Now more than ever, people want to engage in meaningful and fulfilling work. This post will look at enneagram type 2 careers that provide a sense of purpose. Below is more than a generic listing of job titles; you’ll find ideas for finding and creating work that you enjoy as an enneagram two.
The purpose of connecting the dots between your enneagram type and a career is NOT to narrow you into a specific field or niche but to help you understand what motivates you as a person and how to connect that with work that you’ll find fulfilling.
The enneagram can help you discover your personality type and the core motivations that shape you. It is also useful for helping create enneagram type 2 careers that feel meaningful and full of purpose.
Your career is an opportunity to make a difference, serve others, and find joy in your work. The enneagram can also help you understand how your unique personality intersects with meaningful work.
Enneagram Type 2 Careers And How Personality Plays An Important Role In Enjoying Work
Enneagram twos are relational and selfless people. They are caring and generous, aiming to please. Type two is loving and giving in nature, sometimes to a fault.
The nine enneagram numbers exist within three categories of expression: Action, Feeling, and Thinking. Enneagram type twos are in the feeling center and measure success according to the health of their relationships. Because of this, the twos typically are empathetic, supportive, generous, and relationally driven.
The core desire of a two is to be appreciated.
The message the two most want to hear is, “You are so loveable and wanted.”
The gifts of an Enneagram Two include:
- Warm: Their demonstrative and friendly nature makes it easy for others to connect with Twos, and they are generally very likable.
- Giving: Twos are caring and can anticipate the needs of others, generously giving of themselves to others.
- People-Centred: The Two’s focus on building relationships will positively impact their capacity to step into roles where client and people relationships matter.
- Sacrificing: Twos will put their own needs and feelings on the backburner to support and be there for others.
- Praising: Being around complimentary, supportive Twos can make people feel very special, giving them a confidence boost. (Integrative9.com)
Because of these traits, an enneagram two is commonly known as the “helper” or “caregiver.” Therefore, enneagram type two careers that provide an opportunity to respond to others’ needs, be relational, and help make a difference will allow them to naturally lean into their giftings and personality traits.
If you’re not quite sure which number you are, please check out the post: Four Free And Accurate Enneagram Tests to help you identify your type. If necessary, take a little more time to discover your type and then come back to read more about what careers would be a good fit for you.
Key Motivations That Should Influence Enneagram Type 2 Careers
Enneagram type 2 careers can motivate and inspire when individual efforts align with their core motivations. Below are five critical motivations of Enneagram two’s, along with five demotivators that will hinder work engagement.
How To Motivate An Enneagram Two At Work
Enneagram type 2 careers are motiving if the work is:
- Helping others resolve a problem
- Making a difference
- Providing support
- Helping others in need
- Building strong relationships
The Reason Why Some Careers Are Draining To Enneagram Type 2’s
When a person experiences stress or fatigue in a job, it is often related to activities that are draining to the individual. While there are almost always some aspects of work that a person will favor less than others, it is essential to identify which parts of your job are energizing and draining.
Because an enneagram two is motivated by a desire to be supportive and helpful, if they are doing work that they feel causes them to compromise this core longing, it will not be fulfilling to them.
How To Demotivate An Enneagram Two At Work
Enneagram type 2 careers are demotivated from engaging with their work if:
- Their needs and ideas are ignored
- They feel unappreciated or unwanted
- The environment is not relational
- If paperwork is considered more important than people
- Leaders or coworkers are overly-critical or harsh
If you are enneagram two, assess your current role and look for opportunities you may be overlooking to use your unique giftings and talents.
Famous Enneagram Type 2’s & Their Career Field
Below is a list provided by The Enneagram Institute of famous people who some consider being enneagram twos. Please notice that while they may share similar motivations and characteristics, their careers are various and in a wide range of work.
Famous Enneagram Twos:
Paramahansa Yogananda, Pope John XXIII, Guru Ammaji, Byron Katie, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan, Monica Lewinsky, Ann Landers, Mary Kay Ash, Leo Buscaglia, Richard Simmons, Luciano Pavarotti
John Denver, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Dolly Parton, Josh Groban, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny G, Paula Abdul, Priscilla Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Danny Thomas, Martin Sheen, Jennifer Tilly, Danny Glover
Richard Thomas, Juliette Binoche, Arsenio Hall, Timothy Treadwell, “Melanie Hamilton Wilkes” (Gone with the Wind), “Eve Harrington” (All About Eve), “Dr. McCoy” (Star Trek)
The spectrum of work represented by the list of type twos above varies tremendously. Therefore, concerning enneagram type 2 careers, I believe the best question to ask is, “How can an enneagram two allow their giftings and healthy motivations to influence work they feel is meaningful.
Popular Enneagram Type 2 Careers:
- Nursing
- Chaplain
- Human Resource
- Hospice Care
- Social Work
- Culinary
- Counselor
- Midwife
- Author
- Politics
- Lawyer
- Philanthropy
- Motivational Speakers
- Business Development
- Entertainment
- Musician
- Acting
If you still are unsure or feel stuck, try the following two suggestions.
Two Ways To Address Your Career If You Unhappy As An Enneagram 2
- Consider if there is room in your current work to fulfill some of the motivations listed above. If not, speak to your employer about how you might be able to help in those areas.
- Consider if you are engaged in a field of work that you believe is important and meaningful. If not, begin a journey of identifying career paths that you feel will be fulfilling.
If you believe it is time to change, use the guide to help navigate enneagram type 2 careers toward meaningful work.
Successful Enneagram Type 2 Careers Conclusion
Healthy Enneagram Type 2 Careers should not be limited to a specific field or title. A career choice for an enneagram two should be based on their freedom to be supportive and connect relationally. Twos thrive in affirming environments where their generosity can flourish, and they can drive positive change by serving others.
To Summarize:
- Identify what motivates you
- Assess if there is room in your current job to capitalize on your key motivations and giftings
- Evaluate if you are in a field that you feel is important
- Consider if the work you are doing is meaningful to you and helpful to others
Discovering enneagram type 2 careers and options can be limitless once you realize that you’ll find enjoyment from work that provides freedom to generously serve others and build strong relationships.
Connecting your passion with the work you enjoy should not be so difficult.
How much is a frustrating work environment costing you?
Could your life be more fulfilling if you had a clear path toward meaningful work?
Are you wasting time and stress because you’re unsure what to do next? A confusing, tired, boring career may already cost you a great deal.
The Enneagram Career Guide is an interactive workbook that uses the lens of the enneagram to help you create alignment between your motivations and the work you do.
The Enneagram Career Guide will help you:
- Become aware of thoughts that are limiting you and replace them.
- Identify what motivates you.
- Consider if your current work is meaningful to you and helpful to others.
- Use The new information about yourself to enhance your career.
What Is Included In The Guide For Enneagram Type 2 Careers?
- 35-page downloadable workbook
- Explanation of type
- Key motivations of type
- Demotivators of type
- Evaluation of current career path
- Connecting your key motivations with career options
- Next steps
FAQs About The Enneagram Career Guide
Will you mail me a physical copy of the Career Guide?
The Career Guide is delivered by email as a PDF file. It is yours to keep and use as often as needed.
What is your refund policy?
Because our products are digital goods delivered via Internet download, refund requests made after you have downloaded our product are handled on a case by case basis and are issued at our sole discretion. Refund requests, if any, must be made within ten (10) days of your original purchase.
Do you have career guides available for other types?
Yes, you can view all available career guides by clicking HERE.
How do I pay for the career guide?
After selecting the guides using the purchase button, select checkout, you will then land on the checkout page. On the checkout page, you can choose your payment method. Enter your information and finalize by selecting the purchase button.
Download the guide specifically created to help direct enneagram type 2 careers! Create a clear path toward work you love, and that is helpful to others too!
The Goal of the Enneagram Career Guide is to help you:
1. Become aware of thoughts that are limiting you and replace them.
2. Identify what motivates you.
3. Consider if your work is meaningful to you and helpful to others.
4. Use the new information about yourself to enhance your career.
Too often, we use the wrong lens when examining our career opportunities.
We say things like:
“I’m stuck here,”
“It’s too late to change,”
“I blew it (I’m a loser).”
“There are no opportunities out there for me.”
“I don’t need to network.”
“I can’t risk losing the money I make now.”
“I’ll be doing this forever.”
These are all limiting thoughts and do not have to be true for your life.
You can change, overcome, learn new skills, adjust, and create alignment.
You can connect the dots between your giftings and your career.
Using this guide to help you align your passion with work is a worthwhile endeavor and know that I am cheering for you! Here’s to pursuing meaningful enneagram type 2 careers!
