Looking for a Recession-Proof Career? Here are Some to Consider for Your Personality Type

Inflation's up, inflation's down, there are labor shortages, there are layoffs, we're heading for recession, we're in recovery...if there's one thing we know for sure, it's that the economy is unpredictable.

With this in mind, many people are looking for jobs that will get them through economic upheavals, good times and bad. Working a job that's essential to the running of society is usually the safest bet as these careers are at lower risk during periods of uncertainty. However, there's no such thing as a zero-risk role—so it's just as important to find a field you love and can stay invested in no matter what the future has in store.

To help your career planning , here's a list of some recession-proof careers along with the personality types that are best suited for them.

Health and Social Services

As we saw during the pandemic, health and social services remain in high demand no matter what the economy is doing. Patients always need care, and it cannot be outsourced or automated. People with a medical background, such as doctors, nurses and allied health professionals make up the backbone of this profession. But even if you're not qualified to work on the front line, there are plenty of administrative and support roles to be filled.

Positions in this category: Physicians, physician assistants, nurses, physical therapists, home health aides, psychologists, hospital administrators.

Personality types suited:

• Direct care jobs such as nursing are most often chosen by Sensing Feelers, particularly ISFJ, ISFP, ESFP and ESFJ types. Sensor-Feelers combine their naturally compassionate and empathetic natures with a practical, no-nonsense approach to problem solving which is essentially for making fast and careful decisions in a stressful environment.
• INFPs and INFJs are often attracted to psychology, counseling and therapy roles.
• For hospital administration positions, Judging Feelers (ENFJ, ESFJ, INFJ and ISFJ) often excel. This is due to their ability to juggle multiple tasks while maintaining a people-first approach.

Government Services and Public Safety

Another dependable source of secure employment, government jobs can be difficult to break into but offer unparalleled job security once you're in. There's a broad category of jobs in this sector and many are critical to ensure the safe running of society. However, it's public security jobs that offer the safest choice.

Positions in this category: Transportation security, immigration officers, law enforcement, corrections officers, computer programmers, cyber security, public administrators, policy analysts.

Personality types suited:

• Sensing Thinkers and especially ESTJ and ISTJ types are well-suited for many of the roles in this field. These types thrive in structured environments with clear goals and expectations, and they are quick to analyze complex situations and come up with an efficient action plan.

• For computer programming or cyber security jobs you'll need a strong analytic thinking skills. Research shows that ISTJ, INTP, INTJ, ENTP and ESTP personality types are well-represented in these jobs.

Education

Teaching remains one of the most reliable jobs out there particularly in schools where job security is high. While many school systems are feeling budget pressures, education will always remain a priority irrespective of what the economy is doing.

Positions in this category: Teachers, teaching aides, professors, librarians, researchers, education administrators.

Personality types suited:

• Teachers and education administrators are often Extraverted Feeling types: ENFJ, ESFJ, ESFP and ENFP. Extraverted Feelers have a natural ability to inspire and motivate others while empathizing with their needs.
• That doesn't mean that Introverts can't excel in this field - they just may need a few extra resources to survive an energy-draining classroom.

Utilities, Energy and the Environment

Energy and utilities companies employ an array of workers to ensure that homes and businesses have access to power, water and other vital services. This is a huge field that starts with extraction engineers and ends with plumbers and electricians, so there's something for everyone. The stability of energy jobs comes down to the fact that they are vital for keeping society running – utility workers are often invisible front-line responders with stable recession-proof jobs. They will continue to be popular as demand for renewable energy sources grows.

Positions in this category: Gas engineers, water quality managers, wind turbine technicians, power plant operators, environmental scientists, energy auditors.

Personality types suited:

• Engineers and scientists are often Intuitive Thinking types, particularly INTP, INTJ and ENTP.
• ISTPs and ESTPs are often attracted to hands-on, technical professions.
• Large energy companies have a need for workers of every inclination, from managerial to administrative. ESTJ, ISTJ and ENTJ types in particular might find managerial positions in this field satisfying.

How to plan your recession-proof career

No matter what your career aspirations are, it's important to remember that any type can do any job. However, there might be some occupations where our natural strengths and preferences make us more successful.

Beside knowing your Typefinder personality type, a good place to start when planning a recession-proof career is with a career aptitude test like Truity's Career Personality Profiler. As any job hunter knows, figuring out the what career you're going to be good at and happy in is often the most difficult part of the process. A high-quality career test not only will assess your personal strengths and interests, it will also give you a long list of careers that naturally align with those interests. From there, you can start digging deeper into the ones that interest you and make a well-informed decision about your next steps.

Choosing a career that's right for your personality should always be a priority. Just keep an eye on the professions that are safe havens during times of trouble. Although no job is 100% recession-proof, they offer more protection than most during downturns.