Taurus Astrology Career Profile

Top Careers

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Taurus

April 21 - May 21

By Jane Hodges

Taurus, ruled by pleasure planet Venus, relishes comfort, security and the senses.

Top Career Programs for Taurus:

What Motivates Taurus

Taurus natives don't mind routine, repetition or time-consuming efforts if they genuinely enjoy the activity they're pursuing or the financial security that will result from it.

These folks can be bafflingly patient and unflappable, causing others to mistake their slow and steady disposition as a sign of slow wit. Don't be fooled! Taurus is perfectly savvy. Unlike more shortsighted signs, though, Taurus folks don't play just to win: They play because the training and the game are as fun as the winning.

Leadership through Patience and Loyalty

At work, as in relationships, Taurus is loyal. Because Taurus folks have great staying power, they are occasionally exploited by lazy or conniving colleagues. However, the pragmatism that prompts them to bail out weaklings can also propel them upward: Slowly accumulating years of experience, always reliable, the Taurus quietly assumes leadership years later.

Typically calm, Taurus natives easily lead others with their patient and rational demeanor, their ability to listen, and their capacity to retain talent by fostering a pleasant workplace. Want to dock your iPod, have company donuts, decorate your cube, grab a lunchtime workout? Work for Taurus. This sign's humor is earthy, and these folks need daily belly laughs. They're OK with whoopee cushions, slapstick comedy and movies of the Judd Apatow and Jackass genre.

The loyalty and pleasure-oriented bent that motivates Taurus can, at times, create distress. Taurus can get stuck in the safety of a routine, remaining in work positions or relationships that have ceased moving forward.

When unhappy, Taurus folks don't take it out on others. If self-aware, they take steps to change their situation. But less-aware Taurus folks become materialistic or overly hedonistic to compensate for their unnamed frustrations. Their usual enjoyment of shopping, fashion, food, athletics, the arts or sex can get exaggerated when they're avoiding a problem. Suddenly the shoe closet is full, that Ben & Jerry's habit is a daily one, debt is mounting and physical ailments begin.

Taurus folks must recognize that they need to be rewarded for their loyalty, and that they're entitled to appreciation from personal and professional peers. It's not too much to ask.

Taurus and the Art of Pleasure

These folks navigate well in arenas that produce pleasure—such as music and entertainment, culinary and lodging industries, or body-related fields such as massage therapy. Their intimate understanding of the need to have and manage money makes them successful in finance or investment careers.

Taurus folks bring calm and a "keep it simple" approach—as well as chocolates and tasteful potted plants—to any professional arena. Taurus doesn't have to run the show—and many would prefer to avoid all that stress—but they'll always handle any duties expected of them responsibly.

How to spot a Taurus at work:

Taurus career manual: Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow
Color: Pastels, including pink and green
Taurus success symbol: Beautiful jewelry, an opulent dining room for entertaining
Spare time pursuits: Music, cooking, Lucky Magazine, running an investment club

Taurus in Action

Taurus Sigmund Freud personifies his sign's professional persona. The father of psychoanalysis created a healing environment for his patients by developing a practice that asked intense commitment of both patient and practitioner. The stereotypical psychoanalyst's couch used by Freud and his contemporaries was designed to put the patient's body at ease, so they could relax and discuss discomforting thoughts from a nurtured position.

Like most Taurus natives, Freud didn't back away from investing a great deal of time in individual patients or in his own theoretical writings, many of which centered around the body—specifically, the patient's early awareness of the body and its differences from parents' bodies, for instance.

While Freud had his detractors and was considered by some to be stubborn (a Taurus trait) or to have crafted theories that were mere precursors to modern psychological thought, his influence on modern psychology continues to this day. His work demonstrates one of the best Taurus traits of all: lasting quality.

Taurus, Bring on the Smiles!

Taurus leaders function in numerous industries—from politics (Tony Blair, Madeleine Albright) to sports (David Beckham) to entertainment (Sofia Coppola, Aaron Spelling.) They have an innate attraction to working in aesthetic industries (architect I.M. Pei), especially music. Taurus musical performers tend to sing with a rich, throaty voice (Burt Bacharach, Cher, Ella Fitzgerald) and employ unique dance moves or other physical gestures when performing (Stevie Wonder, James Brown). Taurus performers exude a willingness to break into laughter or a smile at any moment (Renee Zellweger, Jack Nicholson) and they often use comedy as a way to broach difficult topics (Jay Leno, Michael Moore).

Many Taurus folks are satisfied with achieving great wealth and all the personal pleasures it affords (Machiavelli), and some are accused of selfishness—as was the case when Home Depot's now-former CEO Bob Nardelli walked away with what some considered an outsized pay package.

But Taurus natives with a more spiritual bent find a way to give back to the world, to take what they gained from a career they enjoyed and offer opportunity to others. U2 frontman Bono leveraged his voice on the world stage to call attention to third world development and poverty issues, while tennis champion Andre Agassi funded the launch of an innovative school for the disadvantaged in Las Vegas.