The ESTP Myers-Briggs personality type is energetic and thrill-seeking. They are often at their best in a crisis and bring dynamic energy to their interactions with others. They can quickly assess a situation and think on their feet, with a strong ability to immediately respond to problems with a practical solution.

ESTP Personality:

ESTP stands for extraverted, sensing, thinking, and perceiving. The ESTP personality type is somebody who gets their energy from spending time with others. They prefer to focus on the details and facts rather than concern themselves with concepts and ideas and make decisions based on logic and reason rather than feelings. However, they do prefer to be flexible and spontaneous rather than organised and planned. They are often nicknamed ‘the dynamo’ because they take an active and high-energy approach to life.

Often the life of the party, the ESTP individual is playful, active, and has a good sense of humour. They have keen observational powers, which they will often put into practice to assess their audience and enable them to keep the interactions flowing and exciting by quickly adapting. They are typically very social individuals and prefer to keep things silly and fast-paced rather than serious or emotional.

As high-energy individuals, it’s not surprising to see ESTP individuals as athletes. They can navigate their physical environment with ease and tend to be very coordinated. They have a physical aptitude that they enjoy using to pursue adventure and excitement and can often be found putting their skills into practice in activities that may sometimes even be dangerous.

The ESTP personality type focuses on action in the moment. They are usually highly engaged with their environment and have a strong ability for quick practical problem-solving. They are often excellent in an emergency as they can quickly apply logical reasoning to situations where immediate action is needed. They prefer to see tangible, in-the-moment results and are less concerned with long-term goals.

Best Careers for ESTP:

The ESTP thrives best in a work environment where they are tasked with solving logical problems in the moment. Typically, these individuals will have a good grasp of a situation’s realities, and the resources that they are able to use. They have a strong understanding of present facts, which allows them to see quick ways out of difficult situations before anybody else.

In the workplace, the ESTP will rely on their past experience to make sure that they choose the best approaches for current situations. They are often hands-on workers with a strong kinetic sense of how things work. They are flexible in their approach, although they may sometimes struggle to envision an abstract idea. They will try anything once as long as it sounds logical to them.

For the most part, the ESTP personality type will be drawn to a career where they can use their natural mechanical skills, athleticism, and ability to negotiate their surroundings. They will usually prefer to work with objects rather than ideas. They hate being stuck behind a desk and favour jobs where they can be on the go.

This personality type prefers a work environment that can be a little unpredictable, where they can enjoy some adventure throughout their working day. The best work environment for the ESTP is one where they have plenty of flexibility to solve problems quickly without the need to follow set plans or procedures too often.

Best Jobs for ESTP:

With strong technical and practical skills and a great ability for quick problem-solving, even in an emergency, the ESTP is often an ideal fit for fast-paced and sometimes even risky career choices. Some of the ideal career paths for this personality type include:

·      Entrepreneur:

The ESTP is a good fit for starting their own business since a good entrepreneur needs to be a self-starter with the ability to develop a company or a project from the ground up. They possess many of the skills that are needed for success in entrepreneurship including leadership, decision-making, and self-motivation. The ESTP personality type also tends to have excellent people skills, which makes them a good fit for this role since they will bring their dynamic energy to the table when interacting with shareholders, suppliers, investors, and colleagues.

·      Sales Manager:

A sales manager role may be an ideal fit for the ESTP who may enjoy guiding the activities of sales teams for organisations. Sales managers are required to set goals and provide advice to sales representatives when it comes to streamlining operations and improving performance, which provides a lot of problem-solving tasks for the ESTP to get stuck into. The natural leadership skills and persuasive nature that a lot of ESTP individuals possess also makes them ideal for this role.

·      Paramedic:

Paramedics are among the first responders to the scene of a medical emergency. They will often work alongside other emergency responders in an emergency to provide services to patients and ensure that they are safely transported to a medical facility for further treatment. Since the ESTP often enjoys a fast-paced career and is naturally good in an emergency, this personality type is the ideal fit for this career path. In addition, their ability to make quick decisions by applying logic in stressful situations makes them especially suited to this type of work.

·      Construction Manager:

Construction managers are required to plan and supervise construction projects for a range of things including bridges, roads, and buildings. The ESTP personality type often has strong project management skills, making them an ideal fit for this role where they will be required to regularly work alongside professionals such as architects, engineers, and government officials. This career can be high-energy and active, which is typically preferred by the ESTP.

·      Police Detective:

Police detectives play an important role in the criminal justice system, protecting communities and solving cases by investigating crimes. The ESTP personality type makes an ideal police detective due to their strong critical thinking skills and natural attention to detail. In addition, this line of work is often quite active and energetic, which will be satisfying for the ESTP who craves the unpredictability and level of risk.

·      Actor:

Many ESTP individuals possess the natural ambition and drive that is required for them to become a successful actor. They are also more likely to naturally gravitate towards the spotlight. Acting is also a career where the ESTP will be able to satisfy their need for excitement and variety in their line of work, with regular opportunities to work on new projects and engage with a wide range of different people.

·      Professional Athlete:

Naturally athletic and with a lot of energy, the role of a professional athlete is another that is well-suited to the ESTP. Performing in sports at a professional level also gives individuals the chance to interact with lots of different people and take the spotlight in their role, something that the ESTP will find appealing. Professional team sports such as football are ideal for ESTPs as there will be lots of opportunities for them to apply logic to make quick decisions for the game.

ESTP Personality Careers to Avoid:

While the energy and drive of the ESTP can lead them to success in any type of career, certain professions are simply not a good fit for their natural talents and abilities, and may leave the ESTP feeling frustrated, unfulfilled, and even bored at work. Some of the main careers for this personality type to avoid include:

·      Writer:

Working as a writer is often quite isolating, which will sound like a nightmare for the social ESTP who will prefer to work as part of a team wherever possible. In addition, this role does not often provide a lot of excitement or thrills and will quickly become boring for the adventure-seeking ESTP.

·      Truck Driver:

Another isolating role where individuals spend a lot of time on their own is a truck driver. Being sat in the cabin on their own for hours at a time is a role that is sure to drive the social butterfly ESTP absolutely crazy. With nobody to talk to and not very many decisions to make or much to think about, the ESTP personality type is likely to grow extremely frustrated.

·      Psychologist:

While the keen social skills of the ESTP personality type might make them good at talking to people, they are often far too logical and interested in the present moment to work as a psychologist. This type of work is likely to baffle them since understanding complex emotions and digging into the past is not their strong point.

·      Accountant:

Another job that is likely to become very boring for the ESTP is accountancy. Spending time doing repetitive tasks with little to no adventure is unlikely to sit very well with the ESTP, who often hates being behind a desk and will quickly become very bored.

Full of energy and highly active, the ESTP thrives best in an energetic and unpredictable environment where they can apply logic to make quick decisions, even in stressful or emergency situations.