Choosing a career, changing jobs or wanting to advance in your field can be overwhelming.

We question what we are good at, how much do we need to invest of ourselves and if we’ll I like it, fit in and ultimately, will it make us happier.

Many of us know intuitively what interests us, what our likes and dislikes are and what we are attracted to.

The Holland Occupational Themes identify what type of person you are and where you would fit best in. These themes are a cornerstone in career development and exploration. Developed in the 50’s by John Holland, these themes have been validated and used in many different career and personality assessments.

It is believed that these six themes exist in both one’s personality as well as one’s environment and to find meaning in one’s work, and the themes must be congruent. So what does that exactly mean? It means that one needs to be able to express one’s self in a particular way in a determined environment in order to feel good and thrive. If one feels good, one will thrive and the environment will thrive.

Many assessments and institutions use the Holland themes, also known as the RIASEC codes. RIASEC is the acronym for Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. These themes or codes are in describing different occupations and jobs.  There are websites, videos and books that talk about each code.

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Here are helpful links.