The Holland Codes or the Holland Occupational Themes (RIASEC) are a taxonomy of interests based on a theory of careers and vocational choice that was initially developed by American psychologist John L. Holland.The Development, Evolution, and Status of Holland's Theory of Vocational Personalities: Reflections and Future Directions for Counseling Psychology
" ''Journal of Counseling Psychology'', Vol 57(1), 2010, 11–22. The Holland Codes serve as a component of the interests assessment, the Strong Interest Inventory. In addition, the

US Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemp ...

's Employment and Training Administration has been using an updated and expanded version of the RIASEC model in the "Interests" section of its free online database O*NET ( Occupational Information Network) since its inception during the late 1990s.

Overview

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 The ''Journal of Applied Psychology'' is a monthly, peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Psychological Association. The journal emphasizes the publication of original investigations that contribute new knowledge and understandin ...

'' 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."Athanasou, James.
Obituary: John L. Holland 1919–2008
''Australian Journal of Career Development'', September 22, 2009. 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)". Holland's six categories show some correlation with each other. It is called the RIASEC model or the hexagonal model because the initial letter of the region is equal to R-I-A-S-E-C when it is expressed as a circle connecting the regions of high correlation. Professor John Johnson of

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

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)". Holland offers full definitions of each type in his book, ''Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments (Third Edition)'' (1997). 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"."Award for distinguished scientific applications of psychology: John L. Holland". ''American Psychologist'', Vol 63(8), Nov 2008, 672–674. Holland also wrote of his theory that "the choice of a vocation is an expression of personality".Holland, John. ''Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Careers''. (Prentice-Hall, 1973). Furthermore, while Holland suggested that people can be "categorized as one of six types", he also argued 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."

Related model

Prediger's two-dimensional model

Prediger constructed the scale of "work task" and "work relevant abilities" based on Holland's model, and carried out factor analysis and multidimensional scale analysis to clarify the basic structure. As a result, two axes of Data/Ideas and Things/People were extracted. Although Prediger's inquiry did not start from interest per se, it eventually led to the birth of models other than RIASEC, suggesting that the structure of occupational interest may provide a basic dimension.

Tracey and Rounds's octagonal model

In the United States, the energetic trial is being made with the aim of the new model which surpasses Holland hexagon model in 1990's. Tracey & Rounds's octagonal model is one such example. Based on the empirical data, they argue that occupational interests can be placed circularly in a two-dimensional plane consisting of People/Things and Data/ldeas axes, and the number of regions can be arbitrarily determined. According to their model, only Holland's hexagonal model does not adequately represent the structure of occupational interest, and it is possible to retain validity as an octagonal or 16 square model if necessary. Tracey, Watanabe, & Schneider conducted an international comparative study of job interests among Japanese and U.S. university students, and the results suggest that the Tracey & Rounds's octagonal model is more fitted to Japanese students than Holland's hexagonal model.

Tracey and Rounds's spherical model

Tracey & Rounds criticizes that the conventional models of occupational interest structure do not correctly depict the positional relationship of occupations because they neglect occupational prestige, i.e., "social prestige" or "high socioeconomic status" and proposes a spherical model that assigns occupations to a 3-dimensional space incorporating occupational prestige. In this model, 18 regions of interest are displayed on a spherical space. The left hemisphere has a high status area, with Health Sciences at the top. The right hemisphere has a low status area, with Service Provision as the lowest ground. Though this model is excellent in the point of more accurately describing the relation between various occupations, it makes the occupation interest structure more complicated, and there is a weak point that it is difficult to be adapted to the data except for the U.S.

List of types

R: Realistic (Doers)

Holland defines the "Realistic Type" as a person who has “a preference for activities that entail the explicit, ordered, or systematic manipulation of objects, tools, machines, and animals…these behavioral tendencies lead in turn to the acquisition of manual, mechanical, agricultural, electrical, and technical competencies.” Sample majors and careers include: *Agriculture *Architect (with Artistic and Enterprising) * Athletics *Carpenter (with Conventional and Investigative) * Culinary arts/Chef (with Artistic and Enterprising) *

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

Chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

(with Investigative and Conventional) *

Computer engineering Computer engineering (CE, CoE, or CpE) is a branch of engineering specialized in developing computer hardware and software. It integrates several fields of electrical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Computer engi ...

Computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

/Information technology/

Computer programmer A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code someone with skill in computer programming. The professional titles ''software developer'' and ''software engineer'' are used for jobs that require a progr ...

(with Investigative and Conventional) *Dentist (with Investigative and Social) *Engineer (with Investigative and Conventional) *Fashion design (with Artistic and Enterprising) *

Firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...

(with Social and Enterprising) *

Graphic designer A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming ...

(with Artistic and Enterprising) *

Model (people) A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model. Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...

(with Artistic and Enterprising) *Musician (with Artistic and Enterprising) *Nurse (with Social, Conventional, and Investigative) *

Outdoor recreation Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...

* Park Naturalist (with Social and Artistic) *

Personal trainer A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, providing m ...

(with Enterprising and Social) *Photographer (with Artistic and Enterprising) *

Physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a healthcare profession, as well as the care provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through patient education, physical intervention, disease preventio ...

(with Social and Investigative) * Driver *

Sports medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

/ Wilderness medicine (with Social and Investigative) *Surgeon (with Investigative and Social) *

Veterinarian A veterinarian (vet) or veterinary surgeon is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, veterinarians also play a role in animal r ...

(with Investigative and Social) *

Web developer A web developer is a programmer who develops World Wide Web applications using a client–server model. The applications typically use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in the client, and any general-purpose programming language in the server. is used ...

(with Conventional, Artistic, and Investigative) * Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (with Investigative)

I: Investigative (Thinkers)

Holland defines the "Investigative Type" as a person who has "a preference for activities that entail the observational, symbolic, systematic and creative investigation of physical, biological, and cultural phenomena (in order to understand and control such phenomena)... these behavioral tendencies lead in turn to an acquisition of scientific and mathematical competencies." Sample majors and careers include: *

Actuary An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require investment management, asset management, ...

(with Conventional and Enterprising) *Archivist/Librarian (with Social and Conventional) * Biostatistics/Masters in Public Health (with Conventional) *Carpenter (with Conventional and Realistic) * CPA (Certified Public Accountant) (with Conventional and Enterprising) *

(with Realistic and Conventional) * Community Health Workers/Masters in Public Health (with Social and Enterprising) *

/Information technology/

(with Realistic and Conventional) * Counselor (with Social and Artistic) *Dentist (with Realistic and Social) * Dietitian/

Nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and Human nutrition, nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disci ...

(with Social and Enterprising) *Doctor (Medical school/

Medical research Medical research (or biomedical research), also known as health research, refers to the process of using scientific methods with the aim to produce knowledge about human diseases, the prevention and treatment of illness, and the promotion of ...

) (with Social) *Engineer (with Realistic and Conventional) *

Financial analyst A financial analyst is a professional undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. Epidemiology/Masters in Public Health (with Social) *Lawyer (with Enterprising and Social) *Nurse (with Realistic, Conventional, and Social) *

Paralegal A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant or paralegal specialist, is a legal professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with an admission to practice law. The market for p ...

(with Conventional and Enterprising) *Pharmacist (with Social and Conventional), *

(with Social and Realistic) *

Physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

*Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers (with Artistic) *Professor/Research – PhD *

Psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

Psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

(with Social and Artistic); Art therapist/ Dance therapy/Drama therapy/

Music therapy Music therapy, an allied health profession, "is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music t ...

/ Narrative therapy/ Culinary therapy *Social Work (with Social) * Speech-language pathology/ Myofunctional therapist (With Social and Artistic) *

/ Wilderness medicine (with Social and Realistic) *Surgeon (with Realistic and Social) *

Technical writer A technical writer is a professional communicator whose task is to convey complex information in simple terms to an audience of the general public or a very select group of readers. Technical writers research and create information through a vari ...

Proofreader Proofreading is a phase in the process of publishing where galley proofs are compared against the original manuscripts or graphic artworks, to identify transcription errors in the typesetting process. In the past, proofreaders would place co ...

Copy Editor Copy editing (also known as copyediting and manuscript editing) is the process of revising written material (" copy") to improve quality and readability, as well as ensuring that a text is free of errors in grammar, style, and accuracy. ''The Ch ...

(with Artistic and Conventional) *

Tutor Tutoring is private academic help, usually provided by an expert teacher; someone with deep knowledge or defined expertise in a particular subject or set of subjects. A tutor, formally also called an academic tutor, is a person who provides assis ...

(with Social) *

(with Realistic and Social) *

(with Conventional, Realistic, and Artistic) * Zoologists and Wildlife Biologists (with Realistic)

A: Artistic (Creators)

Holland defines the "Artistic Type" as a person who has "a preference for ambiguous, free, unsystematized activities that entail the manipulation of physical, verbal, or human materials to create art forms or products...these behavioral tendencies lead in turn to the acquisition of artistic competencies." Sample majors and careers include: *Architect (with Realistic and Enterprising) *

Broadcast journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...

(with Enterprising) * Culinary arts (with Realistic and Enterprising) *Entrepreneur (with Social and Enterprising) *Fashion design (with Realistic and Enterprising) *

(with Enterprising and Realistic) *

(with Realistic and Enterprising) *Musician (with Enterprising and Realistic) * Park Naturalist (with Social and Realistic) *Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers (with Investigative) *

(with Social and Investigative); Art therapist/ Dance therapy/Drama therapy/

/ Narrative therapy/ Culinary therapy *Photographer (with Realistic and Enterprising) * Speech-language pathology/ Myofunctional therapist (With Social and Investigative) *

(with Investigative and Conventional) * Trainer (business) (with Social and Conventional) *Translator (with Social) *

(with Conventional, Realistic, and Investigative)

S: Social (Helpers)

Holland defines the "Social Type" as a person who has "a preference for activities that entail the manipulation of others to inform, train, develop, cure, or enlighten...these behavioral tendencies lead in turn to an acquisition of human relations competencies." Sample majors and careers include: *Archivist/Librarian (with Conventional and Investigative) * CFP (Certified Financial Planner)/ Personal Financial Planner (with Conventional and Enterprising) *Clergy (with Artistic and Enterprising) *

Community Organizer Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community buil ...

* Community Health Workers/Masters in Public Health (with Investigative and Enterprising) * Counselors (various)/

Adviser An adviser or advisor is normally a person with more and deeper knowledge in a specific area and usually also includes persons with cross-functional and multidisciplinary expertise. An adviser's role is that of a mentor or guide and differs catego ...

s (with Investigative, Enterprising, Conventional, and Artistic) ** Guidance/School Counselors, Academic Advisors,

Career Counselors Career counseling is a type of advice-giving and support provided by career counselors to their clients, to help the clients manage their journey through life, learning and work changes (career). This includes career exploration, making career c ...

(see also: List of psychotherapies)Educational, Guidance, School, and Vocational Counselors
/ref> *

Customer service Customer service is the assistance and advice provided by a company to those who buy or use its products or services, either in person or remotely. Customer service is often practiced in a way that reflects the strategies and values of a firm, and ...

(with Conventional and Enterprising) *Dentist (with Investigative and Realistic) * Dietitian/

(with Investigative and Enterprising) *Doctor (Medical school/

) (with Investigative) * Educational administration (with Enterprising and Conventional) * Educational consultant (with Conventional and Enterprising)Holland Theme Codes
/ref> *

Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

(with Enterprising and Artistic) * Epidemiology/Masters in Public Health (with Investigative) * Personal Financial Planner/ Certified Financial Planner (with Enterprising and Conventional) *

(with Realistic and Enterprising) * Fitness Trainer and Aerobics Teacher (with Enterprising and Realistic) * Foreign Service/Diplomacy (with Enterprising and Artistic) *

Human Resources Human resources (HR) is the set of people who make up the workforce of an organization, business sector, industry, or economy. A narrower concept is human capital, the knowledge and skills which the individuals command. Similar terms include ' ...

(with Conventional and Enterprising) *Lawyer (with Investigative and Enterprising) *Nurse (with Realistic, Conventional, and Investigative) * Park Naturalist (with Realistic and Artistic) *Pharmacist (with Investigative and Conventional) *

(with Realistic and Investigative) *

(with Artistic and Investigative); Art therapist/ Dance therapy/Drama therapy/

/ Narrative therapy/ Culinary therapy * Social Advocate *Sociology *Social Work * Speech-language pathology/ Myofunctional therapist (With Investigative and Artistic) *Surgeon (with Realistic and Investigative) *Teacher (

Early childhood education Early childhood education (ECE), also known as nursery education, is a branch of Education sciences, education theory that relates to the teaching of children (formally and informally) from birth up to the age of eight. Traditionally, this is ...

, Primary school, Secondary school, Teaching English as a second language,

Special education Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...

, and Substitute teaching) (with Artistic) *

/ Wilderness medicine (with Investigative and Realistic) * Trainer (business) (with Artistic and Conventional) *Translator (with Artistic) *

(with Investigative) *

(with Investigative and Realistic)

E: Enterprising (Persuaders)

Holland defines the "Enterprising Type" as a person who has "a preference for actives that entail the manipulation of others to attain organization goals or economic gain...these behavioral tendencies lead in turn to an acquisition of leadership, interpersonal, and persuasive competences." Sample majors and careers include: *

(with Investigative and Conventional) *Architect (with Artistic and Realistic) *Business (with Social and Conventional) * Broker or Agent (i.e. Automobile broker, Real Estate broker etc.) *

Buyer Procurement is the process of locating and agreeing to terms and purchasing goods, services, or other works from an external source, often with the use of a tendering or competitive bidding process. The term may also refer to a contractual o ...

* CPA (Certified Public Accountant) (with Investigative and Conventional) * CFP (Certified Financial Planner)/ Personal Financial Planner (with Social and Conventional) * Community Health Workers/Masters in Public Health (with Investigative and Social) * Culinary arts (with Artistic and Realistic) *Clergy (with Artistic and Social) *

(with Conventional and Social) * Dietitian/

(with Social and Investigative) * Educational administration (with Social and Conventional) * Educational consultant (with Conventional and Social) *

(with Social and Artistic) *Fashion design (with Artistic and Realistic) *

Financial analyst A financial analyst is a professional undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. Foreign Service/Diplomacy (with Social and Artistic) *

(with Social and Realistic) * Fitness Trainer and Aerobics Teacher (with Realistic and Social) *

Fundraising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

(with Artistic and Realistic) *

(with Conventional and Social) *

(with Artistic) *Lawyer (with Investigative and Social) *Management/

Management Consultant Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultant ...

* Market Research Analyst (with Investigative) *

(with Artistic and Realistic) *Musician (with Artistic and Realistic) *

(with Conventional and Investigative) *Photographer (with Artistic and Realistic) * Public Health Educator/Masters in Public Health (with Social) * Property manager/ Community association manager (with Conventional) *

Public relations Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. Pu ...

/Publicity/Advertising/Marketing (with Artistic) *Sales (with Conventional and Social)

C: Conventional (Organizers)

Holland defines the "Conventional Type" as a person who has "a preference for actives that entail the explicit, ordered, systematic manipulation of data (keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing business machines and data processing equipment to attain organizational or economic goals)...these behavioral tendencies lead in turn to an acquisition of clerical, computational, and business system competencies." Sample majors and careers include: *

(with Investigative and Enterprising) *Archivist/Librarian (with Social and Investigative) * Biostatistics/Masters in Public Health (with Investigative) *Carpenter (with Realistic and Investigative) *

(with Investigative and Realistic) * CFP (Certified Financial Planner)/ Personal Financial Planner (with Social and Enterprising) * CPA (Certified Public Accountant) (with Investigative and Enterprising) *

/Information technology/

(with Investigative and Realistic) *

(with Enterprising and Social) * Educational administration (with Social and Enterprising) * Educational consultant (with Social and Enterprising) *Engineer (with Investigative and Realistic) *

Financial analyst A financial analyst is a professional undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job. Personal Financial Planner/ Certified Financial Planner (with Social and Enterprising) *

(HR) (with Enterprising and Social) * Maths teacher (with Social) *Nurse (with Realistic, Social, and Investigative) *

Office administration Office administration (shortened as Office AD and abbreviated as OA) is a set of day-to-day activities or tasks that are related to the maintenance of an office building, Financial planning (business), financial planning, record keeping and Invoice ...

(with Enterprising) *

(with Enterprising and Investigative) *

Pharmacist A pharmacist, also known as a chemist in English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English, is a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable about preparation, mechanism of action, clinical usage and legislation of medications in ...

(with Social and Investigative), * Property manager/ Community association manager (with Enterprising) *

Real Estate Agent Real estate agents and real estate brokers are people who represent sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and age ...

(with Enterprising) *Statistician (with Realistic and Investigative) *

(with Artistic and Investigative) * Trainer (business) (with Social and Artistic) *

(with Artistic, Realistic, and Investigative)

Notes

External links

Free tests

O*NET Interest Profiler (Holland Codes Quiz)
– Occupational Information Network (O*NET):

/ Employment and Training Administration
Student Services: Holland Codes Quiz
– Rogue Community College

Free career databases

O*NET Holland Codes Interests Matched to Careers
�� Occupational Information Network (O*NET):

/ Employment and Training Administration
Delaware Department of Labor@Delaware Career Compass
State of Delaware

Free college majors databases

Holland Code and College Majors: College majors classified by Holland Themes
– Central Oregon Community College
College Majors and Holland Codes
– Central Oregon Community College
Holland Code Handout
- Central Washington University
Major and Career Exploration
-

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

Majors With Interest Codes
Washburn University Motivational theories Career development Higher education Personality typologies Personality tests

Overview

Related model

Prediger's two-dimensional model

Tracey and Rounds's octagonal model

Tracey and Rounds's spherical model

List of types

R: Realistic (Doers)

I: Investigative (Thinkers)

A: Artistic (Creators)

S: Social (Helpers)

E: Enterprising (Persuaders)

C: Conventional (Organizers)

Notes

Further reading

External links

Free tests

Free career databases

Free college majors databases