How Holland’s Vocational Types Can Guide Your Career Choice
Are you finishing school and still figuring out what to do next? Or perhaps you’re considering a career change but unsure which path truly fits you?
In today's article I want to introduce you to John Holland’s Vocational Types theory developed between 1959 and 1998. Despite some criticism, Holland’s theory is still one of the most influential models in vocational psychology and widely used by many career coaches and counselors for structuring the counseling process for career choices.
Holland’s central argument is that vocational choice is a direct expression of an individual's personality. According to him, people seek out occupational environments where they can apply their skills and abilities while expressing their core values and attitudes. In simple terms, his hypothesis can be summarized as follows::
Our career choices are an expression of our personality. The decision to pursue a specific career is a reflection of an individual's character and predispositions. Holland suggested that there are six main personality/vocational types, summarized under the acronym of RAISEC, and each of them has their own set of skills, abilities, values and preferences.
Existence of Corresponding Environments: Holland also suggested that each personality type tends to thrive in a specific kind of work environment dominated by people with similar traits
The Search for Congruency: Holland understood congruency as the harmonious fit or match between our vocational type and the work environment. People actively search for environments that are congruent with their vocational type, allowing them to exercise their skills and abilities, express their values, and take on agreeable roles. This person-environment fit is the primary predictor of career satisfaction, stability, and success according to Holland.
So let’s explore the six personality (or vocational) types proposed by Hollands.
The Six Personality Types (RIASEC)
Holland proposed the idea that if you want to experience career satisfaction, stability and success then you have to start by knowing your personality or vocational type and then choose a career that presents the congruent work environment.
According to this theory, each of us can fall into one of these personalities: Realistic, Investigative (referred to as "Investigative" or "Intellectual"), Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Let's explore each of them very briefly:
Realistic (Doers)
Practical, hands-on, prefer working with tools, machines, outdoors.
Careers: mechanics, engineers, pilots, farmers, technicians.
Investigative (Thinkers)
Analytical, curious, logical, problem-solvers.
Careers: scientists, researchers, IT analysts, psychologists.
Artistic (Creators)
Imaginative, expressive, dislike rigid structures.
Careers: designers, writers, musicians, architects.
Social (Helpers)
Empathetic, communicative, supportive, people-oriented.
Careers: teachers, coaches, nurses, counselors, HR professionals.
Enterprising (Persuaders)
Energetic, persuasive, leadership-oriented, ambitious.
Careers: entrepreneurs, managers, lawyers, sales professionals.
Conventional (Organizers)
Structured, detail-oriented, prefer order and routine.
Careers: accountants, administrators, bankers, office managers.
Most of us are not defined by one single type. Our personality is very complex and hence Holland suggested that we usually have three dominant types — our vocational code — that together describe our ideal work style. According to him, we all have a primary vocational type and two secondary vocational types, which creates our unique vocational profile. This code is a three letters code that represents our 3 main vocational types.
So, how do these six types and the vocational code appear in real life? For example, my vocational profile is primarily Realistic, then Social and Conventional, hence my vocational code is RSC. As a Realistic, I feel motivated in roles where my outcomes produced tangible benefits in people's lives/careers. I prefer to participate in initiatives where I can clearly measure my impact or contribution. As a Social type, I like to work in roles where people are at the center, such as Human Resources and Coaching roles. And the Conventional element shows in my preference for organized environments and my interest for optimizing processes. In practice, this means I thrive when I can help others grow while improving systems and achieving measurable results.
If you’re curious to know your own vocational type, you can visit O*NET Interest Profiler webpage for a free assessment, takes only 10 minutes, and gives you both your code and matching careers. Or choose any of the other free assessments available on the internet.
Whether you’re choosing your first career or re-evaluating your current one, understanding your vocational type can guide you toward greater alignment and satisfaction. My aim with this article was to provide a starting point and to serve this purpose, this article only covered the basics of Holland’s complex theory, leaving out many of its deeper concepts. If interested, I encourage you to look for more information about it and remember don’t make any final career choice based only on the result of the test. Seek professional guidance whenever possible. Use the information and any recommendations in this article at your own discretion.
Reflect and Explore:
When do you feel most confident — when solving problems, helping others, creating, or organizing?
Do you prefer working with things, data, or people?
Which of these six types sounds most like you? Which one feels least like you?
What frustrates you most at work — lack of structure, lack of creativity, too much routine, or lack of connection?
Does your current (or desired) role reflect your main type? If not, what could you change to make it a better fit?
How could you explore new paths that align better with your code — through study, volunteering, or small projects?