How to Find Your RIASEC (Holland) Code?
Short Answer
Take a RIASEC interest inventory (like JobCannon's free Career Match test) — 60 questions measuring your affinity for 6 types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. Your top 2-3 types form your Holland Code (e.g., "AIR" = Artistic-Investigative-Realistic), which maps to specific career families.
Full Answer
RIASEC (Holland Codes) is the most widely used career interest assessment, integrated into the O*NET database used by the US Department of Labor.
The 6 types: - R (Realistic) — hands-on work with tools, machines, nature. Careers: engineering, mechanics, agriculture. - I (Investigative) — analytical, research, problem-solving. Careers: science, medicine, IT. - A (Artistic) — creative, unstructured, expressive. Careers: design, writing, music. - S (Social) — helping, teaching, counseling. Careers: education, healthcare, social work. - E (Enterprising) — leading, persuading, managing. Careers: business, law, sales. - C (Conventional) — organizing, data, procedures. Careers: accounting, admin, logistics.
Your top 2-3 types form your code. This code predicts job satisfaction: when your code matches your job environment's code, you're more satisfied and perform better (Holland, 1997).
Find Out for Yourself
Take the free RIASEC Career Match test — instant results, no signup required.
Take the Free RIASEC Career Match TestRelated Questions
How many careers does RIASEC match?▼
The full O*NET database maps Holland Codes to 900+ occupations. JobCannon's Career Match test matches you to 700+ careers with salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each career shows your compatibility score, required skills, and growth outlook.
Is RIASEC the same as Holland Code?▼
Yes. RIASEC stands for the six types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. "Holland Codes" refers to the same system, named after its creator John Holland (1959). Career counselors use both terms interchangeably.