If you suspect that you might have the DISC Influence personality profile, you’re probably wondering what this means for your career and work style. Although no personality makes it impossible to do a particular job, there are some careers that are better suited to different DISC styles than others. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best careers for the I personality type. 

But first, what exactly is DISC? And how is the Influence personality type defined?

DISC explained

One of the world’s leading personality assessments, the modern DISC assessment is based on the theories of psychologist William Moulton Marston. In his 1928 book, Emotions of Normal People, Marston proposed a way of understanding personality on two axes. After nearly a century of research and refining, the modern DISC assessment builds on his theories in order to categorise people into four behavioural styles:

  • Dominance: Dominance types are direct, dynamic, and demanding. Assertive and self-assured, people with the Dominance personality enjoy rising to challenges and working independently to achieve results.  
  • Influence: warm and welcoming, Influence types are people-oriented and accepting. They bring energy and enthusiasm to the team, motivating others with their optimistic nature. 
  • Steadiness: calm, cooperative, and patient, Steadiness types are good at working in teams. Good at listening to and supporting others, people with the S personality type are your typical team players. 
  • Compliance: Compliance types are detail-oriented and meticulous, preferring to approach problems independently by doing extensive research and asking a lot of questions. C types often value logic and accuracy in their work. 

The DISC assessment works by asking individuals to answer a series of questions by selecting the words that are most and least relevant to their personality. Their result might be one of the personalities above or a mix of multiple, for example Influence and Steadiness. 

Characteristics of the Influence style

Friendly, outgoing, and sociable, Influence types are all about building relationships and working with other people. They like to be the centre of attention and are good at making new people feel welcomed and accepted. With great persuasive skills, they’re effective at influencing others and building alliances. In short, these outgoing and fun individuals tend to be the most popular person on any team. Their leadership style involves making an effort to include everyone and offering lots of encouragement to team members, which makes them popular and successful managers. 

I types’ strengths include their creativity, spontaneity, and ability to improvise in unexpected situations. They’re often flexible, not minding when their tasks or next steps change suddenly. In fact, they often enjoy their work more when they don’t have to stick to a rigid routine. I type personalities are open to new experiences and people, enjoying trying new things. 

Enthusiastic and optimistic, people with this personality type are good at motivating their teammates in pursuit of goals. While this positivity is usually a good thing, type I individuals sometimes have a tendency to over-generalise or be too optimistic about the future. They can sometimes skip over key points because they prefer not to get bogged down in the boring details. As a consequence, sometimes people with this type of personality over-promise and fall short, failing to follow through. Additionally, they tend to procrastinate or move quickly between tasks, preferring to seek out stimulation and collaboration than work independently on repetitive tasks. 

While they’re great at bringing people together and uniting teams under their leadership, soft-hearted Influence types have a tendency to avoid conflict — even if it’s necessary. They’ll often prefer to stay silent and keep everyone happy rather than voicing an unpopular opinion, even if they know it’s the right thing to do. This means that facing uncomfortable conversations and making difficult decisions are key skills for I types to learn if they want to go far in their careers. They can also be emotional, which may lead to clashes with more logical personality types such as Compliance profiles. 

To learn more about this personality type, read about the goals and fears or the strengths and limitations of the Influence personality style. 

PR manager

Lively, enthusiastic, and spontaneous, individuals with the I style personality are well suited for roles in PR. By coming up with creative new ideas and having productive conversations with clients or team members in order to create a successful PR strategy, I style individuals can enjoy a fast-paced and collaborative work style. Working as part of a team and building relationships with journalists, influencers, and other key people, I types get to use their social and persuasive skills to great effect in PR careers. With their warm and positive nature, PR is perhaps the ideal job for Influence styles.  

Graphic designer

I types often struggle with boring and repetitive routines, which is why a career in graphic design or another similar field can be a perfect match for Influence profiles. Graphic designers get to work closely with various in-house teams such as marketing and product design or with clients or creative directors, which means that they can enjoy a collaborative and sociable work style. Meanwhile, their strong interpersonal skills help them communicate ideas and present solutions effectively, building productive working relationships with everyone. As a creative and varied role, graphic designer is a great match for people with the Influence personality type. 

Recruiter

Another possible career where Influence types often thrive is in recruitment. As a people-focused job, recruiting allows Influence types to interact with lots of people, build relationships with clients, and match the right people with their dream jobs. As a fast-faced and target-driven role, a job in recruitment is great for I profile types who want a stimulating and exciting workplace environment. 

Travel agent

Because Influence profiles are energised by working closely with other people, travel agent is another suitable career for I types. The signature I type enthusiasm and positive nature is perfect for this job, helping the individual provide a great customer experience and deliver impressive results. 

Take the DISC assessment

Designed to promote better self-knowledge, career growth, and interpersonal skills in the workplace, DISC is an invaluable tool for people in all types of jobs. If you’re looking to embed DISC’s insights in your organisation, you’ve come to the right place. Here at DISC Group, we offer a variety of ways to utilise DISC in your workplace. From our unique DISC profile reports to our training certification and consulting services, we provide ways for businesses of any kind to take advantage of the power of personality profiling. 

If you’re ready to unlock your team’s potential using DISC, get in touch today.