Picking a Career (Part 2)
Now that you have taken the 16personalities exam (based on Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) and the Holland Code Career Test (based on psychologist John Holland’s RAISEC model of career choice), its time to start organizing this data to gain insight into what type of employment you would find fulfilling. Let’s look at the Holland Career Test.
Holland Career Test
https://www.truity.com/test/holland-code-career-test
Your Holland Career test results will provide you with the following:
Your Career Interests (broken down into six areas)
Your Career Type (your primary interest area of the six)
Your top job tasks
Your core values
Key personality traits
Exploring Careers (top careers that match your interest profile)
Interpreting the Results
For the purpose of providing an example of how to make sense of this information, I will use my results:
Career Interests:I scored a 100 on the Creating (Artistic) Scale, which means my career type is Creative. I scored an 88 on Persuading (Enterprising), which suggests that I also enjoy leading, motivating, and influencing others.
My Top Job Tasksare Creating Art, Writing, Interpreting, Designing, and Expressing Ideas. My Core Valuesare Individuality, Creativity, Originality, Freedom, and Flexibility. My Key Personality Types are Independent, Intuitive, Sensitive, Imaginative, Spontaneous.
Now, the first thing I do with this information is that I look for what applies to me and what does not apply. For example, I dislike writing, so I am not going to seek a creative writing job. However, I do like creating art, interpreting, and expressing ideas so I pocket those pieces of information. I am also sensitive, imaginative, and spontaneous so I take those pieces as well.
Exploring Careers
Next, I move on to the exploring careers section. The top suggestion is advertising and promotions manager. That does not feel like it fits for me, so I click on the button that reads “career search tool,” which pulls up a new page where you can search jobs based on your career interests. I search for “Creative” and “Persuading” careers since that is where I scored the highest. I scroll down and I find “Announcer.” It says the following: “Announcers present music, news, and sports and may provide commentary or interview guests about these topics or other important events. Some act as masters of ceremonies (emcees) or disc jockeys (DJs) at weddings, parties, or clubs.” “Announcing” is a hobby I enjoy in the past so this feels like it applies to me. However, I am not interested in monetizing that skill, so I look further. My 3rdhighest career interest was Thinking(scored a 55) so I start looking at Creative and Thinking jobs and I find mental health counselor/therapist, which is the line of work that I am in.
As a therapist, I get to study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and human behavior by observing and interpreting how people relate to one another and their environments. I get to utilize my creative side and implement my Personality Types (Independent, Intuitive, Sensitive, Imaginative, Spontaneous). I have a job that is in line with my Core Values(Individuality, Creativity, Originality, Freedom, and Flexibility), and I utilize my Top Job Tasks(Creating Art, Interpreting, Designing, and Expressing Ideas)
Your Results
Your results will obviously be different. I encourage you to get intimate with your results and spend time exploring all the tools and information on this website. Think about what applies to you and what does not apply to you. Utilize the Career Search Tool and start thinking about what jobs fit your career type, based on the RAISEC model.
Next Step
Discuss your results with a friend. Get passionate about the information. Find someone you know who is in the line of work that you find interesting and request and Informational Interview. Find out what credentials or qualifications you need for the job you are interested in.