career advice for people with istj personality type

Career Advice for People with ISTJ Personality Type

The ISTJ personality type has a strong sense of duty and extreme perseverance. Buzzle enlists some career advice for people with ISTJ personality type.

Quick Facts According to reliable statistics, ISTJs make up for 11 - 14% of the population in the U.S. While the male population comprises 14 - 19% of this estimated range, the female population comprises 7 - 10%.
Dubbed as 'the Inspector', ISTJs are often associated with being highly dutiful and honest. They are one of the 16 personality types defined by the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) and possess their own unique traits. Every personality type has some signature characteristics, which help us decide the kind of person we are, what we would want to be, what makes us happy or frustrated, etc. It is essential to choose a career based on our personality so that we can find maximum job satisfaction. Technically speaking, this is not very much of a serious issue for an ISTJ, because they are duty-bound and will do anything to fulfill their responsibilities. However, they have certain likes and dislikes too, which must be understood and accepted in order to choose the right career path. In the following paragraphs, you will find some career choices for the ISTJ personality type.
An Overview
  • As mentioned before, the ISTJ personality type is known to be responsible and dutiful.
  • ISTJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging.
  • ISTJs are natural introverts - they are quiet and reserved most of the time. Do not get this point wrong; however, it does not mean that they do not have fun or are not very interactive. Their idea of having fun may differ from yours, it's just that they are not very people-friendly.
  • They love sitting and working in their own space. They are very logical and intelligent; in essence, very factual. They apply their knowledge where essential, and can be great at theory as well as practical studies.
  • They have a great sense of perception as well. They are very loyal and faithful and traditional. Seriousness at work comes naturally for an ISTJ.
  • They are great thinkers. They can sit for hours in a corner and come up with the most unique ideas and inventions.
  • They love to take on extra work, even when not necessary; this can sometimes affect their state of mind as well the work.
  • Unfortunately, some of their actions may give an indication that they are not concerned about other's feelings. In reality, they are not very good communicators, especially where personal feelings are involved.
  • Also, one of the greatest flaws in an ISTJ is their judgmental nature. ISTJs tend to hear only half of what the other person says, and then they start finding faults in him.
  • All in all, though, an ISTJ can be defined as being very dependable and loyal and strong.
Personality Traits
Strengths
  • Serious nature
  • Perseverance
  • Practical view
  • Duty-bound
  • Strong-willed attitude
  • Honesty and integrity
  • Responsibility
  • Methodical and analytical view
Weaknesses
  • Judgmental attitude
  • High rule-following tendencies
  • Stubbornness
  • Self-blaming nature
  • Insensitivity
  • Lack of interest in other arenas
  • Extra reserved and quiet when not necessary
  • Difficulty in communicating feelings
Careers to Choose
Medicine
  • It is one of the best careers for the ISTF personality type. The reason behind choosing medicine can be attributed to the traits of duty, perseverance, and practicality.
  • Experts may argue that ISTJs do not have a naturally caring nature, and therefore, they may not do well in the field of medicine. This, however, is not completely true.
  • While it is obvious that doctors and nurses need to have a loving personality to aid their work so that they can care better for their patients, they need a practical approach to treating patients as well.
  • Also, the misconception that ISTJs are insensitive needs to be cleared; they are not exactly insensitive, they just do not reciprocate well to feelings, for they are more interested in completing their job on time.
  • This is one of the essential traits that a doctor needs to possess. Hence, this field will work well for an ISTJ.
Computers
  • Most careers in the field of computers will do well for ISTJs. Prominent among those include hardware engineer, software developer, system analyst, technical expert, etc.
  • As mentioned, ISTJs love working in their own little, cosseted corner, away from the interferences of the world.
  • They perform at their best when left alone to deal with a problem.
  • This does not indicate that they do not work well in a team; they are sporty team players as well, yet, you can get an ISTJ to perform brilliantly when he is left to function with his own devices.
  • The field of software and information technology is vast and has a myriad of job positions with plenty of responsibilities.
  • Although one needs to be interactive and understand the latest theories and innovations, engineers, especially developers, require a keen sense of practical applications and need to be highly responsible. This kind of work atmosphere is very conducive to an ISTJ, making this profession one of the preferred ones over others.
Finance
  • ISTJs are extremely logical and pragmatic. Moreover, they are also excellent with figures.
  • This knowledge and approach can be used in the field of finance; in fact, it is one of the common ISTJ careers.
  • A number of ISTJ careers in business also stem from this fact, sans the advertising phase.
  • ISTJs can be very good finance managers, finance consultants, agents, accountants, etc.
  • This field requires people who are highly responsible and cautious. An ISTJ will perfectly blend in with this job expectation.
Law
  • A career in law will work sufficiently well for an ISTJ. Again, the strong-willed nature and a pragmatic approach comes into picture.
  • Also, lawyers are very strongly attached to their duty and will do whatever it takes to emerge successful.
  • As a lawyer, one also needs to work practically without getting emotionally attached to clients.
  • ISTJs have the capacity to take on any task and fulfill it in the best possible way. This attitude works well for an attorney.
  • An ISTJ may also opt to be a paralegal or a legal secretary. Any career in law works well for them.
Careers to Avoid
Marketing
  • Marketing is not the forte of an ISTJ; hence, it is one of the primary ISTJ careers to avoid.
  • An ISTJ prefers working in his own environment, unlike a career in marketing, which involves one to keep roaming continuously.
  • Also, a career in marketing may have duties that change with the situation, and this kind of a job with undefined responsibilities can irk an ISTJ to the point of no return.
  • No defined workplace (not literally), abstract duties, and unnecessary small talk make marketing an unfavorable choice.
Event Management
  • ISTJs require a defined set of responsibilities. Yes, event management certainly has job divisions that define proper goals; however, like marketing, the job definition undergoes a change as per new clients and projects.
  • Moreover, this job requires extensive people-to-people interaction, which is one of the weak points of an ISTJ.
  • This job also involves erratic schedules and a more chilled-out approach to work; this attitude does not go very well with an ISTJ.
  • Therefore, careers like a wedding planner, party organizer, etc., should be avoided.
Psychology
  • First and foremost, a psychologist needs to have a less pragmatic approach and more of an emotional approach, to be able to view the patient's problem and counsel him/her accordingly.
  • It's not that an ISTJ is not emotional; in fact, they are very traditional, loyal, and family-oriented. However, they require time to adjust to people and then communicate with them.
  • As a psychologist, one needs to immediately gauge the mental situation of the person, communicate properly, understand what he is going through, and make him comfortable in every way possible. This may be slightly difficult for an ISTJ, given their judgmental nature and lack of being a people's person.
Public Relations
  • ISTJs loathe anything to do with excess talking, socializing, and putting on a farce.
  • As a public relations manager, one needs to be a social butterfly, be a part of the elite circuit, put on a smile for the benefit of those around, talk to a million people, coordinate events, etc. An ISTJ may probably give up this job on the first day itself.
  • A job in public relations does not involve working in an enclosed cabin and within a comfort zone. It is a hectic, pressure-filled life, and requires that one be highly interactive and an extrovert. It does not follow a 'rule book', which is a strategy that ISTJs follow.
  • For these reasons, a job in the teaching field may also be slightly unfavorable for an ISTJ.
  • And undoubtedly, any career based on public relations or socializing or advertising is a bad choice for an ISTJ.
The above career choices have been formulated based on general observations. Do not, by any means, assume that an ISTJ cannot coordinate an event or be a good therapist. The underlying fact is that, these fields are not exactly the forte of an ISTJ. Thus, they may be able to perform decently at work, but will not enjoy it, leading to frustration and lack of good quality work. For this reason, it is preferable to choose a career towards which an ISTJ has the right inclination.

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