Career Report
A guide to help you find a career that suits your personality.
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Introduction
There are plenty of career tests that will try to predict your “perfect” job. The problem with these tests is that they're often too specific to be useful. Rather than help you understand how your personality translates to the roles and environments that suit you best, they tell you to become a landscape architect or a lawyer.
This report takes a different approach. While it does include career recommendations, its primary purpose is to help you understand who you are in the context of work. This guidance will empower you to think critically about one of the most important questions in your life: what work will I find fulfilling?
Who is this report for?
This report is for people who are contemplating their first career move, like students and recent graduates, or thinking about making a change.
Those who are more advanced in their roles and considering topics like career progression, leadership styles, and future endeavors may find nuggets of inspiration in this report - but it may not be as illuminating.
Report structure
This report includes 3 sections.
An introduction to Career Archetypes and Holland Codes.
An overview of what kinds of careers and work environments suit you.
A list of career recommendations.
What are Holland Codes?
The Dimensional “Interests” Dimension is based on a theory of personality called “Holland Codes” (or the RIASEC model).
The idea is that people and work environments can be classified into six different categories, and if you can find the category that best describes you, then you can also identify the kinds of jobs or work environments you might thrive in.
Let's break it down using an easy-to-understand analogy: Imagine you're at a big party, and there are six different rooms where people are gathering based on what they enjoy doing.
The Realistic (R) room
In this room, people are fixing things, working with tools, and maybe even building something. They like working with their hands and tangible objects. These are the "doers."
The Investigative (I) room
Here, people are solving puzzles, discussing science, or researching something on their computers. They're the "thinkers" who enjoy analyzing and understanding.
The Artistic (A) room
In this space, you'll find folks painting, playing music, or discussing literature. They value creative expression and originality. These are the "creators."
The Social (S) room
This room is buzzing with conversations. People are helping others, discussing social issues, or perhaps playing a cooperative game. They're the "helpers" who enjoy assisting and teaching.
The Enterprising (E) room
Over here, there's a group planning a fundraiser, others negotiating a deal, or maybe someone pitching a business idea. These people are the "persuaders" who like leading and influencing.
The Conventional (C) room
In this room, folks are organizing things, working on spreadsheets, or maybe setting up a schedule for the party. They're the "organizers" who value order and precision.
You might have guessed by now that the reason it's called the RIASEC model is because each letter in the acronym corresponds to each trait in the model.
The hexagonal structure
The Holland Codes are often represented in a hexagon to showcase the relationship and proximity between the different personality and work environment types. This hexagonal structure isn't just for show—it provides valuable insights into how similar or different each type is from the others.
The positioning on the hexagon indicates how related the types are to each other:
We are defined by more than one type
You might be thinking that no one person would be happy in just one room. Or put another way, our personalities in the realm of work tend to span multiple Holland Codes.
For instance, someone who is Realistic and Artistic likely enjoys arts and crafts and channeling their creativity through physical works. Someone who is Investigative and Artistic, on the other hand, is more likely to enjoy designing digital products or visualizing data. Someone who is Social and Artistic is more likely to enjoy teaching others about art or channeling their creativity in collaborative spaces.
In this way we can combine two of these types together to roughly define a general archetype of our career interests.
Your Career Archetype
Based on your Dimensional results, your Career Archetype is:
Detective
Analytical and systematic. Likes to observe and assess, work with their hands, and problem-solve.
Learn more on Dimensional
Description
Detectives are practical problem-solvers with an insatiable curiosity. They combine a realistic approach to tasks with an investigative spirit, making them great at understanding the "how" and "why" behind events and phenomena. Their analytical abilities are grounded in tangible facts, and they often rely on concrete evidence to form their conclusions. Detectives thrive on challenges, especially those that require systematic investigation and the use of hands-on methods. They are detail-oriented, observant, and often have a knack for uncovering truths that may elude others.
Based on your scores across a number of Dimensions, this section examines how your personality affects some of our more overarching career-related questions.
Ideal career type
Your ideal career is one where intelligence and creativity are at the forefront. A job where you can independently research, investigate, and analyze information will be highly satisfying for you. You likely enjoy complex problems and have a strong appetite for digging deep into subjects to come up with innovative solutions. Careers in science, analytics, or programming could be very fulfilling, especially if they involve pioneering new theories or applications.
Given your high scores in excitement seeking and impulsiveness, a career that is dynamic and ever-evolving would keep you engaged. A field with constant change and opportunities for novel experiences will harness your enthusiasm and energy. However, your career would need to respect your non-conformity values and allow for personal expression. As someone who resists group pressure and challenges orthodoxy, you might shine in roles that require critical thinking and an ability to question established norms.
Supervision and autonomy
You lean towards preferring a work environment with minimal supervision, having a high score in non-conformity and a somewhat low score in dutifulness and cooperation. Autonomy is key to your productivity, and being trusted to handle your own projects and deadlines without micro-management will bring out the best in your work. Too much supervision may lead to feelings of restriction and could interfere with your natural work rhythm.
Entrepreneurialism and risk
While you show a strong sense of excitement seeking and non-conformity, which are traits often found in entrepreneurs, your low scores in self-discipline, deliberation, and stress tolerance suggest that traditional entrepreneurial paths might be challenging. You would likely thrive in environments where risk is managed with a supportive team or structure that can help mitigate the potential stressors associated with starting and running a business.
Creative freedom
You have a strong need for creative freedom, as evidenced by your scores in imagination and creativity. The opportunity to experiment, innovate, and express yourself is essential to your job satisfaction. If this creative outlet is stifled, you may feel suppressed and discontented. Your need for securing a creative space is pivotal for your emotional well-being and can lead to significant stress if unmet. Jobs that encourage originality and unique perspectives will complement your personality best.
Team dynamics
Your ideal team dynamics would involve working with individuals who appreciate your intellect and creativity. You function best in a group where members are respected for their individual strengths and where there is mutual understanding. Given your relatively low scores in straightforwardness, cooperation, and altruism, a team that values open-mindedness and independent thinking over harmony would suit you best. Teams where ideas are challenged and debated constructively would be invigorating for you.
Ideal workspace
Your ideal workspace is likely unstructured and flexible, reflecting your high scores in excitement seeking and low scores in orderliness. A casual environment where individuality is embraced would be highly suitable for you. An aesthetically stimulating or unconventional workspace that inspires your imagination and ideas would enhance your capability to produce high-quality work.
Learning and growth
You have an inclination towards enjoying learning and intellectual growth, as indicated by your strong love of learning and curiosity. You thrive in environments where you are continuously challenged and where there’s ample opportunity for intellectual exploration and expansion of knowledge. Personal growth is important to you, and you're at your best when you can see a clear path for development, both professionally and personally.
Feedback
When it comes to feedback, your high self-conscious and anxiety scores suggest that you may be quite sensitive to criticism. Feedback should be presented to you in a constructive and supportive manner, focusing on how improvements can be made moving forward rather than dwelling on past mistakes. Clear and proactive communication will help you integrate feedback effectively without feeling overwhelmed or discouraged.
Based on your personality, the following careers and job roles could be a good fit.
Rather than thinking about these as a prescriptive set of careers, think about what themes emerge and why each career could suit you.
Your top 10 career recommendations
1. Research Scientist
As a research scientist, you can utilize your analytical thinking, creativity, and love of learning to conduct research and make discoveries in various scientific fields.
2. Environmental Activist
Your values of social perceptiveness, love, and benevolence make you well-suited to advocate for environmental issues and work towards creating a positive impact on the world.
3. Counseling Psychologist
Your empathy, non-conformity, and love of learning can be channeled into helping others navigate their emotions and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.
4. Software Developer
With your strong analytical thinking, creativity, and non-conformity, you can thrive in a role that involves designing and developing innovative software solutions.
5. Art Therapist
Your creativity, empathy, and perspective can be utilized to help individuals express themselves through art as a form of therapy and healing.
6. Wildlife Biologist
Your passion for nature, love of learning, and non-conformity can be put to use in studying and preserving wildlife and their habitats.
7. Social Worker
Your high levels of empathy, compassion, and social perceptiveness are valuable traits for supporting and advocating for individuals and families in need.
8. Entrepreneur
Your non-conformity, love of learning, and self-direction can lead to success in creating and developing innovative businesses and ventures.
9. Creative Director
Your creativity, love for aesthetics, and non-conformity can be channeled into overseeing the creative vision and direction of various projects and campaigns.
10. Public Policy Analyst
Your love of learning, analytical thinking, and non-conformity make you well-suited to assess and influence public policies for the betterment of society.
Summary of your results
Your curious and analytical nature, combined with a high appreciation for creativity and humor, suggests that you thrive in environments where you can explore new ideas and think outside the box. You have a strong drive for self-direction, indicating you value autonomy and prefer careers that allow you a degree of independence and the opportunity to work on your own terms. Being inclined towards intellect and non-conformity, you are not someone who just follows the crowd; instead, you seek to understand the deeper mechanisms behind how things work. This indicates roles where you can investigate, research, and contribute original insights would be fulfilling for you.
Your assertive and confident approach can serve you well in situations where taking leadership is necessary, yet you might prefer roles where collaboration is not constant, as seen in your moderate cooperation and gregarious levels. You demonstrate a strong value of achievement, but your lower scores in deliberation, orderliness, time management, and planning could sometimes hinder your ability to complete long-term projects or to organize tasks efficiently. This suggests that you might excel in dynamic roles that require quick thinking rather than meticulous, long-term strategic planning.
Your personality indicates a penchant for the novel and the exciting, alongside a high degree of impulsiveness and stress. You seek out stimulation and would likely find repetitive, predictable work environments stifling. High levels of excitement-seeking and low levels of patience for daily hassles may mean you are better suited to fast-paced, ever-changing career paths where you can engage with different challenges regularly, potentially in creative industries, technology, or fields that encourage innovation.
Given your strong emotional responses and high levels of self-consciousness, you may face challenges in highly critical or high-pressure environments, which can induce stress and impact your well-being. You’ll be more comfortable in an atmosphere that values individual expression, allows for a learning curve, and is less stringent about perfectionism, minimizing the likelihood of feeling overwhelmed or underappreciated. Positions that also allow for a personal touch of humor might help alleviate some of the tension you might otherwise feel.
It seems essential for you to integrate your love of learning and social intelligence into your career. Roles that enable you to continuously expand your knowledge base and use that information to navigate and understand social interactions will be particularly satisfying. Despite being less focused on tradition or universal norms, you place a significant value on love, indicating that creating meaningful connections, even in a professional setting, can be valuable to you.
In conclusion, your ideal career would be one that offers the freedom to innovate and pursue intellectually stimulating projects. A position that acknowledges your drive for individual expression and provides the space for spontaneous, creative problem-solving would likely be the most rewarding. Balancing your love of challenge with your preference for an environment that isn't overbearing will be key in finding a career path where you can truly shine. Considering your personality, a career in research and development, creative industries like design or writing, or independent consulting could all be compelling directions to explore.
Chapter 2
Using basic interests to predict the kind of work you might like.
Holland Codes
Chapter 5
A summary of how your personality can inform your career choices.
Conclusion
Adjacent sides
Types that are next to each other on the hexagon are more closely related in terms of interests and characteristics. For example, "Realistic" is adjacent to both "Investigative" and "Conventional," which means that a person who identifies as "Realistic" might also find some alignment with those two types.
Opposite sides
Types that are directly across from each other on the hexagon are more dissimilar or opposite in nature. For instance, "Realistic" is opposite "Social," suggesting these two types have contrasting characteristics.