In part one of our article series about how certain jobs and Explorer personalities match, we talked about careers that these types are likely to enjoy.
Now, let’s look at aspects of jobs and workplaces that Explorers may not find so suitable.
Pieces That Don’t Fit Well
Explorers’ adaptability can see them through any work experience. But even these highly flexible personality types have a hard time fitting some pieces of the workplace puzzle into a fulfilling career. Little things that go against Explorers’ needs and preferences can cause loss of energy and morale, or even poor job performance.
In that sense, incompatible job facets not only threaten happiness – they can threaten long-term success.
Here are some things that Explorers are likely to consider negative factors in any field, job, or workplace:
- Unchanging routine
- Reliance on tradition
- Rigid structure
- Restrictive policies and procedures
- Solely theoretical work
- Strict deadlines
- Inflexible thinking
- Lack of experimentation and innovation
A professional role or workplace with many of the above aspects may not be good for these types’ long-term happiness and enthusiasm.
Individual Explorer personality types can have even more nuanced reactions. Let’s look at some things that make it harder for many of these types to enjoy their work and be productive.
Virtuosos
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Mandatory social activity. Virtuosos aren’t the most social type and may prefer to achieve acclaim through hands-on effort and personal performance rather than social niceties.
- Lack of freedom. Virtuoso types prefer to work in their own rhythm and manner rather than conform to set procedures.
- Directing others. Because they’re not always big fans of structures themselves, it may be tough for this type to maintain discipline among those they manage.
- Emotional decisions. Virtuosos tend to be guided by practical realities and may be bothered by rationales that seem to be based solely on feelings.
Read more about Virtuoso career paths and workplace habits.
Adventurers
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Too much face time. While they can be warm and social, Adventurers have limits to how much interaction they can handle before losing interest or getting worn out.
- Dispassionate behavior. These types appreciate having warm working bonds with others. Policies or actions that devalue people’s feelings may affect their morale.
- Restrictive oversight. Adventurers enjoy exploring options and methods without being very tightly controlled.
- Adversarial or competitive behavior. Adventurers appreciate friendly cooperation. They see such bonds as a source of energy.
- Organizing groups. While they can make good leaders, these personalities may struggle to coordinate people and plans efficiently.
Read more about Adventurer career paths and workplace habits.
Entrepreneurs
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Confinement. Whether mentally or physically, this type likes freedom to move and act with vigor.
- Waiting. Often impatient, individuals with this type enjoy spontaneously and actively engaging in their inspiration.
- Feelings-driven conclusions. These types may not have much regard for what they see as decisions based purely on emotion.
Read more about Entrepreneur career paths and workplace habits.
Entertainers
Relative to most, this personality type tends to be sensitive to:
- Confrontational environments. Entertainers tend to prefer and even promote social harmony.
- Cold, distant behavior. People with this personality type appreciate supportive work environments where warm, personal interactions are the norm.
- Being alone. In the long term, Entertainers can become restless and bored without the company of others.
- Delays. It can be very frustrating for this type to wait when they’ve got a goal or activity in mind.
Read more about Entertainer career paths and workplace habits.
Individual work environments or cultures may create any of these issues, and various work tasks may make them more likely. But a few negative factors don’t mean you should avoid a particular career. Clever approaches and awareness can change how a job affects you.
Explorers do well when they explore, and you can check out a job or career in advance to see if it’s a good fit. You can even get insider perspective from people already in a career you’re considering.
To this end, we offer some career investigation exercises to aid you. You can discover how the career compatibility puzzle looks in reality – and find hidden pieces.
Seeing the Big Picture
Like we said earlier, when it comes to pursuing a career, strong compatibility in some areas can counterbalance poor compatibility in others. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect, because your skill and energy can bring you happiness and the success you want.
Let’s finish by hearing from some Explorers who really like their jobs, and by thinking about why. We hope they inspire you to seek out the subtle possibilities of your place in the working world.
Explorers enjoy finding fresh, unusual paths in life, but they can also thrive by finding novel elements in seemingly conventional areas. Consider what one Adventurer told us about their work as a pediatric orthodontic dental assistant:
“Let me just say I love my CAREER. At this point it’s not just a job to me, it’s my life. My work is my second home, and my coworkers and the families I work with are like family to me. Every day brings a new challenge. Whether it be a tough patient or difficult treatments, everything always works out. It’s a very high-stress and fast-paced job; you always have to be on your toes and be thinking a couple steps ahead, but it’s always worth it at the end of the day.”
It sounds like this Adventurer finds both ongoing excitement and a joyful sense of connection to other people in their workday. Caring for others is a great way for people with this personality type to make a good living. A job doesn’t always have to be uncommon to make Explorers happy, because they can make it exciting.
For some, though, choosing what might seem like an unusual career is a matter of course – and Explorers love charting their own course. It’s important to realize that people of the same type may want to explore different directions.
Another Adventurer told us about the happiness they’ve found in a successful career as a horse trainer:
“There is nothing else I’d rather do for work than train horses! I fall asleep thinking about what will work best with a particular horse and wake up excited to spend my day with such amazing creatures.”
Pursuing a personal passion into profitability is a rare dream come true. It’s often a difficult path, but as this person tells us, the potential rewards are tremendous. Explorers have a uniquely practical way of approaching aspirations like self-employment. This Adventurer seems to have reached a special place.
These two people show us that lasting excitement and career satisfaction can come from fitting into a job in a unique way, or from pursuing a job with a uniquely perfect fit.
Finding the Pieces of Your Future
Our hope is to give you some inspiration and ideas for exploring your own compatibility with potential career areas. Don’t forget to check out those career investigation exercises – knowledge is key to making a good plan.
Of course, the usefulness of personality type knowledge goes beyond just your career; our Academy offers deep understanding of other areas of your life, in addition to careers.
And, as a final note, we want to tell you that it’s totally normal for career planning to be stressful and confusing. But trust yourself; your open mind and energy will create success.
Further Reading
How to Survive Your First Day on a New Job, by Personality Type
Climbing the Corporate Ladder: Workplace Authority and Personality Type