According to Parsons (1909), you can find your ideal career choice by matching your personal traits (interests, aptitudes, abilities, resources, limitations, and personality) with other job factors, such as wages and environment, to create the best conditions for career success. Based on this understanding, knowing your personality type will help you choose a meaningful and satisfying career.
The Enneagram helps in assessing your personality, which leads to self-awareness when it comes to career decision-making. What's more, Enneagram types provide techniques for daily adaptation that will help in both career and personal success.
This article starts with an overview of the nine Enneagram types, and then we jump into the important stuff — how to use your Enneagram to help you find the right career path. The information is not meant to fit you into a specific career box but rather to assist you in finding a more fulfilling job according to your personality traits.
You May Also Like: Can the MBTI Help with Career Planning?
Enneagram Quick Overview
The Enneagram is a personality model that groups people into nine different types based on their fears, motivations, and internal dynamics. According to this personality system, each person belongs to either one of the nine types. However, an individual can have characteristics attached to the other types.
The nine Enneagram types are grouped into three triads.
- The gut triad, also known as the body triad (instincts): Types 1, 8, and 9.
- The heart triad (feelings): Types 4, 3, and 2.
- The head triad (thinking): Types 7, 6, and 5.
Generally speaking, the gut triad Enneagram tends to trust its intuition and focuses more on the emotion of anger and rage. The heart triad focuses on the emotion of shame and tends to trust their feelings when making connections and reactions. And lastly, the head triad tends to act more on the emotion of fear. They are believed to be very intellectual, constantly analyzing their surroundings.
Knowing your Enneagram type is a step toward self-discovery and self-development.
If you're still in the dark, take the Enneagram test to see where you fall among the nine types.
How Enneagram Type Impacts Your Career Decisions
Now that we know what an Enneagram is and the nine different types, how then does your particular Enneagram affect your career choice?
The Enneagram assessment is one of the best tools to understand how well you relate to yourself and others. By knowing which Enneagram we are, we get a glimpse into our preferences and personalities. This information helps us make career decisions because we can determine underlying, and often concealed, motivations.
Once you know your motivation, you can choose your best career match.
While there is nothing wrong with your hidden motivation, following it alone can limit your options and potential. By knowing our Enneagram, we can lean into the positives of our number and exploit our strengths to our advantage to choose the right career.
The Enneagram also gives you insights into your areas of weakness and how you can improve on them to have a fulfilling career.
What Career Path Is Best for Your Enneagram Type?
When it comes to career advice for each Enneagram type, it's good to ask ourselves which healthy motivations, interests, and talents will influence a career choice that is meaningful and fulfilling.
Having said that, here are the best and worst jobs for each Enneagram type.
The Type 1 Enneagrams, also known as the Perfectionists or the Reformers, are usually the most reasonable ones in the group. They are strongly opinionated and are not afraid to air their views.
Perfectionists are deeply committed to living a life that makes the world a better place. They thrive in a highly structured environment that has procedures and regulations. These individuals are self-motivated, focused, and independent and will get the job done the first time.
The best jobs for Enneagram Type 1 personality are those that have clear advancement and progression opportunities. They also prefer jobs that give them the power to improve things. Therefore, the worst careers for people with Enneagram Type 1 will be those where they cannot initiate change or improvements.
Some of the ideal jobs for Perfectionists include:
- Accountant
- Lawyer
- Doctor
- Military
- Politician
- Professor
- Therapist
- Career coach
Learn more about Enneagram 1 in the workplace.
Type 2 Enneagram (the Helper) has some of the most social and selfless people. Even though not all Type 2 individuals are extroverted, most want to reach out and make meaningful connections. They are generous, caring, and always aim to please. Their core desire is to be loved and appreciated. Sometimes this works against them!
The best jobs for Enneagram 2 are those that allow them the freedom to connect freely and be supportive of others. These individuals view life in terms of relationships and connections, not just in how they relate with other people but also in executing projects or procedures. They value teamwork and camaraderie and do not appreciate an environment where there's competition with coworkers.
Enneagram Type 2 careers to avoid include workplaces such as the courtroom or high-stakes office places.
Some promising careers for Enneagram Type 2 include:
- Professor
- Doctor
- Nurses
- Chaplains
- Midwives
- Hospice care
- Human resources
Learn more about Enneagram 2 in the workplace.
The Enneagram Type 3 (the Achievers) are goal-oriented, success-driven individuals. Achievers are more aware of how they look to others and strive to be perceived more positively. They are talented, influential, and excellent at setting goals.
Unlike Type 2, Type 3 personalities tend to thrive in competitive workspaces where they can fight their way up the corporate ladder. They value being respected, successful, and admirable.
The best jobs for Enneagram Type 3 are those that allow the freedom to achieve both individual and organizational success. They thrive in a workplace where their success is appreciated and where they can drive positive results and accomplish big goals.
Therefore, careers that provide a conducive environment for motivating others, goal-setting, and achieving results will be ideal for these individuals.
Some of the best careers for Enneagram Type 3 include:
- Law
- Banking
- Advertising
- Surgery
- Entertainment
- Business
- Sports
- Communications
Learn more about the Enneagram 3 in the workplace.
The Individualist (Enneagram Type 4) has creativity written all over the place. They are the creative type and value self-identity and self-expression above anything else. Compared to other Enneagram types, Type 4 are more inclined to their aesthetics and tend to live their lives around this attribute. They possess a romantic spirit and will, more often than not, perceive the world in an exaggerated and idealized manner.
When it comes to career choices, the Individualist flourishes in an environment that is free and has no strict systems to allow them to process and exercise their creative feelings and thoughts. Their creative nature makes them ideal for creative careers, including web design and pottery.
Good Type 4 Enneagram careers include:
- Journalism
- Writing
- Designing
- Culinary arts
- Filmmaking
- Illustration
- Photography
- Videography
Learn more about Enneagram 4 in the workplace.
If you are curious and inquisitive and tend to dig deeper to get to the bottom of some complex issues, then you likely belong to the Enneagram Type 5 (the Observer) group.
The Observer or Investigator is an exceptional Enneagram personality type. They are skeptical, aloof, observant, and have sharp minds constantly working to find answers to the questions around them. These individuals are all about connections, patterns, and being absorbed in a pool of ideas. They become so engrossed in a personal project that they may seem detached from the outside world.
A rewarding career for Enneagram Type 5 would allow freedom to inspire others by sharing new concepts and ideas. It should be an environment that gives them space to drive positive change and solve complex questions. Enneagram Type 5 would thrive in an environment where they can develop new skills, share insights, develop new skills, and have alone time.
So, what's the best job for an Enneagram 5? Individuals with this personality are best suited to work as:
- Engineers
- Analysts
- Economists
- Scientists
- Technical writer
- Architecture
- Computer programmer
Learn more about Enneagram 5 in the workplace.
The Loyalists (Enneagram Type 6) make great friends since they are loyal, committed, and responsible. These individuals value high trust, security, reliability, and safety levels. They are detail-oriented, resourceful, precise, and always prepared for crises.
The core desire of Type 6 is to feel supported, secure, and connected with others. They tend to work better in team environments than on their own.
The ideal career choice for an Enneagram 6 would allow them the freedom to offer safety and stability to the organization. The environment should be consistent and allow them room to drive positive change by offering the best decisions possible.
The Loyalist can fit well in the following career choices:
- Security personnel
- Nannies
- Veterinarians
- Environmentalists
- Hospitality personnel
- Business managers
- Lawyers
Learn more about Enneagram 6 in the workplace.
Best Career Paths for Enneagram Type 7
Where's the next fun at? That's the question that most Enthusiasts (Enneagram Type 7) would ask. They are extroverted, fun-loving, and make friends everywhere they go.
Type 7s are driven by excitement and curiosity and do not fear stepping out of their comfort zones to experience new ventures. They are carefree and live in the moment and will quickly become bored when they feel stuck in workplaces. Enneagram 7 individuals will thrive in a work environment catering to their innate desire for new adventures.
Some of the best careers for this kind of personality include:
- Marketing
- Public relations
- Travel writing
- Archaeology
- Interior design
- Event planning
- Youtuber
- Social media influencer
Learn more about the Enneagram 7 in the workplace.
Type 8s (the Challenger) are some of the most self-confident and influential Enneagram personalities. They are energetic and strong-willed and carry with them a strong presence. They naturally enjoy being in charge. But 8s can also be compassionate. The Challenger's greatest desire is to feel important and protected.
Enneagram 8s are ambitious and thrive in dynamic and fast-paced environments. Their forceful nature makes them the best protectors, and they always find themselves the organization's champions despite their rank. They also have an easier time climbing ranks in their organizations. Even so, Type 8s also value justice and equality.
The best career choice for the Challenger is one that allows them the liberty to lead and make tough decisions. In business, these individuals are usually attracted to managerial and ownership positions.
Good Enneagram Type 8 careers include:
- Politics
- Entrepreneurship
- Product management
- Business consulting
- Law
- Investing
- Marketing
- Technological advising
- Real estate
Learn more about Enneagram 8 in the workplace.
Enneagrams 9 (the Peacemaker) are the glue that binds friendships together. These individuals are caring, easy-going, all-rounded, and always rooting for their friends. When the group wins, they're happy. They are highly emotionally intelligent and constantly endeavor to better the lives of those around them.
Unlike the Challengers, Peacemakers value harmony more and prefer to avoid confrontations. That's why some Peacemakers find their career path in writing and fine arts, where they can express themselves gently and peacefully. The best Enneagram 9 jobs will be those that value interpersonal skills and teamwork.
Some of the areas in which the 9s will thrive include:
- Teaching
- Counseling
- Art
- Music
- Design
- Human resources
- Architecture
- Spirituality
- Veterinary sciences
- Nursing
Learn more about Enneagram 9 in the workplace.
Which Enneagram Type Is Most Successful?
Among the nine Enneagram types, the Achiever (Type 3) is the most successful. These individuals crave success and acknowledgment in whatever they do and will do everything to ensure they succeed. They are self-driven and motivated and will most likely succeed in any situation.
Type 3s are image-conscious and care a lot about what other people perceive of them. It's no wonder they'll do anything to succeed or, at the very least, appear successful.
Which Enneagrams Are the Best Leaders?
While Type 9s appear to be excellent leaders, and there are many famous leaders with this personality type, because of their ability to be peaceful and bring people together, all of the Enneagram personalities can be the best leaders in their own right.
However, each Enneagram type comes with unique management traits and blind spots. For instance, the Type 8 Enneagram (the Challenger) is decisive. It has a direct management style, precisely what is needed in a crisis or when a bold decision is required. Their fearless attitude is valuable when there is a need to eliminate obstacles and get things done.
On the other hand, this direct management style can intimidate team members, making them withhold crucial information for fear of your reaction.
The key to becoming the best leader, regardless of which Enneagram type you are, is to harness your strengths, not your weaknesses.
Which Enneagram Is Most Likely an Entrepreneur?
When it comes to entrepreneurship, the Reformer or Perfectionist (Enneagram Type 1) takes the lead. Their strong work ethic and desire to be perfect make them great entrepreneurs.
The Performers (Type 3s) can also be great entrepreneurs. They are image-conscious, success-driven, and goal-oriented. All these are good qualities for entrepreneurship. Their ambitious and self-assured nature will help them take on more significant risks, likely yielding great results.
Like in leadership, each Enneagram type can become an entrepreneur if they focus on their positive attributes.
What Is the Best Career for My Enneagram Type?
Hopefully, this article has helped you move closer to finding the right career path based on your Enneagram type.
But remember...
The Enneagram is not meant to box you into a specific job but to open your eyes to the wonderful opportunities that align with your personality and are bound to help you lead a healthier and more fulfilling career.
Having said that, it is impossible to recommend a particular career path based on the Enneagram type alone. Any Enneagram type can be a leader, and any can be an excellent and highly motivated employee. You can gain even more information about the right job for you by taking the Holland career interest inventory.
