• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

[ENFP] What jobs do ye ENFP's do?

tortoise

New member
Joined
Aug 25, 2010
Messages
161
MBTI Type
ENFP
Game development. Because I love video games and the kind of experience they can represent. Nothing else really. But I don't really know anything about game development and my major is one a different wavelength as are my "natural talents" which might be the typical people-interaction, good communication skills ENFP deal.

The reality of game development is actually quite horrible. It is extremely competitive and has a very high burnout rate. It is notoriously the most high-stress area of software development and is definitely not for ENFPs.

I would say (in all seriousness) that you would need to have Aspergers to make it in game development.
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I used to think I could do anything, but as time goes by, I'm realizing I don't actually excel at anything, and am too much of a philosopher/bullshitter and not enough of a go-getter... :S

i think that is our secret though... we are A+ bullshitters... we are such good bullshitters that we can convince ourselves to believe our own bullshit. you know it's true... :D

Now, she's a nurse. I think she would like it more if she wasn't a Type 3 - I think it's hard for her to be on the lower rungs of an industry when her real desire is to be at the top.

type 3 is a bitch.

Communications strategist in advertising!

It's awesome, mostly because you get to live off your ideas -- the new ways you think up to reach people. No day could ever be the same. One moment, you're moderating a focus group, the next whipping up a brand essence video in Final Cut. The coolest part is working with the research and development team to create new products like a really novel little scalpel or a table that electronically records your tab.

It's also ideal if you love public speaking, which I do.

Many agencies believe that in order to keep their people happy and creative, they should do things like provide free classes for learning other languages and furnish a steady flow of alcohol. Free massages too!

I've got two months left of grad school and then I'll be able to hop into an agency full-time. Huzzah!!!

BTW, I'm amazed at the bajillions of things my fellow ENFPs do with their lives. You people are amazing. :hug:

that's pretty awesome.

---

so, ENFP, what do you think of going into law?

alternatively, what is lucrative and will not make me miserable? not that i've ever really been all that miserable in a job, besides physical labor. medicine is a possibility. i :heart: school, so don't worry about that... lol...
 

Moiety

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2008
Messages
5,996
MBTI Type
ISFJ
The reality of game development is actually quite horrible. It is extremely competitive and has a very high burnout rate. It is notoriously the most high-stress area of software development and is definitely not for ENFPs.

I would say (in all seriousness) that you would need to have Aspergers to make it in game development.

I hear ya. Yeah it doesn't sound all that great. But there is variety within game development. And there are more EFs in game development than you might now. I've started thinking of alternatives, but I'm lost really.

i think that is our secret though... we are A+ bullshitters... we are such good bullshitters that we can convince ourselves to believe our own bullshit. you know it's true... :D

Yeah, I only need to know what I want to convince myself I want to do now lol
 

Chloe

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,196
Now, she's a nurse. I think she would like it more if she wasn't a Type 3 - I think it's hard for her to be on the lower rungs of an industry when her real desire is to be at the top.
.


Oh god. I must admit i relate to this A LOT.

I am in medicine school. I realized that MAIN reason to go for medicine (consider that i was 18 when i needed to decide, no "college experience" here to TRY things) is because of enneagram 3's idiotic logic and "i need to do whats absolutely THE BEST".
I was thinking like this: i am too big potential, i will not waste that in shitty schools like for a teacher (here you should also consider that in my country colleges like that, besides few like medicine, law, or technology really really suck so..) so I should do whats the greatest power.
It was subconscious motive. Completely run from my 3 and not from "me", and kind of out of fear because going for M.D. is sure in financial and status terms.. but completely wrong choice for me.

Also being a high potential means nothing if you dont like it. Its so misleading, in my case. I got in same shit with Math, high potential, very low interest. That's another story, not related to 3, more to passivity and kinda its hard to avoid things that naturally come in way and bring you money. But still, i hate math.


that's me, i am jobless, perspectiveless, who used to be high potential, bum.
 

Chloe

New member
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
2,196
so, ENFP, what do you think of going into law?

alternatively, what is lucrative and will not make me miserable? not that i've ever really been all that miserable in a job, besides physical labor. medicine is a possibility. i :heart: school, so don't worry about that... lol...

I think law isnt very ENFP career, but there are exceptions.

About medicine, you could see that in college already, if you are super interested in your pre-med courses - probably good choice.
 

Wonkavision

Retired Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
1,154
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w8
I work a boring office job just to pay the bills but, not surprisingly, I inject a lot of fun into the job, and have found ways to make it creative and to make a difference.

I founded and have managed the office's first ever newsletter for a year now,
I organized the first ever art show, and I've got several more projects in the works.

My boss stays off my back and lets me work at my own pace because I have demonstrated over and over again that I'm most productive when allowed to do things my way. And at this point, all fun, creative projects that come up are offered to me.


Also, I work for the state, which definitely has its benefits.

You wouldn't believe how much time I'm able to take off.

Big time plus for an ENFP. :yes:
 

stringstheory

THIS bitch
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
Messages
923
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
1
Working towards a career in social work. Preferably doing something related to community organizing or health services, but i'm not 100% sure on that part yet...details :alttongue:

getting used to all the paperwork involved might prove to be a challenge, but when it comes to doing something i'm passionate about I'm usually able to get it done. As long as i know it's for a bigger cause it'll get done^^
 

CleanCuteNFP

New member
Joined
Dec 1, 2009
Messages
28
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
huh?
So I am a little late, but better late than never.

Well, I have had exactly 9 different jobs by now (25 years old).

1. Foot Locker (retail)
2. Soccer Referee
3. Boston Market cook
4. MCI (Tele-Marketer)
5. Best Buy (computer repair/sales)
6. University physics/chemistry/biology tutor
7. T-Mobile PDA repair technician
8. Medical school basic sciences tutor
9. Radiology assisstant

Basically I have had a job since I was nine years old. I am currently starting my last year of medical school, so I am 1 year and 2 months away from an M.D. degree. I will do my residency in Emergency Medicine, but I can already tell I am very bored w/ medicine. I am one of those guys, that once I've got something down, I'll move on. I'll probably just use the emergency medicine skills as a job I can do once a week.

My next career prospects are as follows:
1. Charity NGO fund raiser
2. Charity NGO project manager
3. High School physics or chemistry teacher

So after my 4 years of residency, I might do 2 more years of ICU training, and then jump into those fields listed above. My best work was done as a tutor, but I also excelled at sales, even though I hated myself at those jobs. As I have matured, i realized the most important thing for me is free time to myself to develop new skill sets. I also need to know that my work is contributing to making this flying ball a better place to live for others.

So here is my advice:

- You must love what you do
- It must allow you to be financially stable
- It must make a difference and not make you hate yourself
- It should allow you to learn many new things
- You should be recognized as good at what you do.

If you get all of these, your golden but thats hard, so that is why most of us just keep job jumping. I will admit, that the 3rd year of medical school has been an all time spiritual low for me, but it has taught me a work ethic that I can't imagine the best SJ possessing. I go to school from 3:30am-8pm on some rotations for 4 months at a time, 6 days a week and still do some studying at home. I would have never learned that anywhere else. Do I recommend it for everyone? No. But ENFP's do a much better job at medicine than others, due to Ne and the ability to understand very complex theories. There is alot of heirerchical bullshit in medicine so that is a definite turn off, but you learn how to deal with these people better after medical school.

I can talk in more detail later if people are interested on hearing about an ENFP perspective on such a structured field.
 

Lady_X

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
18,235
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
784
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
portrait photography...love it. :)
 

Kitsune413

New member
Joined
Feb 11, 2012
Messages
59
MBTI Type
enfp
And, DO NOT work for an ISFJ, or every decision you make will be wrong. I made that mistake already.

Worked with two of those. One was a long time boss and the other worked for me and I was his boss. The second is definitely the better situation but both can be abrasive.

When I was younger I really looked up to my ISFJ boss. He was strong in the area I was really weak at. Kind of Idolized him. But once I went and ran my own store for awhile. Going back and being his pygmalion project was pretty rough.

When I had left I had looked up to him and been impressed by him. When I came back I knew I could never be what he wanted me to be. Nor did I wish to be.

I worked at Gamestop for nine years. Store just closed so now I'm looking for a job as well. Retail job. Being an ENFP made it easy. You build relationships with customers to get your job done. Rather than just being manipulative. You just have to make them like you.

Didn't have the money or hte inspiration for school when I was younger. But now I need to look into that.

A warning about HR for ENFP's. There are a few types of HR. One has to do with alot of details and paperwork so try to avoid that. If you can get a job headhunting or training then you'll be good.
 

pinkgraffiti

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
1,482
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
748
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
thanks so much for this post, i'm going to study what you wrote. i really need it, i have to change jobs and i need to make some choices ;)
Hey fellow ENFP's

I'm a newbie to this forum but I'm so glad I found this thread as my main issue has always been what job to take next and although I always identify with the suggested careers/jobs suggested by profiles it's just so goddamn hard to choose one as a main career path etc!

For anyone who hasn't already come across Barbara Sher and specifically her book - Refuse To Choose (or sometimes 'What do I do when I want to do Everything?) I would highly recommend it - if only to see in print what you've always suspected about yourself and hated justifying to everyone in your life!

Basically as an ENFP I really identify with her 'Scanner' identity...

Are You A Scanner?
Is this you?

* Are you fascinated by something different every week?
* Does the thought of concentrating on one topic, skill or job for the rest of your life horrify you?
* Do you start lots of projects but rarely finish any of them?
* Does trying to choose between all your interests stress you out?
* Are you currently reading 5, 10 or even more books?

Then you are a �scanner�.

The term was chosen by US life and careers coach Barbara Sher and written about in her recent book �What Do I Do When I Want to Do Everything? - A revolutionary program for doing everything that you love�.

I'm by no means an expert from what I've read so far about ENFP I really think we are scanners! The great thing about this book is that there isn't just one type of scanner - in fact there are about 6 or 7 but the one I most definitely clicked with is the 'Jack of all Trades' as my main goal in life is just to be happy :blush:

I don't know bout the rest of you but I just have way too many interests/ideas/obsessions to just pick one and become an expert - it always feels like you're missing out if you pick one over another.

I'm definitely pleased that I've tried so many of my different interests out as income providers and I think that the only way forward for me is to have what I guess you could call a portfolio career - a few different income streams, all of which I love and would give me the variety and fulfillment that have always been my top priorities in working life and also let me keep my other interests as things I just do for me for fun.

One of the best things about the book was the notion that you don;t have to make a living from all your interests - just figure out which ones need to fill your day and ideally bring in the mula and keep the rest for enjoyment only.

Anyway, I've already written way more than I ever intended - I guess i find it easier to ramble on when it's something I'm interested in as opposed to talking about myself specifically.

Any thoughts on this? Anyone identify with ideas here or have read the book etc?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Scanner/Make-up artist/Astrologer/Cupcake maker-Seller/cook/watercolour painter/artist/counsellor/careworker/go-to girl/organiser extraordinaire/administrator/system creator/teacher

PS Just found this link which might help anyone who wants a bit more info or starting point to learn more!

Are You a Scanner? By Barbara Sher
 

pinkgraffiti

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
1,482
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
748
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
thank you to you as well for this post. this is my dilemma: I'm "playing" the scientist and i love the mental challenge, but i hate that i have to do very precise and repetitive stuff and i keep on sabotaging my experiments (trying to change "just a little bit" to see what happens" when i should be doing perfect replica. eergh). but my passion is music and sometimes i wonder if i should do that instead. but then again, maybe it wouldn't make me feel complete.
the problem is i don't want to be a specialist at anything, because i like different things and i am the most motivated when i can do 3-4 things in the day (like something that is mentally stimulating + music + something connected to people and helping them/political stuff). but at the same time i want to excel at what i do. :unsure: difficult. if anyone has an answer or clue for this riddle, please let me know!!! :)

Ha! I have 4 years of research experience at 2 Universities. Science is well suited to ENFPs because it's cerebral and looks to the unknown. Personally, I'm far more an artist than a scientist. My greatest joy in life is music, painting, and dancing, but I wouldn't want to do it for a living. Being a physician is a happy medium. It's science, art, and service. Best of all, I get to do art not out of necessity (to make money), but out of desire and love. I can also do research on the side. Win-win.



Limits? What limits? Within my range? What the hell are you talking about?!?! DON'T LIMIT ME, DAMN IT!!!
 

DisneyFanGirl

New member
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
89
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx
I work as a dog walker right now but I'm taking classes to become a film maker. My ideal career would be acting, though.
 

highlander

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
26,562
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
A few that I know:
1. In medical school on way to becoming a dermatologist
2. Gets a different job every couple of years - has done everything from sales to working in hospice to teaching; always working but never stays anywhere for long
3. Information security consultant
4. Administrative assistant

1, 3 and 4 seemed to like what they are doing
 

Zarathustra

Let Go Of Your Team
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
8,110

:shocking:

So you're gunna do all that work in medical school, residency, etc., and then you're not even gunna work as a doctor?

And that's not even to mention the debt you've probably accumulated...

Honestly, *this* is my problem with the ENFP mind...
 

CleanCuteNFP

New member
Joined
Dec 1, 2009
Messages
28
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
huh?
:shocking:

So you're gunna do all that work in medical school, residency, etc., and then you're not even gunna work as a doctor?

And that's not even to mention the debt you've probably accumulated...

Honestly, *this* is my problem with the ENFP mind...

I think that's the catch here. I was lucky to get a full tuition merit based scholarship, so I never saw the need to go into the field to make money. I will be only $15,000 in debt after school, which can easily be paid off during my intern year. Secondly, what's wrong with only working one day a week to pay the bills? My friend does it and he makes 72,000 after taxes.

Personally, I wouldn't even know what to do with 72,000 dollars. That is an insane amount of money.

I think the scanner article was pretty right.
 

Zarathustra

Let Go Of Your Team
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
8,110
I think that's the catch here. I was lucky to get a full tuition merit based scholarship, so I never saw the need to go into the field to make money. I will be only $15,000 in debt after school, which can easily be paid off during my intern year.

Oh, well, if that's the case, then who cares.

That's pretty awesome.

Congrats

Secondly, what's wrong with only working one day a week to pay the bills? My friend does it and he makes 72,000 after taxes.

Oh, that's not anything I had an issue with.

Frankly, I didn't fully understand the potential for doing so.

Where does he work to be able to do something like that?

Personally, I wouldn't even know what to do with 72,000 dollars.

I believe they found that $80,000 is the point where making more money doesn't bring you any more happiness.

That the tradeoffs required to make more tend to outweigh the benefits.

This situation sounds a little different, but hell, I'd gladly take the 6 days of leisure.

That is an insane amount of money.

Eh, I wouldn't go that far.

Take taxes out, the need to save for retirement, rent, car, food, bills, and you'll get to zero quicker than you think.


ETA: Just noticed that it was after taxes. Yeah, $72,000 after taxes will afford you a nice lifestyle. Nothing insane, but definitely nice.

But, if you don't mind my asking, how does one go about getting a full merit-based scholarship to med school?

Despite having a good number of friends who have gotten their MD, I'm not very familiar with the process.

What incentive do they have to give it to you, and what do you have to have done to get it?
 
Last edited:

sculpting

New member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
4,148
thank you to you as well for this post. this is my dilemma: I'm "playing" the scientist and i love the mental challenge, but i hate that i have to do very precise and repetitive stuff and i keep on sabotaging my experiments (trying to change "just a little bit" to see what happens" when i should be doing perfect replica. eergh). but my passion is music and sometimes i wonder if i should do that instead. but then again, maybe it wouldn't make me feel complete.
the problem is i don't want to be a specialist at anything, because i like different things and i am the most motivated when i can do 3-4 things in the day (like something that is mentally stimulating + music + something connected to people and helping them/political stuff). but at the same time i want to excel at what i do. :unsure: difficult. if anyone has an answer or clue for this riddle, please let me know!!! :)

haha, at your science pain. (Alas, I ruined many a science experiment myself, thus I feel empathy for you. My four years in grad school basically really only resulted in a very productive tomato garden with lots of flowers the whole time, cause my crystals wouldnt grow.) Few ENFPs stay in the lab. Typically they are personable enough that they leave the lab after a short time and can move into careers in Sales, Support, Product Management, Project Management, Training, Business Analysis or Marketing. All of these paths can lead to positions in management, which seems to suck and be stupid, except that in management you can make all of your ideas about how to make your products better and customers more satisfied become realities.

In all of these career paths, you can do very different types of things all day long, thus you avoid the boredom of doing the same crap over and over again.
 

pinkgraffiti

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
1,482
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
748
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
those would actually be good ideas (thank you) if hearing words like "product" or "sales" didn't make me cringe. it's my anti-capitalism morals talking....so......still i don't see an alternative to lab life... :(
haha, at your science pain. (Alas, I ruined many a science experiment myself, thus I feel empathy for you. My four years in grad school basically really only resulted in a very productive tomato garden with lots of flowers the whole time, cause my crystals wouldnt grow.) Few ENFPs stay in the lab. Typically they are personable enough that they leave the lab after a short time and can move into careers in Sales, Support, Product Management, Project Management, Training, Business Analysis or Marketing. All of these paths can lead to positions in management, which seems to suck and be stupid, except that in management you can make all of your ideas about how to make your products better and customers more satisfied become realities.

In all of these career paths, you can do very different types of things all day long, thus you avoid the boredom of doing the same crap over and over again.
 

CleanCuteNFP

New member
Joined
Dec 1, 2009
Messages
28
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
huh?
Despite having a good number of friends who have gotten their MD, I'm not very familiar with the process.

What incentive do they have to give it to you, and what do you have to have done to get it?

First off Zara, I am so, so, so sorry for the super late reply. I didn't know someone replied to me. So here is what you are looking for. My friend that barely works is what we call a locums physician. He gets flown over to various cities once or twice a week to work one shift in their ER. There are many physicians that do that. The demand is that high. He works mainly in the mountain west.

Now regards to scholarship to medical school. Yes you are very right, it is extremly difficult to get and there is a factor of luck to it. The biggest ticket for getting a merit based scholarship are an extremely high MCAT (37/45 or above). The next is having excellent leadershipand volunteer experience on your resume. Luckily I had both. I got a tutoring job on accident at the Uni in undergrad. I tutored Chem, Bio, Physics, Physical chemistry, and Biochemistry for 3 years before taking the MCAT. I didn't reaize this, but turns out, there is only so many ways you can ask a redox reaction question. So if you have covered the material over and over again for three years, you don't have to study at all for the MCAT and you will still destroy it. So my luck at getting a job, gave me an excellent MCAT. I am no smarter than your average college student, but practice makes perfect.

Next is volunteerism. My mom always made us volunteer as kids. We were always the ones to clean up after pot lucks etc.... I found stuff that I loved doing for fun and volunteered in that. My main thing was working with kids doing sport and after school programs. I loved the work i did so much, I was admnisterating over 50 volunteers and 500 children. So the catch is find what you love and do that. That way, your work will be good and meaningful.

When I applied to my state school, they realized that I could apply to other places and get accepted there as well so they offered me a full free ride. What they didn't know is I only applied to them because my family was too broke to fill out the rest of the apps for other schools. So in a way, they got jipped. THey thought I would surely run away.

If you have more questions, feel free to PM me and I can give you my cell number so we can chat better that way.

Take care man, and again super sorry for the crappy/late reply.
 
Top