Ever wondered why some people seem perfectly suited to their careers while others spend years feeling they're in the wrong job?
According to business growth consultancy Growth Animals, the answer may have less to do with qualifications or opportunity than with something far more fundamental: deep personality preferences.
Developed in association with personality type expert David Hodgson, the Growth Animals quiz suggests we're naturally drawn towards careers that reflect the way we think, communicate and view the world. The quiz framework identifies behavioural preferences that can help explain why certain professions consistently attract particular personality types.
Which animal are you?
For example, Eagles, with their strategic thinking, competitive drive, and analytical thinking, make up just 3% of the population but are disproportionately represented in law. It’s a pattern that emerges early. In one study, nearly half (48%) of law students fell into bird personalities
In contrast, dolphins are more likely to be found in HR roles. Dolphins thrive on solving complex problems and have an almost super-human ability to keep calm under pressure. Effectively, they were built for the difficult conversation. Hairdressing typically attracts Panda types, who make up 12% of the population. Panda personalities are natural relationship builders who create calm, welcoming environments wherever they go. They instinctively put people at ease, listen carefully and genuinely care about helping others feel their best.
Journalism and broadcasting, on the other hand, tends to appeal to curious, adaptable communicators including Falcons.
Chris Thornhill, co-founder of Growth Animals, said:
"People often assume they choose a career because they're good at a subject or because an opportunity presents itself. But we're also naturally drawn towards environments that suit the way we're wired. We don’t just consciously choose careers. We’re attracted to them because of who we are. When you look across different professions, the patterns are remarkably consistent."
Knowing your animal can help your career
The Growth Animals framework groups underlying personality preferences into a range of animal types, each with distinct strengths, motivations and potential blind spots. Users complete a five-minute online quiz before being matched with the animal that most closely reflects their behavioural preferences, together with insights into how they work, communicate and grow.
While the framework has proved valuable for organisations looking to build stronger teams, it also offers something more personal.
Anyone who's ever questioned whether they're in the right career can use the quiz to better understand the environments in which they're most likely to thrive and whether their current role is making the most of their natural strengths.
What if my personality doesn’t ‘fit the mould’?
Can being in a job unsuited to our natural preferences ‘reprogramme’ our personality? According to Thornhill, no. “We’re hardwired to favour certain roles over others and to possess the skills potential we do. Forcing yourself into a role for any reason other than it fundamentally suits you, could lead to career dissatisfaction,” he warns. “It's a bit like asking a left-handed person to only use their right hand at work. They could do it, but their output and satisfaction would suffer. Helping people identify and use their natural strengths builds better businesses.
But if on doing the quiz you discover your job might not be a natural fit to your personality, he does offer hope: “While we found that, for example, many dentists are polar bears, not all are. It doesn’t mean they dislike their job or aren’t good at it — just that they might approach it in a different way to their polar bear colleagues and may focus on different specialisms.
“You can still be extremely successful in a job that is dominated by other personality types as long as you remain true to your personality by playing to your strengths. It can even make you stand out in a good way, as you’ll be different from many of your colleagues, bringing an original take to the job.”
Career matches
According to Growth Animals’ findings from over 500,000 people who have taken the quiz, different professions tend to attract different personality types. Some examples are:
Banking: Black Bear — methodical, reliable and comfortable making decisions. ‘Losing is not an option!’
Teaching: Koala — patient and supportive, enjoy helping others flourish.
Hospitality: Lion — energetic performers who thrive under pressure.
Accountancy and dentists: Polar Bear — precise, rule-followers with exacting standards.
Travel consultant: Seahorse — a rare breed (just 2% of the population) — persuasive, wise and values every person.
Architecture and law: Eagle — strategic, entrepreneurial, bold, original thinkers.
Interior designers: Dolphin — effective communicators, empathic, relationship builders.
Take the quiz yourself at www.growthanimals.com. It's free and takes just five minutes.
