ISFJ

About ISFJ

ISFJs are generally kind, practical, warm, loyal and thoughtful. They focus their energy inward and reenergize through spending time on their own. The ISFJ is often shy and quiet and generally only shares their thoughts and feelings with close friends. Family is important to an ISFJ and they also value facts, precision and accuracy. They are usually in tune with their feelings and are capable of remaining calm during difficult situations. The ISFJ is also known for fulfilling their commitments and having a firm opinion once a decision is made.

ISFJs tend to be people orientated and direct their attention to the needs of others. They generally look for the best in people and focus on drawing out these qualities during their interactions. The ISFJs values are reflected in their choices and they tend to place a high importance on harmony and cooperation. They usually do not like conflict and will work to accommodate others. The ISFJ wants to help people and will often consider their own needs only after meeting the needs of others. As such, they will typically use actions to express their concern for someone and will challenge the behavior of others when their actions are perceived to be harmful or hurtful. They are usually generous individuals and rarely accept recognition for all that they do. The ISFJ does require feedback from others and the absence of positive comments may lead to discouragement.

An ISFJ is usually duty focused and will meet deadlines and complete all necessary tasks. In their work they adhere to traditions, enjoy routines, and desire clear instructions. The ISFJ has a tendency to gather facts and details throughout their day and stores this information in their memory. They are therefore able to recall specifics and often remember things as they pertain to people. The ISFJ commits time and energy to complete tasks they deem necessary. They establish procedures to ensure that the needs and wants of people are met. An ISFJ will naturally focus on the present and generally are not interested in future possibilities. They are hesitant to accept or implement changes to an already efficient process. Change may be seen as acceptable when there is evidence that shows the potential benefit for people or the possibility of improving a procedure.

ISFJ and School

Learning

The ISFJ student will often…

• Learn best through the practical application of information
• Verify the accuracy of facts and use that information to further enhance their learning
• Want information to be clearly communicated
• Prefer examples to include a human component
• Prefer to study on their own

Writing

The ISFJ enjoys writing easy-to-read text. They may have an interest in historical fiction which can influence their writing format and the type of facts they include. The ISFJ usually does not enjoy technical writing and overcomes this by referencing past formats that they have used. They prefer to write documents that do not include theories or analyzing information. They may also be hesitant towards trying new writing processes. As well, an ISFJ may not be confident in their abilities and are sometimes unwilling to let other people read their writing.

In the writing process, the ISFJ will often…

• Collect and organize facts and create a guideline
• Need to allot enough time for reflection as this is a key process in their writing
• Prefer a quiet work environment to facilitate their reflection
• Avoid using technology to compose their documents unless they are already comfortable using a computer
• Consistently meet their deadlines
• Write one draft and if necessary, revise their writing to eliminate the extra facts and highlight the common themes

Procrastination

An ISFJ usually thoroughly completes each assignment, paper, and report. However, it can be difficult for a student to have enough time to complete each assigned task at their optimal level. An ISFJ may procrastinate or leave a project uncompleted if they are not able to meet their own high standards or when they feel overwhelmed with the information and data they have compiled. To overcome this, an ISFJ should try to step back and look at the big picture.

ISFJ and Career Exploration

An ISFJ tends to find career satisfaction with careers that have the following characteristics:

• Provides a tangible product or service for people
• Offers a supportive, secure, and traditional work environment
• Emphasizes gathering and incorporating facts and details
• Provides a quiet work environment with independent tasks or one-on-one interaction
• Requires limited theory or analyzing information
• Combines their desire for organization and structure with their natural consideration of others
• Recognizes and appreciates their individual involvement

When exploring career options, an ISFJ will often…

• Begin by looking at their overall career objectives and gathering career related facts
• Set goals and create an action plan
• Need to remember to include long-term goals in their career planning
• Naturally filter their options through what they value
• Need to remember to include an objective and logical evaluation of each option

Careers to Consider

The following is a list of suggested occupations that fit the qualities of an ISFJ or are careers that other ISFJs have found to be satisfying. Use this list as a starting point for further investigation but do not limit your options to only this list.

Career	Career
Preschool/Elementary Teacher	Child Care/Early Childhood Development
Speech Therapy Teacher	Teachers Aide
Educational Administrator	School Bus Driver
Interior Decorator	Designer
Retail Sales Person	Fashion Merchandiser
Customer Service Representative	Shopkeepers
Food Service	Private Household Worker
Inn Keeper Guard	Personnel Administrator
Office Managers	Administrators and Manager
Administrative Assistant	Paralegals
Librarian/Archivist	Bookkeepers
Clerical Supervisor	Secretary
Computer Operator	Social Services Admin
Social Workers	Guidance Counselor
Personal Counselor	Clergy/Religious Workers
Family Physician	Doctors of Osteopathy
Medical Technologist	Medical Equipment Salesperson
Healthcare Administrator	Nurse
Dental Hygienist	Physical Therapist
Speech Pathologist	Probation Officer
Dietician	Curator
Electrician	Home Economics

Job Search

During their job search, an ISFJ will often…

• Organize their job search and fully research potential jobs
• Tailor their job search document to highlight their commendable work ethic
• Need to intentionally consider companies that are not currently listing positions
• Network with carefully selected people
• Need to be aggressive and pursue opportunities through following up with employers
• Logically evaluate their job options
• Need to be cautious not to take it personally if they are not selected for a job

During an interview, an ISFJ will often…

• Present their team player attitude
• Provide a clear description of their past experiences
• Benefit from practicing to promote their skills or answer broad questions
• Need to remember to appear enthusiastic
• Need to learn how their people skills can be tied to the ‘bottom line’ and how to market this to a company

ISFJ and Work

At work, the ISFJ will often…

• Be accurate, practical, organized, and hardworking
• Use a step-by-step approach to complete their work
• Complete all assigned tasks with careful attention to detail and with optimal efficiency
• Follow procedures and uphold the traditional organizational structure
• Be responsible, realistic and trustworthy
• Use an organized and comprehensive approach to fulfill their commitments
• Enjoy helping their coworkers
• Achieve optimal results when they focus their attention on one project at a time
• Prefer a quiet work space with limited interruption
• Work best when they are appreciated for their contributions and accomplishment

At work, the ISFJ should be aware that they may…

• Need to intentionally look for future possibilities
• Require adequate preparation time for projects and presentations
• Dislike change and have a difficult time altering their decisions
• Feel bound by responsibility and likely choose not to delegate additional tasks
• Feel unsure of how to request help when they feel overwhelmed with additional tasks
• Develop an increased support for procedures and may become rigid, inflexible, or resentful when they feel unappreciated
• Struggle to learn new skills or multitask due to their high work standards
• Need to be assertive so others do not take advantage of their desire to help people
• Need to learn to accept the recognition of others

Teamwork

On a team, the ISFJ will often…

• Be an effective team member that is consistent and reliable
• Work for the benefit of the team
• Record the information and keep excellent notes
• Expect their team members to contribute to the group work
• Excel at cooperating with people and creating harmony
• Influence their team by being respectful and by providing detailed information

On a team, the ISFJ should be aware that they may…

• Become frustrated when group members are unprepared for meetings, are easily distracted, or neglect the facts
• Be seen as too serious
• Need to remember to allow others to have fun
• May need to advocate for their own ideas

Leadership

The ISFJ does not seek out leadership positions but will accept them when necessary. As a leader, the ISFJ will often…

• Follow the organization’s policies and procedures
• Focus on the specifics and organize the information
• Ensure that tasks are completed on time
• Encourage their team members
• Evaluate the group needs and promotoe all levels of development
• Excel at teaching new duties to others

ISFJ and Life

Communication

The ISFJ will often…

• Be known for their good listening skills
• Prefer one-on-one interaction
• Limit the personal information they share unless they see the information as beneficial
• Want to hear the details, an explanation of what is expected, and if necessary, their roles and responsibilities
• Be interested in hearing positive feedback from others

The ISFJ should be aware that they may need to…

• Work on summarizing information and connecting it to the overall concepts
• Learn to communicate their accomplishments
• Learn not to take feedback too personally

Decision Making

When it comes to decision making, the ISFJ will often…

• Begin by examining the situation and gathering the facts
• Evaluate the information based on their values and the potential impact on people
• Reflect on their decision to ensure that they made a fair choice
• Need to ensure they objectively examine the practicalities of a decision
• Need to take their time during the decision making process

Playing

The ISFJ has a ‘work before play’ approach to life and will complete all tasks before permitting themselves to relax. In their personal lives, they go to great lengths to help out family members, roommates, and friends. At times, they may allow their own needs to be overlooked. It is important for an ISFJ to identify their own needs and work towards fulfilling them. In their personal relationships, the ISFJ postsecondary student tends to date less than other students. Overall, the ISFJ may need to take a break and schedule specific times for ‘play

Stress

An ISFJ will often experiences stress when…

• Trying to meet their own high work standard
• Others inadequate work has a negative impact on their own work
• People do not use common sense or overlook the facts
• Given an inadequate amount of time to prepare
• Conflict exists in their work or personal environment
• Requested to make changes without reason
• Required to complete tasks through an inefficient process
• Feeling unclear about possible future outcomes
• Denying their own personal needs

When an ISFJ is affected by stress, they will often…

• Feel inadequate and unable to complete any task or see an alternative option
• Take the stress with them after leaving the situation
• Have trouble addressing the problem and avoid these difficult situations
• Be susceptible to negative thinking which may lead to a depressed attitude and additional resistance to change
• With extreme or chronic stress, start imagining all the negative possible outcomes and worst case scenarios

An ISFJ can reduce stress by…

• Persevering through the difficult situation
• Using past strategies that have proven to decrease their stress
• Watching television, sleeping or turning to religion
• Delegating some of their responsibilities
• Putting the facts into perspective
• Using activities that require a creative mind frame
• Working to improve their self confidence
• Learning to be more assertive