Background About the Holland Codes
Content
Background about the Holland Codes Holland Codes represent a set of personality types described in a theory of careers and vocational choice formulated by psychologist John L. Holland. [1] Holland's theory argued that "the choice of a vocation is an expression of personality" and that the six factor typology he articulated could be used to describe both persons and work environments. [1] His typology provides an interpretative structure for a number of different vocational interest surveys, including the two measures he developed: The Vocational Preference Inventory and the Self Directed Search. His model has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Labor for categorizing jobs relative to interests. [2] Holland's theory does not assume that a person is just one type or that there are "only six types of people in the world." [1] Instead, he assumed that any person could be described as having interests associated with each of the six types in a descending order of preference. This assumption allows the Holland Codes to be used to describe 720 different personality patterns. As the theory is applied in interest inventories and job classifications, it is usually only the two or three most dominant codes that are used for vocational guidance. In presenting his theory, Holland graphically represented the six types as arrayed on a hexagon.[1] This graphic representation serves to describe the empirically determined correlations between the types. The shorter the distance between their corners on the hexagon, the more closely they are related. Taken together, the Holland Codes are usually referred to by their first letters: RIASEC. The six personality and work environment types described by Holland are as follows:
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Realistic - practical, physical, hands-on, tool-oriented Investigative - analytical, intellectual, scientific, explorative Artistic - creative, original, independent, chaotic Social - cooperative, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing Enterprising - competitive environments, leadership, persuading Conventional - detail-oriented, organizing, clerical
The following lists contain examples of professions that typify persons dominant within a category.
Do'er (Realistic)
They are people who have athletic or mechanical ability, prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or to be outdoors. They are also likely to be more apt in working with their hands, tools, machines, and things; practical, mechanically inclined, and physical:
• • • • •
Agriculture Archaeology Architect Astronaut Athlete
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Chef Computer science Driver Electrical engineering Engineer Firefighter Gardener Information technology Instructional technology Martial arts Mechanic/Automobiles Mechanical engineering Paramedic Pharmacy Physical therapy Pilot Veterinarian Police Officer Soldier
Thinker (Investigative)
They are people who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems. They work with theory and information, analytical, intellectual, scientific:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Actuary Computer science Economist Engineer Finance Lawyer Mathematics Pharmacy Physician/Medical school Professor (all fields) Psychologist Psychiatrist Science Statistics Surgeon
Creator (Artistic)
They are people who have artistic, innovating or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity. Non-conforming, original, independent, chaotic, creative:
•
Actor/Performance
• • • • • • • • • • •
Animation Art therapy Artist Author/ Poet Dance therapy Expressive therapy Graphic designer Library and information science[3] Music therapy Musician Painter
Helper (Social)
They are people who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or cure them, or are skilled with words. You’ll find them in cooperative environments, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Art therapy Audiologist Babysitter Caretaker Counselor Dance therapy Education Instructional technology Martial arts Music therapy Nurse Nutritionist Physician Professor Psychologist Social Work Teacher Theology Trainer (Industry) Speech-Language Pathologist Occupational Therapist
Persuader (Enterprising)
They are people who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, performing, leading or managing for organizational goals or economic gain. You’ll find them in competitive environments, leading, persuading, selling, dominating, promoting, status:
•
Administration
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Academic administration Business/MBA Communications Insurance Investment Banker Journalism Law / Politics Marketing / Advertising Management Management Consultant Public Health Publishing Public relations Public policy Real Estate Retail Stockbroker Salesmen
Organizer (Conventional)
They are people who like to work with data, have clerical or numerical ability, carry out tasks in detail or follow through on others' instructions. Precise, perfect attention to detail, orderly, organizing, status:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Accountant Actuary Administration Academic administration Banking/ Investment bank Business/MBA Clerk Copy Editing Instructional technology Payroll Proofreader Receptionist Retail Secretary Technical writer
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Codes
• • • • • •
Realistic - practical, physical, hands-on, tool-oriented Investigative - analytical, intellectual, scientific, explorative Artistic - creative, original, independent, chaotic Social - cooperative, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing Enterprising - competitive environments, leadership, persuading Conventional - detail-oriented, organizing, clerical
The following lists contain examples of professions that typify persons dominant within a category.
Do'er (Realistic)
They are people who have athletic or mechanical ability, prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or to be outdoors. They are also likely to be more apt in working with their hands, tools, machines, and things; practical, mechanically inclined, and physical:
• • • • •
Agriculture Archaeology Architect Astronaut Athlete
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Chef Computer science Driver Electrical engineering Engineer Firefighter Gardener Information technology Instructional technology Martial arts Mechanic/Automobiles Mechanical engineering Paramedic Pharmacy Physical therapy Pilot Veterinarian Police Officer Soldier
Thinker (Investigative)
They are people who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems. They work with theory and information, analytical, intellectual, scientific:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Actuary Computer science Economist Engineer Finance Lawyer Mathematics Pharmacy Physician/Medical school Professor (all fields) Psychologist Psychiatrist Science Statistics Surgeon
Creator (Artistic)
They are people who have artistic, innovating or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity. Non-conforming, original, independent, chaotic, creative:
•
Actor/Performance
• • • • • • • • • • •
Animation Art therapy Artist Author/ Poet Dance therapy Expressive therapy Graphic designer Library and information science[3] Music therapy Musician Painter
Helper (Social)
They are people who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, help, train, or cure them, or are skilled with words. You’ll find them in cooperative environments, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Art therapy Audiologist Babysitter Caretaker Counselor Dance therapy Education Instructional technology Martial arts Music therapy Nurse Nutritionist Physician Professor Psychologist Social Work Teacher Theology Trainer (Industry) Speech-Language Pathologist Occupational Therapist
Persuader (Enterprising)
They are people who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, performing, leading or managing for organizational goals or economic gain. You’ll find them in competitive environments, leading, persuading, selling, dominating, promoting, status:
•
Administration
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Academic administration Business/MBA Communications Insurance Investment Banker Journalism Law / Politics Marketing / Advertising Management Management Consultant Public Health Publishing Public relations Public policy Real Estate Retail Stockbroker Salesmen
Organizer (Conventional)
They are people who like to work with data, have clerical or numerical ability, carry out tasks in detail or follow through on others' instructions. Precise, perfect attention to detail, orderly, organizing, status:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Accountant Actuary Administration Academic administration Banking/ Investment bank Business/MBA Clerk Copy Editing Instructional technology Payroll Proofreader Receptionist Retail Secretary Technical writer
Adapted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Codes
