Success story: Career interest assessment
Updated 2024-12-18. Originally published 2016-06-24 on VocationVillage.com
Brian Stewart was uncertain what career to choose, so he used career interest assessment to help him make a career choice. Brian took an assessment that uses a Holland code to categorize his interests. This is the same type of code used in the most widely used career interest assessment, the Strong Interest Inventory®. Holland code categories are:
- Realistic
- Investigative
- Artistic
- Social
- Enterprising
- Conventional
You can read full descriptions of Holland codes at O*Net OnLine, a U.S. Department of Labor resource. Some career interest assessments rename the Holland codes to more descriptive categories:
- Doers
- Thinkers
- Creators
- Helpers
- Persuaders
- Organizers
Brian's assessment results were:
Realistic/Doers - High
Investigative/Thinkers - Moderate
Artistic/Creators - High
Social/Helpers - Moderate
Enterprising/Persuaders - Moderate
Conventional/Organizers - Low
You can find out your Holland code using the free O*Net Interest Profiler.
The My Next Move website offers a way to search for careers that match interests. Brian searched for professions that use his Realistic and Artistic interests. After reviewing the suggestions, Brian enrolled at a college where he could take classes in editing and publishing. While he was in school, he completed internships in online/digital marketing (writing and editing blogs and online content and learning about SEO). The internship led to a full-time job for a resume-writing business. Brian wrote all the content for their websites, managed online promotions, wrote guest blog posts to market the business, and created/edited resume templates.
After a year with the resume writing company, Brian landed a job as a digital marketer for TheHumberviewGroup, an automotive sales company. Brian writes content for their website and manages digital marketing. Brian said, "I am very satisfied with my current job and career. I credit the assessment with helping guide me to this path."
Key points from Brian's success story:
- Career interest assessment can narrow your career exploration to a manageable number of options to explore.
- Go beyond job titles. Titles change between companies and are subject to change, and most career interest assessments will not list something as specific as "Digital Marketer" or "SEO Specialist." Instead, the assessment will help you evaluate your interest level in broad categories that will then help lead you to specific careers within those areas.
- Once you have an area of focus, start building a track record as Brian did. Opportunities will develop as you gain skills and connections.
If you have a question about career interest assessment, please send it, and I may choose your question for a future article.
