The 5 Human Design Types: Find your dream job!

The Human Design Types are one of the fundamental aspects of the Human Design System. They were one of the last aspects defined by Ra Uru Hu, the founder of the Human Design System. What type am I? is the most frequently asked question about Human Design on Google. A reason for me to take a closer look at the topic.

This article provides you with general information on Human Design Types in a career context. Further information on the individual Human Design Types can be found in the linked blog articles in the text. I wish you many revealing insights about yourself and your working environment.

First of all – you are more than your Human Design Type

The Human Design System not only offers great added value for lifelong development, but also in particular for the career development process. Whether at the beginning, in the middle or shortly before retirement – it is never too late for a satisfied professional life.

The Human Design Type is usually the first aspect we stumble across when we discover Human Design. But categorization is a tricky thing. Even though the human brain likes to think in categories, we have to be careful not to pigeonhole ourselves and think: This is who I am now and that’s that. Or: I have to act this way now because my Type Analysis says so. We do this because people cannot be interpreted mentally as a whole due to their complexity. Nevertheless, in reality, people only exist as a whole.

This less favorable attitude towards typologies brings with it a variety of personality tests in addition to the Human Design typology. Even if Human Design is not directly comparable with classic personality tests, it is important to remember that you are more than your Human Design Chart and more than your Human Design Type anyway. My recommendation: Don’t use Human Design as a restrictive model, but as a model that shows you what is possible on an energetic level. As a model that helps you get started when you are groping in the fog.

How Human Design Types are created

Which Human Design Type you are assigned depends on the connections (channels) of the Human Design Centers in a Human Design Chart.

In general, the group of motor centers (consisting of the sacral, root, emotional and heart centers) of the Human Design Chart and the throat center are responsible for the corresponding typing. The decisive factor is how the centers are connected to each other. The mode of the sacral center (open or defined) divides the Human Design Types into two broad categories

• Energy type (defined sacral center) and
• non-energy type (open sacral center).

The distinction between energy type and non-energy type says a lot about your general energy level. This can also be an important criterion for your career orientation. In my Human Design Coaching sessions, I often find that people who fall into the non-energy type category choose jobs that completely drain them. This was also the case recently with Luke, a sales representative in beverage distribution. He had long felt that the job didn’t suit him, but needed clear confirmation from our coaching to recognize this for himself.

However, you should not think that a non-energy type is devoid of energy. Every Human Design Type has energy. The difference is that energy types often have a bubbling, continuously flowing life energy. Non-energy types, on the other hand, tend to experience their life energy within a contextual framework and with natural pauses.

After you have entered your birth data into the Human Design Calculator, you can see which Human Design Type you are, which centers are defined and which are open, and how the defined centers are connected to each other.

The 5 Human Design Types at work

Now it’s time to get a little more specific. Because so far I’ve talked a lot about types, but not yet about what types there are. So – there are the following 5 Human Design Types:

• Manifestor (Initiator)
• Projector (Coordinator)
• Generator (Doer)
• Manifesting Generator (Specialist)
• Reflector

To return to the energy and non-energy types mentioned above: Generators and Manifesting Generators are energy types because they have a defined sacral center. Manifestors, Projectors and Reflectors are non-energy types with an open sacral center. Originally, Generators and Manifesting Generators were combined into one type. Therefore, other sources may only mention 4 Human Design Types. The terms above in brackets after the type designations can be regarded as synonyms in a career context. They already describe the character of the respective type in one word.

Click on the respective Human Design Type above to access the detailed descriptions of the individual Human Design Types. But take your time and scroll back here later, because there is still some exciting information waiting for you in this article.

Human Design: What type am I?

Here you can get a brief overview of the different Human Design Types:

The manifestor likes to be at the top of the hierarchy

Is the answer to your question What type am I? Manifestor?

Then discover how you can make the most of your visionary power and innovative strength in your career as a manifestor (initiator). As an initiator, you are predestined to transform systems, processes and structures and be successful in management positions such as managing director or division manager. Find out more about the diverse career opportunities for manifestors in the main article Human Design Manifestor in the job. By the way, 40% of all newborns will be manifestors in 2025. There have never been so many in one year.

Example Human Design Type Manifestor in schematic representation

The Projector at work as a team coordinator

Is the answer to the question: What type am I? Projector?

As a Projector, you can find out in the linked article how you can make the most of your exceptional coordination and leadership skills at work. As a Projector, you are predestined to lead teams and shine with your perceptive powers in advisory and supportive roles. Find out more about the diverse career opportunities for Projectors in the main article Human Design Projector on the job.

Example Human Design Type Projector in schematic representation

The Generator in the profession as builder of the world

Is the answer to the question: What type am I? Generator?

Find out how you, as a generator, can make the best possible use of your implementation skills and stamina in your job. As a source of energy, you are predestined to drive projects forward and be successful in different areas. Find out more about the diverse career opportunities for Generators in the main article Human Design Generator on the job. Incidentally, only around 5% of generators will be born in 2025 – lower than ever before.

Example Human Design Type Generator in schematic representation

The Manifesting Generator in the profession as a multi-talent or also as a ‘fast mover’

Is the answer to your question: What type am I? Manifesting Generator?

In the following blog article, you will find out how you, as a Manifesting Generator, can make the most of your ability to implement and spontaneity in your job. As a multi-talent or “fast mover”, you are successful in positions where you can demonstrate versatility and speed. Use your long-lasting energy and flexibility to perform at your best at work and beyond. Discover more about the diverse career opportunities for Manifesting Generators in the main article Human Design Manifesting Generator on the job.

Example Human Design Type Manifesting Generator in schematic representation

The Reflector at work as a mirror of the working society

Is the answer to the question: What type am I? Reflector?

As a Human Design Reflector, you should know how to use your unique perceptiveness and openness optimally in your job. As a valuable observer and “mirror of society”, you are successful in positions where you can recognize and react to moods and dynamics. Use your natural flexibility to promote a harmonious working environment and support change. Discover more about the wide range of career opportunities for reflectors in the main article Human Design Reflector on the job.

Example Human Design Type Reflector in schematic representation

Not every person immediately recognizes themselves in his or her Human Design Type

If you do not recognize yourself in your identified Human Design Types, this may be due to imprints, conditioning or beliefs that you have accumulated over the course of your life or genetically. We pick up on such issues particularly quickly as children, which is why we as adults often talk about our inner child*. Although such topics are not explicitly considered in the Human Design Chart, they are certainly woven into your life cycles somewhere. In my Human Design self-coaching course, I have dedicated a separate chapter to this topic and, of course, related it to Human Design.

The strategies of the Human Design Types

In addition to the characteristics of your Human Design Type, the assigned strategy plays an important role in the realisation process – naturally also for your professional life. Your strategy shows you how you should behave in order to attract experiences and situations that serve your life path.

If you don’t follow your strategy, your career path will be difficult. If you follow your strategy, you will take the smart path of ease and can set yourself up for long-term flow. Understanding and, above all, consistently implementing your strategy will probably take some time – but in my experience, it will be worth it. Understanding your strategy has a lot to do with trial and error, especially at the beginning. So take your time and be mindful when implementing your strategy in life.

My experience in the strategy process

In my experience (I am a Human Design Type Generator), there is a form of passivity in every Human Design strategy. What I mean by that is: let life work on you before you rush to make an impact. I’m talking about Generators and Manifesting Generators here.

But even if the essence of the manifestor is to make an impact, it is beneficial for him to inform others of his intentions and to perceive how others react to them. For me, this also has something to do with passivity. The Projector also remains in passive perception mode until he feels that he is being asked to make a contribution or take an action. And finally, the reflector only makes his powers of observation available when he is asked to do so.

In my opinion, the Daoist doctrine of wuwei comes very close to all these strategies. The philosophy of wuwei is basically about acting by not acting, without being inactive. My mentor Theo Fischer* has written wonderful books on this philosophy, which I can warmly recommend to you.

Prioritize the implementation of your Human Design Strategy

My recommendation: You should consider the implementation of your human design strategy as one of your first experiments in your personal development process, because it will give you a sense of ease relatively quickly. That’s what happened to me and some of my fellow human beings. Try to integrate your strategy into your life as much as possible until it becomes a habit. Try it out for yourself and please let me know in the comments below if you’ve noticed a difference in your life.

The Human Design Types of your team colleagues

In your company there are bosses, mentors, colleagues or other business partners who can of course also be classified as Human Design Types. That’s why it’s an advantage to know the characteristics of the other types, even if you can’t assign them all to your colleagues. Unfortunately, they don’t have their human design types on their business card. However, as soon as you know the date of birth of a colleague, you can determine their Human Design without time. Simply enter 12 am in the Human Design Calculator. It is very likely that your Human Design Type will not change during the course of the day. To be on the safe side, you should test this by entering a few hours before and after 12 am.

Generally speaking, if you know the other Human Design Types, you can not only get to know your colleagues better, but also yourself. Because we all only recognise ourselves in comparison with others. And you may even be able to recognise which Human Design type your colleagues are by their obvious character traits.

Thought experiment: Corporate hierarchies and the Human Design Types

Below is an example of the description of a functional organizational structure. An organization chart in which the Human Design types have found their authentic place could look like this. However, consider it only as a theoretical thought experiment that relates only to the type aspect. The reality in business is of course different.

Two principles should be observed:

1. In Human Design, no Human Design Chart and no Human Design Type is considered better or worse. The Human Design System conveys cooperation at eye level.
2. Secondly, anyone can be anything when interacting with others. Because in interaction with others, our chart also takes on the aspects of others.

It is inspiring to think that around 6000 years ago there may have been no fixed hierarchies. It was only with the rise of rulers that a hierarchical system developed. Before that, coexistence seemed to work on an equal footing, with decisions being made flexibly by the person who was considered an expert in a particular field. Without rigid hierarchies, social structures were probably better able to adapt to different situations and challenges.

This idea could also be groundbreaking for the future, in which flexible adaptation to new circumstances will become increasingly important. Human Design Types could be used in such a flexible model to strengthen the sense of community and reduce the social divide.

The transformation of the working world is in full swing. It will be interesting to see whether human design conquers the business world commercially. Do not be idle. Be the change yourself and take note of what life has in store for you.

Do you actually recognize yourself in your Human Design Type? I would be really interested to know. Feel free to write it in the comments below.

FAQ: Questions and answers about the Human Design Types