The Holland Occupational Themes or the Holland Codes (RIASEC) pertained to a theory of vocational and career choice based on six themes identified and developed by American psychologist John L. Holland and was first introduced in the 1970s.

Dr. Holland theorized that to have a career that is a good fit, one has to identify their personality characteristics and align them to their work environment. The idea is that if your personality characteristics are congruent with the elements in your work environment, you will be more satisfied and lead a happier life. Dr. Holland identified these six themes known as the RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional).

The Holland Codes are based on six themes.

• The choice of a vocation is an expression of personality
• Interest inventories are personality inventories.
• Vocational stereotypes have reliable and important psychological and sociological meanings
• The members of a vocation have similar personalities and similar histories of personal development
• Because people in a vocational group have similar personalities, they will respond to many situations and problems in similar ways, and they will create characteristic interpersonal environments
• Vocational satisfaction, stability, and achievement depend on the congruence between one’s personality and the environment in which one works

(Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd Edition ed.). Lutz, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.)

There are four basic assumptions when using the Holland Themes. The first is that most people fit into one of the six RIASEC themes and may have characteristics of one or more themes. The second belief is that environments can also fit into these six themes and attract a specific type of person. Next is that individual try to find careers compatible with their skill set, values, and interests and stay away from jobs that clash with their values, interests, and skill set. Lastly, a person’s conduct and actions reflect the correlation between personality and environment.

Based on these assumptions about people, interests, and careers, the RIASEC is depicted as a hexagon. Each of the six themes is represented. The RIASEC themes have become a cornerstone in career development and are commonly used on career assessments as a tool for career development.

EPICS has further divided the six Holland themes into personality and environment since an individual may express themselves a certain way but prefer to be in a different theme environment. For example, someone with an investigative personality might thrive in a social setting and vise-a-verse.

REALISTIC PERSONALITY:

If you are realistic, you have a “Do-ers” theme. It means that you are practical, straightforward, athletic, a nature lover, thrifty, stable, concrete, ambitious, systematic, consistent, frank, mechanically inclined, reserved, self-controlled, and curious about the physical world. The “Do-ers” personality likes to work with objects, machines, tools, plants, animals, and the outdoors. As a realistic personality, you want to use your hands, physically tinker with machines and vehicles, solve and fix electrical issues, pitch a tent, plant a garden, and read a blueprint. You value practical things that you can see, touch and use. You see yourself as mechanical, realistic, and helpful and generally avoid social activities like healing or informing others. Your hobbies might include refinishing furniture, playing or coaching sports, going to a gym, repairing cars and equipment, renovating your home, fishing and hunting, building models, woodworking, and landscaping. Some examples of realistic personalities are airline personnel, surveyor, police officer, archaeologist, athletes, recreation personnel, and farmer.

INVESTIGATIVE PERSONALITY:

If you are investigative, you have a “Thinkers” theme. It means you are curious, observant, intellectual, self-confident, independent, logical, reserved, analytical, curious, complex, reflective, and scholarly.  With a “thinker” personality, you like to explore various ideas, work independently, research, deal with abstraction, and be challenged. You value science, think abstractly, understand scientific theories, and are good at understanding, studying, and solving math or science problems. You see yourself as intellectual, precise, and scientific. Your hobbies might include crossword puzzles and board games, collecting specific items like rocks, stamps, or coins, visiting museums, astronomy, recreational flying, preserving endangered species, book clubs, and working on computers. Some examples of individuals with an investigative personality are medical professionals, mathematicians, engineers, archaeologists, computer system analysts, and scientists.

ARTISTIC PERSONALITY:

If you are artistic, you have a “Creators” theme. You are imaginative, creative, emotional, sensitive, romantic, independent, courageous, innovative, expressive, reflective, original, nonconforming, and impulsive. With a “creators” personality, you like to attend concerts, theaters, and art exhibits, express yourself creatively, take photographs, work on crafts, and work with vague ideas in various genres. You probably like to and can significantly admire the arts, such as music, painting, visual arts, performing arts, acting, singing, dancing, and design. You might be able to play musical instruments or write short stories, music, and poetry. You see yourself as being artistic, innovative, and intuitive, allowing you to work in an unstructured way. You may think outside the box as part of your creative and imaginative talents. Your hobbies might include photography, travel, speaking foreign languages, dancing, painting, desktop publishing, visiting art museums, sewing, and designing for theater works. Some examples of individuals with an artistic personalities are performers, entertainers, writers, architects, museum curators, advertising managers, art/language/music teachers, and tattoo artists.

SOCIAL PERSONALITY:

If you are social, you have a “Helpers” theme. You are helpful, outgoing, insightful, friendly, empathetic, kind, patient, generous, responsible, cooperative, forgiving, and persuasive. With a “helpers” personality, you like to work in groups, work with young people, play team sports, serve others, participate in meetings, and help others with their problems. You can see yourself mediating disputes, expressing yourself clearly, training/teaching others, leading a group discussion, planning and supervising an activity, and you cooperating well with others. Your hobbies may include playing on a sports team or attending an event, helping others with personal concerns, writing letters, going to parties, caring for children, joining campus or community organizations, meeting new friends, doing religious activities, and volunteering with social action groups. Some examples of individuals with pleasant personalities are health field associates, public servants, librarians, real estate colleagues, natural resource rangers, therapists, social workers, hospitality personnel, and flight attendants.

ENTERPRISING PERSONALITY:

If you are enterprising, you have a “Persuaders” theme. You are assertive, persuasive, friendly, self-confident, enthusiastic, energetic, popular, impulsive, adventurous, curious, ambitious, agreeable, talkative, spontaneous, extroverted, and optimistic. With a “persuaders” personality, you like to make decisions affecting others, win leadership or sales awards and have power or status.  You might start your service or business, be elected to office, campaign politically and work with influential people. You can see yourself initiating projects, selling things and promoting ideas, convincing people to do things your way, giving speeches or talks, organizing activities, leading a group, and persuading others. Your hobbies might include showing a campus or community organization, reading business journals, selling products, discussing politics, watching the stock market, attending meetings and conferences, and operating a home business. Some examples of individuals with an enterprising personalities are managers, CEOs, lawyers, sales representatives, politicians, bankers, executives, foreign officers, and inventors.

CONVENTIONAL PERSONALITY:

If you are conventional, you have a “Organizers” theme. You are well organized, systematic, accurate, conscientious, efficient, numerically inclined, conforming, practical, orderly, thrifty, polite, ambitious, systematic, obedient, structured, and persistent. As an “organizer,” you can see yourself working well with numbers, using data processing equipment, following defined procedures, being responsible for detail, collecting or organizing things, and typing or taking shorthand. Your hobbies might include reading home magazines, collecting memorabilia or related objects, studying tax laws, recording your family roots, being a club or organization archivist or bookkeeper, and playing computer or card games. Some examples of individuals with a conventional personality are accountants, office assistants, reporters, business associates, paralegals, elementary school teachers, data analysts, and personal assistants.

REALISTIC ENVIRONMENT:

If you are attracted to a realistic environment, your most suitable environment has a dominant “Do-ers” theme. You flourish in an environment that works with objects, machines, tools, plants, animals, athletics, and the outdoors. You likely prefer an environment that is supportive and practical, straightforward, frank, mechanically inclined, reserved, self-regulated, independent, systematic, and investigative of the physical world. Realistic environments offer opportunities to work with tools, and mechanical or electrical drawings, fix mechanical objects, solve problems that deal with electricity, read blueprints, plant a garden, build things, use your hands, do hands-on activity and training, or take care of animals. Examples of occupations within a realistic environment include truck driver, electrician, flight engineer, carpenter, police officer, farmer, firefighter, diesel mechanic, forester, truck driver, pilot, manager of a farm/recreation/property/service, fish and game warden, landscape architect and floral designer.

INVESTIGATIVE ENVIRONMENT:

If you are attracted to an investigative environment, your most suitable environment has a dominant “Thinkers” theme. You flourish in an environment that supports inquisitive, observant, intellectual, independent, logical, reserved, analytic, curious, complex, reflective, and scholarly thinking.  An investigative climate offers opportunities to solve specific scientific and philosophical problems through research. This might include areas of academia, scientific research in laboratories and the field, collecting and recording data, and the ability to analyze the data with specific statistics. Examples of occupations within an investigative environment include dentist, pharmacist, medical or electrical technician, meteorologist, archeologist, anthropologist, agronomist, actuary, statistician, biologist, chemist, computer systems analyst, veterinarian, architect, surveyor, private investigator, medical doctor or practitioner.

ARTISTIC ENVIRONMENT:

If you are attracted to an artistic environment, your most suitable environment has a dominant “Creators” theme. You flourish in an innovative, unconventional, imaginative, creative, original, reflective, nonconforming, and expressive environment. An artistic environment offers opportunities to think outside the box and work independently, unstructured, and possibly on your schedule. This might include areas of the arts, including medical illustration, academia, design, advertising, coaching, and writing. Examples of occupations within an artistic environment include actor, artist, copywriter, dance instructor, English teacher, entertainer or performer, fashion illustrator, museum curator, graphic designer, medical illustrator, advertising art director or manager, architect, intelligence research specialist, journalist or reporter, landscape architect, librarian, and interior decorator.

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT:

If you are attracted to a social environment, your most suitable environment has a dominant “Helpers” theme. You flourish in an environment that is friendly, responsible, patient, helpful, insightful, and outgoing. A social environment offers opportunities to enlighten, form, help, train, or teach others, lead a group, mediate disputes, plan and supervise activities, serve others, and help people with their problems. This might include areas in the medical field, public service, education, charitable organizations, and natural environments, such as parks and nature preserves. Examples of occupations within a social climate include education faculty (such as in primary and secondary schools), clinical dietitian, counselor or therapist, librarian, paralegal, police officer, parole and pervasive probation officer, real estate appraiser, recreation director, nurse, caretaker, volunteer, service director, speech pathologist, social worker, park ranger, religious leader and psychologist.

ENTERPRISING ENVIRONMENT:

If you are attracted to an enterprising environment, your most suitable environment has a dominant “Persuaders” theme. You flourish in an environment that supports assertive, energetic, adventurous, and ambitious characteristics. An ambitious climate offers opportunities to work with people and influence, lead, persuade, or manage for organizational goals and economic gain. This might include areas in the legal field, sales, politics, emergency medical task force, and banking. Examples of occupations within an enterprising environment include CEO, advertising executive/sales representative/manager/director, public relations representative, politician, foreign service officer, insurance manager, interpreter, lawyer/attorney, lobbyist, personnel recruiter, tax accountant, and stockbroker.

CONVENTIONAL ENVIRONMENT:

If you are attracted to a conventional environment, your most suitable environment has a dominant “Organizers” theme. You flourish in an organized, systematic, structured, efficient, and conforming environment. And can include working with data, clerical or numerical efficiency, detailed task assignments, and structured instructions. This might include clerical work, administration, accounting, merchandise inspecting, accountability, and computer programming. Examples of occupations within a conventional environment include accountant, administrative assistant, budget analyst, catalog librarian, claims adjuster, court reporter, customs inspector, editorial assistant, elementary school teacher, insurance underwriter, internal auditor, medical records technician, safety inspector, tax accountant, and travel agent.