STRONG INTEREST INVENTORY

Go by the sign that you think you have the most in common with – where would you fit in the best? Discuss what brought you to that group What did you all have in common with one another?

Strong Background Most researched interest scale High validity and reliability First developed by E.K. Strong Decided similar interests bring people together in work settings Holland expanded on the theory “People tend to surround themselves with others who share interests, competencies, and outlook on world. Thus, where people congregate… reflects the type they are.” Gave every person and every job a Holland Code - RIASEC

Strong Theory What people do is a reflection of their interests People of similar interests will be satisfied in those occupations given their values, knowledge and abilities are also the same Measures interests, not abilities Not used to tell you what you should be, but to be used as a spring board for ideas Purpose is to identify themes and patterns

Normative Sample Compared against 67,000 people who took the assessment All at least 21 years old, satisfied with their work, been in occupation for 3 years, do typical work tasks Random sample with race and ethnicity Measures how similar you are to them – how well you would fit in with them Profiled with women only

General Occupational Themes (GOTs) Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional Usually identify with three codes strongly Represented with first letter of code name Can see self in all After age 25, the letters should stay the same, but the order of them might change Will rate yourself first and then see how you scored

Realistic: The Doers Love to work with their hands, tools, machinery, computer networks Rugged, practical, athletic, mechanical, adventurous, self-reliant Enjoy fixing, repairing, building, working outdoors Like physical risks Prefer concrete rather than abstract problems Present oriented, thing oriented

Realistic: Work Environments Places where they can produce tangible results Things that that they can see and touch Situations calling for minimal interaction with others Where casual dress is allowed Organizations structured with clearly drawn lines of authority

Realistic Quiz What kind of car do they drive? Trucks, SUV, Jeep What would be their ideal vacation? Camping, attending sports event, fishing, golfing, outward bound, hiking, adventure trip What motivates them? Hands-on, tangible results What would they buy? Boats, campers, sports equipment, power tools, ESPN magazine, adventure books

Investigative: The Thinkers Like to gather information, uncover new facts, interpret data Curious, abstract thinkers, rational, critical, intellectual, introverted, insightful, persistent Love to explore learning Strong scientific or mathematic orientation Competent in analysis, writing, problem solving, research Very task-oriented Express themselves by using their minds Enjoy mental challenges Solve problems by thinking

Investigative: Work Environments Unstructured work environments that allow freedom in work styles Where they can work alone most of the time Research labs, universities, computer- related industries, scientific foundations, medical facilities Where they can continue to learn and uncover new data

Investigative Quiz What would they drive? Bicycle, Volvo, “hybrid,” Honda What would be their ideal vacation? Space camp, fossil dig, science museum, African safari, visit ruins, historical places (Europe) What motivates them? Curiosity, learning, knowledge What would they buy? Telescopes, computers, books, puzzles, electronic equipment, science fiction or mystery novels

Artistic: The Creators Enjoy music, art, drama, anything cultural Enjoy self-expression Independent and highly creative Creativity is expressed in many ways… ideas, writing, appreciating or creating arts, performing, counseling, developing programs, etc… Impulsive, non-conforming, sensitive, emotional, visionary, introspective, imaginative Enjoy beauty, variety, and what is unusual Solve problems by doing something new

Artistic: Work Environments Unstructured, flexible settings that allow self- expression Where they can work on their own Where they can teach skills Where they can incorporate creativity in their work Theaters, concert halls, advertising, PR, museums, libraries, education, etc.

Artistic Quiz What kind of car do they drive? Bug, PT Cruiser, Mini Copper, Convertible What would be their ideal vacation? NYC to see shows, Venice to see art, dance/acting workshop What motivates them? Self-expression What would they buy? Art objects, music CDs, colorful things, decorations, theater tickets

Social: The Helpers Like to work with people, often in groups, to help inform, train, teach, nurture, help, develop, cure Like to arrange positive relationships – create harmony Deep concern for people and excellent interpersonal skills Humanistic, cooperative, supportive, tactful, friendly, outgoing Solve problems by discussing feelings with others

Social: Work Environment Unstructured settings where they can get to know others Where they can feel like they make a difference Where they can work with others Social services, non-profit, schools, human resources, mental health fields, medical services

Social Quiz What car would they drive? Mini-van, SUV, Suburban Where would be their ideal vacation? Cruise with friends/family, beach house vacation, Disney World, family reunion What motivates them? Helping others What would they buy? Charity event tickets, food to entertain others, People magazine, self-help books

Enterprising: The Leaders Enjoy working with others to persuade, sell, lead, manage Lead others towards some organizational goal or economic gain Self-confident, sociable, ambitious, energetic, verbal, assertive, optimistic, competitive Prefer social tasks – can’t stay at a task for too long Like to lead groups, give speeches, manage people and projects

Enterprising: Work Environment Like careers in businesses and large organizations Where they can work with others Where they can live thoroughly in their environments and have variety Positions of leadership, power, status Own a business

Enterprising Quiz What kind of car do they drive? Lexus, BMW, Cadillac, Lincoln, high-end SUV What is their ideal vacation? Luxury cruise, spa retreat, week of golf, Hamptons or Cape Cod, skiing What motivates them? Persuading others What do they buy? Nice cars, good clothes, country club memberships, the latest equipment, bestsellers, Wall Street Journal

Conventional: The Organizers Like activities requiring attention to detail, organization, accuracy, data systems, filing systems Enjoy mathematics and data management Practical, organized, systematic, accurate, dependable, conscientious, efficient, quite Like to organized others Don’t mind being managed Live in orderliness Solve problems by organizing it

Conventional: Work Environment Prefer support service roles Like to know the structure of the organization Well organized chain of command Where they can be around others and by self Where they can be given exact instructions on a project Large corporations, business offices, accounting firms Where they can organize things and people

Conventional Quiz What kind of car do they drive? Buick, Honda, Saturn, fuel efficient cars What is their ideal vacation? Historical cities, knitting workshop, pre-programmed tour, same cabin each year What motivates them? Organizing and bring things together What do they buy? Hobby collections, how-to books, file cabinets and shelves

Check out your results...

General Occupational Themes (GOTS) Usually two to three letters show up most Who are you are in whole life (24/7) Show what you self-rated yourself Bars represent the strength of theme in you compared to your same sex groups Very high = top 10% of people with this interest, more interest than almost all High = 15% above moderate interest group, more interest than most Moderate = 50% of population are here, about as much interest as most Little = less interest than most Very Little = less interest than almost all

Basic Interests Scales 25 scales that measure interest in particular activities Tell what you like to do Same rating as before: vh, h, m, l, vl How do these interests play out in your life? How is your life enriched by these activities? Which would you want to pursue professionally?

Occupational Scales Scales that measure your similarity to women employed in 122 different occupations Who are you like in your day-to-day activities Only scale that incorporates both what you answered like and dislike Anything above 40 means that you are very similar with both your likes and dislikes with people in those professions You would fit in with them; like to do similar things when working

Occupational Scales Each job has a code – by averaging people’s codes who are in that field Some codes change slightly depending on work jobs What do all of the job listed have in common with one another? What do they have in common with you? What picture do they paint? What themes do you see? Where do these themes fit into your life?

Personal Style Scales Five scales that assess personal preferences regarding work style, learning, leading, risk taking, and team orientation Also important when considering and examining career professions

Normal Ranges MeanBounds Strong Like110 – 27 Like245 – 43 Indifferent255 – 45 Dislike190 – 39 Strongly Dislike210 – 56

Strong Wrap Up Questions? Think about what you learned? What do you need in a career to make sure it is in line with your interests? What careers will you research as a result?