The Myers-Briggs personality test can be a useful tool for learning more about yourself and your combination of personality traits that make you who you are as a person. Learning more about how extroverted or introverted you are, whether you an intuitive or more logical, whether you focus on facts or concepts more often, and whether you’re more spontaneous or organised can help you make more sense of why you do certain things that you do, and which jobs you are likely to be the best fit for. If you have taken the test and gotten the result back that you are an ISTJ, this could be behind the reason why you’re not feeling satisfied at work or why you feel that it’s not the right choice of career for you. Read on to find out more about the ISTJ personality type, the kind of careers that will suit these people best, and which types of work are best for them to avoid.
What is the ISTJ Personality Type?
ISTJ describes one of the sixteen Myers-Briggs personality types. ISTJ personality types score high on Introverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging. This personality type will usually be the result for a person who gets their energy from spending time on their own, focuses more on details and facts rather than concepts and ideas, and makes their decisions based on reason and logic. ISTJ personality types are usually not spontaneous and instead prefer to be organised and plan well ahead.
The ISTJ personality type is often a responsible organiser who is driven to both create and implement a sense of order within institutions and systems. They are often orderly and neat people who tend to have a well-thought-out procedure for everything that they do. They are dutiful and reliable and place importance on following regulations and upholding traditions.
In the workplace, the ISTJ tends to be a productive, reliable, and steady contributor. Despite scoring high in introversion, ISTJ personality types do not often isolate themselves and tend to know where they belong in life and who their people are. They are interested in finding out more about how they can productively participate in established systems and organisations, often prioritising maintaining social order and ensuring that standards are met.
What are the Best Jobs for ISTJ?
When choosing the right job as an ISTJ, it’s important to understand the main values and motivations of this personality type. ISTJ personalities tend to want to be clear on the rules and will usually value predictability over imagination. They will often rely on their past experience for guidance and tend to feel the most comfortable when their surroundings are familiar. They put a lot of trust in proven methods and appreciate dedication and practice when it comes to building confidence in their skills.
ISTJ personality types tend to be hardworking and persistent, putting the work in diligently until the task is completed. They are often methodical and logical people who tend to enjoy tasks where they will use a series of reasoning steps to solve problems. They are often very meticulous and have high attention to detail, spending the time to carefully examine things to ensure that they are correct.
Some of the Best Careers for ISTJ Personality Types:
In the workplace, ISTjs can be expected to be co-workers who are meticulous and dependable. They will take specifications, guidelines, and deadlines very seriously and employers are usually able to trust them to get on with completing the tasks that they are assigned independently. They tend to work best in a career where they can create detailed plans of action and follow them carefully without very much deviation. While they value a little bit of creativity when coming up with these plans of action, ISTJ personality types are much more likely to prefer the tried-and-tested methods that they are already familiar with when it comes to solving problems and getting things done.
The ideal job for an ISTJ personality type is one that allows them to come up with orderly solutions for logical problems.
What Kind of Work is Best Suited to ISTJ Personalities?
The ISTJ personality type has a very pragmatic nature, making them well suited for a range of different careers that come with logical tasks and a structured environment. Individuals with this personality type will often thrive in the following careers:
- Business Analyst:
Since the ISTJ enjoys a work environment with structure and order, this can often make them an ideal fit for a career as a business analyst. A job that involves gathering, organising, and processing data to come up with informed and decisive recommendations about the business, this offers an ideal setting for an ISTJ since it is often independent, detail-oriented work where the rules and processes are clear. ISTJ types tend to excel at working with concrete statistics and numbers, and they will usually find that this position is enjoyable and comes easy to them thanks to their attention to detail and organisation skills.
- Dentist:
Some healthcare jobs can also be ideal work choices for the ISTJ. This personality type tends to excel in dentistry due to the orderly and detail-oriented nature of this career. In addition, the work environment is often ideal for this personality type since dentists will usually work independently and in a quiet, clean, and organised office. The tasks of this career are usually quite predictable and often involve focusing on complex dental tasks.
- Accountant:
Many ISTJ personality types find that a career in finance is ideal for them. Accountancy in particular can be a great choice since there are rules and regulations to follow and the work is clear and predictable. In addition to this, the career involves paying attention to financial details and making sure that everything is in line with strict regulations, which is an area where this personality type will thrive. Since the ISTJ is such a responsible follower of the rules, they are usually well-trusted by both businesses and individuals when it comes to managing their money and investments.
- Military Officer:
The dedicated, dutiful, and responsible nature of the ISTJ personality type often makes them an ideal candidate for a career in the military. An ISTJ personality is likely to appreciate the clear hierarchy of the military and the established expectations and rules that are in place. This personality type will often do well in the military environment because it involves following detailed plans of action, and they do not have a problem with upholding the detailed requirements of their career. In addition, the ISTJ will often enjoy the fact that work in the military surrounds them with like-minded people in a workplace that is very organised and structured.
What Kind of Work Environment is Best for ISTJ?
While ISTJs do like to do most of their work independently, they will often appreciate the value of being part of a team. However, bear in mind that for the ISTJ, there are some conditions in place when it comes to teamwork, are they are only likely to enjoy working as a collective with others when their co-workers are business-like and reasonable. When working as part of the team, the ISTJ will also prefer there to be a clear hierarchy in place so that they know who is in charge. The idea workplace environment for this personality type is likely to be somewhere that is organized, quiet, and well-structured. They tend to prefer working in environments that have clear regulations and rules that everybody adheres to.
What Jobs Should ISTJ Personalities Avoid?
While some jobs are an excellent fit for people with this personality type, some careers are best avoided if your personality is closely aligned with the ISTJ. These include:
- Creative Jobs:
Artistic and creative pursuits are often too flexible, abstract, and open-ended for ISTJ types. There is often a lack of clear expectations and rules, which creates a work environment that the ISTJ simply does not mesh well with.
- Customer Service:
Some customer service jobs, such as working in a restaurant, bar, or busy supermarket are likely to be too social for the introverted ISTJ personality type, which can easily become exhausting for them.
- Journalism:
This field can be too creative and too unpredictable for the ISTJ personality type, who thrives on having set plans of action to closely adhere to and a predictive work environment. The objective nature of this type of work is often difficult for the ISTJ who is more decisive and process-oriented.
- Psychology:
The field of psychology is often quite open-ended and does not always have definitive and clear-cut answers, which may make it difficult work for an ISTJ. On the other hand, neuroscience might be a better choice since this is often more predictable and provides clearer answers.
ISTJ personality types tend to be rule followers who prefer predictability and routine. They tend to work well in environments that are quiet, structured, and organised with clear instructions and a hierarchy in place.
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