If you’re not familiar with the Enneagram, it’s a personality-typing framework based on the intrinsic motivations of 9 primary personality types. It’s designed to help you better understand what drives yourself or other people and what’s behind certain decisions. You can learn more about this framework and take the test here.
Enneagram 8s care about people, are good at building relationships, and perform well in leadership and management roles. They seek justice for those who deserve it and promote accountability, making them uniquely attuned to identify positive or negative company culture.
Enneagram 8s are also naturally suspicious, but not gullible or easily swayed. They are self-motivated and driven. An Enneagram 8 is not likely to thrive under micromanagement, in a leadership vacuum, or in environments where they’re not empowered to make decisions.
Enneagram 8s can see the big picture and drill down into how the working parts all come together. They’re highly skilled at planning and strategizing but may find maintenance or production-driven scopes tedious and unfulfilling.
So, how do these qualities stack up in IT roles?
This is a role for someone who can communicate the complexities of a project and lead a team through the process, from beginning to end. An Enneagram 8 will be organized and strategic, with a clear plan for how to execute what is needed, relying heavily on strong decision-making skills.
Being naturally suspicious and strategic, an Enneagram 8 will bring a fastidious and detailed approach to digital security measures. They will be able to look at a system and identify weaknesses, then build out comprehensively effective solutions, leaving no stone unturned.
Enneagram 8s could thrive in computer science, which focuses on the development, analysis, planning, application, and testing of software systems without all the implementation, maintenance, and support typical of other IT roles. Computer science deals more with principles than with practice.
This role configures solutions and creates sustainable operations for computer networks. An Enneagram 8 will identify obstacles and create effective solutions for streamlined operations. They will enjoy overseeing a complex system and ensuring everyone has what they need to stay efficient and effective.
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