The Strong Interest Inventory is based on the work of John Holland and was first developed back in 1943.

The theory is based on the premise that if behaviour is a function of interests, personality and social environment then people enter an occupation because of their interests and personality.

There are 6 personality types and 6 working environments – Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional.

You can read more here: http://www.personalassessments.co.uk/Holland_Codes_RIASEC.html

Over time people learn that they like some experiences more than others and tend to focus on the ones that they do like. This generally means that people become better at these areas. So if you have a realistic (practical) personality, you will tend to seek out jobs that are practical and work with other people with similar interests.

Obviously success in a career and enjoying our work is based on many factors, not just how closely it aligns with our interests. We also need to consider motivation, opportunity, ability, and sometimes its down to luck. That’s why I recommend that the Strong Interest inventory is used alongside other assessments to help make an effective career choice.

The assessment consists of 291 questions that identify interests in areas of study, careers and occupations and you are compared to a database of people who are satisfied in their work.

When you take the Strong Interest Inventory you get a list of jobs, in descending order that matches, or not with your interests. Some of these you may not have much knowledge on, so you would want to explore further using web sites such as learn direct and graduate prospects.

To read more on the Strong and to decide if it would be the right assessment for you, you can visit my website