Your Talent and Your Career Choice

If you want to experience what success really means, find what your talent is and choose a career along that area. If you can do this, two things will happen, one, you will be fulfilled and two, you will succeed faster. Why? Because career is an individual expression of one’s interest or talents at a particular time. And you will do well in certain areas that capitalize on your talents.

The following personality types by John Holland will also be of great help to you.

Here is John Holand’s theory on personality types. These personality types that Holand described predispose people to do well in certain careers that capitalize on their talents. They don’t describe everyone, but they provide a structure for understanding why some people do better than others in particular jobs. 

Realistic: This person is logical, objective and forthright. Preference is given to dimensions such as physical prowess, aggression and domination. A realistic type prefers activities in which to manipulate objects, machines and other tangible things. This person is likely to be emotionally stable but less sociable and inclined to select technical, agricultural, or trade occupation. He or she is practical and tends to have underdeveloped verbal and social skill but highly developed motor skills. The realistic person chooses career such as laborer, farmer, carpenter, engineer, or machine operator. The realistic environment allows realistic people to perform preferred activities and be rewarded for technical abilities.

                                             

Investigative: By relying on intelligence and cognitive skills, this personality type is problem solver. Socially aloof and introverted, the investigative individual prefers intellectual tasks that require academic proficiencies. He or she also tends to be analytical, critical, intellectual, methodical, precise, rational and reserved. These person exhibit traits of creativity, independence and self-confidence but is often not realistic or practical. Career choices for this type include scientist, scholar, research worker, and theoretician.

Artistic: This is a sensitive, impulsive, creative, emotional, independent and non-conforming individual who values cultural activities and aesthetic qualities. The person may develop competencies in art, drama, music, writing and language and avoid structured situations. Not surprisingly a creative type chooses careers such as actor, writer, musician and artist.

Social: This person is highly skilled in dealing with other people. He or she is usually accepting, responsible, cheerful, nurturing and caring. If you have noticed a similarity between this type and yourself or your classmate, it’s because this category is most often descriptive of those who choose helping professions. Take note, however, because this type often evades intellectual or physical task, preferring to use strength in interpersonal manipulations.

Enterprising: This person uses highly refined verbal skills for leadership and sales profession such as marketing, business and politics. He or she is enthusiastic, energetic, dominating, persuasive, extroverted and aggressive. Much concern is devoted to attaining status, power and leadership roles. Some examples of enterprising vocations are business executives, sales people, politicians and promotional workers.

Conventional: This type of person prefers activities that are routine, structured and practical. A conventional type is self-controlled, orderly, inhibit and efficient. Examples of conventional vocation include bankers, book keepers, office workers and clerks.

Sample Careers

The following lists are sample careers that typify persons dominant within a category.

Doer (Realistic)

Working with one's hands/body, with tools, machines, and things; practical, mechanically inclined, and physical

Actor, agriculture, animator, anthropologist, archeologist, architect, artist, astronaut, athlete, bartender, carpenter, catering, chef/culinary art, computer art, computer scientist, cosmetology/ make-up artist, costume designer, dancer, dentist, driver (bus, truck), engineer, electrician, environmental science, farmer, fashion designer/ haute couture, fashion model, filmmaker/ film school, firefighter, game design, graphic designer, handicrafts, horticulturist/gardener, instructional technology, information technologist, interior design, knitting, laborer, librarian, lifeguard, martial arts, marine biology, mechanic/automobiles, mechanical engineer, military, musician, nursing, optometry, paleontologist, paramedic, park ranger, personal trainer/ athletic trainer, pharmacist, photographer, physical therapist, pilot, police officer, production designer, radiology, sculptor, list of sewing occupations, surgeon, veterinarian, web development/ web design, webmaster, waiting staff, wood carving.

Thinker (investigative)

Working with theory and information, analytical, intellectual, and scientific

Actuary, computer science, critical theory, economist, engineer, finance, lab work, lawyer, library and information science, mathematics, medicine, pharmacy, pre-med, professor (all fields), computer programmer, psychologist, public health, research/scholarship, science, statistics, surgeon, teacher.

Creator (Artistic)

Non-conforming, original, independent, chaotic, creative

Actor, author/poet, dancer, master of fine art, musician/singer-songwriter, painter/graphic designer

Helper (Social)

Cooperative/non-competitive environments, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing

Activist/social justice, advisor, art therapist, caretaker, civil right lawyer, clinical social work, community organizer, counselor, clergy, dance therapy, drama therapy, education, human rights/humanitarian, nurse, nutritionist, philanthropy, physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, receptionist, religion/philosophy, special education, speech-language pathologist, teacher, trainer (business), translator/interpreter.

Persuader (Enterprising)

Competitive environments, status, hierarchy, leading, persuading, selling, dominating

Administration, administrative assistant, bartender, business/MBA, buyers, communications, economics, entrepreneur, event manager/haute couture, fashion model, flight attendant, hospitality management studies, human resources, insurance, investment banker, journalism, law/Debate, lobbyist, marketing/market research, management, management consultant, political science/international relations, politics, pre-law, professor, publicist, publishing, public administration, public affairs, public relations, public policy, public speaking, real estate, retail, stockbroker, sales, student council, trainer (business), travel agent, united nations/model U.N.

Organizer (Conventional)

Precise, perfect attention to detail, orderly, organizing, likes to work with data, status

Certified public accountant (CPA), actuary, administration, administrative assistant, banker, bank teller, bookkeeper, business/MBA, cashier, clerk, copy editing, computer science, desktop publishing, economics, engineer, finance, instructional technology, investment banking, lexicographer, library and information science, information technology, management, management information systems, office manager, payroll, pharmacy, proofreader, secretary, statistics, technical writer.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia