Job Search and “The Helper or Giver”

"The Helper" social style is number "two" of the nine Enneagram styles. The Helper or Giver, which we will call "twos”, get their energy by helping others to succeed. Twos usually prefer to work with people, often in the helping professions, as counselors, teachers, and health workers. Extroverted Twos are sometimes found in the limelight as actresses, actors, and motivational speakers. Twos also work in sales and helping others as receptionists, secretaries, assistants, decorators, and clothing consultants. They can work as administrators to strong leaders or take on an advising role to leaders that they admire.

“Twos” are “others orientated” and can be very loving and caring people. They have a need to be needed by others and will adapt to environments and be generous and enthusiastic. When things are not going well for the “two” and they are at their worst, they can be vindictive. It might be said that the two will nice you to death and if that doesn't work, they will stab you in the back with gossip – and not very nice gossip.

When twos are out of work and they need to get busy with a forward looking, professional job search; they are often stuck in the past. They get lost in their emotions. After all, they have to leave their “friends” behind. They gave their best effort, developed deep friendships with colleagues and clients. How can it be that they were “laid off?” What did I do wrong? Doesn't anyone care about what happens to ME?

Twos need to develop objectivity and get busy finding work that is suited to their personality and interests. Often twos don’t have a good idea of what their ideal job would be. They have spent their career following others and can be lost regarding a direction for their career. “Find your passion,” as the saying goes, can be difficult for a person who really never had a “good job” or maybe never even liked their job. They loved the people, but the job could have “sucked” but they never would have faced that issue if they weren't out of work.

Twos can get busy on their job search by reconnecting with their friends and clients. Twos get energy from other people, so I advise them to get their Linkedin profile up to 100%. Spend time with people! Never eat alone; invite people to coffee and lunch. Twos are great net-workers.

Self awareness exercises will help with creating objectivity. Take the Enneagram test to confirm your basic social style. Sometimes this is relatively simple other times it can be quite confusing, so get some help from your career coach. The Enneagram is a tool which is simple to understand on the surface but deeply complex. Often people take on the social style of their family at home or sometimes at work which can be confusing. The Enneagram as a tool really provides clues and should not be taken as absolute. Sometimes it takes a long time to acknowledge your social style, but it is worth the effort. The exercise sharpens your thinking and prepares you to think and act objectively in your work search.

“What to do next?” is the basic question for the two. This requires brainstorming possibilities and creating target job positions. This exercise can become “fun” and the brainstorming helps to envision possible future positions. As the two separates from the past and begins to envision a future full of possibilities, their job search takes on a life of its own. They get healthy as they focus on their own needs, instead of others’ needs and develop a career plan that they enjoy.

Twos are wonderful people; you can’t hold them down for long.