The question “tell us about yourself,” mostly asked during job interviews, has been heard by many of us. Usually, we choke because how can we tell someone just who we are in a few words? We are so many things! Either that or we absolutely cannot fully determine who we are. Personality type tests help with this; these are methods of assessing human personality constructs. They allow you to know who you are and why you do what you do. The most popular personality tests are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Enneagram Personality Test. In this article, we will focus on one of the nine personality types under the Enneagram Personality Test and what jobs are best suited specifically to the 9W1 Personality Type. so, today’s article- The Best Careers for Enneagram Type 9.
The Enneagram Personality Test is an emotionally-focused system of understanding people, describing them nine types. These nine personality types are sub-categorized into three: The Heart Types, The Head Types, and The Body Types. Further, each class is categorized into two wings, with Type Nine having wing 8 (9W8) and wing 1 (9W1), which we will be taking a deeper dive into.
According to Truity:
- The Heart Types of the Enneagram Personality Test are Type Two, Type Three, and Type Four. They can also be referred to as The Giver, The Achiever, and The Individualist, respectively. Heart types react with emotions first; they value emotional support, and they make sense of the world by understanding their feelings about it.
- The Head Types are Type Five, Type Six, and Type Seven. That is The Investigator, The Skeptic, and The Enthusiast, respectively. Head types respond with analysis first; they mainly focus on control and connect with other people intellectually.
- The Body Types are Type Eight, Type Nine (the ones we will be focusing on), and type One. Also known as The Challenger, The Peacemaker, and The Perfectionist in that order. The Body Types react with intuitive gut feeling. They respond by either being excessively controlling, passive or perfectionistic.
Type Nines are calm and collected, mellow, have a zen-like residence. Therefore, they defuse conflict with ease, among other remarkable traits. The 9W1 personality type is described as having similar characteristics as the Type One personality type. They are friendly, humble, and more severe than other types of Nines. Typical jobs for this type are:
- Human Resource managers
- Nurses
- Religious Workers
- Counselors
- Veterinarians
- Pharmacists
- Museum Curators
- Environmental Scientists, and
- Diplomats
- Social Workers
It is reported that the accuracy of the Enneagram Personality Test, just like that of the MBTI and other personality tests, depends on how sincerely the user answers the multiple-choice questions of the test. The Enneagram Personality Test comprises six parts of 10 questions each, with five tick boxes to measure whether the statement mentioned is inaccurate, neutral, or accurate to you. Let us now look at why type 9W1s are suited for the jobs previously listed.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Human Resource Managers?
Competent human resource managers should have a sympathetic attitude, integrity, patience, leadership skills, communication skills, the ability to make quick decisions, among other traits. In addition, type 9W1’s great motivation to help others will make them quality human resource managers. In this role, they will also let their mediation skills shine as part of being a human resource manager is resolving workplace conflicts.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Nurses?
Their mellow, soothing tones make them perfect nurses. In dealing with patients, one has to be empathetic, calm and collected to panic. Type Nines are generally liked, meaning patients can be comfortable sharing intimate details regarding their medical issues. Type Nines’ problem-solving solid skills will also come in handy; nurses help just as much with patients’ diagnoses as doctors, and when it comes to emergency room nurses especially, they need to constantly think on their feet since the patients here are almost always in critical conditions and need quick ease for their symptoms before seeing a physician.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Religious Workers?
Excellent spiritual/religious workers need to be open-minded, leading each individual to encounter their God(s). Type Nines are generally natural born-leaders. They are agreeable, peacemakers, skilled mediators, and counselors, all excellent religious leaders/workers qualities.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Counselors?
A competent counselor must be empathetic, discreet, patient, open-minded, flexible, self-aware, compassionate, amongst other traits. Type 9W1s quickly see many different sides to a situation, meaning they are open-minded, one of the traits of a quality counselor. They also have a strong desire to help improve the lives of others and desire peace, both externally and internally. Who would not want a counselor who has a genuine drive to help you be a better version of yourself while being motivated, not judgemental, and peaceful?
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Veterinarians?
A veterinarian should be compassionate, have excellent decision-making and interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, talent, and management skills. As discussed earlier, Type 9W1s possess most, if not all, of these traits. They would also make perfect veterinarians since they have a strong work ethic and focus; both needed features for anyone in medicine.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Pharmacists?
A successful pharmacist should be patient, adaptable, and diligent. They should be able to multitask, communicate properly, and have critical thinking skills. Type 9W1 would make competent pharmacists, for their hardworking nature encompasses all this. Pharmacy is a delicate trade; dispensing drugs for persons who need them requires accuracy and attention to detail, which type 9W1 has.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Museum Curators?
If there were a career perfect for type 9W1, it would be a career as a museum curator. Museum curators need to communicate appropriately, have extensive knowledge about all the artifacts in the museum, and have excellent project management, communication, and organizational skills. Type 9W1 fits the bill; they are just the ones who will carry out their duties and responsibilities to the best of their capacities. In addition, they are also friendly; they would not have strict time building relationships with constituents.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Environmental Scientists?
Like type 9W1, successful environmental scientists are great problem solvers, have excellent written and oral communication skills, have an investigative mind and enjoy problem-solving. Type 9W1 is also good with statistics and innovation since they are perfectionistic. These traits will also help with being a great environmental scientist.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Diplomats?
Type 9W1 are natural-born negotiators. They are also friendly and can make connections easily; Therefore, they can maintain prolonged social interactions and make excellent diplomats. They also are capable of ensuring meticulous attention to detail; their hardworking and perfectionist nature ensures this. Type 9W1 might not have all the qualities of a successful diplomat. Still, the fact that they are optimistic and orderly will help them acquire all the qualities needed for the job.
Why Type 9W1 Would Make Great Social Workers?
Successful social workers are empathetic, have excellent organizational, communication, critical thinking, and active listening skills. Type 9W1s might as well have been born to be social workers, for they possess all these qualities. To top it all off, they are also patient, which helps immensely with being a social worker.
Type 9W1 Strengths and Weaknesses
Every personality type, whether the MBTI or enneagram personality type, has strengths and blind spots. We are all human, after all, and none of us is perfect. So let us take a brief look into Enneagram type 9W1’s strengths and weaknesses.
Strengths
Type 9W1’s strengths, as well as their weaknesses, are all based on their qualities. Their strengths include:
- Their hardworking nature brings about a strong work ethic and focus.
- Due to their open-mindedness, they quickly see multiple sides of a situation.
- Since they are more severe than other type 9s, they have deeply rooted motivation and focus.
- They always desire peace, both internal and external. This gives them a solid drive to help others, and they do this sincerely without any ulterior motives.
Weaknesses
- Due to their strong desire to help others, type 9W1s often overlook their own needs and wants since they might consider those of others more important than their own
- Type 9W1s deeply value inner and outer peace; in turn, they detest conflict and. Due to this, they might have trouble dealing with conflict head-on, and often they leave problems unresolved.
- Type 9W1s are perfectionistic, and because of this, they can be too hard on themselves and have high expectations of themselves and others.
A Deeper Dive Into Enneagram Type 9 Personality Type
In general, type 9s are peaceful, kind, and harmonious individuals. They love sharing wisdom with others and believe in the power of forgiveness. These traits can be seen in famous type 9s, including the actress Zooey Deschanel, Ariana Grande, and the beloved former US president Barack Obama. These individuals are easy-going, have high self-esteem, and are always ready to lend a helping hand. These are all traits of Enneagram type 9s. Other famous type 9s are:
- The Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo,
- The American musician Alicia Keys,
- The 16th United States president Abraham Lincoln,
- The American film director Ron Howard,
- The American actress and TV show host Whoopie Goldberg,
- The Italian actress Sophia Loren,
- The American actor Woody Harrelson,
- The British actress Audry Hepburn,
- The Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms, Queen Elizabeth the II,
- The 40th United States President Ronald Reagan,
- The American professor Joseph Campbell,
- The American journalist Gloria Steinem, and,
- The Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung
There are fictional characters who can be categorized as type 9s as well! These include:
- Pocahontas from Pocahontas
- Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars franchise
- Bruce Banner, also known as The Hulk, from the Marvel comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Winnie-the-Pooh from Winnie-the-Pooh, and,
- Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz
Fears and Motivations
Deepest Fears
Type 9s are independent, self-sufficient, and perfectionistic hard workers. With this in mind, it might seem obvious that they rarely ask for help so as not to appear needy. This is the Enneagram type 9’s most significant, deepest fear. To cope with this fear, they, in turn, push people away instead of simply accepting help, which never makes anyone seem weak, but they do not see it this way. They also submit to other people’s wants and needs, being agreeable to not be excluded.
Core Motivations
Type 9s are peaceful, harmonious individuals. This drives their core motivation; they always strive for conflict and agreeability between themselves and others. This also helps them to deal with disputes and arguments as soon as they arise.
The Enneagram Type 9 Personality Type at Their Best and Worst
At Their Best
A healthy individual with the Enneagram type 9 personality type will use their conflict-defusing prowess to the best of their abilities. They have a gift for persuasion and motivation, making them natural teachers, leaders, and counselors. When healthy, they know themselves exceptionally well, being fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Since they are patient, they take their time dealing with conflict and/or problems, exploring every possible avenue to deal with the situation. This patience also helps them be teachers as they will be patient with different types of students they will encounter. Their excellent communication skills also help with conflict resolution, fully understanding each party’s point of view and helping them come to a consensus that will be beneficial to each. A healthy type 9 will also use their deep wisdom to deal with internal and external conflicts.
At Their Worst
An unhealthy type 9 might let their perfectionism get to them, believing that they do not matter in the grand scheme of things. As much as each of us is insignificant compared to the rest of the universe, type 9s take these thoughts to heart and start believing that they do not matter at all. Their perfectionistic nature makes them hold themselves and others to ridiculously high expectations, and this is simply unrealistic. When their expectations are not met, they will either be upset with themselves or others, bringing up conflict, which they detest. The perfectionistic nature of the Enneagram type 9 personality type also brings about procrastination. They might think that they are not good enough to do specific tasks and keep putting them off until the last possible minute.
Conclusion
Human Resource managers in various companies, no matter the industry, use personality type tests in the recruitment process to help assess whether a candidate has the skill set and ability required to competently do the job. Personality tests are also integrated to provide standardized, valuable insights regarding how specific candidates will behave in the workplace, predict their performance, and whether they will be a great fit. Overall, if all candidates are assessed using personality type tests, productivity and performance will improve since the best candidates for the job will have been chosen to work on roles they are most qualified for.
As discussed in this article, the Enneagram type 9W1 personality type would generally do well in roles that involve lending a helping hand, the continuous focus for long periods, attention to detail, and routine. If not mentioned in this article, other functions requiring all this and negotiation, active listening, and building lasting relationships will be perfect for Enneagram type 9W1.
Enneagram type 9W1 are exceptional candidates for the roles they can excel at. They are more than likely to stick to routine, be on time for work, and have beautiful relationships with their co-workers and/or teammates. However, Enneagram type 9W1, as with all other Enneagram personality types, is not flawless. For example, though it may seem like their perfectionistic nature may make them suitable candidates for the roles they are competent at since they will always work to the best of their abilities, this gives them unwanted anxieties due to the pressure they will put on themselves to perform excellently. Also, they might hold themselves and others to an unrealistic standard, which might break the relationships they almost effortlessly build.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which jobs are best suited for Enneagram type 9W1 personality type and why?
The jobs best suited for Enneagram type 9W1 are human resource managers, pharmacists, social workers, diplomats, museum curators, religious workers, environmental scientists, nurses, counselors, and veterinarians. They fit these jobs and others like them because they require routine, focus, building lasting connections, attention to detail, and excellent communication skills, among other traits the Enneagram type 9W1 possesses. They also excel in roles that require routine, for they have no issue with keeping a strict schedule and adhering to deadlines.
Is the Enneagram type 9 personality type rare?
According to Truity, type 9s made up approximately 13% of the respondents in a study involving more than 54,000 people. In addition, 14% of them were female, while 12% of them were male. They might not be too rare, but it is better this way. We need more people who desire peace at all times, are friendly and good communicators and are hardworking!
What are the other Enneagram personality types?
The Enneagram Personality Test yields nine personality types which are sub-categorized into three types. These are:
- The Heart Types. These are Type Two, The Giver, Type Three, The Achiever, and Type Four, The Individualist
- The Head Types. These are Type Five, The Investigator, Type Six, The Skeptic, and Type Seven, The Enthusiast
- The Body Types. These are Type Eight, The Challenger, Type Nine, The Peacemaker, and Type Zero, The Perfectionist
The Types are further divided into two wings each. These are Wings 1 and 3 under Type Two, Wings 2 and 4 under Type Three, Wings 3 and 5 under Type Four, WIngs 4 and 6 under Type Five, Wings 5 and 7 under Type Six, Wings 6 and 8 under Type Seven, Wings 7 and 9 under Type Eight, Wings 8 and 1 under Type Nine, and Wings 9 and 2 under Type Zero.
How can I find out which Enneagram personality type I am?
You can take the free, quick, and simple quiz online to know which Enneagram personality type you are. A site offering the test is Truity, and you can access the examination from here. The quiz contains easy-to-understand multiple-choice questions and does not take a long time to complete. There are six pages of said questions, each having the choices of the questions either being inaccurate, neutral, or accurate to you. Afterward, you will find out a lot more about yourself and hopefully understand yourself better. You might also, in turn, be answering the “tell us about yourself” question with ease! You also have the option to explore and learn about all the other Enneagram personality types.
Suppose you are also curious about finding out which MBTI personality type you are as well. In that case, you can take the quiz from 16 Personalities here. Isabel Myers and Katharine Briggs created the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) Personality Test. Just like the Enneagram Personality Test, The MBTI Personality Test will help you understand what drives, inspires, excites, and worries yours and other personality types.
What are the 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) personality types?
According to 16 personalities, the 16 MBTI personality types are divided into four groups, each with four personality types. The four groups are:
- Analysts. They are known for their rationality, intellectual excellence, and impartiality. Under this group are INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, and ENTP personality types.
- Diplomats. Individuals with this personality type are known for their passionate idealism, empathy, and diplomatic skills. You could say they are pretty similar to Enneagram type 9s, specifically type 9W1s. Under this group are the INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, and ENFP personality types.
- Explorers. Just as their name suggests, individuals with the Explorer personality type are known for their spontaneity, ingenuity, and flexibility. The Explorers are ISTP, ISFP, ESTP, and ESFP personality types.
- Sentinels. Sentinels are known for their practicality and focus on order, security, and stability. The personality types under this group are ISTJ, ISTP, ESTJ and ESTP.
To find out more about the 16 MBTI types, visit the 16Personalities website here.
