# MBTI and Current Job Satisfaction



## Discovery (Jul 3, 2014)

Which of these options resonates most with your level of satisfaction with your current job/career?

Feel free to elaborate on your choice. Do you like what you do for your job? If so, why? Why not? Do you feel like your inferior function misled you into the wrong career? I'd like to see if there's a pattern with this.. especially J-types vs P-types, and Thinking types vs Feeling types..


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## Im FiNe (Oct 17, 2013)

INFP, currently unemployed

...But if considering my last job, I would have answered the same way: Hate it.


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## Discovery (Jul 3, 2014)

I have this dreadful feeling like no matter what I do, I'll always feel restless and unhappy with my job :/. I might like it to begin with, but within a few months I'm already sick of it.. I wonder if I'll ever truly be happy with my job for a long period of time! It's sort of why I wanted to make this poll.. I always feel like I get myself into the wrong position, and it's frustrating to me.
@Im FiNe if you don't mind my asking, what was the job you hated? which sort of work was it?


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## Im FiNe (Oct 17, 2013)

Discovery said:


> [email protected]_Im FiNe_ if you don't mind my asking, what was the job you hated? which sort of work was it?


It was in Customer Service within a manufacturing setting for a very large corporation. What I hated could probably be boiled down into two categories:
1. There was not enough of the mental stimulation and challenge and potential for technical expertise that I enjoy and keeps me mentally connected and enthusiastic; and,
2. There were many instances of values conflicts especially such that my circle of influence was ineffectual in catalyzing positive change.

Work functions, roles, responsibilities, and the like are half the battle. The other half is having an employer who shares your views on right and wrong, ethics, work/life balance, and the like.


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## haephestia (May 13, 2013)

ENFP. I am in school for nursing, just about finished. I love it. I love it in every setting I've worked in, long term care, geriatrics, acute, med-surg, mental health, and shortly starting community. I can't imagine having done anything else for a career.


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## Discovery (Jul 3, 2014)

That's fantastic, @haephestia. 

One day I hope to feel the same sense of assurance that I'm following my ideal path.. Currently I am working as a travel agent. I love travel, and I can get excited and passionate talking about cultures and experiences, but I've realized this job really tugs at my anxiety strings, and it's more of a sales job than anything else. Basically this job calls for a liberal amount of Te and/or Fe strengths, both of which I feel are certainly not my strong suits (as much as I may wish it to be so, and can admire it in others). I'm planning on going back to school to get a Geographic Info Systems A.S. and hopefully use it in conjunction with my B.A. in Anthropology/Archaeology to be a mapping technician for the government or private engineering firm.. Again, this may be my inferior Te leading me astray, but I would like to find some way to integrate my strengths while not completely ignoring my Te.. 

I'm eager to see more people vote on this! VOTE people!


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## sittapygmaea (Aug 24, 2014)

I answered "mixed," but my situation is odd, because I don't have a job. So I answered for the state of deliberate unemployment. 

On the one hand, what's not to love? I have time to do what I want, when I want; it could hardly be better. I don't understand boredom with the whole wide world out there of things to read, think about, see, do... I have no problem entertaining myself.

On the other hand, I tend to be unfocused, lazy, and unproductive in this unfettered world of mine. Oh; that thing is interesting-- I'll read up on it for a few days. What's over there?; neat; let me go take a peak. So many interesting people here on PerC; I'll talk to this one, now that one; hey- fascinating new thread! You get the idea.

I feel like I flit around too much without focusing myself productively on any endeavor. I definitely have skills, energy and insights that are being under-utilized and left to founder. I mean, I got a PhD from Harvard, for god's sake, and now i'm just here idling around! 

By way of context, before this period, I spent ~10-15 years (depending on how you count college) in a quite competitive and stressful professional environment, and it left me suffering from severe anxiety and losing all joy and perspective. I seem constitutionally unable to find a happy medium.

PS. Hi @Discovery. Nice to see you back around here :happy:




Discovery said:


> That's fantastic, @haephestia.
> 
> One day I hope to feel the same sense of assurance that I'm following my ideal path.. Currently I am working as a travel agent. I love travel, and I can get excited and passionate talking about cultures and experiences, but I've realized this job really tugs at my anxiety strings, and it's more of a sales job than anything else. Basically this job calls for a liberal amount of Te and/or Fe strengths, both of which I feel are certainly not my strong suits (as much as I may wish it to be so, and can admire it in others). I'm planning on going back to school to get a Geographic Info Systems A.S. and hopefully use it in conjunction with my B.A. in Anthropology/Archaeology to be a mapping technician for the government or private engineering firm.. Again, this may be my inferior Te leading me astray, but I would like to find some way to integrate my strengths while not completely ignoring my Te..
> 
> I'm eager to see more people vote on this! VOTE people!


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## Coopsickle (Sep 12, 2014)

I answered - I don't love it, but I'm satisfied and content overall.

I'm an INTJ. I work in criminal law, I have more than one role within my job (paralegal, police station rep and legal secretary). I don't mind my job, I am always busy but I have to deal with a hell of a lot of people and I'm not great at it, I'm on the phone all the time and at least twice a day I get shouted, sworn at and abused down the phone by both clients and other professionals. This doesn't really bother me all that much but sometimes you get a client who comes in specifically to shout and scream in your face... which is always nice! 

I have just over 1000 clients on the go at any one time, I am the only secretary to 37 solicitors and HRA's so I am always busy and then of an evening I am on duties at Police Stations up to 100miles away and when you pick up a murder at midnight the chances are you are going to be there until 9am and then you have to start work again. 

My job isn't boring but I sometimes think I would enjoy it a little more if I wasn't sleep deprived!


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## Mmmm (Jul 6, 2012)

I've hated most of my jobs but there are certain aspects I've enjoyed. For instance I learned I really enjoy working with the elderly & those who have disabilities. I've worked in many different fields: medical, customer service, clerical, transportation, security, & government. I wish I could find a job I really loved. I think a lot of it for me has to do with those I work with & the bureaucracy that goes on. At my current job I can't stand my supervisors. They want to micromanage everything I do. They are loud, moody, disorganized & unprofessional. Still looking for the perfect fit.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

ENTP. The job itself kind of sucks since I work for government and I have to deal with a lot of unmotivated and incompetent people. Also, I have to a lot more end user support. I would say I'm content because it is a standard 40 hour a week job that pays well enough and has good benefits and I'm able to pursue my interest outside of work and when I'm done for the day, I'm done for the day.


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## Discovery (Jul 3, 2014)

Interesting.. checking back on this thread, it looks like a fairly even spread of job satisfaction across all F/T and P/J types. It's still too early to draw any real conclusions from this though, as the sample size is still very low.. 



PowerShell said:


> I would say I'm content because it is a standard 40 hour a week job that pays well enough and has good benefits and I'm able to pursue my interest outside of work and when I'm done for the day, I'm done for the day.


That's good that you've found a workable balance, where you can use your free time to satisfy your interests, and you feel "whole". Kudos!

I don't know why I feel like no matter what job I work, I can't seem to be happy for long. Maybe I'm just too idealistic/unrealistic with my standards? If you were to ask me what my ideal job would be, I'm not even sure I could tell you precisely. I feel like a jack-of-all trades, master of none. At my lowest, I feel like my gifts just aren't meant for this crazy modern world we live in, and that I would be happiest living a quiet life out in the mountains somewhere.. but that just seems like a romantic pipe-dream that in reality would actually be a lot of hard work with plenty of stress along with it.. Ugh!

All I can say is that I want to feel like I'm using my best strengths to somehow make a positive difference in the world in line with my values. I'm 28 years old and I feel like I still have to try things and learn by experience in order to figure things out and narrow down what will make me satisfied in my career. Part of it is from gaining a better understanding of myself, which I owe much gratitude to MB Theory for helping me understand what makes me different than others.. I wonder if most INFP's end up feeling like the have to "sell their soul" to make a decent living, pursuing their creative interests on the side. 

Here's to the ongoing journey that is life! I hope I'll eventually find my calling, so I don't feel like a useless lost soul 

BTW I really enjoy reading everyone's feedback on this.. Thanks @sittapygmaea


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Discovery said:


> That's good that you've found a workable balance, where you can use your free time to satisfy your interests, and you feel "whole". Kudos!
> 
> I don't know why I feel like no matter what job I work, I can't seem to be happy for long.


I'm the same way. Some of my coworkers are stereotypical government employees and their lack of productivity does drive me nuts. Our workload is not that great overall and if they were just slightly more productive, we'd easily never have a backlog. I could see me moving on eventually and it seems where I work is a stepping stone (I've been told that by my former boss and other long time people there). Right now I have a stellar reputation there and users love me since I solve their issues and also do it promptly. I get along with most of my coworkers except 1. He's an idiot anyway.

The nice thing is besides the balance is I can go out and start building what I've looked to build. I moved 1300 miles south to Austin, TX to build a mobile app\technology company. I've been going to a of meetups and have met some pretty good people overall. Hopefully this job I have now will be my last structured job. I want to work for myself and eventually just travel all over the place. A normal job boxes me in and suffocates me. I'm just setting everything up to be able to be free.


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## Agelastos (Jun 1, 2014)

TP love/hate


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## penguin.ink (Apr 9, 2015)

ENFP: massage therapist.

The most perfect job for an ENFP!
*hands-on
*people oriented; various people, can get a person's whole life's story
*various trades (cruise, own business, spa, medical, etc.)
*continuing education (cupping, tai, rekki, etc.)
*it's like you're a doctor (BUT you can't diagnose), counselor, & cop (for the perverts)


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

penguin.ink said:


> *it's like you're a doctor (BUT you can't diagnose), counselor, & cop (for the perverts)


What!? Now happy ending!?


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## penguin.ink (Apr 9, 2015)

PowerShell said:


> What!? Now happy ending!?


"No sir, we do not preform such things in this establishment."


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## Nekomata (May 26, 2012)

INFP. Mixed job satisfaction, I'd say. I hate doing the actual job but I like talking to the people in my team as well as other factors.... it's alright, I guess. The first time I've ever actually connected with people.


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