Types and Unexpected Professions

[Colors]

I'm taking the same Psychology teacher for a second quarter, and he was discussing his choice to become a psychologist/teacher-researcher instead of a clinical therapist/psychiatrist. (I like him a lot and his tangents, and was wondering mildly of his MBTI type before this came up.) One of the reasons he gave was that he found that his extraverted, thinking, perceiving temperment (ExTP) wasn't all that great for listening to people's problems and helping them through them - not ideal for clinical therapy as an IxSP is.

And I was imagining him being all loud and talkative and sometimes mean as a therapist.

But it made me think of all the MBTI stereotype professions: the INTJ scientist, the ISTJ accoutant, the ESTP business major.... Well what about those who have taken anti-stereotype professions? (Serious real-life or hilariously imagined. Or hilarious real-life and seriously imagined.) (The ISFP lawyer! The ENTJ teacher!)

 

[Zergling]

The ENTJ teacher!)

This doesn't actually seem all that off the wall. Teachers are sort of "in charge" of the people they are teaching, and ENTJ's do seem to have a variety of possible interests that, based on how people usually seem to work,. they would want to bring other people up to speed on.

(ENTJ teachers do seem like they would work out slightly better than the stereotypical "I'm right and that's how it is" type of teachers, and might prefer people take more initiative, but would still seem likely to have that "in charge" mentality, and seem that they would be hard to approach.)

 

[cascadeco]

Well, I wouldn't say my profession is in complete opposition to my personality type, but the aspect of it that I tend to struggle with is my thinking I'm not doing a whole lot of good in 'the big picture', and it doesn't line up with what I really care about and value in the world. I'm a Systems Analyst (systems testing, a fair amount of project work/leading, and a small amount of system monitoring).

Some common stereotypes for INFJ are counseling, clergy, psychology, medical professions, teaching, and a few artistic careers. Given how worn out I get sometimes when I'm socializing several days in a row, even if I'm 'just' listening, I really think counseling and psychology would wear me out. I would get so invested in my patients, I think, that I would exhaust myself. Teaching is out of the question, again mostly due to the introversion. I have mused before that the clergy might be an ideal environment for me, and I might thrive in it...however, I lack the requisite belief system for that!! And then the medical profession...I've just never wanted to do anything in that field. As for the arts...oh, it would be cool if I could make a living as an artist. I'm just fairly certain I wouldn't be able to pay the bills.

Myself aside...I'm acquainted with a female ENFJ electrical engineer. She goes against ENFJ stereotype!!!

 

[The Ü™]

I'd like to be a children's author. Does that go against the INTJ stereotype? (I'm honestly not sure.)

 

[GZA]

I had an ENTJ principal in grade seven and eight. She was brutal, it was insane. I remember her talking to a group of grade threes and pretty much flaunting her vocabulary (although it wasn't really anything special, but the third graders seemed puzzled). She was talking about a feild trip but kept using words like "excursion" that the kids didn't know (hell, it was the first time I had heard it too). But yah, she was very bossy and formal and stuff, almost like an SJ in a sense of the formalness and tradition, but controlling like an ENTJ. I assume she would have been a teacher at some point, too. It doesn't seem that absurd that a teacher could be ENTJ though.

How about an INTJ preist?

 

[The Ü™]

What about an ESFJ mathematician?

 

[Nadir]

ENFJ assassin IMO. Euthanasia!

 

[cafe]

I'm married to an INTP truck driver who went to school to be a pastor.

 

[The Ü™]

Actually, being an interstate truck driver sounds appealing to me.

 

[The Ü™]

How about an INTJ priest?

Interesting. I don't suspect INTJs like children very much...at least I don't.

And I tend to consider business to be in the domain of N, specifically Ne. Business management largely consists of noticing future trends and being, yes, intuitive.

 

[Colors]

This doesn't actually seem all that off the wall. Teachers are sort of "in charge" of the people they are teaching, and ENTJ's do seem to have a variety of possible interests that, based on how people usually seem to work,. they would want to bring other people up to speed on.

(ENTJ teachers do seem like they would work out slightly better than the stereotypical "I'm right and that's how it is" type of teachers, and might prefer people take more initiative, but would still seem likely to have that "in charge" mentality, and seem that they would be hard to approach.)

I can see the benefits of having an ENTJ teacher. If they take you all on as soldiers to shape into suceeding individuals! I guess I don't mind the intimidation factor much because I am not easily intimidated, but I remember plenty of my classmates being terrified of our bipolar Chem teacher. (Which meant it fell to me to ask him such genius questions as: Will the scantron work hole-punched?)

I guess it is just odd to think of an ENTJ teacher because I haven't witnessed any. ISFJs galore, a few ESFJs, ESTPs, and INFxs abound in K-12. College: lots of INTxs and some ISFxs and INFxs and ExTPs.

I suspect it is very interesting to see how these types use their temperments to be good/efficient in their professions.

I'd like to be a children's author. Does that go against the INTJ stereotype? (I'm honestly not sure.)

Hmmm... An INTJ children's book author who doesn't like kids... Uberfuhrer's Guide for Sneaking into Cool PG-13 CGI Movies For Kids.

I'm just teasing though. I'm fairly sure Orson Scott Card is an INTJ (or certainly his books exude it somewhat). And he's an acclaimed author.

 

[The Ü™]

Hmmm... An INTJ children's book author who doesn't like kids... Uberfuhrer's Guide for Sneaking into Cool PG-13 CGI Movies For Kids.

I must admit that I enjoyed that CG TMNT movie (for what it was). I also liked that Final Fantasy movie of a few years ago (but I've never played the games).

 

[Kiddo]

I'm just teasing though. I'm fairly sure Orson Scott Card is an INTJ (or certainly his books exude it somewhat). And he's an acclaimed author.

Orson Scott Card wrote Ender's Game as a book for adults. He never intended it to be such a popular piece of children's literature. Although, technically that is the first rule to writing a children's book. Write something that an adult would want to read.

 

[miss fortune]

I don't think that an NTJ would make a good sensitivity councilor my old roommates and I used to joke about our ENTJ roommate as a sensitivity councilor

they also joked that I'd be the worst librarian on the planet- probably NOT a good ESTP job!

 

[The Ü™]

I don't think that an NTJ would make a good sensitivity councilor my old roommates and I used to joke about our ENTJ roommate as a sensitivity councilor

I dunno, to me, constructive criticism is more sensitive than ass-kissing!

 

[Urchin]

What about an ESFJ mathematician?

My mother is one of those. It's truly bizarre.

 

[Jae Rae]

My mother is one of those. It's truly bizarre.

I love it!

And Whatever, you would be a great librarian if you embraced the need for fines.

I could see you as a children's librarian, making paper cranes for peace, working with the Teen Players, leading holiday sing-a-longs, setting up wild displays for summer reading programs, helping kids come up with interesting topics for research projects, showing kids how to set up their own web pages on MySpace. Libraries aren't just about books. You'd be a natural.

Jae Rae

 

[The Ü™]

My mother is one of those. It's truly bizarre.

Oh yeah, I remember you telling me that!

 

[Jae Rae]

INTP truck driver/pastor

I'm married to an INTP truck driver who went to school to be a pastor.

Another great one!


Jae Rae

 

[Urchin]

Oh yeah, I remember you telling me that!

I keep thinking she has to be N, but personality-wise, she's extremely SJ. Perhaps her intuition is restricted to her math? I do not know.