The Holland Code system was developed by Johns Hopkins Sociology professor John Holland, who wanted to build a framework to classify ‘vocational personalities.’ 70 years after Holland’s first published version of the code, it’s still considered a premier tool in career exploration, used by many academic institutions and even the US Department of Labor and Employment and Training Administration.
What is the Holland Code?
Holland wrote of his work that “research shows that personalities seek out and flourish in career environments they fit and that jobs and career environments are classifiable by the personalities that flourish in them.” The Code builds a six-category scheme with 270 different unique personality patterns. The categories are as follows:
Realistic: The Do-ers
Realistic work is building work, and the do-ers love to work with their hands, and often, their tools. Realistic workers are practical, hands-on learners and creators, and enjoy working with objects and materials (maybe more so than people).
Example jobs for Realistic workers: Mechanics, Construction, Electricians, and some Engineers.
Investigative: The Thinkers
Investigative work is all about problem solving, and the thinkers love to solve problems. Some thinkers can never turn off the problem solving! They like working with concepts and ideas, rather than material things, and enjoy roles where they can research and experiment. Investigative professions tends to be more independent as well, though they will often have to present their findings to a group.
Example jobs for Investigative workers: Health Care, IT, Professor, Psychologist.
Artistic: The Creators
The creators want to see their imagination come to life, and artistic work allows them to express themselves and produce something unique. This kind of creation is less about using your two hands to build a physical thing (that is Realistic work) and more about bringing ideas to life: design, performance, writing, and self-expression. This kind of work tends to be less structured than the other roles, so while creativity is key, it’s important to have the discipline to finish your craft.
Example jobs for Artistic workers: Graphic design, Journalist, Dancer, Translator.
Social: The Helpers
Helpers seek to better the lives of others, and the social work role is all about connecting with and cooperating with other people. Helpers are compassionate, and want to see their work have an impact on others lives. They find value in building connections and often prefer cooperative or team roles.
Example jobs for Social workers: Counselor, Teacher, Nurse, Social Worker.
Enterprising: The Persuaders
Persuaders enjoy leading people and teams and roles with power or authority. They tend to be energetic people with charisma, and are comfortable motivating, networking, and persuading others to achieve their often lofty goals. They are comfortable taking on risk, as they know it is essential to achieve big success.
Example jobs for Enterprising workers: Politician, Real Estate Agent, Sales Representative, Manager.
Conventional: The Organizers
Organizers love a structured environment, completing tasks with efficiency and precision. Conventional work is all about systems and processes, and often requires a high level of attention to detail. This makes them greatly suited for roles dealing with data, accounting, and administrative work.
Example jobs for Conventional workers: Accountant, Actuary, Record keeper, Data Processor, Market Researcher.
There are a range of online assessments and tools that evaluate and assign your Holland Code(s) (at College Path we use YouScience) but I think many people will feel by looking at the list, they resonate with a few categories. There is often not just one perfect type of work for an individual; most people will prefer a couple of the Holland Code work types, and it’s rare that a career will only use one type as well. While being an actor is obviously Artistic, it’s also Enterprising, as well. A good baker could be categorized as Realistic and Conventional, while someone suited to be an engineer may be Investigative and Realistic. Finding which of the types of work you’re best suited for will hopefully make the career selection process less daunting. There are lots of tools that make use of knowing your Holland Code preferences: websites such as Truity.com let you search careers by their Holland Code, and even some universities use Holland Codes for their career/major websites and selection tools.
Understanding The Holland Code and determining the kinds of work you prefer will help you identify your best-fit working environment, the roles for you on a team, and help align your personality with your career, giving you the best shot at long term professional success and happiness.
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