Careers for ISFP Personalities
Do you thrive in creative spaces that let you experiment and explore? Do you possess a natural understanding of color and tone?
Introversion, sensing, feeling, and perceiving are the four words that make up ISFP—one of the 16 psychological types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. ISFPs account for about nine percent of the population, making it one of the more common types. These subdued individuals prefer to take a supportive role and are rarely assertive or demanding of attention. They typically excel artistically, enjoy the process of taking in the sensations around them, are sensitive to texture, colour, and tone, and have an innate sense of what will be aesthetically pleasing. Living in the present moment, they prefer to enjoy the simple pleasures of life instead of seeking wealth and power.
In the workplace, ISFPs need more than just a job. Their greatest need is creative freedom, and they crave a tangible outlet for their imagination and a chance to express themselves artistically. They need flexibility, opportunities for improvisation, and immersive work that engages every sense. These individuals are natural artists, musicians, designers, and photographers.
This article will be covering the following careers:
| Career | Avg Salary | Satisfaction | Your Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craft Artist | $40k | 4.1/5 | |
| Tattoo Artist | $69k | 4.0/5 | |
| Florist | $28k | 3.6/5 | |
| Fashion Designer | $80k | 3.6/5 | |
| Interior Designer | $58k | 3.5/5 | |
| Costume Designer | $38k | 4.0/5 | |
| Photographer | $42k | 4.0/5 | |
| Musician | $79k | 4.1/5 | |
| Illustrator | $62k | 3.9/5 |
Are these careers suited to you? Our comprehensive career test measures your personality traits and interests and matches you to over 800 careers.
1. Craft Artist
Setting up shop on websites like Etsy is far more alluring to ISFPs than the confines of 9-5 administrative work in some fluorescent cubicle. Using techniques such as knitting, weaving, or glass blowing, craft artists spend their days creating. They work with their hands, have a great degree of agency in their work, and often rely on improvisation and exploration. All of these qualities make a career in crafts a rewarding fit for an ISFP.
2. Tattoo Artist
ISFPs have a strong aesthetic appreciation for art, and are unusually gifted at composing things. They also take pleasure in breaking the mould, and work best when they have the freedom to experiment with novel ideas and techniques. All of these traits make them skilled and passionate tattoo artists. In this career, ISFPs will revel in the opportunity to apply their artistic talents in new ways, one ink drop at a time.
Tattoo Artist
A tattoo artist is someone who creates permanent images or words on the skin.
3. Florist
ISFPs are naturals when it comes to arranging things artistically, which makes a career as a florist an ideal fit. They enjoy taking in the sensations around them, and will feel their best while surrounded by the intoxicating fragrance of wisteria, the soft texture of rose petals, and the vibrant colors of chrysanthemums. But they also value flexibility; the more creative control they are given when making their flower arrangements, the happier ISFPs will be.
Florist
A florist is someone who arranges flowers and other plant elements into a pleasing design.
4. Fashion Designer
People with the ISFP personality type are passionate experimenters, and whether they're aware of it or not, they are renowned trendsetters. They make fabulous fashion designers, skilled at coming up with new color combinations, dress cuts, or source materials. ISFP's sensory nature is truly valued in this career; their awareness of fabrics and textures, as well as shapes and patterns, helps them produce garments that are both gorgeous and comfortable.
5. Interior Designer
ISFPs always seem to find a way to make the world a little more beautiful and exciting, and to make a living in the process. As interior designers, they excel at pushing creative boundaries and coming up with unexpected solutions. They tend to take an intuitive approach in their work: taking a client's vision and bringing it to life in unconventional—but visually striking—ways.
Interior Designer
An interior designer is someone who works with a client to create aesthetic rooms and spaces.
6. Costume Designer
ISFPs tend to feel most engaged in careers that rely on visuals and allow them to express themselves, making costume design an appealing option. Costume designers spend their days researching, designing, sewing, and purchasing the clothing worn by actors in TV shows, films, plays, and other live performances. While the work itself is tactile and aesthetic, so is the work environment. ISFPs will feel at home in the artistic world of the screen or stage.
7. Photographer
Living in a colourful world inspired by connections with people and ideas, ISFPs take joy in reinterpreting and reinventing things through their camera lens. They love the creative freedom and flexibility that a career in photography provides, especially if they are able to work in a freelance capacity. Whether they are shooting a wedding or an experimental piece of theatre, ISFPs will put their own unique spin on every photo they produce.
Photographer
A photographer is a professional that focuses on the art of taking photographs with a digital or film camera.
8. Musician
With their unique perspective and simple desire to be themselves, music is a tangible outlet for an ISFP's imagination—a chance to express themselves artistically. Although the work itself can be extremely rewarding, ISFPs may find themselves feeling stressed or burnt out at times. To sooth their introverted personalities, ISFPs in this career should take the time to relax and recharge occasionally—especially after large performances or other social events.
Musician
A musician is someone who is talented and skilled in playing one or several musical instruments.
9. Illustrator
Being so aware of others' emotions, ISFP personalities use creativity, vivid imagination, and insight to craft bold illustrations that speak to people's hearts. There are a wealth of different specializations they could pursue in this career, from advertising work to medical textbook illustrations. But although any of these options could be fulfilling to an ISFP, a more expressive field—such as children's book illustration or fashion design—is the most obvious fit.
Illustrator
An illustrator is an artist who creates two-dimensional images for various companies and industries, such as fashion design, children's books, magazines, medical manuals, web sites, technical designs and advertising.