Top Majors & Careers for Your Myers-Briggs Personality Type
In recent years, personality tests have become increasingly popular. While they may seem like just a fun exercise, these tests can have practical value; they can help you learn how you operate in the world, highlight your strengths, and note characteristics to improve upon. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, for example, can help guide you as you determine your college major or career path. If you pick a major that aligns with your personality, you may enjoy your classes more and will be more likely to succeed in them. Keep in mind, however, that your Myers-Briggs type is not an exact science, and the advice below should only be taken as a suggestion. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a personality assessment created in 1962, but the personality research surrounding it dates back to work done by Katharaine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers in the early 20th century. The test itself uses dichotomies of various personality traits to find your natural preferences. There are four main dichotomies: Introvert (I) vs. Extrovert (E), Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N), Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F) and Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P). The Myers-Briggs theory states that every person has an innate preference for one of the traits on each dichotomy. These make up your type. This said, there are 16 unique Myers-Briggs personality types. Each type has its own acronym. For example, someone who prefers extroversion (E), Intuition (N), Thinking (T) and Judging (J) would be an ENTJ. If you don’t know your personality type yet, you can take the Myers-Briggs test for free! Do you want to know what major and career might be best for you based on your Myers-Briggs type? Look no further! Below, you’ll find brief descriptions of each Myers-Briggs type, as well as the majors and careers that may be a great fit for you. You are likely someone who is reserved and quiet, preferring to keep your thoughts to yourself when in a large group setting. When making a decision, you are logical, organized, and enjoy taking responsibility for a task when you have a defined role. Your top strength is your ability to get tasks done very efficiently, and you are able to see potential problems very clearly. At the same time, you may be easily critical of processes that you do not agree with. Majors for the ISTJ: Careers for the ISTJ: You are someone who is very reliable, and you tend to make decisions based on how they will impact others. The tasks you enjoy are ones where you can be detail-oriented and use concrete facts to make decisions. However, you also have a strong set of personal values, and when these are violated, you tend to be resentful. Your top strength is your ability to view facts objectively while also taking into consideration the “human” aspect of any decision you make. One area for growth would be to not be so critical of a process when it is not done your way. Majors for the ISFJ: Careers for the ISFJ: You are someone who seeks to inspire people and help them become the best versions of themselves that they can be. Your strengths lie in your ability to empathize and understand other people’s perspectives. One of your biggest strengths is that you can serve as a mediator that can help people reconcile their differences. An area that you could improve in is your ability to verbalize your thoughts and feelings. Majors for the INFJ: Careers for the INFJ: You enjoy strategic projects where you can dream of all potential possibilities. You tend to set high expectations for yourself and others, and believe that being capable is of utmost importance. Your biggest strength is your ability to be objective and factual. However, this could also make you seem cold or impartial. Majors for the INTJ: Careers for the INTJ: You are skilled at being able to find logical solutions to problems quickly and efficiently, and you thrive when you can use concrete data to make decisions. Your values are based on logic, and you tend to go with the flow until you feel like these principles have been violated. Your greatest strength is your ability to make detached decisions using logical principles. You could work on connecting emotionally with other people. Majors for the ISTP: Careers for the ISTP: When people first meet you, you may seem quiet and reserved. However, those who know you well know that you are a unique individual who enjoys experiencing life to the fullest extent possible. You gravitate towards tasks where you can make your own decisions and deadlines using data and facts. Your biggest strength is your appreciation for beauty, nature, and animals. When you are stressed, you tend to be very self-critical which makes you doubt yourself. Majors for the ISFP: Careers for the ISFP: You look for careers where you feel like your work has meaning and purpose. You are quick to “connect the dots” between various disciplines, and people look to you for possibilities, insights, and inspiration. Your greatest strength is your curiosity and ability to seek out new opportunities. One potential area of improvement would be your source of motivation. You tend to avoid work that has little meaning for you, potentially missing out on opportunities for personal growth. Majors for the INFP: Careers for the INFP: You are adept at solving problems that require logical and analytical thinking. You are curious about how to solve the world’s problems and how to make processes more efficient. Your greatest strength lies in your ability to point out flaws quickly, and come up with novel solutions for tough problems. Make sure to not be overly critical of systems and processes, as others may not see you as a team player. Majors for the INTP: Careers for the INTP: You are someone who enjoys being constantly engaged with their surroundings. When you are working on a task, you tend to take charge and use data and facts to inform your decisions. Your best quality is your ability to quickly develop novel ways of completing tasks. One thing you may not enjoy is rigid structure when completing a project, but becoming more comfortable with it can help you grow. Majors for the ESTP: Careers for the ESTP: You are someone who is highly creative, and you enjoy completing hands-on projects where you can learn new things. You tend to be very outgoing, and others look to you when they need a new, unique perspective on an issue. Your strongest trait is your ability to read people and empathize with others. You could work on planning ahead more. Majors for the ESFP: Careers for the ESFP: You are someone who is able to find meanings and significance in things that people normally do not. People look to you for your leadership and enthusiasm. You inspire others to be their best as you give them confidence and optimism. Don’t be afraid to make schedules or plan things out, as this may help you better organize your time. Majors for the ENFP: Careers for the ENFP: You are someone who loves to solve challenging problems, and you excel when you can lead others. You are a natural leader, and you are able to see the big picture when making decisions. You tend to believe that schedules and planning are restraining, so you avoid them when possible. Giving feedback is one of your strongest skills, but be careful not to be too critical when you do give feedback. Majors for the ENTP: Careers for the ENTP: You are a very skilled organizer and planner, and you are someone who values competence and loyalty. You enjoy taking on leadership roles, as your main strengths lie in your ability to delegate tasks and make sure that others take responsibility for their roles. You should be careful not to become too dictatorial or too harsh of a critic when other people have ideas about how to do certain tasks. Majors for the ESTJ: Careers for the ESTJ: You enjoy surrounding yourself with positive people, and people enjoy being around you because you are welcoming and warm. You are great at providing support to others, and people tend to come to you for advice as well. You tend to avoid conflict when possible, but becoming better at confronting problems can help you grow. Majors for the ESFJ: Careers for the ESFJ: You are someone who understands the value of empathic leadership, and you use your personal values to guide your decisions. You tend to be a strong leader as you are outgoing, creative, and value your relationships with others. That said, when you are stressed, you may become overly critical of yourself and others. When this happens, try to take a step back. Majors for the ENFJ: Careers for the ENFJ: You enjoy tasks where you can be as efficient as possible and put your leadership skills to use. People admire your determination, organizational skills, and ability to follow through with important projects and decisions. Your best skills are your tenacity, persuasiveness, and decisiveness. One key trait you could work on would be your empathy, as you may come off as being abrasive. Majors for the ENTJ: Careers for the ENTJ: Now that you have a better idea of potential majors, you may be wondering which college is best for you. Picking a best-fit school is just as important as picking the right major, as the right kind of environment can help you succeed. Do you want to attend a large or small school? One close to home? A highly-prestigious college? One that offers a particular extracurricular? Our free school search tool can help you find best-fit schools based on your preferences, including size, major, location, acceptance rate, and more. Then, our free chancing engine will let you know your odds of acceptance and which aspects of your profile to improve. If you use both tools, you’re likely to be well-prepared in your college search and find a college that will effectively support your goals. What’s Covered:
What is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?
Best Majors + Careers for Your Myers-Briggs Personality
1. ISTJ
2. ISFJ
3. INFJ
4. INTJ
5. ISTP
6. ISFP
7. INFP
8. INTP
9. ESTP
10. ESFP
11. ENFP
12. ENTP
13. ESTJ
14. ESFJ
15. ENFJ
16. ENTJ
How to Find the Best College for You
