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Enterprising – The Persuaders
Conventional – The Organizers
Following is a high-level overview of the six career interest types.
Realistic – The Doers
Individuals with a Realistic career code tend to prefer work that involves practical, hands-on solutions to problems. They value things they can see, touch, and use. Realistic types would rather work with their hands than sit behind a desk. Many, but not all, Realistic occupations work outside and possibly deal with machinery, tools, or animals and don’t involve much paperwork.
Sample occupations: ambulance drivers, EMTs, firefighters, security guards, technicians, veterinarians, environmental engineers, and electricians
Investigative – The Thinkers
Those with an Investigative career code are intellectual, curious, and reserved. They like to solve problems and engage in challenges. Investigative types do not like routine work that forces them to check their brain at the door. In fact, their work often involves ideas and heavy mental lifting. They also tend to avoid careers that involve leading or influencing people and selling.
Sample occupations: fire investigators, registered nurses, nuclear medicine technologists, software developers, business intelligence analysts, biostatisticians, market research analysts, and database architects
Artistic – The Creators
People with an Artistic career code are imaginative, creative, original, independent, and expressive. In general, they tend to avoid work that involves highly structured or routine activities. These individuals are inspired to create, whether through activities such as music, writing, drawing, dance, photography, or art.
Sample occupations: chefs, fashion designers, graphic artists, interior designers, sound engineering technicians, landscape architects, authors, and technical writers
Social – The Helpers
Individuals with a Social career code are interested in serving society and making a difference in people’s lives. They like to help people, and their work is most often centered around people. Those interested in Social careers, particularly when it’s an individual’s primary code, often gravitate toward nonprofit organizations, education, healthcare, and social work. They are helpful, friendly, loyal, generous, and trustworthy.
Sample occupations: counseling psychologists, health educators, patient representatives, psychology teachers, midwives, dietetic technicians, teacher assistants, and social workers
Enterprising – The Persuaders
Enterprising individuals often deal with business, leadership, or politics and are involved in making decisions, starting up and carrying out projects, and selling ideas or things. Enterprising types are generally energetic, ambitious, dominant, outgoing, and competitive.
Sample occupations: financial services, sales representatives, chief executives (CEO, COO, EVP), judges, education administrators, supply chain managers, and human resources specialists
Conventional – The Organizers
Conventional career types are the glue that hold an organization together. They provide the structure, process, and order that organizations need to run effectively. People with this career type are generally methodical, detail-oriented, cautious, organized, responsible, and quality-oriented.
Sample occupations: insurance claim clerks, medical secretaries, accountants, pharmacy technicians, loan officers, research assistants, information security analysts, and financial analysts
These six career types provide a glimpse into a person’s internal, interpersonal, and environmental preferences. Once we hone in on the two strongest career types, more specific preferences are revealed.
After reading the descriptions for each of the six career interest types, which of them do you identify with most? When helping people with career exploration, I use one of two free online interest profilers to discover a person’s occupational interest type, found here:
The O*NET Interest Profiler – www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
The Career Aptitude Test at 123 Test – www.123test.com/career-test
You can take both assessments to determine which one returns a result that appears most like you.
Take a moment, now, to discover your career interest type by taking one or both career interest assessments. Each career interest test should take about five minutes. The tests also provide sample occupations that match your career interest type. Think of these as prototypes or patterns of career fit, rather than firm recommendations.
Are you surprised by your results? Revisit the definitions above for your primary and secondary codes.
Following are thirty career types derived from all the possible primary and secondary code combinations.
The source of these career type descriptions is Jan Lowe and Tracy Lungrin’s book, CareerCode: Know Your Code, Find Your Fit (2014). To read about your career type in detail, consider purchasing a copy of this book. CareerCode is a must-have resource for career services professionals.
Artistic Career Types
Artistic + Conventional (The Creator and The Organizer) – The Critic
Descriptors: picky, methodical, sharp-tongued, protective, technical, temperamental, perceptive and accurate, cultivated, complex, controversial, clever. Picture yourself as a Critic.
The Critic has a desire to create or experience works that illuminate the human condition but also wants to see it done right.
Artistic + Enterprising (The Creator and The Persuader) – The Performer
Descriptors: big spender, great storyteller, the center of attention, conceptual, resourceful, dramatic, charismatic, easily bored, idealistic, impatient, impulsive, eternally optimistic. Picture yourself in Advertising.
The Performer likes to interact with an audience, actively presenting his or her talent, whether through public speaking, directing, producing, or performing.
Artistic + Investigative (The Creator and The Thinker) – The Idealist
Descriptors: intensely verbal, private, opinionated, well-read, somewhat antisocial, highly idealistic, perpetually thinking, intolerant of mundane people, extremely perceptive. Picture yourself as an Author.
The Idealist is most fascinated by the work in his or her head, exploring ideas, and creating.
Artistic + Realistic (The Creator and The Doer) – The Designer
Descriptors: visionary, sensitive, inventive, argumentative, meticulous, patient with the artistic process, lover of architecture, into photography, introverted, original, internally focused. Picture yourself as a Graphic Designer.
The Designer needs an artistic outlet to be fulfilled by working with something tactile or visual.
Artistic + Social (The Creator and The Helper) – The Nurturer
Descriptors: Bohemian, concerned about the environment, empathetic, accepting of other people, cultures, and attitudes; a free spirit; a little spacey; good-hearted; holistic; a music lover; and noncompetitive. Picture yourself as an Art Teacher.
The Nurturer needs creative stimulation and flexibility to work with others in a creative way.
Conventional Career Types
Conventional + Artistic (The Organizer and The Creator) – The Curator
Descriptors: great homemaker, perfectionist, precise, impatient, good at pulling things together, interested in structure, anxious, traditional, organized, pressed, neat and clean, proper. Picture yourself as a Historical Librarian.
The Curator likes rules, systems, and procedures applied to beauty, creativity, or art. They are interested in collections. A combination with an orientation to both order and creativity is unusual.
Conventional + Enterpri
sing (The Organizer and The Persuader) – The Regulator
Descriptors: highly accurate, disciplined, industrious, focused, a governor, anal-retentive, a recognition seeker, pushy, reliable, responsible and trustworthy; honest; tightly wound. Picture yourself as a Government Regulator.
The Regulator likes the challenge of entering a fresh situation, figuring it out, and finding flaws to fix so things run smoothly.
Conventional + Investigative (The Organizer and The Thinker) – The Analyst
Descriptors: attentive, cautious, contentious, deliberate, meticulous, judgmental, persistent, self-disciplined, reserved, and stable. Picture yourself as a Budget Analyst.
The Analyst tends to do best in roles with clearly defined projects, preferably involving numbers, code, or data.
Conventional + Realistic (The Organizer and The Doer) – The Inspector
Descriptors: rule follower, obedient, concrete, orderly and organized, steady and focused, predictable, structured, dependable, repetitive, stable, detail-oriented, confrontational. Picture yourself as an Auditor.
The Inspector needs order and careful planning. They thrive on predictability and routine.
Conventional + Social (The Organizer and The Helper) – The Coordinator
Descriptors: Puts systems in place, detail-oriented, shows people around, efficient, moral, obedient, organized, precise, scheduled, structured, helpful, something of a martyr (will feel responsible for the whole world if not careful). Picture yourself in a College Admissions Office.
The Coordinator desires positive, helpful interactions with people where basic courtesy is valued.
Enterprising Career Types
Enterprising + Artistic (The Persuader and The Creator) – The Promoter
Descriptors: natural marketer, ambitious, slightly arrogant, charismatic, visionary, competitive, idealistic, expressive, high-energy, boisterous, rule bender, initiative taker. Picture yourself as a Producer.
The Promoter enjoys being a part of artistic productions and bold new projects. Entertaining, publishing, fashion, and other artistic projects are where this career type will feel most satisfied.
Enterprising + Conventional (The Persuader and The Organizer) – The Director
Descriptors: business-minded, competitive, workaholic, managerial (can get the most out of people), efficient, excellent time manager, intense, successful, take-charge, a taskmaster). Picture yourself as the Manager of an Insurance Agency.
The Director needs the authority to direct and make decisions. This career type likes to achieve through planning and follow-through.
Enterprising + Investigative (The Persuader and The Thinker) – The Strategist
Descriptors: visionary, ambitious, planner, demanding, agenda-oriented, logical, organized, persuasive, self-confident, take-charge, slightly abrasive at times, a salesperson, an executer. Picture yourself as a Corporate Strategist.
The Strategist likes to be in control, challenged, and appreciated. The freedom to pursue his or her ideas, in their own way, is important.
Enterprising + Realistic (The Persuader and The Doer) – The Broker
Descriptors: born leader, powerful negotiator, great salesperson, influential and blunt, forceful, power seeker, workaholic, confrontational, confident, and courageous. Picture yourself as a Broker.
The Broker seeks to be in control and likes to get out and make things happen independently. Collaboration isn’t really the Broker’s style.
Enterprising + Social (The Persuader and The Helper) – The Ambassador
Descriptors: diplomatic, mover and shaker, overextended (take on more than you have time for when people need your help), great communicator, popular, resourceful, talented soft seller, glad hander (can work a room), relationship-centered, community-oriented. Picture yourself as a Politician.
The Ambassador needs to be on the go, making connections, and working the crowd. This person needs to do things his or her way.
Investigative Career Types
Investigative + Artistic (The Thinker and The Creator) – The Scholar
Descriptors: highly observant, deep thinker, intuitive, insightful, complex, researcher, introverted, intellectual, independent, opinionated. Picture yourself as a Sociologist.
The Scholar is an original thinker, driven by the investigation of ideas and connections between things.
Investigative + Conventional (The Thinker and The Organizer) – The Examiner
Descriptors: systematic thinker, accurate, anal-retentive, cautious, critical, no fan of surprises, deeply engaged with whatever they do, quick with calculations, opinionated, precise, uncompromising. Picture yourself as an Actuary.
The Examiner enjoys systematic work in the form of clearly defined projects he or she can follow through to completion.
Investigative + Enterprising (The Thinker and The Persuader) – The Innovator
Descriptors: competent, critical thinker, curious, expert, persuasive, systems thinker, opinionated, strategic, entrepreneurial, competitive, sharp. Picture yourself as a Technical Consultant.
The Innovator likes a variety of projects and opportunities to follow where ideas lead. Following strict procedures will be a bad match.
Investigative + Realistic (The Thinker and The Doer) – The Scientist
Descriptors: scientific, logical, analytical, mathematical, highly intelligent, avid reader, very curious, inquisitive, and critical. Picture yourself as a Biologist.
The Scientist needs work that stimulates the mind, sufficient autonomy, and a chance to contribute to the expansion of knowledge.
Investigative + Social (The Thinker and The Helper) – The Practitioner
Descriptors: caring, diagnostic, cautious, curious, analytical, overextended (take on more than you have time for when people need your help), independent, intellectual, objective, introverted. Picture yourself as a Health Practitioner.
The Practitioner is bored by repetitive tasks and wants to do work that makes a difference. He or she likes to help others by figuring out and solving their problems.
Realistic Career Types
Realistic + Artistic (The Doer and The Creator) – The Crafter
Descriptors: project-focused, into patterns, interested in restoration and repair, perfectionist, introverted, self-reliant, minimalist, tenacious, resourceful. Picture yourself as an Artisan.
The Crafter desires getting lost in projects that require using his or her hands, creating things that serve a function or make the world brighter.
Realistic + Conventional (The Doer and The Organizer) – The Technician
Descriptors: precise, careful, hands-on, into routine, task-oriented, efficient, persistent, reserved, intense, mechanically-minded. Picture yourself as a Service Technician.
The Technician requires a degree of independence while working on physical projects like repairing or installing.
Realistic + Enterprising (The Doer and The Persuader) – The Sergeant
Descriptors: natural supervisor, dependable, opinionated, aggressive, autocratic, self-starter, motivator, determined, stubborn, hard worker, temperamental. Picture yourself as a Construction Foreman.
The Sergeant likes to be in the thick of the action, but that action must have a mission, clear objectives, and measurable outcomes.
Realistic + Investigative (The Doer and The Thinker) – The Engineer
Descriptors: methodical, diligent, strict (Close enough isn’t in your vocabulary.), thrifty, introverted at times, critical (Work that doesn’t meet your standards gets on your nerves.), rational, hard on yourself, gadget/technology-oriented. Picture yourself as an Engineer.
The Engineer is driven to gather specialized information and use it to solve problems.
Realistic + Social (The Doer and The Helper) – The Attendant
Descriptors: dependable, fraternal, busy, problem solver, facilitator, community-oriented, athletic, helpful, practical, hands-on, responsive. Picture yourself as a Physical Therapist.
The Attendant must work with people, producing tangible results to help others.
Social Career Types
Social + Artistic (The Helper and The Creator) – The Advocate
Descriptors: talkative, positive thinker, absentminded, trusting, forgiving, warm, hospitable, accepting, giving, sensitive, vulnerable. Picture yourself as a Nonprofit Worker.
The Advocate needs a flexible and relaxed work environment where he or she can make a difference and get to know people without strict deadline and productivity pressures.
Social + Conventional (The Helper and The Organizer) – The Caretaker
Descriptors: team player, good communicator, responsible and dependable; helpful; loyal; fan of order; reliable; respectful of authority; trustworthy; hospitable. Picture yourself as a Case Worker.
The Caretaker works best with clearly defined protocols and expectations. They are generally not well suited for management positions where they are expected to set the standards and deal with unforeseen circumstances.
Social + Enterprising (The Helper and The Persuader) – The Connector
Descriptors: community-minded, guide (You love showing visitors around.), facilitator, friendly and outgoing; a sharer; averse to confrontation; good listener; problem solver, understanding. Picture yourself as a Community Relations Coordinator.