The Enneagram is a great way for people to understand their personalities better. Knowing what Enneagram type you are can go a long way towards helping you discover a career that dovetails well with your interests as well as your most fundamental personality traits.

When it comes to identifying the best jobs for enneagram types, I believe the best question to ask is, “How can an individual allow their giftings and healthy motivations to influence work they believe is meaningful.

I believe individuals should not limit their capacity to a specific field or job title.  A career choice for any enneagram type should be based on their motivations and areas of interest.  For more career advice for each enneagram type, visit this post.

Job choice can have a huge impact on a person’s happiness and ability to function in daily life. Read on to learn more about the best jobs for Enneagram personality types and why they’re a good match.

The Best Jobs for Enneagram Personality Type

Best Jobs for Enneagram 1

Enneagram Type 1, the Reformer type, involves people who are deeply committed to pursuing a life path that leaves the world a better place than they found it. While they can be seen as perfectionistic by those with a less idealized mindset, Enneagram Type 1 personalities genuinely want to improve on the systems they see in their daily lives. In many cases, they’re more than capable of executing these positive changes. 

In the workplace, Enneagram Type 1 personalities value practical traits such as professional competence, accuracy, responsibility, and holding others accountable. Type 1 personalities have a very strong work ethic and can be critical of others who don’t work as hard as they do. They also tend to have a rigid moral system that makes them loyal and honest workers. 

Here are some of the careers that mesh well with Type 1 people (Source: Russell Rowe): 

• Professors: Type 1 people have the diligence to pursue higher education and the work ethic to finish out higher degrees. This makes them a good match for teaching at the university level. Their ability to correct people fairly while acting out of a desire to help them makes them a good choice for the educational sector.
• Doctors: The high attention to detail that Type 1 personalities display is a good match for a medical career. These people also have the high level of drive necessary to compete and succeed in a medical school environment.
• Accountants: Any career path involving the careful accounting of numbers requires a detail-oriented personality and someone willing to get those details completely perfect. Type 1 people make great accountants because they are usually responsible enough to handle the money of other people.
• Law Enforcement: The idealism of many Type 1 personalities makes them a good match for law enforcement jobs since they enjoy upholding others to a standard and can usually be depended on to adhere to those standards themselves.
• Private Investigation: The competence and hard work of Type 1 personalities mean that they can be very successful private investigators. Their systematic drive to improve social systems while gathering accurate data can make them valuable for building a divorce case or establishing wrongdoing.

For more career advice for enneagram type ones visit Enneagram Type One Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 2

Enneagram Type 2, the Helper type, involves people who are some of the more social members of society. Along with the drive for improvement that is found in Type 1 personalities, Type 2 personalities have the drive to reach out and connect with the other people around them in meaningful ways. Type 2 personalities are also known for their warm and compassionate natures. 

At work, Enneagram Type 2 personalities value camaraderie and team efforts. They do not like having conflicts with others and do not have a strong sense of competition with coworkers. Type 2 personalities don’t usually do well in careers that put them at odds with others. These include workplaces like courtrooms or high stakes office buildings. 

Here are some careers that are a good match for Type 2 people (Source: Psychology Junkie): 

• Midwives: Type 2 personalities can be good doulas and midwives because they can easily empathize with expectant mothers and work with them in a team effort to help deliver their babies safely. This personality type is likely to find the process of supporting a childhood to be meaningful employment with a strong sense of social connection.
• Chaplains: For Type 2 people who consider themselves religious, a career path in the ministry can be a socially rewarding job that allows them to connect deeply with other people. Since these jobs are rarely competitive, they are a good match for Type 2 personalities who have no desire to fight with others for dominance in the workplace.
• Nurses: The compassion exhibited by Type 2 personalities means that they’re uniquely qualified for working with the sick and injured. These people are also organized and do well in a team, both qualifications that make them the workhorses of hospitals across the world.
• Human Resources: Human resources is a great department for Type 2 people since it focuses on bringing workplace environments and teams closer together. The welcoming nature of Type 2 personalities makes them great at bringing in new talent. It also helps them keep the existing group of workers happy and productive.
• Hospice Care: It takes a lot of compassion to work with the dying, and Type 2 people are up to the task in a way that many other personalities aren’t. Like midwives, who bring people into the world, those who work hospice can connect and empathize easily with those who are leaving it. 

For more career advice for enneagram type twos visit Enneagram Type Two Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 3

Enneagram Type 3, the Achiever type, involves people who strive to stand out in the workplace and who value themselves based on their personal successes. (Source: Noodle) Achievers have the drive to be perceived by others in a positive light and are more aware than many other Enneagram personality types of how they appear to others. 

Unlike Type 2 personalities, Type 3 personalities thrive in competitive work environments and tend to seek out jobs where they have to fight their way to the top. Type 3 personalities become bored and frustrated if they end up in a job where they can’t directly impact the results of their work. Type 3 personalities tend to overwork regardless of their job title. 

Here are some of the best jobs for Type 3 people: 

• Advertising: At its heart advertising is a creative problem-solving exercise, and this is an exercise that Type 3 people excel at. Advertising is also a competitive work environment that stokes the fire of Type 3’s motivation to succeed.
• Banking:  The high levels of confidence that Type 3 personalities usually have is a good foundation to build a successful banking career. These people find it easy to get others to believe in their financial investments and advice.
• Surgery: Being a surgeon requires some of the highest levels of competitive drive in any industry, making it a good match for a Type 3 personality. Type 3 people who become surgeons enjoy the prestige that comes along with performing skilled and lifesaving acts.
• Law: Courtrooms are a cut-throat and high-pressure workplace, making them suitable for only the most assertive of personality types. The sense of combat involved with defending legislation can be satisfying to many Type 3 people.
• Athletic Competition: For Type 3 personalities who are especially athletic, taking their sport to the heights of competition such as the minor leagues or even the Olympics can provide a satisfying career path. 

For more career advice for enneagram type threes visit Enneagram Type Three Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 4

Enneagram Type 4, the Creative type, is a personality type that values self-expression and self-identity above all others. More than other types, Type 4 personalities have a strong sensitivity to aesthetic beauty and may seek to organize their lives around this value. Type 4 personalities also have a romantic spirit and tend to see the world in idealized or exaggerated terms. 

The artistic sense and sensitivity of Type 4 personalities make them a perfect match for creative careers. From pottery to web design, any job which involves equal parts contemplation and creation will be a strong draw for these people. 

Here are some of the best creative jobs for Type 4 people (Source: Life Goals Magazine): 

• Visual Art: The artistic talent that many Type 4 personalities have often allow them to become successful visual artists. Whether working as a wedding photographer or painting murals, Type 4 people can create some beautiful compositions.
• Journalism: The strongest journalistic writing derives from a strong sense of self-identity, and Type 4 personalities have this quality in spades.
• Forestry: For Type 4 people who also enjoy the great outdoors, solitary work as a fire watch officer or a park ranger can provide plenty of peaceful time for soaking up the aesthetic beauty of nature.
• Culinary Arts: The creative talent of Type 4 personalities can be useful in a culinary career for creating new dishes as well as setting up flawless visual presentations on the plate.
• Writing: The same rich imagination that makes Type 4 people successful creatives also makes them good for writing-oriented jobs. This is true whether they’re called on to write fiction or nonfiction since their romantic natures lend even dry material a more alluring voice. 

For more career advice for enneagram type fours visit Enneagram Type Four Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 5

Enneagram Type 5, the Investigator, is an intense Enneagram personality profiles. Aloof, observant, and skeptical by nature, Type 5 personalities have a sharp mind they’re constantly honing in on the questions in the world around them. While their moody and somewhat introverted personalities can make them difficult to work within close quarters, they are usually valued (if maverick) employees. (Source: The Career Project)

The curious nature of this type and their drive to construct and test systems of organization makes them perfect for optimizing systems of business, government, and more. Their high level of skepticism and low need for social approval makes them good whistleblowers in industries that call for scrutiny. Since they construct their worldview out of quantifiable data, they feel confident in their opinions.

Here are some careers that Type 5 personalities would excel at: 

• Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity requires technical ability and the ability to leave no stone unturned, both activities that appeal to a Type 5’s best talents. While other types may find data analysis involved with cybersecurity tedious, a Type 5 is likely to find it satisfying.
• Research: Regardless of what field the research is conducted in, a Type 5 personality can get to the bottom of any scientific, social, or industrial question.
• Science: The objective qualities of scientific pursuits are appealing to many Type 5 people. Since Type 5 personalities tend to thrive as subject matter experts, the field of science offers many different jobs to suit a variety of different Type 5 special interests.
• Quality Assurance: Type 5 people are skeptics that do well in positions where they are asked to assess and question the work of others.
• Engineering and Construction: Some Type 5 personalities may be more inclined to work with their hands than in a cerebral pursuit. These people can do well in jobs like engineering and construction where they can easily measure their progress in concrete steps. 

For more career advice for enneagram type fives visit Enneagram Type Five Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 6

Enneagram Type 6, the Loyalist type, is one of the more steadfast personality types in the world. (Source: The Talko) Reliability and trustworthiness are values that place high with this personality type, and they are often considered the most dependable of their friends, colleagues, or coworkers. Type 6 personalities have a strong desire to be supported and connected with others. 

Type 6 personalities prefer to have plenty of backup in the workplace and tend to do better in team operations than working on their own. Because they are more dependable than other types, people who are Type 6 can often do well in caretaking positions. 

Here are some of the other jobs that Type 6 personalities can succeed in: 

• Hospitality: Hotels and other hospitality venues are businesses that run on teamwork and organization. Type 6 people excel at this position as stewards and housekeepers because of their dependability and ability to work well with others.
• Nannies: Those Type 6 people that like to spend time with children are good candidates to be full-time nannies or au pairs.  The reliable nature of these people coupled with their easy ability to forge social connections makes them a natural choice for childcare.
• Veterinarians: Veterinary offices work as a team effort. Type 6 personalities who enjoy the company of animals can be exceptionally competent vets if they also possess the drive to pursue the training.
  
• Acting: Those Type 6 personalities who also have artistic flair can often do well in a role with the theater. While these types may have a fragile ego, it can thrive within a network of supporting fans and followers.
• Environmentalism: Type 6 people feel most fulfilled when they’re working arm in arm with others who are fully supportive of their cause. This makes them a good match for careers in environmentalism or wildlife conservation that require the mobilization of large groups.

For more career advice for enneagram type sixes visit Enneagram Type Six Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 7

Enneagram Type 7, the Enthusiast type, is typically known as one of the carefree and fun-loving personality types. Driven by excitement for novelty and adventure, Type 7 personalities can quickly become bored in stagnant workplaces if they don’t seek out a career path that meshes well with their innate desire for new experiences. 

Type 7 personalities tend to have a cheerful disposition and a high-spirited nerviness that can unsettle more placid members of their workplace. (Source: GradSchools.com) However, this type also tends to have massive amounts of charisma that allows them to smooth over even the surliest coworker or client. 

Here are a few jobs that Type 7 personalities would do well at: 

• Publicist: Type 7 personalities have strong enthusiasm for life, and with many, this enthusiasm can be made infectious in the workplace. A Type 7 personality with a flair for writing or social media can often
• Pilots: Being a pilot appeals to both a Type 7’s sense of adventure as well as their desire to see new things and people regularly. The cheerful, almost carefree personality of Type 7 people also help keep their passengers calm in their care.
• Emergency Response: While Type 7 personalities can come off as happy-go-lucky, their quick thinking and drive for excitement are well-suited for emergency response jobs. These can include positions such as lifeguards, EMT members, and firefighters. 
• Interior Design: Type 7 people who enjoy artistic pursuits may enjoy a career in interior design. This career path combines new and exciting projects with the persuasive skills necessary for interior designers to sell their designs.
• Event Planning: Like interior design, event planning can provide a constant stream of new challenges for Type 7 personalities that serve to inspire their creative impulses. These people can find the party environments associated with event planning to be a constant source of invigoration and social energy.

For more career advice for enneagram type sevens visit Enneagram Type Seven Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 8

Enneagram Type 8, the Challenger type, is one of the more forceful personalities in the Enneagram profiles. Type 8 personalities are protectors and can sometimes be prone to seeing themselves as the champion of their organization regardless of rank. These high-energy, intense people often find themselves rocketing to the top of ranked organizations, however. 

Even though Type 8 people are happiest in charge, they also tend to have a focus on justice and equality. In business, they are attracted to business ownership and managerial positions. (Source: Enneagram Institute) Type 8 personalities do well in regimented workplace systems. 

Here are some of the career paths available that are a good match for Type 8 personalities: 

• Military: The military can be a good option for Type 8 personalities since it offers a wide variety of jobs and a clearly defined chain of command. The nature of military work also appeals to a Type 8’s natural drive to guard the well-being of others.
• Ship Captains: Managing a full crew on a merchant ship can require quick thinking and a rock-solid sense of leadership. Type 8 personalities fit well as ship captains or the leaders of any similar industrial crew.
• Architects: Architects are often required to work in larger teams to systematically push a project forward, and these are job duties that Type 8 personalities excel at. Type 8 people also have an assertive personality that can weather the storm if there are setbacks or other challenges in the course of completing a long-term project.
• Cinematic Directors: Those Type 8 personalities who have artistic talent can be well served in a film career. Making movies is a process that requires firm leadership and a strong vision to be successful, and Type 8 people are just the people to pull it off.
• Politicians: Type 8 people can do well in political work because they have a natural talent for organizing others and an assertive personality that pushes their opinions to the top of the heap. The fact that they generally have good intentions means that they also tend to be just and fair.

For more career advice for enneagram type eights visit Enneagram Type Eight Careers.

Best Jobs for Enneagram 9

Enneagram Type 9, the Peacemaker Type, is an agreeable personality that tends to get along with most other personality types. Able to easily find common ground between opposing forces in a way that insults and patronizes neither, Peacemakers are great for lowering the temperature in what would otherwise be high-tension social situations. 

Because they have a strong intuition about what people need to either make themselves whole or bring themselves together with others, Type 9 personalities are good at mediatory roles. (Source: Enneagram at Work) Their patience also makes them a good match for any career that involves a large amount of patience. 

Here are some jobs that are well-suited to Type 9 strengths: 

• Psychologists: The ability of Type 9 people to gently get to the source of an emotional hurt makes them great at dealing with people that have mental health problems. They find it easier than other types to empathize with more volatile personalities in their patients.
• Therapists: In a mediatory role, the Type 9 profile makes a good marriage counselor or family therapist. These people can juggle diverse personalities to find common ground compassionately.
• Editors: Being an editor can be a prickly job title since it involves having to correct people and rein them in on their artistic creations. This role requires a level of diplomacy and tact that Type 9 people often embody as a natural talent.
• Yoga Instructor: Type 9 personalities can often find themselves drawn towards holistic and homeopathic therapies since they are attracted to peace. Working as a yoga instructor can offer a Type 9 personality a tranquil daily environment for employment.
• Animal Husbandry: Animals require light and sensitive touch. The Type 9 personality can be a good choice for close contact with animals since their strong intuition lets them easily discern what the animals under their care need.

For more career advice for enneagram type nines visit Enneagram Type Nine Careers.

Understanding Your Enneagram Type Can Help You Experience Job Satisfaction

While an Enneagram type can’t tell a person everything about themselves, these personality types are a good way for those who are unsure of their career path or considering a career change to seek out job positions that fulfill some of their deepest values in life. As a part of the quest for self-identity, knowing what your Enneagram type is can go a long way towards making sure you end up with a job you love.

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.  

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