The Six Holland Occupational ThemesThe Six Holland Occupational ThemesCenter for Career and Experiential Education

First Floor Roosevelt Hall

uri.edu/career

The Six Holland Occupational ThemesThe Six Holland Occupational Themes• The six themes are: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social,

Enterprising, and Conventional• A person will usually identify with three codes strongly

– Represented with first letter of code name

• You can usually see yourself in all of themes, somewhat• After age 25, the letters should stay the same, but the

order of them might change• The verification process in the following screens will allow

you to rate yourself for best fit on each theme compared to your results from the O*NET Interest Profiler

Realistic: The DoersRealistic: The Doers

• Love to work with their hands, tools, machinery, computer networks

• Rugged, practical, athletic, mechanical, adventurous, self-reliant

• Enjoy fixing, repairing, building, working outdoors• Like physical risks• Prefer concrete rather than abstract problems• Present oriented, thing oriented

Realistic Work Environments Realistic Work Environments

• Places where they can produce tangible results – Things that they can see and touch

• Situations calling for minimal interaction with others

• Where casual dress is allowed• Organizations structured with clearly drawn lines

of authority

Realistic QuizRealistic Quiz• What kind of car do they drive?

– Trucks, SUV, Jeep, 4WD• What would be their ideal vacation?

– Camping, attending sports event, fishing, golfing, wilderness, survival, hiking, adventure trip

• What motivates them? – Hands-on, tangible results

• What would they buy?– Boats, campers, sports equipment, power tools, ESPN magazine,

adventure books

Investigative: The ThinkersInvestigative: The Thinkers

• Like to gather information, uncover new facts, interpret data

• Curious, abstract thinkers, rational, critical, intellectual, introverted, insightful, persistent

• Love to explore learning• Strong scientific or mathematic orientation• Competent in analysis, writing, problem solving, research• Very task-oriented• Express themselves by using their minds• Enjoy mental challenges• Solve problems by thinking

Investigative Work Environment Investigative Work Environment

• Unstructured work environments that allow freedom in work styles

• Where they can work alone most of the time• Research labs, universities, computer-related

industries, scientific foundations, medical facilities• Where they can continue to learn and uncover

new data

Investigative QuizInvestigative Quiz

• What would they drive?– Bicycle, Volvo, “hybrid,” Honda, Volt

• What would be their ideal vacation?– Space camp, fossil dig, science museum, African safari, visit ruins,

historical places (Europe)• What motivates them?

– Curiosity, learning, knowledge• What would they buy?

– Telescopes, computers, books, puzzles, electronic equipment, science fiction or mystery novels

Artistic: The Creators Artistic: The Creators

• Enjoy music, art, drama, anything cultural• Enjoy self-expression• Independent and highly creative

– Creativity is expressed in many ways… ideas, writing, appreciating or creating arts, performing, counseling, developing programs, etc.

• Impulsive, non-conforming, sensitive, emotional, visionary, introspective, imaginative

• Enjoy beauty, variety, and what is unusual• Solve problems by doing something new

Artistic Work Environment Artistic Work Environment

• Unstructured, flexible settings that allow self-expression

• Where they can work on their own• Where they can teach skills• Where they can bring creativity into their work• Theaters, concert halls, advertising, public

relations, museums, libraries, education, etc.

Artistic QuizArtistic Quiz• What kind of car do they drive?

– VW Bug, PT Cruiser, Mini Cooper, Convertible• What would be their ideal vacation?

– NYC to see theatre, Venice to see art, dance/acting workshop, lessons in something creative

• What motivates them?– Self-expression

• What would they buy?– Art objects, music CDs, colorful things, decorations, theatre tickets

Social: The HelpersSocial: The Helpers

Like to work with people, often in groups, to help inform, train, teach, nurture, help, develop, cure

Like to arrange positive relationships – create harmonyDeep concern for people and excellent interpersonal skillsHumanistic, cooperative, supportive, tactful, friendly,

outgoingSolve problems by discussing feelings with others

Social Work EnvironmentSocial Work Environment

• Unstructured settings where they can get to know others

• Where they can feel like they make a difference• Where they can work with others• Social services, non-profit, schools, human

resources, mental health fields, health care, community-based jobs

Social QuizSocial Quiz• What car would they drive?

– Mini-van, SUV, Suburban, station wagon, Volvo• Where would be their ideal vacation?

– Cruise with friends/family, beach house vacation, Disney World, family reunion, Habitat for Humanity

• What motivates them?– Helping others

• What would they buy?– Charity event tickets, food to entertain others, People magazine,

self-help books, anything at a fund-raiser

Enterprising: The LeadersEnterprising: The Leaders

Enjoy working with others to persuade, sell, lead, manageLead others towards some organizational goal or

economic gainSelf-confident, sociable, ambitious, energetic, verbal,

assertive, optimistic, competitivePrefer social tasks – can’t stay at a task for too longLike to lead groups, give speeches, manage people and

projects

Enterprising Work EnvironmentEnterprising Work Environment

• Like careers in businesses and large organizations

• Where they can work with others• Where they can live thoroughly in their

environments and have variety• Positions of leadership, power, status• Own a business

Enterprising QuizEnterprising Quiz

• What kind of car do they drive?– Lexus, BMW, Cadillac, Lincoln, high-end SUV

• What is their ideal vacation?– Luxury cruise, spa retreat, week of golf, Hamptons or Cape Cod,

skiing in winter

• What motivates them?– Persuading others, making a deal

• What do they buy?– Nice cars, good clothes, country club memberships, the latest

equipment, bestsellers, Wall Street Journal

Conventional: The OrganizersConventional: The Organizers

• Like activities requiring attention to detail, organization, accuracy, data systems, filing systems

• Enjoy mathematics and data management• Practical, organized, systematic, accurate, dependable,

conscientious, efficient, quite• Like to organize others• Don’t mind being managed• Live in orderliness• Solve problems by organizing them

Conventional Work Environment Conventional Work Environment

• Prefer support service roles• Like to know the structure of the organization

– Well organized chain of command

• Where they can be around others and by self• Where they can be given exact instructions on a project• Large corporations, business offices, accounting firms• Where they can organize things and people

Conventional QuizConventional Quiz

• What kind of car do they drive?– Buick, Honda, Saturn, fuel efficient cars

• What is their ideal vacation?– Historical cities, knitting workshop, pre-programmed

tour, same cabin each year• What motivates them?

– Organizing and bring things together• What do they buy?

– Hobby collections, how-to books, file cabinets and shelves

Occupational Themes Wrap-Up Occupational Themes Wrap-Up

• Questions?

• What have you learned about yourself?

• What do you need in a career to make sure it is in line with your interests?

• What careers will you research as a result? Which majors will you look into?