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Understanding the ISTP personality type: The Craftsperson

Written by: Charlotte Rogers
Published on: 2 Aug 2021

Craftsperson Hero Image

Welcome to this week’s personality article, it will be the last instalment of the series and we have really enjoyed exploring the different personality types and gaining a deeper understanding of them. These articles are about discovering and analysing our strengths and weaknesses, as well as what we can do to improve on ourselves. We focus on how you can talk about strengths and weaknesses in an interview situation and what you might want to think about doing to improve your technique. During this article, we have focused on the ISTP personality type, also known as The Craftsperson. For the rest of this series, you can click here to be re-directed to the E&TJ Careers and advice section where you can find more articles like this and more!

What does ISTP stand for?

Introverted – This means that the ISTP personality type may feel more energised when they spend time alone. Meaning that they prefer to be alone when trying to relax and re-charge, not that they don’t work well in a team environment.

Sensing – They like to focus on facts and details rather than ideas.

Thinking – They make their choices based on logic and reason, where creativity can be important, they feel more comfortable knowing all the information before making a decision.

Perceiving – They prefer to be spontaneous and plan their days as they go along. It can help them feel more in control than if things were always planned and prepared in advance.

The Craftsperson tends to be a very logical person, they look for practical solutions to their problems and are usually very adaptable. They are able to adapt to different situations and environments because of their spontaneous nature.

They like to pay attention to detail, although they are still very good at moving quickly and acting fast when the situation needs it. ISTP’s tend to be very reserved individuals, but not withdrawn from the situation at hand.

Strengths of an ISTP type?

Creative yet practical – The ISTP type is called The Craftsperson for a reason. They are very good with their hands and are usually very handy around the house. They have a creative ability that enhances their ability to fix things. They prefer to try and fix things before they replace them, and they enjoy doing it too.

Problem solving skills – This links to creativity. The Craftsperson is very good at problem solving because “they are able to absorb large quantities of sensory information and categorize it effectively and efficiently, so it is ready to be called upon when needed” (Truity; 2021) This personality type tends to be very adaptable, they put their knowledge to the test and try to come up with new and innovative ways of fixing their issues. This is something employers search for in a good candidate, these types of skills help you not only resolve the issue but have a deeper understanding on why the issue is happening.


Weaknesses this personality type may have

Impatient – Although the ISTP types tend to be very practical and good with solving problems, they don’t always do so well when it comes to making a quick decision or acting in the moment. They are very easily bored, almost like they can’t sit still. Their inability to be patient can fuel their need to be impulsive. They are always looking for something to fuel their need to be busy. There are a lot of people that have this same issue. Patience is something you can learn and over time can become slightly easier. But be easy on yourself, you’re not alone when it comes to this and can be learnt. Take some time to think about how you can improve this ‘weakness’ and see what happens.

Private or reserved – It’s likely that ISTP types really enjoy their time alone and have a need for personal space. There comes a time when everyone needs time alone and it should be used whenever you feel you need it. However, sometimes, an ISTP type can get very caught up in being or working alone and can sometimes push others away without realising. They like things done their way and sometimes they won’t stray from that.

Can be insensitive – When you are used to doing things you own way, and it works for you, it can be easy to disregard other people and their ideas. They don’t find it easy to accept that people think and do things differently and because of this can come across quite blunt when they are sharing their thoughts. It’s not personal and they definitely don’t do it to be rude, but just shining a light on this can help you realise your actions and work on it in the future.

Ways you can work on your development

Not all weaknesses are something we need to fix; they are what make us human and individuals. However, there may be things that you chose to work on to improve yourself or your interview technique.

A good place to start is to try and plan a little bit more. This could be planning your day at work or even a day you have to yourself. Being spontaneous can have its benefits, but planning helps you feel more organised and ‘with it’ during the workday. This can also help you work on your time management skills, knowing what you need to do can help you get it done on time. Allowing you to think about your tasks and break up your day accordingly. This can help with the feeling of boredom at work as well.

Try and open up a little more with your colleagues or if you are in an interview, let them know that you do have ‘weaknesses’ but want to improve. No one is perfect and taking criticisms personally is no way to handle things.

Also, try and think about what you say before you say it. This may seem simple but being blunt all the time isn’t an ideal way to treat others around you. You may think you are not being rude about it, but just taking some time to put words together in your mind before saying them can make a huge difference.