The Strong Interest Inventory® is the most sensitive and widely used interest inventory available and designed to help you identify your pattern of vocational interests. It was developed at Stanford University in the late 1920s by Professor Edward K Strong with Jo-Ida Hansen, and David Campbell and was based on the work of John Holland. Holland defined six basic occupational themes (called Holland Codes) that can be used to categorise occupations as well as individuals.
The Strong measures your interests using 291 different questions to explore your likes and dislikes with regard to careers, leisure activities, school subjects and other categories.
•107 questions about careers you would be interested in doing
•46 questions about interest in different subject areas
•84 questions about interest in activities
•29 questions about interest in different leisure activities
•25 questions on the people you would like to work with and personal characteristics
Your responses are compared to a representative sample of occupations followed by:
•people who enjoy their work
•have worked in that area for at least three years
•who do typical work for the field
People tend to search out those environments that match their interests, and an environment attracts people who share similar interests.
The Strong is based on the idea that people who enjoy their work will, in all likelihood, share similar interests. It is based on the work of John Holland The theory says that individuals with similar interests are often attracted to the same kind of work, feel comfortable with others who share their interests, and are likely to be successful in a work environment that reflects those interests.
The Strong is a quick way to get a snapshot of career interests, but the highest interests may not be the most appropriate career for a client. That’s why I recommend that you use it in conjunction with other assessments.
The Strong Interest Inventory is a useful assessment for anyone who is unsure about their future career goals. It can be a useful start to thinking about career planning or to help you decide between alternatives that you may be considering.
The Strong is especially useful for people in the early stages of career planning. It will not predict with certainty what occupation you should consider. However, by indicating how similar or dissimilar your interests are in comparison with people in a wide variety of occupations, it can be a useful step towards identifying work settings and occupations that may be satisfying to you.
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