Developed by psychologist John L. Holland, the RIASEC model connects personality types with congruent work environments to predict job satisfaction and success.
Created by Dr. John Holland in the 1950s to categorize personality types based on interests and skills.
People work best in environments that match their preferences. This is known as "Person-Environment Fit".
The RIASEC codes are now the gold standard used by the US Department of Labor's O*NET database.
Most people are a combination of two or three of the RIASEC types. Explore the breakdown below.
Practical, physical, hands-on, tool-oriented. They prefer working with things rather than people or ideas.
Traits: Stable, Persistent, Frank
Analytical, intellectual, scientific, explorative. They prefer working with ideas and solving problems.
Traits: Curiosity, Logic, Independence
Creative, original, independent, chaotic. They prefer unstructured environments where they can express themselves.
Traits: Imaginative, Idealistic, Expressive
Cooperative, supporting, helping, healing. They prefer working with people to enlighten, inform, or cure them.
Traits: Empathy, Patience, Generosity
Competitive environments, leadership, selling. They prefer working with people to influence, persuade, or lead.
Traits: Ambition, Confidence, Sociability
Detail-oriented, organized, clerical. They prefer working with data, keeping records, and following defined procedures.
Traits: Precision, Efficiency, Discipline
Dr. Holland's Typology has stood the test of time, serving as the gold standard for career counseling for over half a century. Its robust empirical support has made it an indispensable tool for vocational psychologists worldwide.
The RIASEC model is the underlying framework for the most widely used career assessments in history, including the Strong Interest Inventory and the Self-Directed Search (SDS). By providing a clear, scientifically validated way to map personalities to work environments, it enables tools to provide actionable insights for millions of students and job seekers.
Recognizing its validity, the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration adopted the RIASEC model for its Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Today, O*NET classifies nearly every occupation in the US economy using Holland Codes, making it easier for individuals to find careers that match their inherent interests.