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I'm a sucker for memes - I mean, who isn't? This one above came from one of my favorite Instagram accounts, Blueprint Enneagram Co. (also check out their website, which is full of great resources). At first, I sent it to a close friend, a Four, as a joke I knew she would resonate with. But it got me thinking - being unique in the world kind of sucks while at the same time being awesome.
First, if you are new here, check out some of my other posts on the Enneagram for some background!
Unique people often struggle to find many things: a group to belong to, a fulfilling career path, a single hobby, others who understand them, etc. At the same time, it seems that everyone else always tells them, "I wish I was more like you," to which they silently, in their heads, think, LOL—no, you don't!
Here is the truth - the career world is designed for Ones, Twos, Threes, Fives, and Sixes. It may not feel like it, but these Enneagram types find what they are looking for quickly, especially when it comes to careers, often with minimal help. A quick breakdown of their primary focuses shows this.
Ones - Focus on doing good, self-improvement, being balanced, and striving for perfection.
Twos - Focus on building relationships, adding value, advocating, and being helpful.
Threes - Focus on accomplishing goals, overcoming challenges, achievement, being the best, efficiency, and impressing others.
Fives - Focus on accumulating knowledge, mental modeling, expertise in a single field, exploring truth, and reducing dependency on others.
Sixes - Focus on finding security, easing anxiety, building support networks, analyzing outcomes, and stability.
Nines - Focus on peace of mind, feeling connected to people and nature, delivering positive impact, preserving their routines, and seeing the best in others.
The traditional world seems built for these types. This is not to downplay the struggles or challenges these types face but to note that careers are not usually one of them. These six types read as natural affinities that any employer would want to have. While they will still try to find a career that aligns with them, they are also often fine picking a traditional career - teachers, accountants, engineers, sales, professors, therapists, etc. Nines might have a slightly trickier time finding their career path (and resisting what others expect of them) than the other types but often still have a relatively easy time of it.
Are you an Enneagram Four, Seven, or Eight looking for a career? Oh boy...here we go!
Fours - Focus on expressing their true selves and uniqueness, finding meaning and identity, and creating in every sense of the word (art, music, cosplay, new ideas, etc.).
Sevens - Focus on variety and having fun, possibilities, new skills, enjoying themselves, and not being tied down or limited.
Eights - Focus on independence, prevailing over situations and people, avoiding personal weakness, and asserting their will.
Okay, that's not exactly a list of attributes employers look for. Yeah, these types are welcome in some places, but they don't fit neatly into your traditional careers! Fours often come off as being weird and eccentric (which you are - I see you and your uniqueness - it's awesome!), which very few employers are hiring for. Sevens come off as flighty and unfocused, which are not green flags in your standard careers. Eights come off as combative as they try to create their ideal world and avoid being told what to do. This is just the employer's view - these types have their own things they are looking for in a career, and it is hard to find in the standard paths that high school and college counselors discuss.
All right - story time. Here is my career experience as a Seven. I realized I wanted to be a school band director early in high school. In high school band, you got to be around friends and play a constantly changing line-up of music, and there were band trips - what is not to love! And honestly, college music went all right, too. Classes, music, and goals changed every semester, so it never got dull. There were also ample opportunities to do things with your friends at night and on the weekends. Reflecting on this experience, there were some warning signs. Most people saw me as a goof-off and unfocused. Yeah, those who got to know me saw me for my hard work and diligence, but I mainly felt out of place and like an anomaly. No worries, I had a goal!
I got out into the workforce, and the first few years were always novel - there was always something new to try or a challenge to overcome! Even when I got my second job, which I had for eight years, there were shifting goals as we adapted to changes and refined some practices. Toward the end, though, it was starting to stagnate and become too predictable. So, I bounced to my last position, where I really started feeling constrained. The entire year was planned out, and spontaneity had to be sacrificed to produce a consistent product, which, while I was really good at it, started to weigh on me. By the last two years, I could tell what time of year it was based on how my students missed notes. My job had become prescriptive and routinized, especially in my non-band classes. In addition, this professional world (both teaching and band directing) is resistant to drawing too far outside of the lines, which I excelled at, which only caused me isolation. Last, the job ate up all of my free time, which meant the little variety I had in my life was gone - everything for the job.
Don't get me wrong - I had a lot of fun and success as a band director, but it wasn't a great match, so I bounced. What happened next was a lot of experimentation to figure out what my next step would be. I took economics classes, learned Calculus, killed the GRE, explored PhDs (economics, education, musicology, and sociology), and researched all sorts of career paths (project management, program management, banking, customer success management, training, etc.). Some of it was interesting, but as a Seven, it all felt so...boring and limiting.
Here is the deal, my Fours, Sevens, and Eights - you will probably have to explore more than most people to find where you will land. Yes, everyone explores career paths before they find their final landing spot, but these three types? The process requires...more. You see, high school and college are designed to throw a bunch of things at you and see what sticks. Most people find something they want to commit to, and it ends up fitting well during this time. High school and college are good at identifying who would be a good fit for STEM careers and more traditional paths, such as the trades, academia, teaching, etc. Careers for our trio, though? Not so much.
And here is the deal - you'll only find that fit with guidance and experimentation. It will take a little more to find your career fit, which is okay. Others may not understand what you are going through, but I see you - I get it. Real quick - while you are here, open up this article. If you have read this far, you probably need to read it as well.
Just be yourself and find that fit - it may be hidden, but it is out there. I want to help, and you deserve that help and understanding.
The audacity?
Damn straight.
With love,
Tom Chapman, TruePath Discovery Coaching
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