Holland'sTheoryofCareerChoice

TheCareerKeyisbasedonJohnHolland'stheoryofvocationalchoice.Atitssimplest,thistheoryproposesthat"Birdsofthesamefeatherflocktogether."Inotherwords,peopleliketobearoundotherswhohavesimilarpersonalities.Inchoosingacareer,itmeansthatpeoplechoosejobswheretheycanbearoundotherpeoplewhoarelikethem.

Itisthebestknownandmostwidelyresearchedtheoryonthistopic.Itisusedbymanycareercounselors.UnderstandingitwillhelpyoumakesenseofyourCareerKeyscoresandhowtheyarerelatedtocareerchoice.

Holland'stheorycanbesummarizedinsixstatements:

Inourculture,mostpersonareoneofsixpersonalitytypes: Realistic,Investigative,Artistic,Social,Enterprising,andConventional.

Peopleofthesamepersonalitytendto"flocktogether."Forexample,ArtisticpeopleareattractedtomakingfriendsandworkingwithArtisticpeople.

Peopleofthesamepersonalitytypeworkingtogetherinajobcreateaworkenvironmentthatfitstheirtype.Forexample,whenArtisticpersonsaretogetheronajob,theycreateaworkenvironmentthatrewardscreativethinkingandbehavior--anArtisticenvironment.

Therearesixbasictypesofworkenvironments:,,,,,and.

Peoplewhochoosetoworkinanenvironmentsimilartotheirpersonalitytypearemorelikelytobesuccessfulandsatisfied:

Forexample,ArtisticpersonsaremorelikelytobesuccessfulandsatisfiediftheychooseajobthathasanArtisticenvironment,likechoosingtobeadanceteacherinadancingschool--anenvironment"dominated"byArtistictypepeoplewherecreativeabilitiesandexpressionarehighlyvalued.

6.

Howyouactandfeelatworkdependstoalargeextentonyourworkplaceenvironment.Ifyouareworkingwithpeoplewhohaveapersonalitytypelikeyours,youwillbeabletodomanyofthethingstheycando,andyouwillfeelmostcomfortablewiththem.HowisthisrelatedtothescoresyoureceiveontheCareerKey?

Itmeansthatyouprobablyshouldchooseanoccupationwhosetypeisthesameas,orsimilarto,yourpersonalitytype.Forexample,imaginethatyourhighestscoreontheCareerKeyisfortheRealistictype.Lookingatthetablebelow,youcanseethatthemostcompatiblejobenvironmentisRealistic.ThiswouldsuggestthatyouchoosefromthejobsthatareintheRealisticgroup.Or,youmightchoosefromthejobsthatfallintheInvestigativeorConventionalcategory.

CompatibleWorkEnvironments

YourPersonalityType

MostCompatible

Compatible

Realistic

Investigative&Conventional

Investigative

Realistic&Artistic

Artistic

Investigative&Social

Social

Artistic&Enterprising

Enterprising

Social&Conventional

Conventional

Enterprising&Realistic

Mostpeople,inreality,areacombinationoftypes--likeRealistic-Investigative,orArtistic-Social.

Therefore,youwillprobablywanttoconsideroccupationsinmorethanonecategory.

IfyourtwostrongestpersonalitytypesareRealisticandSocial,Investigativeand