ENTJ-A & ENTJ-T Explained: Differences, Careers & More!

People with an ENTJ personality type have some of the boldest personalities. They’re natural-born leaders, self-starters, and go-getters.

Needless to say, their zealous attitudes don’t go unnoticed. Yet, if you had the chance to meet a few of them, you might’ve noticed some subtle differences between them.

More likely than not, these differences can be explained by the fact that there are two types of ENTJs: assertive and turbulent ones.

If you aren’t sure what the difference between ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personality types is, you’re in luck—this article covers everything you need to know about the two distinct ENTJ identities, including:

• ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T Strengths and Weaknesses
• 7 Key Differences Between ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T Identities
• ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T Best & Worst Career Paths

And more!

Comparing ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T Identities

Simply put, ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T are two distinct ENTJ subtypes. ENTJ-A stands for assertive ENTJ and describes more resilient, bold, and outspoken ENTJs. Meanwhile, ENTJ-T stands for turbulent ENTJ and refers to more reserved and thoughtful people with the ENTJ personality type.

In other words, assertive ENTJs are more self-assured than turbulent ENTJs, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Besides that, assertiveness and turbulence play a role in ENTJs’ decision-making process, relationships, stress tolerance, and more.

Given that ENTJs are typically self-confident and resilient individuals who aren’t prone to mood swings, it’s likely that most people with this personality type fall into the assertive ENTJ subtype.

The Google Trends data shows that people in most countries search for “ENTJ-A” more often than for “ENTJ-T,” which might also suggest that the ENTJ-A subtype is more common among ENTJs:

Nonetheless, ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities have the same cognitive function stack, which consists of:

• Extraverted thinking (Te)
• Introverted intuition (Ni)
• Extraverted sensing (Si)
• Introverted feeling (Fi)

As a result, they share core personality traits, such as ambition, analytical skills, a future-oriented attitude, and so on.

ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T Strengths and Weaknesses

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s analyze the distinct strengths and weaknesses of ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities.

ENTJ-A Strengths and Weaknesses

The most prominent strengths that ENTJ-A personalities possess include:

• Self-confidence. Although most ENTJs are self-confident, ENTJ-A personalities are known for having extremely high self-esteem. No matter the situation, you’ll never see an ENTJ-A doubt their abilities!
• High stress tolerance. Since ENTJ-A identities are so confident in themselves, it’s only natural that they show high tolerance for stress. They simply know that they can beat any challenge that crosses their path, which explains their stress resistance.
• Determination. ENTJ-A personalities are driven to succeed. They don’t give up before reaching their goals and use their creativity to quickly come up with solutions to problems.
• Leadership. Self-assured and motivated, ENTJ-A personalities are naturally gifted leaders who enjoy leading groups of people toward common goals.

Despite their bold personalities, ENTJ-A people aren’t perfect. Some common weaknesses they tend to exhibit include:

• Insensitivity. People with an ENTJ-A identity are rather inconsiderate—in fact, many of them outright dismiss other people’s feelings. They may also prioritize their success to the point of pursuing their goals without regard for other people.
• Domineering attitude. Confident, assertive, and highly determined, ENTJ-A people can, unfortunately, come off as bossy and controlling. Their lack of concern for others only makes the situation worse—some ENTJ-As won’t care that people regard them as overbearing as long as they’re getting closer to their goals.
• Hot-headedness. ENTJ-As are quick and dynamic, but this also means that they are prone to taking risks and making hasty decisions. They may also be too impatient to deal with people they deem lazy or incompetent.

ENTJ-T Strengths and Weaknesses

By contrast, ENTJ-T personalities tend to possess the following strengths:

Warm-heartedness. ENTJ-T identities are genuinely interested in people and have great communication skills. Despite being more introverted than ENTJ-A personalities, they usually want to get to know people on a personal level.

Thoughtfulness. Since ENTJ-T people are generally warm, they are also quite emotionally open and considerate of others. While they are highly motivated to be successful, they don’t feel comfortable achieving their goals at other people’s expense.

Charisma. Thanks to their compassionate attitude and great sense of humor, ENTJ-A personalities are rather charming, which naturally draws people toward them.

Self-awareness. ENTJ-T people are more in touch with their feelings than ENTJ-As, which gives them a better sense of self-awareness. They are generally aware of their flaws and are eager to work on them.

Still, like ENTJ-A personalities, ENTJ-Ts have some weak points, including:

• Fluctuating self-confidence. Although ENTJ-T personalities typically have higher self-confidence than most other personality types, their self-awareness may cause fluctuations in their self-esteem. This may make it more difficult for them to make decisions, as they aren’t always sure of their choices.
• Sensitivity to stress. Unlike ENTJ-As, ENTJ-Ts can be very sensitive to stress and find it difficult to overcome it. Highly turbulent ENTJs may also have an intense fear of failure.
• Susceptibility to negative emotions. Since ENTJ-T personalities are open to their own and other people’s emotions, they may also be more prone to experiencing negative emotions such as anger or jealousy.

7 Key Differences Between ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T Identities

Now that you have a general idea of the differences between ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities, it’s time to explore how these subtypes differ in more detail.

So, let’s see what exactly sets ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities apart in different scenarios, including under stress, in the workplace, and more!

#1. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T Self-Esteem

Perhaps the most noticeable difference between ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities is their level of self-esteem. Generally speaking, ENTJ-A personalities have higher self-esteem than ENTJ-Ts.

Self-confidence comes naturally to all ENTJs, but ENTJ-T personalities occasionally experience drops in their self-worth, especially when things don’t go exactly as they planned. It may take them some time before they gain their confidence back.

ENTJ-T identities are also more concerned about what other people think of them than ENTJ-As. Because of this, they are more likely to polish their self-image to ensure they make a good impression on people.

ENTJ-A personalities, meanwhile, have a very high and stable self-esteem that doesn’t take a hit even when situations go beyond their control. They are sure that there’s nothing they can’t overcome. Naturally, they don’t care how others perceive them, but they may appear arrogant because of this.

#2. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T Under Stress

ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities have completely different approaches toward stress.

ENTJ-As often come off as people who are completely immune to stress. To many of them, stress is a motivation to perform better and exceed their own expectations. They aren’t afraid of challenges. Quite the contrary—they enjoy solving problems and feel empowered when they overcome obstacles.

On the other hand, ENTJ-T personalities are generally more fazed by setbacks in life than ENTJ-As. They may become emotionally volatile under stress, and many of them are guilty of projecting their negative emotions onto others.

That said, since ENTJ-T people often become their own worst enemies in stressful situations, they can learn to effectively cope with stress by first handling their emotions.

#3. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T Emotional Expression

Given that Fi is their inferior cognitive function, you shouldn’t expect ENTJs to be emotionally expressive or highly in touch with their emotions. Still, ENTJ-T personalities are generally better at expressing their feelings than ENTJ-As.

ENTJ-A people are prone to ignore emotions, believing that they are useless or, even worse, show weakness. They don’t focus on their feelings, simply allowing them to pass. This may explain why assertive ENTJs are less likely to give in to negative emotions, but it can also make them appear cold and robotic.

Meanwhile, ENTJ-T personalities are more likely to dwell on negative emotions, but they also usually have a higher level of emotional intelligence. For this reason, they often appear more sensitive and gentle than ENTJ-As. They typically choose their words more carefully and are quick to apologize if they hurt someone’s feelings.

#4. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T Decision-Making Process

As a general rule, people with an ENTJ personality type are rather decisive and base their decisions on logic and efficiency, all thanks to their dominant Te. Nonetheless, ENTJ-A personalities usually find it easier to make decisions than ENTJ-Ts.

Confident and daring, ENTJ-A people are very decisive and unlikely to doubt their decisions. Even when they make mistakes, they’re optimistic that they’ll find an effective solution. As such, they don’t put too much thought into their decisions, as they see this as a waste of time.

Conversely, ENTJ-T personalities like to take the time to evaluate all options and consider how each of them would affect other people. So, although their decision-making process isn’t quick, they usually make well-thought-out decisions that please all parties involved.

#5. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T in Relationships

Essentially, ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T differences in relationships boil down to their openness to emotions. Both subtypes make loyal partners who value having a strong mental connection with their loved ones, but ENTJ-T personalities place more emphasis on developing an emotional bond with their partners.

Since ENTJ-T personalities are more likely to accommodate their partners’ emotional needs, they are often more compatible with feeling personality types than ENTJ-As. In fact, most ENTJ-A people prefer to build relationships with people who value logic over emotions.

Also, while both identities can be rather dominant in relationships, ENTJ-As are usually more controlling than ENTJ-Ts. Besides being more willing to compromise, turbulent ENTJs also tend to be more romantic and eager to express their feelings.

#6. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T in Friendships

As extroverts, ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities usually have a large circle of friends. While they love to have fun, nothing spikes the interest of ENTJ personalities quite as much as intellectually stimulating discussions.

That said, ENTJ-T personalities aremore likely to create intimate bonds with their friends, as they are emotionally invested in their interpersonal relationships. They don’t mind listening to their friends’ problems and giving them advice but may require more alone time than ENTJ-As. Because of this, they may even resemble their introverted cousins, INTJs.

In contrast, ENTJ-A people aren’t likely to discuss personal matters with their friends—at most, they’ll share their goals, achievements, and aspirations. Because of this, their friendships may seem more shallow, but the truth is that ENTJ-As simply aren’t that interested in exchanging personal details.

#7. ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T in the Workplace

ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities are famous for their impeccable leadership skills. As such, it generally doesn’t take long for most people with an ENTJ personality type to climb the career ladder and land managerial positions. That said, thanks to their confidence and drive, ENTJ-A personalities usually build successful careers more quickly than their turbulent counterparts.

Despite their swings in self-confidence, there are some professional areas where ENTJ-T personalities might outperform ENTJ-As. Since they are more considerate and don’t have the aggressively competitive spirit of assertive ENTJs, they usually make inspiring leaders that people look up to and are well-liked among their colleagues.

ENTJ-A Best & Worst Career Paths

Now that you know the differences between ENTJ-T and ENTJ-A personalities, there’s one thing left to address—the best and worst career paths for each of these subtypes.

Essentially, ENTJ-A personalities perform best in positions that allow them to put their leadership, organizational, and delegation skills to good use. They can also handle fast-paced and stressful environments quite well.

With this in mind, here are the best jobs for ENTJ-A personalities:

1. Entrepreneur/Business Owner
2. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
3. Politician
4. Economist
5. Lawyer
6. Operations Manager
7. Marketing Manager
8. IT Manager
9. Software Engineer
10. Police Officer

However, ENTJ-A personalities rarely excel in jobs that offer little to no opportunity for professional growth or require them to deal with people’s emotions, complaints, and similar. So, here are some jobs that ENTJ-A people should definitely avoid:

1. Mental Health Counselor
2. Teacher
3. Social Worker
4. Cashier
5. Hotel Receptionist

ENTJ-T Best & Worst Career Paths

Unlike ENTJ-A personalities, ENTJ-T people don’t handle stressful jobs well. However, they still have excellent leadership abilities and also enjoy working with people.

So, here are some of the most suitable jobs for people with an ENTJ-T personality:

1. Entrepreneur/Business Owner
2. Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
3. Public Relations Manager
4. Human Resource Manager
5. Environmental Scientist
6. Architect
7. Engineer (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, etc.)
8. Fundraiser
9. Financial Analyst
10. Coach

Just like ENTJ-As, ENTJ-T personalities should avoid jobs that require them to deal with people’s negative emotions, such as:

1. Waiter
2. Customer Support Specialist
3. Nurse
4. Bill Collector
5. Complaint Handler

Key Takeaways

There you go—now you should know everything to be able to tell the difference between ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T personalities!

In case you need a little refresher, here’s a summary of the key points we covered in this article:

• ENTJ-A and ENTJ-T are ENTJ subtypes. While ENTJ-A means assertive ENTJ, ENTJ-T stands for turbulent ENTJ.
• ENTJ-A personalities are more confident, resilient, and driven than ENTJ-Ts, but they can also be inconsiderate toward other people, impatient, and controlling.
• Although ENTJ-T personalities are more emotionally open, self-aware, and caring than ENTJ-As, they sometimes lack self-confidence and have a harder time overcoming stressful situations.

ENTJ-A vs. ENTJ-T FAQ

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