ESTPs love life. They enjoy spending time with people and being in the moment. This makes them great company for parties, sports events or activities, and work. They’re interested in anything and everything around them.

People with ESTP preferences are highly active and tend to have lots of hobbies. They may like physical activities or team sports more than doing things on their own.

They may enjoy:

• Physically demanding activities, such as rock climbing or river swimming.

• Challenging sports, such as squash or a triathlon.

• Cooking and exploring new flavors.

• Hiking or other outdoor activities.

Know someone who does this? Try asking questions to encourage them to focus on the future.

For example, how will their decision influence their long-term plans? At work, how might their decision impact on projects, the organization, or their own goals?

Lists or diagrams may also help someone with ESTP preferences organize their thoughts.

People with ESTP preferences may find it helpful to share their plans with friends and colleagues more often. Involving other people may help to prevent misunderstandings which could affect their relationships. Increased communication would also give other people an opportunity to ask questions or give feedback if they’d like to.

Project or time management tools may help people with ESTP preferences meet their goals. They may find it helpful to keep a to-do list or add tasks to an online calendar to help them visualize tasks that are in progress.

Know someone who does this? It may help them to gather feedback from others who have been affected by their actions in the past. What could they do differently next time?

Popular occupations for people with ESTP preferences include:

• Medical researcher

• Manufacturing

• Stockbroker

• Journalist

• Emergency medical technician (EMT)

• Police officer

• Real estate

• Government

• Athlete

• Actor

People with ESTP preferences are often skilled multitaskers. They love to bounce from one task to another looking for results. Because of this, they tend to look for careers that give them autonomy to work at their own pace and on their own schedule.

A traditional nine-to-five office lifestyle may not be suitable for someone with ESTP preferences. If they do have a job with this type of structure, they’ll likely want to create their own way of doing things. Generally, ESTPs look for jobs that offer new challenges every day.

In leadership or management roles, people with ESTP preferences are likely to:

• Take charge in a crisis.

• Be direct and assertive, easily persuading others to their point of view.

• Take the most efficient route to meet their goals.

• Seek action and immediate results.

People with ESTP preferences are resourceful workers who like to be where the action is. They love to solve problems and see immediate results. They bring enthusiasm and logic to a team, and often help to create a nonbureaucratic approach.

On a team, ESTPs might frustrate others by improvising too often, taking risks, and jumping in to things too quickly.

When trying to solve a problem, people with ESTP preferences will usually focus their energy on:

• Gathering as many facts and as much information as possible.

• Examining the logical consequences of their actions.

They don’t usually spend as much time or energy:

• Considering the feelings of the people involved.

• Looking into other possible solutions.

People with ESTP preferences tend to value:

• Lively colleagues focused on results and experience.

• A flexible approach that allows them to respond to change and work in their own way.

• A physically comfortable workplace with up-to-date equipment.

• Time to have fun.

Remote working tips for people with ESTP preferences:

• Break up your day with a variety of different tasks.

• Between each task, do something to stimulate your senses. Look out the window, go outdoors, or talk to someone online.

• Make full use of the added flexibility you get from remote working—but remember that others may not appreciate a late-night email or video call!

• Plan to have some time away from interesting distractions each day. Use this time for focused work.

• In your leisure time, do something physically active and energetic.

In conflict, ESTPs don’t take things too seriously. They tend to laugh things off. This isn’t because they don’t care, but rather because they’re quick to compromise and move on.

When others are in conflict, ESTPs aren’t likely to intervene to try and smooth things over. They will likely voice their opinion and then stay out of the way.

If you have ESTP preferences, you can minimize conflict in your relationships by:

• Taking things a bit more seriously if that’s what the other person needs. If you’re in conflict, it’s important for the other person to feel that you’re listened to them.

• Trying not to manipulate the other person into ending the conflict. You’re likely very good at reading others. This could give you an advantage when resolving a conflict, but if other people feel that you’re not being authentic, this could backfire and cause further conflict.

• Interjecting more to help others resolve conflict. When you see conflict between friends or colleagues, try stepping in to help the different sides understand one another better.

People with ESTP preferences are likely to build friendships around shared interests and lifestyles more than emotional connections. They prefer to surround themselves with people who are doing interesting things or people who are motivated the same way they are.

ESTPs have no problem using friendships to make new connections that benefit them professionally. They want to help their friends succeed (and want friends to help them succeed), and don’t see anything wrong in surrounding themselves with like-minded people.

People with ESTP preferences crave autonomy and independence. As a result, they may choose to stay out of serious relationships until they’re ready to commit, preferring instead to date for convenience and companionship without too many strings attached.

Because they’re prone to missing subtle social cues, it can be difficult for ESTPs to tell when a romantic partner is ready to get serious. Being upfront about their expectations may help to avoid uncomfortable conversations later on.

The MBTI framework can be very helpful when it comes to raising children. Knowledge of your own communication habits, stress triggers, and preferences often makes parenting easier. By integrating an awareness of differences into family life, the whole family can benefit from these insights.

ESTPs will likely practice an independent parenting style, giving their children the freedom to make their own decisions. They tend to trust their children to learn and grow in their own way. They want their children to become freethinkers who can take care of themselves.

ESTP parents may find it stressful if their children seem too needy or refuse to share issues directly.

If you have ESTP preferences and you think your child shares your Sensing and Thinking preferences, this can help you to understand how your child takes in information and makes decisions—both of which are important for how you communicate as a parent. If you think your child’s preferences are different than yours, self-awareness will help you to change your communication and parenting style to better suit those preferences.

If you have ESTP preferences, try these simple strategies to balance your feelings during times of stress:

• Pay attention subtle or nonverbal communication from others. While you tend to communicate directly and don’t shy away from confrontation, others may be less direct. Look out for this both at work and in your personal relationships.

• Avoid putting yourself in situations where others might micromanage you or impose lots of deadlines on your work. People with ESTP preferences tend to thrive in situations that provide the freedom to experiment. It may be difficult to avoid these stressors in a traditional or hierarchical work setting.

• Consider ways to ask other people for things without manipulating or coercing them. While it’s OK to observe others to best understand what motivates them, you may irritate friends and colleagues if it seems like you’re using them.