Your Career Doesn’t Match Your Type. Should You Change Jobs?

It would be wonderful to tell yourself that you can leave your job because your personality is restricted in your work environment.

It does not matter what type of personality you have, everyone’s decision to leave a job is related to job opportunities in your area, willingness to relocate if necessary, status-single and carefree or married with children – and above all – financial situation.

However, certain personality types are more likely to stay and some are more likely to leave their current job.

High Achievers – More Likely to Leave

ENFJs focus on the big picture and what they can do to help the most people. If they are not allowed to express their beliefs and values at work, they become distressed and feel trapped.

They are community oriented. Influenced by their need to improve and help humanity, they donate to charities and use their great social and networking skills to promote their causes.

When a high achiever has to compromise their values in the workplace, s(he) will look for a new job. Take a look at the following example.

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John (an ENFJ) is a big dreamer, multi- tasker and thrives on challenges. He is an excellent manager and supports his team relentlessly. If John is unable to change the boss’s mind on work issues that vehemently go against his values and beliefs, he becomes obstinate.

When his altruistic-based opinions are ignored, he will leave. For John, this will probably occur more than once during his career.

He will change jobs frequently as he meets challenges that do not further his goal for helping others.

Altruistic Types

INFJs are idealistic, focused on the greater good and will not compromise their values. When their personality does not match their employment, they usually leave.

How soon they can leave depends on current needs and responsibilities. The following explains the decision making process of INFJs in two different situations.

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Janice, an INFJ, is one of the rarest personality types. She is a recent university graduate and an avid community volunteer who accepted a one-year contract.

In line with her education the job focuses on community design and development to improve community living. Disappointment and frustration set in three months into the job. She saw that rather than improving society, her duties were to help companies earn millions of dollars at the expense of the environment.

This type of work violated her values and beliefs. One option for Janice is to leave immediately, sleep on a friend’s couch and beg the bank to waive her student loan payments until she finds new employment.

The second and perhaps better option for Janice is to try and complete the one-year contract so it looks good on her resume and begin searching for jobs with nonprofit organizations geared toward helping others (her dream job) while she finishes the contract.

Janice has many options because she is free to relocate, if necessary, and find work more congruent with her values.

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This example shows the same personality (INFJ) with different options.

Mary, also an INFJ, focuses on those who cannot help themselves and society in general. She is in middle management, earns a relatively high salary, volunteers at the SPCA on Saturday afternoons and serves lunch at the local soup kitchen on Sundays.

Mary’s situation is different from Janice’s in that she is a single mom with two children, a mortgage and childcare expenses. On the upside, she accrued moderate savings over the ten years at her current job and does not have credit card debt.

Like Janice, she could leave immediately and support her family on her savings or she can try and stay for a short time until she finds another position even if the salary is lower.

Janice and Mary will undoubtedly both leave their jobs because of the strong altruistic traits in their personalities.

For INFJs, if values are compromised, money will never keep them on a job – for very long!

Golden Handcuffs

INFPs are also a rare personality type influenced by the feelings and challenges of others. Even when the work environment is in direct conflict with their personality, their personal circumstances play an important role in the decision whether to stay or to leave a position.

Bill (an INFP), a university graduate, entered the workforce during a time when jobs in any field were scarce. Unfortunately this shy, quiet, intuitive and reflective man ended up in a traditional job with an insensitive boss.

Feeling grateful for any type of job at the time, he fell into a routine and remained there for 18 years.

Over the years criticism from his boss (for work that was beyond perfect) and being over-looked for promotions became the norm for Bill. Even when periods of stress peaked, Bill still did not consider leaving.

His rationale for staying at the job he did not fit into was his pension – the light at the end of the tunnel – i.e. the ‘golden handcuffs.’

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There are no ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers to leaving a job that does not suit your personality type. These are only a few examples of the reasons why some personality types choose to leave and some choose to stay.

If you are faced with this type of decision, be sure to weigh all the pros and cons before you submit your resignation!