ENFP Careers: What You Need To Know When Changing Careers
Are you an ENFP contemplating your next career move? Wondering what ENFP careers are best suited to your unique personality?
Well, let me be your guide to ENFP career considerations.
I made this video to celebrate ENFPs, including the characteristics I’ve adopted as an INTJ to make me seem more human.
What Is an ENFP Personality Type?
ENFP stands for Extroverted, INtuitive, Feeling, Perceiving. Read the full ENFP profile.
This personality type makes up about 8% of the general population.
ENFPs are deep, y’all. They’re not your average job seeker:
They believe that everyone and everything is connected (more on this in a bit)
They’re outgoing and social, YET have vibrant inner lives
They’re enthusiastic, and keen to share it, radiating positive energy
They’re free-spirited, spontaneous, and can be the life of the party
From 16 personalities, ENFPs “can find beauty and fascination in nearly anything”
They’re super-perceptive. Coupled with their empathy, warmth, and intuition, this makes them fantastic communicators, even with people who aren’t warm and fuzzy themselves
My mom is an ENFP, and my brother and I—both INTJs—have always marveled at her ability and willingness to talk to anyone.
I’m talking elevators. The grocery store. As a kid, we’d walk away from a 45-minute chat at the free sample table, and often when I asked how she knew the person, she’d say, “We just met.” 😂
I owe so much of my ability to connect with people from watching her.
I love that 16 personalities excerpted this quote from “The Invitation”:
“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for—and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.”
— Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Isn’t that beautiful?!
Told you ENFPs are deep.
(The INTJ version of this quote is, “Tell me your hopes and dreams.”)
So let’s delve into what to consider as you think about potential ENFP careers.
3 Things ENFPs Should Consider When Making Career Decisions
These considerations for ENFP careers are simply a starting point.
I encourage you to think beyond the obvious options and job titles listed in job postings and personality websites.
Especially with ENFPs, the right environment is key.
You can thrive in so many professions, industries, and career paths, so apply the following ideas to the interests, industries, and organizations that appeal to YOU.
My mom’s roots are in Musical Theatre. She then flourished in Speech Pathology, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Disability Advocacy.
Now that she’s retired, one of her favorite things is volunteering at the Mobile Food Pantry, interacting with guests.
Hear all that beautiful connection, community, and creativity?
Use your ENFPness to explore the possibilities that interest YOU.
1. Find People Worthy of Your Energy and Enthusiasm
ENFPs operate at a higher frequency than most people.
Remember that bit about seeing everyone and everything as connected?
That’s some high vibe, elevated emotional intelligence.
Combine that with your creativity, curiosity, and urge to spread joy?
Well let’s just say these elements are not the norm for most organizational cultures—especially in individualistic western societies or highly competitive environments.
So, in the wrong environments, ENFPs can easily fall into people-pleasing patterns that lead them to settle—whether it’s subpar solutions or poor treatment by others.
They can also have trouble saying “No,” leading to overcommitment.
And I’ll bet because of your optimism, you’ve had a lot of dream crushers tell you to “be more realistic”—whatever that means.
Do you hear how all this beautiful energy can be wasted on the wrong people and projects??
Boundaries are key.
And so is finding the environments with people that appreciate and MATCH the energy, enthusiasm, and—yes, optimism—you’re going to bring.
Yes, you want a role that matches your strengths and interests…AND I invite you to be just as choosy when it comes to finding the right organizational culture.
ENFP Mom Interlude
It’s no joke that ENFPs find beauty and fascination everywhere.
At least once every visit, my mom will look over my shoulder and dramatically gasp.
I’ll spin around, expecting a dark funnel cloud or rabid dog charging towards us.
She’ll say, with dewy eyes and a voice quivering with emotion, “Just LOOK at the way the sun is hitting that tree. It’s breathtaking. This is my favorite time of day.”
Ready to design an ENFP career with purpose? Get your FREE roadmap
Ready to design an ENFP career with purpose? Get your FREE roadmap
2. ENFP Careers: Variety and Boundary-less Exploration
From 16 personalities, "It can be hard for [ENFPs] to maintain motivation in a job that doesn’t enable them to help people or create community in some way…”
It’s clear at this point that creativity and connection need to be at the center of ENFPs’ work, but what stands out to me is the importance of how this is structured.
ENFPs wither under predictability and repetition.
Like INTJ’s, they really need time and freedom to explore ideas.
They need variety, plus the ability to ask questions and push boundaries.
ENFPs have this beautiful unbridled creativity, exuberance, and boundary-less exploration of new ideas.
I can’t think of a worse way to stamp that out than to impose a rigid hierarchy, an overly structured project with no room to follow tangents or interesting side projects, or a culture where they’re required to keep their head down and march to the finish line.
Two thoughts on this:
1) Really look at the phase and duration of the work so you can bring your energy to the ideation, people interaction, and experimentation, then leave the boring execution to others.
You likely shine in early stages of a project, or really any opportunity to brainstorm, especially when it’s about eliciting differing viewpoints and generating a bunch of potential scenarios.
Dreaming up new product lines? Bringing new life to a stagnant business? Brainstorming ways to engage customers with your product or service?
2) Surround yourself with people who can bring structure and organization to your big ideas (INTJs can be GREAT partners here—provided they agree with your big idea, haha.)
Skipping ahead to the next project before you’ve finished the current one, anyone?
ENFPs: Build a team you can hand off to that can channel your beautiful ideas and get them across the finish line…so you can move on to the next big idea that captures your imagination.
3. Use Your ENFP Talents To Build High-Performing Teams
Speaking of teams, inspiring others with your vision, then letting them figure out the details is your superpower.
ENFP managers forge real connections with their teams and inspire peers and subordinates alike to collaborate.
This is SUCH a strength, not just to more smoothly meet goals but to encourage cross-pollination across work streams and silos.
That’s how you get innovation.
There’s that “everyone and everything is connected” theme again!
ENFPs are big on giving praise, and they’re fun to be around, a huge motivator for people to bring their best selves to the task at hand.
Whether you’re the CEO building out your organization or informally trying to gain buy-in at the grassroots level, using your ENFP people powers of connection and care are key.
When It Comes To Building Relationships, Remember Your “Ask”
Pro tip: When it comes to networking, bringing some focus and direction to your conversations will supercharge your success.
Because ENFPs are SO good at talking to anyone about anything, they often leave networking conversations feeling like they had a great conversation but aren’t clear on takeaways or next steps.
Your Ask is the reason you’re talking to someone. So if you don’t know what it is, they won’t either. Read more about the 3 components of effective networking.
There’s Limitless Potential For ENFP Careers
ENFPs can thrive in a number of careers.
Do yourself a favor and don’t limit yourself to obvious job titles and career paths listed on personality websites (or any website for that matter).
I invite you to take an ENFP-like approach to uncovering your next career move: use your curiosity and imagination to dream big, leverage your relationships to have genuine conversations with people about what lights you up, and use those insights and connections to turn your big ideas into action.
It’s the exact process I use with my career coaching clients.
If you need help getting started, download my 4-step career roadmap. It’s a proven framework that also gives you the flexibility and space to make your own discoveries.
If you’re interested in my favorite assessments to help you create a career you love and thrive once you get there, check out How To Use Personality Assessments In the Workplace.
If you’d like to talk ENFP careers with an INTJ who can help you organize and channel your beautiful ENFP-ness into a career that fits you, apply for a free strategy session.
Author Bio:
Before becoming a coach, Caroline had a successful career in management consulting and financial services. She's made it her mission to help people grow, contribute, and get wherever they want to go in their careers.
Caroline wants you to recognize how much power you have to define your career. Take the first step by downloading your free 4-step career roadmap.
