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Not Sure Of What You Want To Be?

Many times that depends on your interests, values, competencies and preferences. These items directly relate to your career selection and the selection of your major. Listed below are SIX personality types (as categorized by Dr. John Holland).

●  Follow the pages below and you will discover your personality type and an occupation and major that relates to your personality.

●  Read each personality type and select the one that most accurately reflects your personality.

The codes for each personality type are as shown below:
R=Realistic, I=Investigative, A=Artistic, S=Social, E=Enterprising, C=Conventional

Definitions:

 ●  Realistic people are usually assertive and competitive, and are interested in activities requiring motor coordination, skill and strength. People with a realistic orientation usually prefer to work a problem through by doing something, rather than talking about it, or sitting and thinking about it. They like concrete approaches to problem solving, rather than abstract theory. They tend to be interested in scientific or mechanical rather than cultural and aesthetic areas. They like to work with THINGS.

●  Investigative people like to think and observe rather than act, to organize and understand information rather than to persuade. They tend to prefer individual rather than people oriented activities. They like to work with DATA.

●  Artistic people are usually creative, open, inventive, original, perceptive, sensitive, independent and emotional. . They do not like structure and rules, like tasks involving people or physical skills, and are more likely to express their emotions than others. They like to think, organize and understand artistic and cultural areas. They like to work with IDEAS and THINGS.

●  Social people seem to satisfy their needs in teaching or helping situations. They are different than R and I Types because they are drawn more to seek close relationships with other people and are less apt to want to be really intellectual or physical. They like to work with PEOPLE.

●  Enterprising people are good talkers, and use this skill to lead or persuade others. They also value reputation, power, money and status, and will usually go after it. They like to work with PEOPLE and DATA

●  Conventional people like rules and regulations and emphasize self-control. They like structure and order, and dislike unstructured or unclear work and interpersonal situations. They place value on reputation, power, or status. They like to work with DATA.

Page Index: (Click on links below to view information about each personality type)

●  Realistic-(R)
 ●  Investigative-(I)
 ●  Artistic-(A)		 ●  Social-(S)
 ●  Enterprising-(E)
 ●  Conventional-(C)

Realistic -- Back to top

(Click here if this is one of your personality types and to gather more information about careers and majors within this personality group)

General Description: "The Doer's"

  • The R type usually has mechanical and athletic abilities, enjoys working outdoors and likes to work with tools and machines. The R type generally prefers to work with people or things more than ideas.
Activities:
  • Make mechanical repairs
  • Organize a hunting, camping or fishing trip
  • Plant a garden
  • Use metal working or machine tools
  • Take a woodworking course
  • Work on a car
  • Set up a stereo system

Examples of Careers: (definitions from the Bureau of Labor Statistics)


  Click here to view more "R" occupations from O*NET Online.  Extensive information plus you view outlook and if the occupation has a good outlook.  There are also "Job Zones" listed that tells you what type of preparation you need for each occupation.

 

 Competencies:
  • Repair furniture
  • Use woodshop power tools such as power saw, lathe or sander
  • Read blueprints
  • Make simple electrical repairs
  • Make simple plumbing repairs
  • Change car's oil or tire
  • Make scale drawings

 

 

Investigative- Back to top

(Click here if this is one of your personality types and to gather more information about careers and majors within this personality group)

General Description: "The Thinkers"

  • The I type usually has mathematical and scientific abilities, enjoys working alone and likes to solve problems. The I type generally favors working with ideas more than with people or things.
     

Activities:
  • Apply math to practical problems
  • Study scientific theory
  • Take a physics course
  • Work in a research lab
  • Take a statistics course
  • Solve technical problems
  • Study the chemical structure of liquids
  • Find solutions to complex problems

Examples of Careers:

  Click here to view more "I" occupations from O*NET Online.  Extensive information plus you view outlook and if the occupation has a good outlook.  There are also "Job Zones" listed that tells you what type of preparation you need for each occupation.

 

 Competencies:
  • Use a computer to study a scientific problem
  • Interpret simple chemical formulas
  • Understand the half-life of a radioactive element
  • Use algebra to solve math problems
  • Describe the function of the white blood cells
  • Use logarithmic tables
  • Perform a scientific experiment or survey
  • Understand why man-made satellites do not fall to earth

 

Artistic - Back to top

(Click here if this is one of your personality types and to gather more information about careers and majors within this personality group)

General Description: "The Creators"

  • The A type usually has artistic skills, enjoys creating original work and has a good imagination. The A type usually enjoys working with ideas more than things.
Activities:
  • Dramatize an idea or story
  • Play in a band, group or orchestra
  • Write for a magazine or newspaper
  • Create portraits or photographs
  • Read or write poetry
  • Take a course in design
  • Act in a comedy or play

Examples of Careers:

  Click here to view more "A" occupations from O*NET Online.  Extensive information plus you view outlook and if the occupation has a good outlook.  There are also "Job Zones" listed that tells you what type of preparation you need for each occupation.

 

 Competencies:
  • Write a speech
  • Write advertising copy
  • Sketch people so they can be recognized
  • Design an advertisement
  • Create an artistic representation
  • Act in a play
  • Decorate a suite of offices
  • Do a painting, watercolor or sculptor

 

Social - Back to top

(Click here if this is one of your personality types and to gather more information about careers and majors within this personality group)

General Description: "The Helpers"

  • The S type usually has social skills, is interested in human relationships and likes to help others with problems. The S type likes to work with people more than things.
Activities:
  • Take a human relations course
  • Work for charity
  • Study juvenile delinquency
  • Take a self-improvement course
  • Study psychological theory
  • Train others to do a job
  • Settle arguments between others
  • Teach in college or public schools

Examples of Careers:

  Click here to view more "S" occupations from O*NET Online.  Extensive information plus you view outlook and if the occupation has a good outlook.  There are also "Job Zones" listed that tells you what type of preparation you need for each occupation.

 

 Competencies:
  • Good at helping others make decisions
  • Good at explaining things to others
  • Good coach for others
  • Competent at entertaining others
  • People seek me out to tell me their troubles
  • Good at making people feel at ease
  • Find it easy to talk with all kinds of people
  • Good at teaching others
  • Good at leading discussions

 

Enterprising - Back to top

(Click here if this is one of your personality types and to gather more information about careers and majors within this personality group)

General Description: "The Persuaders"

  • The E type usually has leadership and speaking abilities, is interested in economics and politics and likes to be influential. The E type likes to work with people and ideas more than things.
Activities:
  • Take a course on Leadership
  • Learn strategies for success in business
  • Be a project leader
  • Supervise the work of others
  • Meet important executives and leaders
  • Participate in a political campaign
  • Operate your own business or service
  • Attend a sales meeting
  • Make important decisions
  • Influence others

Examples of Careers:

  Click here to view more "E" occupations from O*NET Online.  Extensive information plus you view outlook and if the occupation has a good outlook.  There are also "Job Zones" listed that tells you what type of preparation you need for each occupation.

 

 Competencies:
  • Good at measuring own performance
  • Good at motivating others
  • Reputation of being able to deal with difficult people
  • Can manage a sales campaign
  • Can organize the work of others
  • Good sales person
  • Good debater
  • Good public speaker
  • Good at planning a strategy to achieve a goa
  • Know how to be a successful leader

 

Conventional  - Back to top

(Click here if this is one of your personality types and to gather more information about careers and majors within this personality group)

General Description: "The Organizers"

  • The C type has clerical and arithmetic ability, prefers working indoors and likes to organize things. The C type enjoys working with words and numbers.
Activities:
  • Set up a record-keeping system
  • Take a business course
  • Operate a computer
  • Take an inventory of supplies and products
  • Check paperwork or products for errors or flaws
  • Keep records of expenses
  • Write business letters
  • Perform math calculations in bookkeeping or business
  • Operate business machines
  • Fill out detailed forms

Examples of Careers:

  Click here to view more "C" occupations from O*NET Online.  Extensive information plus you view outlook and if the occupation has a good outlook.  There are also "Job Zones" listed that tells you what type of preparation you need for each occupation.

 

 Competencies:
  • Good at gathering information over the phone
  • Can file correspondence and other papers
  • Can post credits and debits
  • Can keep accurate records of payments or sales
  • Can type 40 words per minute
  • Can operate a word processor
  • Can use a computer to to analyze business data
  • Can write business letters
  • Good at making arrangements for a business meeting
  • Can operate a duplicating machine

 
Realistic (R) Investigative (I) Artistic (A) Social (S) Enterprising (E) Conventional (C)

Additional Resources:

  • Click here for Princeton Review of Majors-(type in a major and you will get a short description)
  • Click here to find out "What Can I Do With a Major in......?"
  • Click here to discover the "SU Mentor Network." (alumni who have volunteered to help figure out your major)
  • Click here for SU majors page
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