ENFJ Careers

An acronym for a personality type that stands for Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, and Judging.

Author: Sid Arora
Sid Arora
Sid Arora
Investment Banking | Hedge Fund | Private Equity

Currently an investment analyst focused on the TMT sector at 1818 Partners (a New York Based Hedge Fund), Sid previously worked in private equity at BV Investment Partners and BBH Capital Partners and prior to that in investment banking at UBS.

Sid holds a BS from The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.

Reviewed By: Austin Anderson
Austin Anderson
Austin Anderson
Consulting | Data Analysis

Austin has been working with Ernst & Young for over four years, starting as a senior consultant before being promoted to a manager. At EY, he focuses on strategy, process and operations improvement, and business transformation consulting services focused on health provider, payer, and public health organizations. Austin specializes in the health industry but supports clients across multiple industries.

Austin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Masters of Business Administration in Strategy, Management and Organization, both from the University of Michigan.

Last Updated:September 4, 2023

What Are ENFJ Careers?

ENFJ stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. It belongs to the family of the 16-personality types. The concept of the 16-personality types was based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types.

Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Briggs later developed a psychological assessment. The name of the review is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and it identifies a person's personality type.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assesses four areas of personality:

  • Extraversion vs. Introversion: This section measures where a person gets their energy, whether around people or alone.
  • Sensing vs. Intuition: This section measures how a person takes in information, whether it is through their five senses or their intuition.
  • Thinking vs. Feeling: This section measures how a person makes a decision, whether through logic and analysis or values and emotions.
  • Judging vs. perceiving: This measures how a person approaches the world around them, whether it is through planning and organization or flexibility and spontaneity.

Based on these four sections, individuals get a four-letter personality type. In this case, ENFJ (also known as the Protagonist) stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging.

The MBTI aims to help understand a person's traits and interactions with others.

Key Takeaways

  • ENFJ stands for Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging, a personality type under the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
  • MBTI assesses four areas of personality: Extraversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving.
  • ENFJ people are outgoing, intuitive, emotional, and organized individuals who desire to help and positively impact others.
  • The have strong interpersonal skills, be good at building relationships, and have a talent for problem-solving and finding creative solutions.
  • They are natural leaders, managers, and team members and excel in roles that require collaboration and interpersonal skills.
  • They may have trouble setting boundaries and providing constructive feedback but are well-suited for careers in fields such as financial advising, counseling, business management, marketing, and social work.
  • ENFJ  individuals may need to develop skills like time management, prioritization, and decision-making under pressure to succeed in their careers.

ENFJ stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. It belongs to the family of the 16-personality types. The concept of the 16-personality types was based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological types.

Isabel Briggs Myers and Katherine Briggs later developed a psychological assessment. The name of the review is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and it identifies a person's personality type.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assesses four areas of personality:

  • Extraversion vs. Introversion: This section measures where a person gets their energy, whether around people or alone.
  • Sensing vs. Intuition: This section measures how a person takes in information, whether it is through their five senses or their intuition.
  • Thinking vs. Feeling: This section measures how a person makes a decision, whether through logic and analysis or values and emotions.
  • Judging vs. perceiving: This measures how a person approaches the world around them, whether it is through planning and organization or flexibility and spontaneity.

Based on these four sections, individuals get a four-letter personality type. In this case, ENFJ (also known as the Protagonist) stands for extraverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging.

The MBTI aims to help understand a person's traits and interactions with others.

ENFJs at work

The Protagonists have outgoing and energetic personalities who are highly intuitive and driven by their emotions. They are also organized, decisive, and action-oriented, which helps them make well-thought-out decisions. 

These natural tendencies make them well-suited for specific work environments and roles. For instance, in work environments that require strong interpersonal skills, ENFJs can often excel as they have a natural talent for connecting and empathizing with others. 

This allows them to build strong relationships and understand the needs of their clients or colleagues, which is critical for many fields, such as financial advising, counseling, or sales.

Moreover, they are natural problem-solvers and enjoy finding creative solutions to complex issues. 

This can be beneficial in fields like business management, marketing, or product development, where they can bring new ideas and motivate others to work towards a common goal.

Overall, This career requires various skills and strengths that make them well-suited for multiple work environments and roles. Still, they may also need to develop specific skills to succeed.

How ENFJs behave and perform at work

Individuals with this archetype are hard workers, reliable, and have a strong work ethic. Unfortunately, though, it may become a double-edged sword.  

Their eagerness to help can be taken as an advantage by others, and they can also become overburdened with extra work from being unable to say "no."

1. Interpersonal skills

They are often naturally charismatic and have strong people skills. These qualities can make them excellent leaders, managers, and team members. They are also good at listening and empathizing easily with others, building strong relationships with peers and clients.

2. Service-oriented 

They are often driven to help others and make a positive impact. It makes them well-suited for careers in fields such as social work, counseling, or nonprofit management.

3. Collaboration 

They often enjoy working in teams and may excel in roles that require collaboration and cooperation. For example, they can be natural mediators and help resolve conflicts between team members.

4. Adaptability

ENJFs can adapt well to changing situations. That makes them valuable employees in fast-paced or dynamic work environments. They may base their decision on the value and their impact on others and tend to avoid making decisions that would harm others.

This personality archetype may struggle with being too people-pleasing. They can become overwhelmed with too many responsibilities if they have trouble saying" No."

ENFJs in different roles at work

ENFJs excel at different roles at work because of their natural abilities. For example, strong analytical skills to identify complex information, trends, and patterns make them well-suited for financial analysis and forecasting.

Their interpersonal skills allow them to communicate their findings clearly and collaborate with their peers to create financial plans that align with the company's goals. 

Individuals with this personality type have the desire to collaborate with others. They always look for the best for both parties, can build strong relationships with their peers, and have the skill to understand and address others’ needs.

They are reliable as team members because they are usually organized, responsible, and dependable.

It can be a double-edged sword because they may struggle with setting boundaries. They can become overburdened by others' needs if they are not careful enough.  They can be effective managers by connecting and understanding their employees' needs.

Typically, ENFJ individuals can build strong relationships with their team members and are skilled at motivating and inspiring others to work towards common goals. 

However, they may also have difficulty providing constructive feedback or making tough decisions that can negatively affect team members.

Career paths for the ENFJ archetype in business

The protagonists thrive in careers that allow them to help others and positively impact their environment or, on a bigger scale, the world.

Financial careers that may suit these professionals include investment banking, financial advising, and management. Let’s expand on each one individually:

These are suggestions based on the metrics of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Natural strengths and tendencies of the ENFJ archetype; thus, it may not fit every person equally. 

1. Financial Advisor 

ENFJs, as financial advisors, bring unique skills and characteristics to the table that make them exceptional in their roles. 

They possess exceptional interpersonal skills that allow them to form deep connections with their clients and truly understand their financial goals and needs. This is due to their intuition and feeling traits which help them gain insight into their client’s emotional and financial aspirations.

Their extraversion and judging traits make them confident communicators and natural leaders, ensuring their clients receive the financial guidance they need to make informed decisions. 

They have a strong desire to assist others, evident in their tireless work to help their clients achieve their financial goals. 

They are excellent organizers and planners who use these skills to guide clients in creating a budget and making smart investment choices.

They truly care about their client's financial well-being; this genuine concern sets them apart from other financial advisors.

They are dedicated and compassionate, and their exceptional interpersonal skills and financial expertise make them valuable assets to anyone seeking to secure their financial future.

Note

The qualities that make ENFJs successful as financial planners can also contribute to their success in related careers such as wealth management and personal financial planning.

2. Corporate Financial Analyst

ENFJs have a knack for corporate analysis, thanks to their balanced blend of interpersonal and analytical skills. They grasp complex financial data, pinpoint important trends and patterns, and present their insights clearly and effectively.

Their E-N-F-J traits allow them to see the big picture and align financial plans with their company's objectives while connecting with stakeholders and communicating financial information effectively. 

Their natural organizational skills further strengthen their potential as top-performing corporate analysts.

3. Investment Banker

Investment banking is a good career option for this archetype. They possess several traits that align with the skills and qualities needed in investment banking.

Their interpersonal skills allow them to build strong relationships crucial for:

  • Networking
  • Engaging clients
  • Communicating investment ideas

As previously mentioned, they have the desire to help others and also a strong sense of ethics, which may ensure that the decisions align with the client's goals and values. 

4. Investment Relationship Manager

The protagonists make excellent Investment Relationship Managers with strong interpersonal skills and an ability to understand and connect with people. They can build strong relationships with clients and stakeholders and communicate complex financial information.

Their intuition and feeling traits help them understand the big picture, and their extraversion and judging traits allow them to connect with others and explain financial information in a way that is easy to understand. 

They are also highly organized and able to plan effectively, which helps them create and implement financial plans that align with their client's goals.

5. Risk Management Analyst

ENFJs as risk management analysts can be successful due to their natural strengths, including:

  • Strong communication 
  • Organizational skills
  • Empathy
  • Strategic thinking
  • Teamwork

However, they may need to improve their analytical skills, attention to detail, and decisiveness to excel in this role. 

With the right support and development, they can effectively apply and develop their natural strengths and positively impact the organization.

6. Consultant

As mentioned in previous roles, ENFJs have the qualities to succeed in this role due to their attributes. 

Their talent for strategic thinking makes them valuable in developing creative solutions to clients’ challenges. Additionally, their extraversion nature helps them communicate and create strong relationships with peers and clients.

Their attention to detail allows them also to find solutions that follow the guidelines and laws that adhere to their client’s industry.

Note

Considering the person’s values, interests, and skills is important when exploring prospective career paths.

Researched and authored by “Won S. Mejia Helfer” | LinkedIn

Reviewed and edited by Parul Gupta | LinkedIn

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