Truity's Personality and Careers Blog

Does Your Personality Type Predict Your Career Destiny?

08 September 2015 / By Truity
10
Categories: Personality in the Workplace, Latest Research

Could your personality type affect how much money you'll earn, whether you're likely to become a leader, or even how much you like your job? Is it possible that your natural traits and tendencies are shaping your career path in ways you don't even realize?

If you've read a profile of your personality type, you've probably noticed that certain suggestions are made about your career path based on your type. ENTJs and ESTJs are usually described as ambitious natural leaders. ENTPs are invariably described as entrepreneurial. And other types, like ISFJs and ESFPs, are painted as devoted family members, not corporate killers.

But do these type stereotypes hold up to actual scientific study? Are ENTJs really more likely to be CEOs, while ISFJs keep the home fires burning? With the help of 25,759 volunteers, we decided to find out.

The infographic below summarizes our most interesting findings, but for all the nitty-gritty details, read the full report.

Comments

Michelle Fenske (not verified) says...

6 years 2 months ago

I would be interested to see the gender breakdown on this, given the low proportion of female INTJs (4 out of every 500 females) and the high proportion of stay at home parents that are female (98%). Could you please tell us for the female survey respondents, where does INTJ rank in likelihood of being a stay at home parent?

Guest (not verified) says...

4 years 10 months ago

I would like to know this too.

As a stay at home mum who is INTP I have made the decision to have children so while I am able to, financially, I will stay at home.  I am really struggling with wanting to rejoin the work force so will look at being self employed in the future (in what, I have no idea yet).

KM (not verified) says...

3 years 8 months ago

The answer to your actual question is unlikely available, given that basically all stay at home parents are female, and all INTJ Females are female, and no one knows how many INTJs are really out there. Let's face it, the only people taking these tests are of a certain type, and likely more driven, due to the nature of this particular test (ie, LOTS of questions, vs any number of lesser tests).

Even suggesting one can extrapolate proportions of general populations from such testing is unlikely, given that: 

* Respondents must know about personality testing at all.

* Respondents must have enough curiosity to take the test.

* Respondents must have access to the various tests, and then choose this one.

* Respondents must share their results, with someone able to extrapolate the correlations between females, and Stay at home Moms.

Absent a wide and varied test population, with many additional questions to see who is, or has been a stay at home Mom, it seems highly unlikely that anyone can provide that answer. Especially when financial concerns may have overridden people's desire to stay at home, so just knowing if they did or didn't, is not the full story. 

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That said, as an INTJ female, and a Stay at Home Mom for many years, I don't see it as unusual, or even unlikely. 

As an INTJ, I do not like working around others, so staying at home was an ideal situation for me. I have little confidence in others to do any job as well as I would, so keeping and raising my own children seems like a natural for any INTJ, as well. 

Teaching my children to value logic, reasoning, and a variety of skills was a worthwhile endeavor for me, and I raised 2 highly intelligent, and successful male chidlren, who are happy and healthy, contributing members to society. Again, a worthwhile goal for any INTJ.

INTJs only "Seem" cold to others, because we are shy, and introverted. Not because we don't feel. We feel strongly - especially towards those we love. The love I felt for my children was overwhelming, and I never would have willingly trusted others to care for them, as long as it was in my power to raise them myself. 

I still love my adult children dearly, and my grandchildren every bit as much. Never feel like you are an oddball if you choose to raise your own children. You should raise them, if at all possible. I forfeited money I could have earned, had I worked, but I was more than willing to lose that money, to raise my own children. You won't regret it, if you can do so safely. (Ie, living in abject poverty to stay with the children may subject them to crime and diseases that money would raise them out of, so it is a tradeoff if you're at that edge financially, and only you can decide which is the better option for them, and you.)

I wish you well in childrearing, if that is your goal. I do think a more interesting question would be how many Home-schooled children are the offspring of INTJ Females. I did it for only one year, because I believe socialization matters, too, but I could see that being a thing, with INTJs and their children. (My 1-year adventure was forced, due to the inadequate management of the middle school, and I was not willing to continue sending them there, so we stayed home for a bit over a year, until it was time for High school, & then they went back to public school.)

SW (not verified) says...

3 years 5 months ago

My (INTP) hubby and I could afford me staying home with our 4 kids and now and again home schooling them. I earned a teaching degree and was self employed selling cosmetics, crystal, home decor, anything and everything. I couldn't settle on any one thing. Teaching was a so-so career for me. But, my time with my kids was wonderful. The education, "careers", and kids kept my creative, analytical mind busy. It forced me to be a little more sociable, too.

skjhaouihg (not verified) says...

2 months 2 weeks ago

Just because statistically most INTJ females work outside the home doesn't mean it's an absolute given. Not every element of the text-book-case-INTJ is going to apply to all. I personally DO fit in with this statistic however. I am an INTJ female and I have very little interest in becoming a stay at home mom or even to have children at all. I have so many interests I want to explore outside of the home. I also feel the same as another person who commented on this thread stating that she does not want to have to deal with all of the emotions that accompany motherhood. To each their own. Of course you can still be an INTJ female who would rather be a stay-at-home-mom. It just is less likely to occur for our type overall :)

Janice-Doe (not verified) says...

10 months 2 weeks ago

As an INTJ female, I would NOT be a stay at home mom. I already have what I want to do with my life and when planned out. I don't plan on ever having kids, because I can and will make my mark my own way; I don't want to deal with all the noise and emotional rollercoasters that come with kids. Another reason is because I am becoming a cop, and we all know that is a relatively dangerous job; I wouldn't want my kids to lose their mother, and I don't want to quit my job so my kids won't have to lose me. 

Daniel C (not verified) says...

9 months 3 weeks ago

Its says least likely

bil (not verified) says...

3 years 3 months ago

wow this can really make certain types feel like useless garbage huh 

Wither (not verified) says...

11 months 1 week ago

Nobody's destined to be what the types say they should be. It's just something some people take to help themselves get on the right career path or figure themselves out. In the end it all depends on yourself.

Me Maelee says...

1 week 5 days ago

It shouldn't make anyone feel like garbage. The facts are just the statistics that have been gathered. Also, people interested in mbti should take the test from the actual organization directly. It's worth the cost to get the 'right' type. Even still, the types are just based on preferences / leanings. They aren't like your DNA.You aren't programmed with a personality type. Don't worry, be happy!

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