Research confirms stereotypes about job-related traits

Stereotypes about which personality traits are associated with different jobs are largely true, an extensive study by psychologists suggests. The findings help to explain why some people thrive in creative professions, others aspire to leadership roles, and still others work in care and counseling.

Researchers analyzed the personality profiles of thousands of people working across 250-plus occupations to learn how personality characteristics shape—and can be shaped by—our careers. The team used a multi-method assessment technique to rate people on the so-called Big Five personality traits—agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism and openness.

The differences they recorded between occupations were larger in some traits than in others. Extraversion and openness—which includes curiosity, adventurousness, creativity and being unconventional—had the largest differences, agreeableness the smallest.

People centered

Researchers found that creative jobs such as artists, writers and designers tend to attract people who are open to new experiences, imaginative and curious.

Salespeople and public relations professionals are generally extroverted, enjoying social interactions and thriving in people-oriented environments. Managers, while also extroverts, often score high on conscientiousness—being organized and responsible—and tend to be less neurotic—or emotional—allowing them to cope with the demands of the role.

But many managers and salespeople, alongside real estate agents, can also be disagreeable, as these jobs involve complicated and sometimes even confrontational interactions with others. The professions with the most neurotic people include actors, journalists and various other creative professions.

Largest study

The study was carried out by a team from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences and the University of Tartu in Estonia. It is the largest of its kind, involving almost 70,000 participants.

“People often have stereotypes about the personality traits typical of different jobs, and it turns out that many of these intuitions are quite accurate,” says Dr. René Mõttus, of the University of Edinburgh. “But this is the first time a scientific study with such a large sample and such detailed assessments has confirmed these patterns.”

Researchers say the findings, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, paint the most detailed picture yet of which personality traits are more common in certain jobs.

Researchers have now created free interactive tools that enable people to explore how different jobs match different personality traits—including their own.

Meaningful trends

The research team also looked at some more specific personality traits, such as competitiveness, ease of decision-making and ability to influence others.

Managers and legal professionals, for instance, were inclined to be competitive, while judges, pilots, and senior government officials often find it easier to make decisions, the team found.

HR managers and psychologists also tended to be among the most confident in their ability to influence others. And lorry drivers shared one outstanding characteristic with people who work for religious organizations—both were among the least liberal of those interviewed.

“You need to analyze large numbers of people to identify meaningful trends, simply because there are so many jobs that people can do,” says Kätlin Anni, of the University of Tartu. “And the large samples we were dealing with meant that we uncovered additional details that many people may not have considered.”