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[ENTP] How should an ENTP choose a career?

YoungGun2112

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I have been thinking about starting an account, to make a thread about the best type of job for an ENTP, for awhile now. I'm 18, and really do not know what type of job would be good for me. I have had many ideas, and tend to change my mind every week. I'm not too worried about the future, but would like to see some discussion on the subject.

In the past, I have thought seriously about being a:

*Teacher/Professor
*Businessman (More specifically a self-employed/entrepreneur)
*Author
*Doctor/Psychiatrist
*Lawyer
*Journalist

I usually fit the criteria in the below categories, in no specific order (And the list is probably not complete, but provides a general idea):

*Something that is able to make lots of money, so that I can live comfortably (Travel, Have lots of toys, etc.)
*Something where I am going to have a lot of freedom to move, and not be constrained by schedules, bosses, rules, etc.
*Something where I am able to work with my own themes and ideas, use my mind, and apply that to my work. Something that allows me a lot of creative freedom to work with themes and change things around.
*Something that would be fun to do, and could see myself doing for my entire life.
*Something that is not going to be overbearing and too time consuming, so that I can do other things, and work on other facets of my life.
*Something that changes, and is not incredibly routine.
*Something where I do not have to work within a system, and deal with all the nonsense that goes with it.
*Something that allows me to work with people, but not be stuck with people. I like to be around people, and prefer to work with them versus being stuck in a room by myself. But I am easily annoyed by them, and need a decent amount of alone time, as well. I'm pretty independent.

I like each job in many ways, but tend to find faults in each of them and become discouraged, causing me to switch what I want to do and never fully make up my mind. I understand I am 18 and in no big hurry, but my future is something I think about, and does bother me incredibly.

Can anyone provide me with some general insights on how an ENTP should best pick careers? Can I here some things to avoid/look for, or some real life experiences? Any dicussion is good discussion. (I probably will not take much of this threat to heart, sadly, and will still have to figure it out on my own. But it will still provide my one more resource in making a decision. Whenever I make it.)
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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If I have time I'll come back and give a longer answer, but the short one is that I believe that ENTP's are most satisfied when working for themselves and/or starting their own business. Of the careers you have listed I'd say Business, Law, or possibly Writing would be good paths. College is a good time to take classes on each of these and try some things on the side to see if you like it and get your feet wet. For example you could keep your eyes out for business opportunities or write some material to publications and see how it goes.
 

nemo

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Yeah, something that at least involves minimal supervision is a must for me.

Edit: In the meantime, I'd just take lots of classes across tons of disciplines in college and involve yourself in absolutely everything possible. You'll figure it out as you go.
 

skip

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An ENTP friend of mine loves being a university professor (theoretical physics). He's good at what he does, the money is fine, he can work/live in lots of different countries (he sure travels a lot to conferences), and he gets long vacations.
 

white

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No one job will fulfill everything you want and need. Best to manage your expectations yea?

How to choose. Choose something you will have support in, in terms of a good mentor. Choose something which will open more possibilities later, if you're not sure this is what you want to do for the rest of your life.

I'm an ENTP in finance, it has worked for me so far.

Perks:

Fast moving world where the rules and ideas change every day. You'll be constantly learning to stay on top.

Lots of people interaction, it gets draining sometimes, but I think I'd prefer working with people than working alone.

A lot of travel involved. I've been overseas at least 2 months a year for the last 3-5 years. Job has taken me to the neon streets of HK, the paths of London, the vaults of Switzerland, among others.

Early responsibility. You get to meet the best minds in the business world, if your mentor is good. Picking their brains is fascinating, and the networking opportunities are great if you're considering running your own business later.

Money is good.

Cons:
Draining emotionally and psychically. A lot of politics, gaming, always on call 24/7, long hours, entertaining, don't expect to make real friends that easily as you would in college, and you have to make it look easy. No job security, as the poor performers will be cut every year.

But if you're young, and ready and willing to burn it. It presents everything for gain, and nothing to lose. Except your soul perhaps.

:cheers:
 

Ezra

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I suggest Law.

This is entirely subjective; I want to go into Law myself.

Of the following, I would love to be the bold:

*Teacher/Professor
*Businessman (More specifically a self-employed/entrepreneur)
*Author
*Doctor/Psychiatrist
*Lawyer
*Journalist

This is an ENTJ speaking. Is what I've bolded applicable to you?

ETA: right, I read your criteria. Businessman will suit you best, IMO. Law is too time-consuming. Be aware that you will have to sacrifice time for money, and vice versa, which limits your options. If you've a problem working many hours, be aware that a lot of your income will have to be based on chance and luck (i.e. an entrepreneur's income), which is why business would be a good option for you.
 

INTJMom

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My introduction to MBTT was in the book Do What You Are which is all about choosing the right career path based on your type. Think of it as a starting point, not as the final word in what your choices might be. It'll get you started in the right direction. I wish you good success.

http://www.iusb.edu/~sbcareer/entp.pdf
 

Butterfly

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The hot new courses and degrees that are making waves are on Entrepreneurship. ENTPs are natural entrepreneurs. So it cannot be taught to them, so lucky for them they dont have to enrol in such degrees. But knowing what entrepreneurship actually is may help you understand yourself more and which the career path to take.

Taken from wiki: Entrepreneurship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Characteristics of entrepreneurship

* The entrepreneur has an enthusiastic vision, the driving force of an enterprise.
* The entrepreneur's vision is usually supported by an interlocked collection of specific ideas not available to the marketplace.
* The overall blueprint to realize the vision is clear, however details may be incomplete, flexible, and evolving.
* The entrepreneur promotes the vision with enthusiastic passion.
* With persistence and determination, the entrepreneur develops strategies to change the vision into reality.
* The entrepreneur takes the initial responsibility to cause a vision to become a success.
* Entrepreneurs take prudent risks. They assess costs, market/customer needs and persuade others to join and help.
* An entrepreneur is usually a positive thinker and a decision maker.

Good luck :)
 

celesul

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Any lawyers here? That is something I've considered, but more insight about it would be useful. Other common ENTP careers would be bad for me I think (aside from professor). Being an entrepreneur requires not getting so distracted, which isn't happening. :D

Edit: any professors (are there any here? fo_O) would also be good to get a reply from. ^.^
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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Edit: any professors (are there any here? fo_O) would also be good to get a reply from. ^.^

I used to teach college math. I was set to get a PhD when I entered grad school, but over the two years I was there I realized that I would be miserable if I just studied one subject for the rest of my life, and I also wanted to apply my knowledge in some fashion, and not simply do research. So I ended up leaving with just a M.S.

As for teaching I enjoyed it at first, but it got repetitive after a few semesters. I imagine if I had a PhD I'd enjoy teaching upper level classes because I'd have more freedom over deciding the curriculum unlike the lower level courses where what you study is mostly set in stone.

I see you are not sure about E or I. In the case of professor I believe that makes a big difference. Professor is a very natural career for INTP in my opinion. I've known some established ENTP professors, but there all had some applied aspect to their research. I think whether or not an ENTP will enjoy professorship has to do with the subject of study and what you can do with it.
 

LostInNerSpace

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I have been thinking about starting an account, to make a thread about the best type of job for an ENTP, for awhile now. I'm 18, and really do not know what type of job would be good for me. I have had many ideas, and tend to change my mind every week. I'm not too worried about the future, but would like to see some discussion on the subject.

In the past, I have thought seriously about being a:

*Teacher/Professor
*Businessman (More specifically a self-employed/entrepreneur)
*Author
*Doctor/Psychiatrist
*Lawyer
*Journalist

I usually fit the criteria in the below categories, in no specific order (And the list is probably not complete, but provides a general idea):

*Something that is able to make lots of money, so that I can live comfortably (Travel, Have lots of toys, etc.)
*Something where I am going to have a lot of freedom to move, and not be constrained by schedules, bosses, rules, etc.
*Something where I am able to work with my own themes and ideas, use my mind, and apply that to my work. Something that allows me a lot of creative freedom to work with themes and change things around.
*Something that would be fun to do, and could see myself doing for my entire life.
*Something that is not going to be overbearing and too time consuming, so that I can do other things, and work on other facets of my life.
*Something that changes, and is not incredibly routine.
*Something where I do not have to work within a system, and deal with all the nonsense that goes with it.
*Something that allows me to work with people, but not be stuck with people. I like to be around people, and prefer to work with them versus being stuck in a room by myself. But I am easily annoyed by them, and need a decent amount of alone time, as well. I'm pretty independent.

I like each job in many ways, but tend to find faults in each of them and become discouraged, causing me to switch what I want to do and never fully make up my mind. I understand I am 18 and in no big hurry, but my future is something I think about, and does bother me incredibly.

Can anyone provide me with some general insights on how an ENTP should best pick careers? Can I here some things to avoid/look for, or some real life experiences? Any dicussion is good discussion. (I probably will not take much of this threat to heart, sadly, and will still have to figure it out on my own. But it will still provide my one more resource in making a decision. Whenever I make it.)

Have you thought about sales?
 

Savage

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I am doing a degree in computer science - data modelling/databases, computer management, and networking.

Data modelling is uninsipiring, it is perhaps the lecturer(s). Databases are similar but I feel like I am just running on an exercise machine slogging through the workbook, the most variable thing is that you can change attributes in the database - you can choose to capitalise the attribute or not. The lecturer is OK.

Networking is taught poorly, and again we just slog through a book, I thought I would enjoy as I have never done it before, and I already was quite interested in other aspects of computing - looking at nice hardware (I know I am a geek).

Computer management is probably the best, but often my enthusiasm fuel dissipates after the first few weeks. We get to choose the project, and we have a lot of freedom in that aspect. I'm not entirely looking forward to writing a huge report though, I have always rather just told people, and people have always said I was better at that.

I would say sales would be fun, because you play with a variety of things.
 

celesul

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I see you are not sure about E or I. In the case of professor I believe that makes a big difference. Professor is a very natural career for INTP in my opinion. I've known some established ENTP professors, but there all had some applied aspect to their research. I think whether or not an ENTP will enjoy professorship has to do with the subject of study and what you can do with it.

Thank you! What do you do now? I'm Ne/Ti, but have tested as an I a fair bit, so I seem to be very close to borderline. I lean towards ENTP though it seems. Once I become a bit more sure, I'll change it, which should be fairly soon. ^.^

I have thought that teaching the same thing over and over again would get positively tedious, as would excessive specialization, but it seems that everything is quite specialized. I like history, science, and math. They are rather hard to combine, which is why I've considered law focusing on science (that, and if I tire of it, it's not as hard to switch as it would be with other areas). Do you have any ideas of how to combine that for an ENTP? It's rare to like all it seems, but not always easy to find a use for it.
 

nemo

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I kind of think it'd be cool to be a science journalist.

I'm personally not sure how I could handle teaching either, but I suspect there's some difference between graduate students and faculty as far as experience goes. It may or may not be worth it.

My family has been trying to push me into medicine for awhile now, and there's some parts of it I think I'd love and others I'd hate. Depends a lot on what and how you end up practicing, though (various family members of mine are in everything from research to psychiatry).
 

white

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This thread is interesting, I see ENTPs in a whole range of careers, from finance, to sales, to education.

What is the common theme we're playing to? Up for discussion. It'd help. Because I think of all types, we're less likely to stay on one career for the whole of our lives, isn't it. So it'd help not only for a first job, but for our subsequent ones too.
 

nemo

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For me some big factors for a career are:

- I'm a lifelong learner and want a career that will match that
- I hate authority, but I also don't like to be an authority, so I'd like a position where I can be outside the political structure if I so choose
- Something that promotes innovation, creativity, and freedom
- Variety; no or little routine
- Opportunities for prolonged travel
- Contact with people
- Opportunities for collaboration
- I have a natural inclination to sciences and applied sciences...
- ... but I also have a very humanistic bent, so ideally I'd be in a (possibly scientific or technical) position that helps people in some way

I'm sure I can think of more, but those are the big ones for me.

What about you guys?
 

SillySapienne

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Minus the applied sciences part, I could agree with those "career factors".

Also, I think I would put more of an emphasis on the helping people factor too, but, yeah, other than that...yup, yup.

Oh, and I am an ENFP, so yeah...

And for you ENTPs, would being a teacher/professor be considered as being too routine???

Because I know, or at least I think I know, that it wouldn't be for me.
 

white

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For me some big factors for a career are:

- I'm a lifelong learner and want a career that will match that
- I hate authority, but I also don't like to be an authority, so I'd like a position where I can be outside the political structure if I so choose
- Something that promotes innovation, creativity, and freedom
- Variety; no or little routine
- Opportunities for prolonged travel
- Contact with people
- Opportunities for collaboration
- I have a natural inclination to sciences and applied sciences...
- ... but I also have a very humanistic bent, so ideally I'd be in a (possibly scientific or technical) position that helps people in some way

I'm sure I can think of more, but those are the big ones for me.

What about you guys?

Nemo, bolded parts, fully agree.

Agreed with the travel part. In my job, I have that. Have lived in 4 different cities in the last 3-5 years. And in between, have been travelling, as the money and vacation affords that. Blessings in disguise.

And share the same on authority. I don't want to rule, but I want autonomy. It is hard to explain that to others though.

Re working with people: Yes, but not in a position where I have to sustain contact. I realised I work best where I can go in on a deal basis, and not have to be involved in servicing the client e.g. daily, via phone, email, visits. I like the thrill of going in for one big deal, the intense preparations, late hours, and the real pitch... then the shut off afterwards where you work a normal 8 hours...

Also, a mentor is important for me, in my career. Someone I could look up to, who'd understand that while I have a lot to offer, I need guidance. Observing how others do it works best for me.

A team environment too. Working alone would drive me crazy - I need the inputs from others to fire up.

Also, this sounds silly, but a bit of a challenge. I've realised I tend to pick difficult tasks and jobs, where few go in. Perhaps that is the fool in me. But to do something where everyone can do, somehow doesn't appeal, even though it is safer, saner, more stable. :blush:

Edit: CC, I think as a teacher, it could work, depending on how much autonomy you had to teach the students in the way you wanted to. There is an MIT physics professor, his name slips me now, known for doing crazy stunts in class. If we could teach in an inimitable way, I think it could be attractive.

ENTPs is about breathing new life to old forms.
 

nemo

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I'm sort of ambivalent about being a professor.

It would be awesome if I could have some freedom in the courses I teach, and could teach them however I wanted, and had lots of interaction with graduate students and research.

The great thing is that every quarter/semester your schedule changes and you get an entirely new batch of people to interact with.

Actually, yeah, now that I think of it I'd probably like it a lot.

And yeah, I agree aelan with your clarification about working with people.

Edit:

I just thought of this:

I have dreams (literally, reoccurring ones while I'm asleep) that I'm some kind of doctor in something like Doctors Without Boarders training local medical students in some remote village in Africa, lol.
 

SillySapienne

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Edit: CC, I think as a teacher, it could work, depending on how much autonomy you had to teach the students in the way you wanted to..

The great thing is that every quarter/semester your schedule changes and you get an entirely new batch of people to interact with.
Yes, I agree with both of these statements, I'd think I'd want to teach younger kids though, because the potential for impact is stronger, *weird* but true, I owe my life to a few awesome teachers I happened to have in both elementary and high school.
 
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