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RIASEC / Holland Codes

Holland Codes (RIASEC)

A career interest model with six types — Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional — used to match personality to careers. Developed by John Holland in 1959.

Holland Codes (also called RIASEC) is the most widely used career assessment framework worldwide, integrated into the O*NET database used by the U.S. Department of Labor and career counselors globally.

The six types are: Realistic (hands-on, practical — mechanics, engineers), Investigative (analytical, curious — scientists, researchers), Artistic (creative, expressive — artists, writers), Social (helping, teaching — counselors, teachers), Enterprising (leading, persuading — managers, salespeople), and Conventional (organizing, detail-oriented — accountants, administrators).

Everyone has a combination of all six types, but your top 2-3 types form your "Holland Code" (e.g., "AIR" = Artistic-Investigative-Realistic). Research shows that person-environment congruence (matching your code to your job's code) predicts job satisfaction (r=0.28) and performance (r=0.20).

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