Holland Theory

Holland Theory

Discover who you are, what your skills and abilities are, and then find a career that fits you

Career development theorist John Holland, Ph.D., developed a theory of career choice based on the following premises:

Six themes of people and work environments, within which all jobs can be classified:

— Realistic

— Investigative

— Artistic

— Social

— Enterprising

— Conventional

Career satisfaction depends on the compatibility between your personality and your work environment.

According to Holland, workers are not passive victims of their environments, but actively seek potentially compatible work environments. If your personality and the work environment “fit”—that is, if your personality is congruent with your work environment—you will most likely enjoy your work, and you will develop and grow in your career.

Think about your interests, personality, and skills, and then determine which occupational theme(s) sound the most consistent with your personality. You can also use formal or informal assessments to determine which themes fit you. Note that everyone fits to some degree in more than one occupational theme. Therefore, it is important to look at which themes rank as the top three. Combining the first letter of each of these three themes makes up what is called the Holland code.

To form a Holland code, take the first letter of the occupational theme that best describes your personality (R=Realistic, I=Investigative, etc.), then the first letter of the second highest theme, and finally the first letter of the third highest. For example, if your interests rank in the order of 1) Artistic, 2) Investigative, and 3) Social, your Holland code would be AIS. When exploring careers with Holland profiles that relate to your Holland code, consider careers that have any combination of that 3-letter code—e.g., AIS, ISA, ASI, SAI, etc.

To determine your Holland code, consider a self-assessment tool or instrument. Formal assessments based on the Holland theory include the Strong Interest Inventory (SII), the Self-Directed Search (SDS), and the Career Key™. Some informal assessments have also been developed around the Holland theory, including “The Party Game” from What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles and “Let’s Make a Deal” from Real People, Real Jobs by Montross, Liebowitz and Shinkman.

Once you've determined your Holland code, you can begin to explore careers and the education or training required to be successful.