The Holland Occupational Themes

Are you drawn towards social environments, where you can influence and help others?  Or are you more at home working with things and data, in a solitary atmosphere?  Research shows that knowing your Holland Type, and the environments that fit it, can help predict satisfaction in the workplace.
 

One of the tests utilized at the Career Counseling and Assessment Clinic is the Strong Interest Inventory.  The Strong Interest Inventory measures a person’s interests by presenting a series of activities that the test taker rates by interest.

Each activity listed within the inventory is relative to one of six occupational themes developed by John L. Holland.  The themes are often depicted on a hexagon as shown here:

These themes are often referred to as “The Six Interest Types,” or when shown on in a diagram, a “Holland Hexagon.”  The themes that are located closer to one another on the hexagon are theoretically more similar. 

Different combinations of scores on the Strong Interest Inventory will result in a different order of these themes.  For example, a person may score RIEASC.

The themes on the Holland Hexagon are associated with types of environments and vocational interests. Therefore, based on a person’s score, several interest areas are presented.  While these themes investigate interest, certain professions are also associated with each of the interest types.  For example, an occupation in the military or agriculture would fall into the realistic theme.  Similarly, a psychology-related occupation would fall into the investigative theme.  Some occupations can be defined within more than one theme.   

It is important to note that these themes should be looked at together, as we’re complex people and no one theme is able to capture all aspects of us entirely.  Furthermore, these themes are used as references and guiding points, not as definitive explanations.

A bit of knowledge about the inner-workings of an assessment can help a person have a better understanding about the scores and how they are relative.

Onetonline.org is an online database of different types of jobs.  This website can be used to locate careers that compliment a person’s Holland type.