Holland Codes

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The Holland hexagon

Holland Codes are career types created by psychologist John L. Holland.

Holland mapped these types into a hexagon which he then broke down into the RIASEC job environments :

• Realistic - practical, physical, hands-on, tool-oriented
• Investigative - analytical, intellectual, scientific, explorative
• Artistic - creative, original, independent, chaotic
• Social - cooperative, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing
• Enterprising - competitive environments, leadership, persuading
• Conventional - detail-oriented, organizing, clerical

Holland argues that 2-3 types dominate in each person.

 Realistic

Working with your hands, tools, machines, and things; practical, mechanically inclined, and physical:

• Agriculture
• Animation
• Archaeology
• Architect
• Astronaut
• Athlete
• Chef
• Computer science
• Driver
• Engineer
• Firefighter
• Gardener
• Information technology
• Instructional technology
• Martial arts
• Mechanic/Automobiles
• Mechanical engineering
• Musician
• Outdoor education/Summer camp counselor
• Paramedic
• Pharmacy
• Physical therapy
• Pilot
• Veterinarian
• Visual effects

Investigative

Working with theory and information, analytical, intellectual, scientific:

• Computer science
• Economist
• Engineer
• Mathematics
• Pharmacy
• Physician/Medical school
• Professor (all fields)
• Psychologist
• Psychiatrist
• Science
• Surgeon

Artistic

Non-conforming, original, independent, chaotic, creative:

• Actor/Performance
• Art therapy
• Artist
• Author/ Poet
• Dance therapy
• Expressive therapy
• Music therapy
• Musician
• Painter

Social

Cooperative environments, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing:

• Art therapy
• Counselor
• Dance therapy
• Education
• Instructional technology
• Martial arts
• Music therapy
• Nurse
• Physician
• Professor
• Psychologist
• Psychiatrist
• Social Work
• Teacher
• Theology
• Trainer (Industry)

Enterprising

Competitive environments, leading, persuading, selling, dominating, promoting, status:

• Administration
• Academic administration
• Business/MBA
• Communications
• Insurance
• Investment Banker
• Journalism
• Law / Politics
• Marketing / Advertising
• Management
• Management Consultant
• Public Health
• Publishing
• Public relations
• Public policy
• Real Estate
• Retail
• Stockbroker
• Telemarketing

Conventional

Precise, perfect attention to detail, orderly, organizing, status:

• Accountant
• Actuary
• Administration
• Academic administration
• Banking/ Investment bank
• Business/MBA
• Clerk
• Computer science
• Copy Editing
• Electrical engineering
• Engineer
• Finance
• Information technology
• Instructional technology
• Library and information science
• Payroll
• Proofreader
• Receptionist
• Retail
• Secretary
• Statistics
• Technical writer