When you’re thinking about your career path, you probably consider things like location, education level, skills you already have (or are willing to build), and other highly practical concerns. But have you ever thought about what job would match your personality? Finding a career that dovetails with your personality type can absolutely help you build long-term career satisfaction.
What is an ISTJ, anyway?
The steady, organized ISTJ is the third-most-popular Myers-Briggs personality type within the population. ISTJs are broken down into the following components.
Introverted
ISTJs tend to stand alone and are comfortable working independently. When you hear the phrase “self-starter,” this fits an ISTJ perfectly. Introverts tend to be motivated and energized by their own inner drive, rather than feedback or praise from others. This isn’t to say that all ISTJs are lone wolves—rather, they know what they bring to a team and are likely to keep going with the work at hand regardless of what’s going on with other team members.
Sensing
ISTJs tend to make decisions based on a rationalization of the available facts and details, rather than abstract concepts. ISTJs like to have the info laid out in front of them. In a brainstorming session, the ISTJ is the one most likely to show up with an outline of evidence to support the ideas he stayed late to write down, the night before. The ITSJ is the one who always has homework done on time, and printed neatly in time for class.
Thinking
Logic and reason are the guiding principles for an ISTJ’s thought process. Feelings and instincts tend to take a backseat to a thoughtful analysis of what’s most logical. The ISTJ will have considered all possible angles and all possible outcomes based on data gathered about what’s happened in the past and what’s happening now.
Judging
ISTJs were voted “least likely to be a loose cannon” in high school. They’re not impulsive or likely to make a decision based on a gut feeling; rather, they prefer to have a detailed game plan before embarking on a project or task.
Careers for ISTJs
With these qualities, ISTJs are likely to respond well to careers that are detail-oriented and require methodical work. ISTJs thrive on organization, problem solving, and productivity. If you want someone to overhaul your processes to improve workflow, or impose order on workplace chaos, an ISTJ is the go-to.
If you’re an ISTJ and thinking about what career path could work with your personality, here are a number of different jobs to consider in different fields.
If you’re interested in business or finance…
- Accountant
- Auditor
- Budget analyst
- Cost estimator
- Financial advisor
- Loan officer
- Management consultant
- Operations analyst
- Purchasing agent or manager
- Real estate appraiser
If you’re interested in administration…
- Account collector
- Archivist
- Billing clerk or manager
- Bookkeeper
- Executive assistant or secretary
- Financial clerk
- Information clerk
- Logistics manager
- Office manager
- Records clerk
If you’re interested in information technology…
- Computer engineer
- Computer network architect
- Computer programmer
- Database administrator
- Information security analyst
- IT project manager
- IT support specialist
- Software developer
- Systems analyst
- Web developer
If you’re interested in the legal world…
- Corrections officer
- Court reporter
- Customs inspector
- Detective or investigator
- Judge
- Lawyer
- Legal secretary
- Paralegal
- Probation officer
- Security guard
If you’re interested in healthcare…
- Biomedical technologist
- Dentist
- Exercise physiologist
- Medical records technician
- Medical transcriptionist
- Occupational therapist
- Pharmacist or pharmacy technician
- Physician assistant
- Physician or surgeon
- Surgical technologist
ISTJs can be found in just about every field, so if you have diverse interests to go with your abiding love for paperwork and order, there’s likely to be a job out there for you that perfectly marries your personality with your skill set. Good luck, ISTJ job hunter!
