As an ESTJ, career satisfaction means doing work that:
1. Lets you work systematically, organizing facts, policies, or people, and use time and resources efficiently toward a logical conclusion.
2. Let you use mastered skills while working on concrete and straightforward assignments with clear specifications, using your strong reasoning powers.
3. Is measured and evaluated by fair, logical, explicit, and objective standards.
4. Is done in a friendly environment with other hardworking and conscientious people who do not bring their problems to work or expect you to share your personal feelings on the job.
5. Is realistic and tangible and has practical applications and concrete results.
6. Has clear expectations and reporting hierarchy.
7. Lets you be productive, organizing the necessary steps and resources, following established procedures, and setting and meeting deadlines.
8. Is done in a stable and predictable environment, but one that is also filled with action and a variety of people.
9. Can be done with other people, enabling you to be in charge of yourself and others.
10. Lets you make decisions and have a great deal of control and responsibility; where your opinions, recommendations, and experience are considered important.
Work-Related Strengths and Weaknesses of ESTJs include:
Strengths
1. Very practical, and results-oriented.
2. Good at focusing on organizations’ goals.
3. Natural organizers; good at making objective decisions.
4. Forceful in carrying out their commitments and can be tough when necessary.
5. Good at seeing what is illogical, inconsistent, impractical, or inefficient.
Weaknesses
1. Can be impatient with those who don’t follow procedures or don’t pay attention to important details.
2. Have little patience for inefficiency.
3. Tend to run over people as they pursue their goals.
4. May not be interested in possibilities that do not exist in the present moment.
5. May not listen to opposing viewpoints; can be abrupt and appear rude.
Pathways To Success In The Job Search Process
· Organize and conduct an efficient job search. Use your organizational skills to stay on top of the project, make a plan, be on time, remember to follow up with prospective employers, and so forth. Use your practical skills to plot out a realistic campaign, beginning with the most obvious opportunities within your own company and other companies or organizations with which you are familiar.
· Make realistic decisions based on known facts and objective data. Use your critical thinking skills to analyze the positive and negative aspects of each job option and eliminate those options in which you are not interested or qualified. Gather as much information about a potential employer’s business and industry as possible, reading local and regional business journals and newspapers to have a clear understanding of the company’s history and objectives.
· Be direct and honest when giving a summary of how your skills and abilities will benefit the employer. Prepare before the interview by developing a list of questions the prospective employer might ask you. Practice answering these, focusing on your past experiences and accomplishments. Ask a friend to ask you potentially difficult questions so you can rehearse your answers.
· Set and meet realistic job search goals. Develop a list of important characteristics in a new job including salary, benefits, work schedule, location, room for advancement, and other important criteria. Use that checklist to evaluate each job opportunity. Realize that it can take as much as three to twelve months, and sometimes longer, to find the right job. Don’t expect to find a job until you have gone through all the necessary steps.
· Present yourself as a capable, stable, and competent candidate. Express your skills clearly and logically on all written materials, including resume and cover letter, and during all interviews. Be sure to include past experiences as examples to demonstrate your capabilities and accomplishments. Offer letters of recommendation from past employers attest to your competency and quality of performance. Point out to prospective employers how you will be able to help the company accomplish its goals.
Possible Pitfalls
· Avoid making decisions too quickly. Waiting even a few moments to ask yourself what you know and what you still do not know about a situation, and considering how you feel about the issue or choice at hand, will help you make a better decision. Try to ask more open-ended questions during all phases of the job search to get a better understanding of the possible implications of your choice.
· Consider innovative or unconventional job search techniques as well as more customary practices. Enlist the help of friends or colleagues who may possess more Intuition (perception) to help you brainstorm alternative means of reaching a key decision-maker within a company or a prospective employer.
· Consider the long-range consequences in weighing job options. Attempt to look down the road and imagine how your goals or needs may change as you progress and age. Make a list of what your needs are now and try to predict how they may be different one year, five years, and ten years from today. Consider this information in deciding with long-ranging implications. During the interview process, ask about growth potential within the company, relocation possibilities, and about the long-range goals of your prospective employer to be sure you are interested in going where the company may need to send you.
· Try to establish rapport with interviewers and not be brusque and too businesslike. Try to relax before an interview and not allow the seriousness of the activity to affect your attitude negatively. Remember that you wish to be seen as someone with whom they could easily get along, one of the team.
· Avoid being rigid and inflexible in job negotiations. Use your list of criteria as a guide in selecting a good job, rather than as rules cast in concrete. Be persistent about those elements without which you simply can’t live, but be willing to be flexible about those that are less important. Try to give positive feedback before offering any negative criticism, knowing others can be offended and put off by a negative perspective.
As an ESTJ, now that you’re aware of the career satisfaction characteristics that suit your organized and authoritative nature, the next step is to identify jobs and work environments where your leadership and efficiency are key assets. Look for roles that demand organizational skills, a practical mindset, and a decisive approach. Your journey ahead is about finding careers where your natural ability to lead and manage is not only appreciated but is crucial for success.
Ken Meyer
Myers Briggs Master Practitioner and Retired Senior Career Coach at Eastern Michigan University
