CAREER_COUNSELLING_EN

The Self-Directed Search – The Holland Interest Inventory is a work instrument
simulating career counselling and it is self-administered (with individuals or groups), it
has self-scoring and self-interpretation scales; the presence of a counsellor may be
necessary in some situations and for certain categories of clients.

Examples, case studies, exercises

The theory and evaluation method, as Holland himself admits (1992), only covers part of
the variables involved in vocational choice; other factors intervene in the process, such
as: age, gender, level of education, social position, system of personal aptitudes, abilities
and skills, etc.

Examples of associating Holland personality types with certain occupations or
professions:

Realistic Investigative Artistic Social Enterprising Conventional
Mechanic Statistician Actor Counsellor Car dealer Accountant
Farmer Geologist Choreographer Teacher Cook Credits/
insurance clerk
Electrician Meteorologist Composer Historian Detective Medical
records clerk
Dental
technician

Computer

programmer

Fashion

designer

Human

resource worker

Paramedic Postal worker

Pilot Physician Painter Social worker Hotel manager Receptionist
Engineer Psychologist Musician Journalist Lawyer Secretary

Many US universities present their educational and training offer in Holland’s terms,
through services of information and counselling.

Method evaluation

It is useful for a counsellor to know a client’s personality code beforehand or to find it out
by applying the Holland inventories. This code gives important clues regarding an
individual’s range of interests and helps counsellors associate clients’ personality