Personality profiles of hundreds of professions published in new study by University of Tartu researchers

Journalists often possess neurotic qualities, while psychologists consider themselves skilled influencers. A study by researchers at the University of Tartu and the University of Edinburgh described which personality traits are common among people in certain jobs. Based on this, a personality profile of more than 250 jobs was compiled and an application was created where anyone can find out which occupations match their personality.

Have you ever wondered why some people flourish in creative professions, while others aspire to leadership roles or work in care and counselling? The study by Kätlin Anni, Junior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, Uku Vainik, Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the University of Tartu, and René Mõttus, Professor of Personality and Social Psychology at the University of Tartu and the University of Edinburgh, is the largest of its kind in the world to date, involving more than 68,000 participants. The study measured participants' personality traits based on the Big Five domains: openness, agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness and neuroticism. Responses were analysed in depth and using several methods.

"There are often stereotypes in people's minds about what personality traits are common in different professions. It turns out that many of these perceptions are quite accurate. However, this is the first time that a scientific study with such a large sample and such a detailed method has confirmed these patterns. We also discovered additional nuances that many people probably do not think about when differentiating between occupations," says Kätlin Anni, lead author of the study. "You really need broad studies to address these issues because there are just so many different occupations," added René Mõttus.

The results of the survey revealed many interesting aspects. People working in different professions were found to differ in all five personality traits, but most in openness and extraversion. Sales and public relations people are generally extroverts who enjoy social interaction and are well suited to working with people. People in managerial positions are also extrovert, often determined, decent and responsible. They also tend to be less neurotic and emotional, which helps them cope more easily with their work. Creative professions such as artists, writers and designers attract curious people who are open to new experiences and have a good imagination. On the other hand, actors, journalists or other creative people are often neurotic.

In addition to the Big Five domains, some more specific personality traits were also observed, such as competitive spirit, decisiveness and the ability to influence others. For example, managers and legal professionals are often competitive, while judges, pilots and senior government officials find decision-making easier than most people. Human resources managers and psychologists tend to be the most confident in their ability to influence others. But what do religious professions and truck drivers have in common? People working in these professions are less liberal than others.

Based on the results of the study, the authors have also created a free interactive application that allows people to explore how different occupations match different personality traits, including their own personality.

The personality profiles of all 263 occupations can be found at the website https://apps.psych.ut.ee/JobProfiles.

You can take a test to see which jobs match your personality at isiksus.ee.