Personality Test Update: I am a Defender (ISFJ)

It has been nearly four years since I had last taken a personality test. At the time, my results came back as an Advocate (INFJ). However, my employment history changed since that time frame -- new job, more responsibilities, and greater confidence in my skills and abilities. My specialty area narrowed from higher education to legal education. Thus, I believed this was the right time to complete another personality test.

According to the 16Personalities.com, I am a Defender (ISFJ-A).

ISFJ: Intuitive, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging-Assertive Role: Sentinel
Strategy: Confident Individualism

Defenders are true altruists, meeting kindness with kindness-in-excess and engaging the work and people they believe in with enthusiasm and generosity.

Combining the best of tradition and the desire to do good, Defenders are found in lines of work with a sense of history behind them, such as medicine, academics and charitable social work.

Few personality types are as practical and dedicated as Defenders. Known for their reliability and altruism, Defenders are good at creating and maintaining a secure and stable environment for themselves and their loved ones. Defenders’ dedication is invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.

Below is a breakdown of the ISTJ personality type:

• Introversion: Defenders tend to spend time alone or with small, familiar groups of friends. They expend energy in social situations, but need to recharge when by themselves.
• Sensing: Defenders tend to focus on immediate needs rather than future possibilities. They value realism and common sense, and they like ideas with practical applications.
• Feeling: Defenders make decisions based on their principles and values. They give more weight to social implications than logic, especially in cases where personal considerations or feelings are concerned. 
• Judging: Defenders prefer to make decisions early, predict outcomes, and stick to plans. Their lives are structured -- predictability is their preference over spontaneity.  
• Assertive: Assertive Defenders are generally more confidently proactive and thus are more visible. They have a greater likelihood of receiving recognition for accomplishments.

Defenders have a strong desire to serve and protect others. People with the ISFJ personality type are known to be hardworking, reliable, supportive, organized, observant, and emotionally intelligent to feelings around them. They are kind, loyal, and considerate. Furthermore, they value traditions and history highly in their decisions.

While Defenders prefer to work in solitary environments, they also appreciate working with others. They also thrive in service-oriented occupations that require caring for others and utilizes their exceptional skills in problem-solving tasks. While they prefer to avoid the limelight, they want to be appreciated for their contributions. Lastly, they get satisfaction from closure and enjoy completing tasks.

By their very nature, Defenders are humble, persistent, and dedicated workers. They are also not afraid of mundane and necessary tasks, especially if it means those small tasks can help lead them to a greater goal. As for weaknesses, people with the ISFJ personality type tend to dislike change, prefer to work with people over numbers, have trouble with conflict, may neglect their own needs (e.g., shy away from expressing their own emotions), and may take criticism too seriously.

These results underscore the progress I have made in my own personal and career development in the last five years. I was a young idealist in graduate school, but I was not sure on what I wanted to do with my life. Since then, I gained skills and experience at several mission-driven nonprofits. I am more self-aware of my own work style. After reflecting on my career history to date, I listed these strengths:

• I am selfless, resourceful, empathetic, and imaginative. 
• I flourish in positive work environments that provide stability.
• I prefer organizations whose missions align with my values.
• I enjoy providing practical solutions to problems.  
• I consider myself a detailed-oriented person who takes it upon herself to make sure the job gets done well. 
• I like feeling appreciated for the work that I put into improving processes within the organization.

What is your personality type? Share in the comments section.