According to the vocational theory by John Holland, the activities people engage in and the work environments in American society can be categorized by a set of common characteristics. Generally, people search for environments that allow them to express their personality traits and interests, and people with similar traits tend to congregate in similar occupations. The more compatible a person's interests are with the work environment, the greater success and satisfaction the individual is likely to experience.

Follow the directions to complete the Interest Checklist to identify your preferred Holland interest themes.
1) Circle the activities that sound appealing to you whether you have done them or not. Do not consider your skill, only your interest in the activity.
2) Review the categories and identify your first, second, and third most appealing themes. This is your Holland Code.
3) Read the descriptions of each theme.

INTERESTS CHECKLIST

REALISTIC "Doers"	INVESTIGATIVE "Thinkers"	ARTISTIC "Creators"	SOCIAL "Helpers"	ENTERPRISING "Persuaders"	CONVENTIONAL "Organizers"
Use carpentry tools to build items with wood	Solve math problems or quizzes	Design posters, flyers or brochures	Take a course in interpersonal relations	Make a speech or presentation	Fill out income tax forms
Plant a garden	Work with a chemistry set	Take photographs	Provide care for children	Meet influential people	Take the minutes of a meeting
Repair stereos, computers or small appliances	Read and solve mysteries	Work independently in an unstructured environment	Belong to clubs or attend conferences and networking meetings	Lead a work project or committee	Keep the books/records for a club
Refinish antique furniture	Read scientific books or magazines; watch scientific TV programs	Conceptualize new ways to solve problems or accomplish tasks	Help someone "new" become acquainted with others and make friends	Sell items or services	Reorganize a filing system to make it more efficient
Hunt or fish	Work in a laboratory	Sketch, draw, paint or sculpt	Teach a class	Participate in a political campaign	Write business letters, memos or reports
Raise or train animals	Use or discuss computers and software	Read or write poetry	Meet and get to know new people	Help settle disputes	Work with numbers and financial data
Work independently, solving concrete, practical problems	Compare and analyze budget figures	Dance or act in a play	Learn about different cultures and groups of people	Be a member of the debate team	Collect and organize items such as stamps, coins, baseball cards
Develop film in a darkroom	Observe behavioral or scientific phenomena	Attend a play, opera, or concert	Listen to your friends' personal problems and try to help solve them	Own or operate a small business or service	Operate computers and other business machines
Spend time browsing in a hardware store	Develop a survey questionnaire for a research project	Read articles or watch movies with an artistic or musical theme	Do volunteer work to benefit the elderly, needy or sick	Manage a fund-raising campaign for an organization	Balance a checkbook or manage personal finances
Serve in the military	Use a microscope or telescope	Write a creative story for fun or for publication	Entertain friends in your home	Entertain business clients	Make charts and graphs
Repair of tune-up bikes, cars, motorcycles	Play chess or other strategy games	Visit an art museum	Chaperone a youth group dance	Serve as a club officer	Take or keep an inventory of supplies
Operate a sewing machine	Analyze and solve abstract problems	Play a musical instrument	Lead a discussion group on social justice	Supervise a staff of people	Organize items in your room, garage, attic
Drive a bus or truck or operate large machines	Collect data for an experiment	Design a dress, piece of jewelry or furniture	Work on group projects	Persuade others to accept your ideas	Develop and follow efficient work routines