Holland Codes

Background

Holland's theories of vocational choice, The Holland Occupational Themes, "now pervades career counseling research and practice." Its origins "can be traced to an article in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 1958 and a subsequent article in 1959 that set out his theory of vocational choices [....] The basic premise was that one's occupational preferences were in a sense a veiled expression of underlying character." The 1959 article in particular ("A Theory of Vocational Choice," published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology) is considered the first major introduction of Holland's "theory of vocational personalities and work environments."

Holland originally labeled his six types as "motoric, intellectual,esthetic, supportive, persuasive, and conforming." He later developed and changed them to: Realistic (Doers), Investigative (Thinkers), Artistic (Creators), Social (Helpers), Enterprising (Persuaders), and Conventional (Organizers)." Professor John Johnson of Penn State suggested that an alternative way of categorizing the six types would be through ancient social roles: "hunters (Realistic), shamans (Investigative), artisans (Artistic), healers (Social), leaders (Enterprising), and lorekeepers (Conventional)."

According to the Committee on Scientific Awards, Holland's "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." Holland also wrote of his theory that "the choice of a vocation is an expression of personality." Furthermore, while Holland suggests that people can be "categorized as one of six types," he also argues that "a six-category scheme built on the assumption that there are only six kinds of people in the world is unacceptable on the strength of common sense alone. But a six category scheme that allows a simple ordering of a person's resemblance to each of the six models provides the possibility of 720 different personality patterns."

R: Doers (Realistic)

People who are "independent, stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty […] no-nonsense, down-to-earth individuals […] physical, athletic, or mechanical." They prefer "things rather than ideas or people […] being outdoors, using tools, operating machines, interacting with animals, and working with their hands." They also value the "natural, concrete, and tangible." Sample majors and careers include:

I: Thinkers (Investigative)

People who are "intellectual, introspective, […] inquisitive […] curious, methodical, rational, analytical, and logical." They prefer "tasks that are scholarly, scientific, technical, or medical [… and] activities that involve thought, observation, investigation, exploration, and discovery […] They like to solve problems, perform experiments, and conduct research." Sample majors and careers include:

A: Creators (Artistic)

People who "are creative, intuitive, sensitive, articulate […], expressive, unstructured, original, nonconforming, and innovative [… who] rely on feelings, imagination […], inspiration [and…who] are spontaneous and open-minded." They prefer to "work with ideas, abstractions, and concepts." They also enjoy work that is "literary, verbal, visual, and aesthetic" and excel in "art, music, dance, drawing, painting, sculpting, drafting, writing, drama, communicating, design, fashion." Sample majors and careers include:

S: Helpers (Social)

People who "are kind, generous, cooperative, patient, caring, helpful, empathetic, tactful, and friendly." They prefer tasks that involve "socializing, helping others, and teaching […] teamwork, social interaction, relationship building [… and] humanitarian, educational, philanthropic, interpersonal, and service-oriented." Sample majors and careers include:

E: Persuaders (Enterprising)

People who "are adventurous, ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, confident […], optimistic […], dominant, persuasive, and motivational." They prefer work that involves "leadership, business, politics, public speaking […], being in charge, taking risks, debating, and competing." Sample majors and careers include:

C: Organizers (Conventional)

People who are "conscientious and conservative […] logical, efficient, orderly […], organized […], thorough, and detail-oriented." They are individuals who "value precision and accuracy." They excel in "practical tasks, quantitative measurements, and structured environments" and who "follow the rules." They prefer work that involves "accounting, statistics […], mathematics, numerical activities, and office settings. Sample majors and careers include: