS types:

  • Human resources director
  • Fundraising manager
  • Social worker
  • Financial advisor
  • Family therapist

Support Styles

S: Pure Support

Known for being calm, composed and cool-headed, people with a High Support personality are well-suited to careers that involve taking care of others. Support types aren’t competitive, they’re not interested in being top dog and they’re happy to take direction from leaders they trust. This means this subtype will usually enjoy a career where they can work cooperatively with others. 

Best careers for S types:

  • Nurse
  • Customer service manager
  • Pharmacist
  • Training and development coordinator
  • Zoo keeper

SC: Support + Clarity

Blending Support and Clarity, the SC subtype is known for being organized and accommodating. They are careful, responsible and consistent workers and they prefer to be in environments that allow them to make decisions methodically.  This subtype will usually enjoy a career that requires good attention-to-detail, while also leaning into the Support traits of patience and reliability.

Best careers for SC types:

  • Family doctor or GP
  • Researcher
  • Art conservator
  • Dentist
  • Graphic designer

SI: Support + Influence

For the Support and Influence subtype, empathy lies at the heart of everything they do - including their career choice. SI individuals will look for careers that let them support and uplift others, helping people to achieve their goals and facilitating them in any way possible. This subtype is also very adaptable, able to take on challenging situations and approach them with a kind and measured response.

Best careers for SI types:

  • Counselor
  • Personal trainer
  • Social worker
  • Life coach
  • Midwife

Clarity Styles

C: Pure Clarity

Methodical and analytical, High Clarity individuals have a wide range of careers to choose from, including in science, finance, technology and more. This DISC personality excels at making objective decisions rather than emotional ones, taking a highly rational approach to their work and relationships. They are also comfortable working with large amounts of complex data - in fact, they enjoy it!

Best careers for C types:

  • Engineer
  • Data scientist
  • Geologist
  • Business strategist
  • Financial analyst

CD: Clarity + Drive

When the rational approach of the Clarity type combines with the determined mindset of the Drive type, the result is the focused, efficient and single-minded CD subtype. This DISC personality is performance-driven and goal-oriented, with a strong interest in results rather than relationships. CD individuals thrive in competitive careers that require accuracy, consistency and commitment.

Best careers for CD types:

  • Lawyer
  • Pilot
  • IT professional
  • Chief Operations Officer (COO)
  • Athlete

CS: Clarity + Support

For anyone with Clarity traits influenced by Support, it’s important to find a career that emphasizes responsibility, accountability and problem-solving. The CS subtype is often described as a perfectionist. They are capable of considering multiple factors when making decisions and they communicate well with others, pulling guidance and direction from multiple sources to find the best solution.

Best careers for CS types:

  • Surgeon
  • Accountant
  • Editor
  • Curator
  • Administrative assistant

Use your DISC subtype to find the career for you

Whether you’re just starting out in your career or you’re looking for a change, the DISC Personality Assessment can give you a roadmap to help you find the best career for you. Use your DISC assessment results as a starting point to kickstart your research and find your ideal role, whatever it may be!

Elizabeth Harris
Elizabeth is a freelance writer and ghostwriter. She’s an anthropologist at heart and loves using social theory to get deeper into the topics she writes about. Born in the UK, Elizabeth has lived in Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Dubai before moving most recently to Budapest, Hungary. She’s an ENTJ with ENFJ leanings. Find out more about her work at bethharris.com