"Spontaneous idealist" describes the ENFP personality type, as categorized by Myers-Briggs, a test based on the theories of psychoanalyst Carl Jung. ENFP is an acronym for Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceptive. These personality types are natural "people people," known for their warmth. They have innate leadership skills, and usually succeed in whatever field interests them -- but they're more likely to be drawn to careers that appeal to their idealistic natures.
Creative
Enthusiastic and perceptive, these types are able to see connections where others cannot. Since they also crave excitement and new possibilities, creative careers are rewarding to the spontaneous idealist. Some potential paths include work in marketing and public relations; writing careers such as journalist, scriptwriter, copy writer, newscaster, or editor; or artistic careers like interior decorator or cartoonist. Because ENFP's are often charming, they are able to use their charisma to persuade others that their creative ideas have merit.
Social Service
Idealists are called to serve. These types are also empathic and demonstrative, which allows them to excel in settings where their warmth and enthusiasm can inspire others. Social service careers that appeal to ENFPs include nutritionist, therapist, and legal mediator. ENFPs also offer their strengths to the careers of social work and counseling. People with these attributes make good friends, which helps them in social service settings. Their warmth and enthusiasm encourages those they counsel to see them as someone who sincerely cares.
Education
Because ENFPs are leaders, but dislike controlling people, they can be inspiring and effective teachers in the classroom. They dislike too much repetition and routine, so classwork will rarely be boring under the tutelage of an ENFP. These individuals excel as teachers of art or English, and also as special-education teachers or leaders of bilingual classrooms. ENFPs are able to grasp complicated abstract subject matter quickly, so creating lesson plans outside of their comfort zone is easily handled.
Business And Entrepreneurial
The same qualities that allow the ENFP to excel in creative fields serve this person well in the business world, particularly in tasks that require entrepreneurial thinking. ENFPs succeed as small-business owners, broadcast executives, consultants, human-resource executives, workplace diversity consultants and conference planners. An important caveat for ENFPs entering the business world, though, is to make sure someone on the team is skilled at handling details, which is not the ENFP's strong suit.
References
- Typelogic: ENFP: Extraverted Intuiting Feeling Perceiving
- The Myers and Briggs Foundation: The 16 MBTI Types
- Ball State Career Center: What Can I Do With My Personality Type? ENFP Careers And Majors
- University of New Mexico Student Affairs: Careers For ENFP Personality Types