Holland's Six Personality Types

According to John Holland's theory, most people are one of six personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic,
Social, Enterprising, and Conventional.

Take the valid Career Key test to find out which ones you are most like and the careers and college majors that fit
you best. The characteristics of each of these are described below:

Realistic

Likes to work with animals, tools, or machines; generally avoids social activities like teaching, healing, and
informing others;
Has good skills in working with tools, mechanical or electrical drawings, machines, or plants and animals;
Values practical things you can see, touch, and use like plants and animals, tools, equipment, or machines;
and
Sees self as practical, mechanical, and realistic.

Investigative

Likes to study and solve math or science problems; generally avoids leading, selling, or persuading people;
Is good at understanding and solving science and math problems;
Values science; and
Sees self as precise, scientific, and intellectual.

Artistic

Likes to do creative activities like art, drama, crafts, dance, music, or creative writing; generally avoids highly
ordered or repetitive activities;
Has good artistic abilities -- in creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art;
Values the creative arts -- like drama, music, art, or the works of creative writers; and
Sees self as expressive, original, and independent.

Social

Likes to do things to help people -- like, teaching, nursing, or giving first aid, providing information; generally
avoids using machines, tools, or animals to achieve a goal;
Is good at teaching, counseling, nursing, or giving information;
Values helping people and solving social problems; and
Sees self as helpful, friendly, and trustworthy.

Enterprising

Likes to lead and persuade people, and to sell things and ideas; generally avoids activities that require
careful observation and scientific, analytical thinking;
Is good at leading people and selling things or ideas;
Values success in politics, leadership, or business; and
Sees self as energetic, ambitious, and sociable.
Conventional

Likes to work with numbers, records, or machines in a set, orderly way; generally avoids ambiguous,
unstructured activities
Is good at working with written records and numbers in a systematic, orderly way;
Values success in business; and
Sees self as orderly, and good at following a set plan.

Summary of Holland's theory:

1. In our culture, most people are one of six personality

types: Realistic, Investigative,Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Some refer to these as Holland
Codes or RIASEC.

2. People of the same personality type working together create a work environment that fits their type. For
example, when Artistic persons are together on a job, they create a work environment that rewards creative
thinking and behavior -- an Artistic environment.

3. There are six basic types of work

environments: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic,Social, Enterprising, Conventional. "Work" includes doing
things to achieve a purpose, like paid and unpaid jobs, volunteering, sports, or hobbies.

4. People search for environments where they can use their skills and abilities and express their values and
attitudes. For example, Investigative types search for Investigative environments; Artistic types look for
Artistic environments, and so forth.

5. People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be
successful and satisfied.For example, Artistic people are more likely to be successful and satisfied if they
choose a job that has an Artistic environment, like choosing to be a dance teacher in a dancing school -- an
environment "dominated" by Artistic type people where creative abilities and expression are highly valued.

6. How you act and feel at work depends to a large extent on your workplace (or school) environment. If you
are working with people who have a personality type like yours, you will be able to do many of the things
they can do, and you will feel most comfortable with them.
 Next step: Match your personality to compatible environments

Choosing work or an education program that matches, or is similar to your personality, will most likely lead to
success and satisfaction. This good match is called "congruent" (meaning compatible, in agreement or harmony).

So for example, imagine you score highest for the Realistic type on the Career Key Discovery assessment. On the
table below, you see that your most compatible work environment is Realistic, a congruent match. It's best if you
choose a Realistic job, or you might also choose Investigative or Conventional jobs.

Compatible Work Environments

Your Personality Type
Most Compatible Other Compatible
Realistic
Realistic Conventional & Investigative
Investigative
Investigative Artistic & Realistic
Artistic
Artistic Investigative & Social
Social
Social Artistic & Enterprising
Enterprising
Enterprising Conventional & Social
Conventional
Conventional Enterprising & Realistic

Most people, in reality, are a combination of typeslike Realistic-Investigative, or Artistic-Social. Therefore, you will
probably want to consider occupations in more than one category.

In summary, you are most likely to choose a satisfying work if you choose to do something that fits your personality
type.

If your two strongest personality types are "inconsistent"Realistic and Social, Investigative and Enterprising, or
Artistic and Conventionalbe sure to read the next section, below, and this article.

Holland's Hexagon

John Holland created a hexagonal model that shows the relationship between the personality types and
environments.
Notice that the personality types closest to each other are more alike than those farther away. You can see this
most clearly when you compare the personalities opposite each other, on the hexagon. For example, read the
description of the types for Realistic andSocial. You will see that they are virtually the opposite of each other. On the
other hand, Social and Artistic are not that far apart.

The same holds true for the work environments. Read their descriptions and you will see.

See how the hexagon reflects introversion and extroversion; personality-environment match applies to those
dimensions also.

Inconsistent Personality Patterns

If your two strongest personality types are Realistic and Social, Investigative and Enterprising, or Artistic and
Conventional, read about inconsistent personality patternsand how they can work to your advantage.

Two requirements for using Holland's theory

To benefit from Holland's theory, you must use a:

1. Valid (accurate) measure of Holland's personality types, supported by published research, and
2. List of careers and majors that are accurately assigned to the correct personality types.

John L. Holland
To kick off a new year I have decided to start writing a series on key careers
advice theories, theories every careers adviser should know. First off I am going
to look at the occupational psychologist John L. Holland.

Holland for many Holland is the Grandfather of careers advice. His matching
theory of vocational choice through his RIASEC codes has underpinned scores
of career inventories after him. John L. Holland claimed that both people and
work environments can be categorised and then matched to each other.
Hollands theory aims to categories people according to what type of work they
are most interested in and then categories occupations under the same scheme
to measure their congruence. In Hollands words people tend to act on their
dominant interests and seek occupations in which their interests can be
expressed. (Holland 1996: 400) Hollands actual scheme was based around a
six point hexagon which focuses on six types of person and job which are
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. This can
be seen below;

Realistic [R]: A realistic person prefers concrete tasks. He or she likes working
alone or with other realistic people.
Investigative [I]: Someone who is investigative likes to use his or her abstract or
analytical skills to figure things out. He or she is a thinker who strives to
complete tasks and often prefers to do so independently.
Artistic [A]: The artistic members of our society like to create things. They are
imaginative and usually extroverted.
Social [S]: A social person prefers interacting with people. He or she tends to be
concerned with social problems and wants to help others.
Enterprising [E]: Those who are enterprising lean toward leadership roles. They
are willing to take on challenges and are extroverted. They can be aggressive as
well.
Conventional [C]: Someone who is conventional prefers structured tasks and
tending to details. He or she is often conservative.
These types are then displayed in a hexagon, the idea being that the further
apart from each other on the hexagon two types were the less the types would
have in common and the less someone would find satisfying a career in the more
separated types (for example Realistic is furthest apart from Social).
Holland claims we all have three dominant types which are displayed in order
(referred to as our Holland code, I am apparently for example). The main idea
is that individuals should use their dominant type and then look for a career in
that field (for example people with Social would benefit from considering careers
in educational or health and social care field). Holland developed a tool called the
self-directed search for individuals to make use of to identify their code, it
consists of a series of questions and then a scoring chart where you add up your
answers in various categories giving you your code.

Critique

Holland it should be pointed out is well critiqued so let us start with some strong
points. Hollands greatest strength is his simplicity, I am type S and so I should
look for S type jobs has a simplicity of logic to it. It is obvious what practitioners
and clients alike should do with his theory, a common critique of more complex
theories is they make it far from obvious how to employ them in practice. No such
problem with Holland. Holland is also powerful in that it can generate an answer
for someone no matter their level of experience or how clear and idea of their
identity they can articulate.Thatsaid there are a whole host of criticisms of Holland
that it is worth highlighting:
Studies (especially Spokane (1985)) do not show the level of satisfaction Holland
claims should be achieved through a correct match.
Holland does not take into account the difference between career and job.
People may find a job they are suited to unsatisfying for a wide range of reasons
and so theories are needed that take into account the gap between career and job
while Hollands erodes it.
It is not always easy to classify people or jobs under Hollands system, things are
not always so neat and tidy. Jobs for example are increasingly complex resisting a
focus on one area.
Holland puts an unrealistically high standard on LMI in effect claiming
practitioners can list all jobs attached to a certain code.
The theory puts all of the expertise with the practitioner and the technique and asks
very little of the client. The client is passive and just receives a diagnosis from
someone else.
Holland does not recognise wider social phenomenon that may affect career such as
ethnicity, gender, location, social capital etc. both in terms of how they affect our
perceptions and limit opportunities. These factors need to be taken into account to
get from type to job.
Holland provides little support on how to choose between roles you are equally
well matched to.
In conclusion Holland is massively influential in the legacy of computer
questionnaire inventories that have spawned out from him plus his popularisation
of type as a concept for governing career choice. Personally in my practice I use
his hexagon as a set of categories to discuss with clients who are stuck to know
what they are good at. I feel though his legacy is a difficult and one I personally
feel a bit uneasy with.

Bibliography

Arnold, J. (2004). The congruence problem in John Hollands theory of vocational

decisions. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77.

Holland, J.L. (1997). Making vocational choices

Spokane, A.R. Hollands Theory in Brown, D. Brookes L. et al. (1996). Career

Choice and Development

Spokane, A.R. (1985). A review of research on person-environment congruence

in Hollands theory of careers. Journal of Vocational Behaviour, 31.