The first self-assessment task is about finding your career personality type or "Holland Code." John Holland is a psychologist who developed a "theory of careers" that is routinely used in assessing vocational interests. His view is that "the choice of a vocation is an expression of personality" and that there are six primary types. Your career personality is usually described in terms of the two or three codes that best describe you, so that means there are a lot more than just six actual types.
These personality types are not just used to describe your career interests and personality. They are also used to describe work environments and occupations.
The six primary personalities or interest profiles are:
- Realistic
- Investigative
- Artistic
- Social
- Enterprising
- Conventional
In a moment, you are going to fill in a short survey to chart out your vocational preferences and interests. But before you do that, you need to read the description of each type:
Realistic:
- prefer "hands-on" work using tools and machinery.
- like building and fixing things and solving problems in practical ways.
- like working with materials, or outdoors or with plants or animals.
- don't like a lot of paperwork or having to work closely with others.
- practical individuals.
Investigative:
- prefer working with ideas and data, rather than with people or things.
- enjoy solving problems by thinking and studying and analyzing information.
- jobs often require advanced education or training.
- enjoy intellectual pursuits.
- independent and often introverted individuals.
Artistic:
- prefer work that involves the use of creativity, imagination and self-expression.
- like working in unstructured situations.
- don't like having to follow rules or set procedures.
- jobs require a sense of design and an appreciation of aesthetics.
- innovators who tend to be non-conforming and idealistic.
Social:
- prefer teaching, communicating, and serving and helping others.
- like to use interpersonal skills and have an understanding of human relations.
- jobs require the ability to engage people at a personal and emotional levels.
- have to able to cooperate in working with others.
- individuals who are altruistic and sociable, friendly and socially responsible.
Enterprising:
- prefer work that involves persuading, leading, influencing and managing others.
- working to meet organizational goals or to make money.
- work requires energy and ambition, and a fair amount of self-confidence.
- jobs are usually business related and often involve sales and promotion.
- energetic and optimistic, sociable and talkative individuals.
- individuals who are focused on competing and getting ahead, entrepreneurs.
Conventional:
- prefer work that is detailed and orderly, structured and routine.
- prefer work that involves data and information, rather than people or things.
- like the rules to be known and don't like to have to be creative.
- jobs involve orderly processes and record keeping.
- clerical and administrative jobs are typical.
- reliable, persistent, efficient, conforming, practical and conscientious individuals.
Keep in mind that no one is really just one type and that these categories can combine in a number of interesting ways. In fact, if we looked at all six codes for any invidual, there are 720 different possible combinations. What we want to find are the two or three primary codes that describe your personality and interests.