Holland’s typological model: what job fits your personality?

We spend practically a third of our lives working. For this reason, the position we choose to perform at work will greatly determine our quality of life.

Vocational guidance seeks to guide us and help us make the right decision; Precisely for this reason, various models and theories have appeared. One of the most interesting and most applied in professional practice is Holland’s typological model.

This model is part of those approaches that focus on the individual characteristics of each person and their degree of adjustment to different job positions.

According to Holland, we look for occupations and jobs in which we can use our skills, abilities and display our interests and values.

Holland’s typological model

This model is based on the premise that all Occupations can be categorized into six different professional environments. And each person’s choice to insert themselves into one or another of these environments will depend on their own personality traits.

Of course, we can dedicate ourselves to a professional field that is unrelated to who we are (for example, depending on the economy or available jobs); however, We tend to be more attracted to positions that fit our traits. and we perform better in them.

This has different implications. On the one hand, it is understood that professional choices are an expression of one’s own personality; and, therefore, as long as the vocation is followed, people in the same field of work will have similar traits to each other. On the other hand, it is inferred that people will feel more satisfied and fulfilled and will enjoy greater job stability as long as we choose an environment according to our typology.

Environments and personalities proposed by Holland’s typological model

Holland’s typological model is a hexagonal model in that it describes six different personality typologies that correspond to six occupational environments.

The description of these personalities is based on the shared traits that the members of a given work group possess (for example, competencies, values, objectives or problem-solving style). Thus, we find the following:

1. Realistic

The realistic personality tends to have an objective and concrete vision of the world. They are constant and dynamic people and focused mainly on the material and practical level.

They feel greater attraction and are skilled in tasks that involve orderly and systematic manipulation of objects, tools and machinery. Thus, some of their favorite professions may be related to agriculture, livestock, mechanics, electricity or engineering.

2. Researcher

The researcher, also called intellectual, this more focused on the theoretical level, analysis and abstraction and avoid situations with a high practical component. They are observant people with great curiosity about the functioning of physical, biological or cultural phenomena, which they wish to investigate and understand.

They feel drawn to creative and mentally challenging tasks and they tend to perform well in theoretical and research occupations such as law, physics, chemistry or economics.

3.Social

The social personality enjoys interacting with others and has good communication skills. Is about empathetic people with a desire to help others. They tend to be leaders, idealists and have a positive self-image. They prefer occupations related to care, training and guidance such as medicine, psychology, teaching or social work.

4. Artistic

Artistic people are mainly focused on the expression of emotions and sensations, in creating and projecting through originality and imagination. They tend to move away from the conventional and very realistic occupations and opt for free and unsystematized environments in which they can be independent and express their artistic sensitivity. Musicians, dancers, writers, designers or decorators fit this profile.

5. Entrepreneur

The entrepreneurial personality typology is characterized by a High achievement orientation and leadership capacity. They are persuasive, bold, dynamic and energetic people. Capable of taking risks, they avoid the intellectual and aesthetic plane and focus more on communication, organization and the search for profit. Marketingpublic relations, commerce, banking and, in general, the business world, are usually areas of preference.

6. Conventional

This last option includes those logical, disciplined and organized people who identify with what is established. Thus, they tend to be formal and conformist to some degree and prefer orderly and systematic activities of recording, filing, organizing and processing data. Administrators, librarians, bank tellers and office workers usually have this type of personality.

Holland’s model is useful in guiding a person in their choice of studies.

Contributions of Holland’s typological model

According to this model, people with similar traits tend to create, in their interaction, atmospheres with specific characteristics. For this reason, six types of environments related to the previous personalities have been described (realistic, investigative, artistic, entrepreneurial, social and conventional).

Various cross-cultural studies have made it possible to identify and corroborate the different vertices of this hexagonal model. And, in the same way, inventories have been created capable of classifying both people (in personality typologies) and occupations (in occupational environments). With all this, The aim is to guide towards the greatest possible adjustment.

In other words, Holland’s typological model is useful in guiding a person in their choice of studies, when deciding on your first job or when you feel you need a job change. And, taking into account your traits, values, interests and skills, it is possible to select the environment that best suits your needs and in which, therefore, you will achieve the most success and satisfaction.

However, it is worth remembering that it is not always so simple, since we can all have, to a greater or lesser extent, characteristics of various typologies. And, likewise, certain professions can be related to various occupational environments. Therefore, it is important to carry out an individualized analysis in each case.

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