Using Enneagram to Make Your Next Career Move
In the midst of a global pandemic, figuring out what you want to do next in your career and life can be daunting. But, if you are like many, you’ve been using this opportunity to grow, develop, and ask more deep, meaningful questions about your work and what you value most.
If you’re looking for major shifts in your career, relationship or lifestyle, I recommend stepping away from the job boards and social media and take this time to think about your next move strategically. One way to jump-start the career transition process is using the Enneagram test to help uncover stress and growth areas to guide you on a career journey tailored specifically to your strengths.
The Enneagram is a system of personality typing that describes patterns in how people conceptualize the world and manage their emotions.
According to the Enneagram, every personality has a certain world view and looks at the world through their own lens or filter. This makes it possible to explain why people behave in certain ways. By describing how the basic personality adapts and responds to both stressful and supportive situations, the Enneagram shows opportunities for personal development and provides a foundation for the understanding of others.
In terms of making effective career choices, the Enneagram provides a well-rounded roadmap for choosing a path which best targets your natural abilities—as well as the greatest areas for potential improvement.
One of the most distinctive features of the Enneagram personality model is its description of your primary motivations. In the pursuit of a lifelong, satisfying career journey, it’s a breath of fresh air amidst the ever-expanding frenzy of standardized recruitment assessments.
After taking the brief quiz, I discovered I was Type 3—The Achiever. Being polished and sophisticated, Achievers have a particular taste for the nice things in life. They have the capacity for huge chunks of productivity to reach their goals and high standards.
But also, accurately, it revealed that I often have confusing goals and plans and make decisions based on how I want to be perceived and what others think of me.
After being awakened to this truth, I decided to use this new found knowledge to empower myself and use my own desires as a guide of what I want to pursue vs. what I believe my “audience” wants to see or hear. In addition, I was able to develop my leadership skills into someone who is not just goal oriented but relationship oriented as well.
There are a number of ways to use the Enneagram in choosing a job, it’ll guide you to find a vocation, position, and organization that best aligns with your skills, interests, and values.
Values are neither skills nor interests, but they are extremely important; values are deeply held principles and beliefs that guide you and keep you emotionally connected.
By taking the quick test, you’ll discover if you are one or more of the following:
Type 1—The Reformer: The Rational, Idealistic Type: Principled, Purposeful, Self-Controlled, and Perfectionistic
Type 2—The Helper: The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Demonstrative, Generous, People-Pleasing, and Possessive
Type 3—The Achiever: The Success-Oriented, Pragmatic Type: Adaptive, Excelling, Driven, and Image-Conscious
Type 4—The Individualist: The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental
Type 5—The Investigator: The Intense, Cerebral Type: Perceptive, Innovative, Secretive, and Isolated
Type 6—The Loyalist: The Committed, Security-Oriented Type: Engaging, Responsible, Anxious, and Suspicious
Type 7—The Enthusiast: The Busy, Fun-Loving Type: Spontaneous, Versatile, Distractible, and Scattered
Type 8—The Challenger: The Powerful, Dominating Type: Self-Confident, Decisive, Willful, and Confrontational
Type 9—The Peacemaker: The Easygoing, Self-Effacing Type: Receptive, Reassuring, Agreeable, and Complacent
Don’t assume (like I did) to know your type! Take the test to know for sure.
Armed with the knowledge of your Enneagram type, you can now use your natural strengths and preferences to your advantage by paving a path best suited to bring out the best in you. There’s a huge treasure trove of awesome Enneagram resources to inspire your next career or life move (or slight pivot).
Jamilah Lang