ESTP Best & Worst Career Paths + College Majors to Pursue

This guide to ESTP careers covers business, sales, emergency services, real estate, and other top career matches for Entrepreneurs.Being an ESTP (Entrepreneur) is all fun and games until it’s time to find a fulfilling job.

That’s when things get tough—after all, ESTPs are highly ambitious yet prone to boredom, which makes the job hunt rather complicated.

Not sure how to choose a career path that provides you with enough excitement and challenges to keep you motivated for years? Worry not!

This extensive guide to ESTP careers covers everything you need to know to pick the right career path for your personality type, including:

• 7 Best and 3 Worst Career Matches for ESTPs
• ESTP Strengths and Weaknesses at the Workplace
• 10 Best College Majors for ESTPs

And more!

7 Best Career Paths for ESTPs to Consider

Without further ado, let’s explore the most suitable careers for ESTP females and males:

#1. Sales

It’s not a secret that Entrepreneurs prefer fast-paced work environments, especially those that involve lots of social interaction. This explains why sales is one of the most popular career paths among people with the ESTP personality type.

Outgoing and charming, Entrepreneurs are pretty much natural-born salespeople—these personalities could sell a hairbrush to a bald person without breaking a sweat! This alone speaks volumes about their gift for persuasive communication and, in turn, their potential for success in sales.

On top of that, they also handle pressure well, which can help them win negotiations and close deals. Coupled with their robust problem-solving skills and leadership abilities, this opens ESTPs the door to many sales-related jobs, including:

• Account Executive
• Insurance Sales Agent
• Sales Analyst
• Sales Development Representative
• Sales Engineer
• Sales Manager

#2. Emergency Services

By nature, ESTPs are highly in tune with their surroundings. Not only do they quickly react to what’s happening around them, but they are also very adaptable.

Unlike most other personality types, ESTPs thrive in emergencies. Instead of letting stress get to them, they take matters into their own hands and do whatever it takes to get the situation under control. Much of this comes from their dominant cognitive function, extraverted sensing (Se).

For this reason, pursuing a career in emergency services is a great option for them. Such jobs typically offer lots of challenges, a fast pace, and thrills. While this might seem stressful to others, it’s exactly what makes ESTPs feel alive!

So, here are some of the best jobs in emergency services for ESTPs:

• Bodyguard
• Coastguard
• Diver
• Firefighter
• Paramedic
• Police Officer

#3. Manufacturing & Maintenance

If you know anything about ESTPs, you’re probably aware that they aren’t the type of people who’d enjoy sitting in the office in front of the computer for eight hours a day.

Entrepreneurs are known for always being on the move, so it’s only natural that most of them prefer manual labor over desk jobs. Besides, they don’t mind getting their hands dirty and often learn better through hands-on training and experience. And if the job requires them to be outdoors, even better!

Not to mention, ESTPs are rather practical, task-oriented, and observant, which makes manufacturing and maintenance a suitable career choice for these personalities.

With that in mind, here are some jobs in this field that might interest ESTPs:

• Carpenter
• Construction Manager
• Facility Manager
• General Contractor
• Landscaper
• Machine Operator
• Mechanic
• Welder

#4. Business

Since the ESTP personality type is nicknamed the “Entrepreneur,” it shouldn’t come as a surprise that these individuals often pursue careers in business.

Energetic and innovative, ESTPs certainly have what it takes to build their own business empires or help other people’s companies flourish. Not only are they full of ideas and eager to execute them in real life, but they are also gifted with strategic minds that help them excel in the business world and beat their competitors.

Speaking of competitors, ESTPs shine in competitive, rapidly changing environments, and let’s face it—it’s hard to find a more competitive field than the cut-throat business world!

Thanks to their enterprising nature, ESTPs can make great:

• Advertising Managers
• Brand Ambassadors
• Brand Managers
• Chief Customer Officers
• Entrepreneurs
• Financial Analysts

#5. Acting

Charismatic and bold, Entrepreneurs enjoy being in the spotlight and are anything but camera shy, which makes acting one of the best ESTP careers.

People with this personality type think on their feet, and this translates well to acting—their quick wits and spontaneity help them improvise and adapt to unexpected changes. At the same time, they’re rather perceptive and flexible, which explains why most famous ESTP actors are versatile and take on a variety of different roles.

Most importantly, acting can provide ESTPswith a safe space to engage in dangerous, adrenaline-inducing activities. For this reason, they are often drawn to roles that require them to do stunts and test their bodies’ limits.

Here are the different types of acting jobs ESTPs should consider:

• Screen Actor
• Stage Actor
• Stunt Performer
• Voice Actor

Not to mention, ESTPs can also make successful filmmakers and film/TV producers.

#6. Real Estate

Ideally, Entrepreneurs should choose a dynamic work environment with a flexible schedule and lots of variety in terms of tasks. Since real estate jobs often provide both, it’s a great career option for ESTPs!

More often than not, your success in real estate jobs depends on your communication skills. This is exactly why ESTPs can easily build a rewarding career in this field—networking and negotiating come naturally to them.

Aside from that, most career paths in real estate also require strong analytical abilities. Since introverted thinking (Ti) is their auxiliary cognitive function, ESTPs will likely find it not only easy but also interesting to analyze market trends, investment properties, and so on as long as this doesn’t take up most of their working day.

So, here are some good job options for ESTPs looking to kickstart a career in real estate:

• Property Manager
• Real Estate Agent
• Real Estate Broker
• Real Estate Investor
• Sales Negotiator

#7. Sports

Since Entrepreneurs are competitive and enjoy being physically active, sports can be a very rewarding career for them. After all, there’s nothing better than making a living out of something that you genuinely enjoy doing!

While it’s undoubtedly a rewarding career path for the action-oriented ESTP personality, many of them don’t consider it a viable option.

However, in reality, you don’t have to be a professional athlete to build a successful sports career. The sports industry is huge, and it has a great variety of jobs to offer—from kinesiology to marketing and beyond!

Don’t believe it? Here are just a handful of great job options for ESTPs who are eager to pursue a sports-related career:

• Athletics Coach
• Contract Negotiator
• Exercise Physiologist
• Fitness Instructor
• Professional Athlete
• Sports Anchor
• Sports Physical Therapist
• Sports Photographer

3 Worst Career Paths ESTPs Should Avoid

Now that we’ve discussed the top career paths for Entrepreneurs, let’s talk about some less suitable options for them.

Here are three ESTP careers to avoid:

#1. Librarian

Much of what librarians do is focused on organizing library resources. Given ESTPs’ love for action, it goes without saying that this isn’t something they’d enjoy doing. They generally avoid highly organized work environments and prefer more dynamic, challenging roles.

Not to mention, ESTPs are very outgoing and energetic, so they might find this job too quiet and monotonous for their liking.

#2. Psychologist

Although ESTPs are rather analytical, they aren’t typically drawn to psychology. It’s not difficult to understand why—since extraverted feeling (Fe) is their tertiary cognitive function, Entrepreneurs aren’t comfortable with emotions, neither their own nor those of others.

More often than not, psychologists carefully listen and subtly guide clients through their thoughts and emotions. To an ESTP, this might be more frustrating than rewarding—after all, they like to solve problems quickly, practically, and effectively.

#3. Writer

Although ESTPs can and do make great writers (Ernest Hemingway is a good example!), they are rarely content with solitary, sedentary jobs—it’s just not in their nature to sit alone in one place for hours at a time.

That said, ESTPs who like to dabble in writing might be interested in career paths that combine writing with more social activities. Some good options might be sports journalism, travel writing,or public relations.

What Are ESTPs Like as Leaders?

Confident and resourceful, ESTPs don’t hesitate to take charge and can make great leaders. While they’re typically focused on results and efficiency, they also like to have fun, so they usually create a casual work environment and don’t put too much pressure on people.

More often than not, ESTPs take a hands-on approach to leadership. Instead of merely telling others what to do, Entrepreneurs actively engage with them through teamwork. Not only does this help the organization achieve its goals more efficiently, but it also builds trust between ESTPs and their subordinates and encourages team spirit.

As leaders, ESTPs excel at solving problems that arise here and now—they’re born to put out fires. However, since long-term planning isn’t their strong suit, most Entrepreneurs only focus on short-term goals and struggle to define a long-term vision for their teams and organizations, which some people find confusing or demotivating.

How Do ESTPs Behave in Teams?

Although ESTPs are fairly independent, like most extroverted types, they enjoy being part of a team. Assertive and persuasive, they are eager to share and pitch their ideas, especially when it comes to issues that need immediate solutions.

ESTPs’ fun-loving personality is also apparent at work—although they tend to be hardworking, they believe that having a little bit of fun won’t hurt. As such, Entrepreneurs often try to create a friendly and playful team atmosphere. Since they’re naturally charismatic and communicative, they typically find it easy to get along with their colleagues.

That said, ESTPs can be rather frustrated with slow-paced and inflexible team environments. This is especially true if their teammates aren’t open to fresh perspectives or refrain from taking risks. On top of that, ESTPs are competitive, which can cause some team members to feel uneasy if taken too far.

To avoid overshadowing others and creating uncomfortable situations, ESTPs should make an effort to keep their competitive side in check. Ideally, they should also work in teams where innovation and action are embraced and encouraged.

ESTP Strengths and Weaknesses at the Workplace

Generally speaking, understanding your innate talents and challenges is a great way to see whether or not a certain career path suits your personality.

So, let’s check out the main ESTP strengths and weaknesses in the workplace!

ESTP Workplace Strengths

The ideal ESTP career path will allow them to put the following strengths to good use:

• Proactivity. Quick-witted and enthusiastic, ESTPs readily take action and quickly respond to emergencies.
• Practicality. ESTPs are “doers”—they may not like discussing abstract ideas for hours on end, but they’re more than willing and capable of putting them into practice!
• Persuasiveness. Entrepreneurs are gifted with excellent communication skills and usually find it easy to talk people into seeing their point of view.

ESTP Workplace Weaknesses

ESTPs should avoid career paths that emphasize the following weak points of their personality:

• Impatience. ESTPs are prone to boredom and can become very impatient when doing slow, monotonous jobs. They may also become irritated if they’re forced to deal with their coworkers or other people’s emotions.
• Impulsivity. While ESTPs’ eagerness to take risks is admirable, it can also lead to rash decisions and mistakes—sometimes, they fail to think things through before taking action.
• Dislike of rules and structure. ESTPs are independent and somewhat rebellious by nature. As such, they dislike rigid work environments and might insist on doing things their own way.

10 Best College Majors for ESTPs

Although ESTPs often think they aren’t carved out for college, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

People with this personality type are not only intelligent and analytical, but they also tend to be quick learners.

That said, to retain their interest and motivation, Entrepreneurs should pick college majors that not only align with their career aspirations but also involve as much practice as possible.

With that in mind, here are 10 great college major options for ESTPs:

1. Acting
2. Athletic Training
3. Construction Management
4. Criminalistics and Criminal Science
5. Emergency and Disaster Management
6. Entrepreneurship
7. Marketing
8. Organizational Leadership
9. Retail Management
10. Sport and Fitness Management

Key Takeaways

And that’s a wrap!

Hopefully, you found our ESTP career guide useful and informative.

Before you go, let’s have a short recap of the key points we mentioned:

• Since Entrepreneurs thrive in lively work environments and need a healthy amount of challenges, sales, business, and real estate are some of the most popular ESTP careers.
• ESTPs should avoid monotonous, solitary, and emotionally demanding jobs such as those of a psychologist, writer, or librarian.
• At their best, ESTPs are proactive, practical, and persuasive, but they can also be impulsive and impatient, which might affect their work performance.

ESTP Careers FAQ

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