The six Holland (RIASEC) interest types at a glance
Holland’s theory groups what you enjoy doing into six interest types. Results are usually read as a combination of your top two or three letters, so after comparing the types, take a look at the two-letter code chart too.
Find your code with the RIASEC testThe 6 Holland interest types
- Realistic (R)One of the six Holland interest types: a pull toward hands-on making.Things and tools — neighbors Investigative and Conventional; opposite Social.
- Investigative (I)One of the six Holland interest types: a pull toward exploring & analyzing.Ideas and inquiry — neighbors Realistic and Artistic; opposite Enterprising.
- Artistic (A)One of the six Holland interest types: a pull toward expressing & creating.Ideas and expression — neighbors Investigative and Social; opposite Conventional.
- Social (S)One of the six Holland interest types: a pull toward helping & teaching.People and helping — neighbors Artistic and Enterprising; opposite Realistic.
- Enterprising (E)One of the six Holland interest types: a pull toward leading & persuading.People and leading — neighbors Social and Conventional; opposite Investigative.
- Conventional (C)One of the six Holland interest types: a pull toward organizing & order.Data and systems — neighbors Enterprising and Realistic; opposite Artistic.
Six types arranged on a hexagon
Holland placed the six interest types on a hexagon in the order Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E) and Conventional (C). Types close together on the hexagon share similar interests; types across from each other point in different directions. Opposite Realistic, drawn to building with hands and tools, sits Social, drawn to helping and teaching people. The six are also described as mixes of two directions: things versus people, and ideas versus data.
Results are usually read as a code made of the initials of your top two or three types (for example SA or RIC). When your top types are neighbors on the hexagon, your interests cluster in one direction; when they sit far apart, you hold quite different interests together. Interest is not ability, so use the code as a map of areas you are likely to enjoy and get absorbed in, not as a verdict on what you will be good at.
The six types compared: activities, settings, majors and jobs
A side-by-side summary of where each type’s interests point. The examples are starting points only; people of every type, gender and background work in the same jobs.
| Type | Enjoys | Fitting settings | Sample majors and jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Realistic (R) | Building, fixing and learning hands-on | Workshops and field sites with real equipment | Electronics · drone pilot · woodworker |
| Investigative (I) | Digging into data to see how things work | Places that give time to questions and testing | Math · weather researcher · security analyst |
| Artistic (A) | Expressing and making things without a set mold | Studios that welcome autonomy and new tries | Crafts · game designer · stage designer |
| Social (S) | Teaching, caring and growing together | Classrooms and care settings built on teamwork | Child studies · school counselor · adult educator |
| Enterprising (E) | Persuading, leading and closing deals | Competitive arenas with clear goals and results | International trade · startup founder · planner |
| Conventional (C) | Organizing, recording and building systems | Offices with clear rules and procedures | Information systems · data manager · auditor |
Common questions
What are the six Holland types?
The Holland types are a classification by the career psychologist John Holland that sorts work interests into six kinds: Realistic (R), Investigative (I), Artistic (A), Social (S), Enterprising (E) and Conventional (C). Their initials give the name RIASEC, and the model is widely used in school career tests and vocational interest inventories. Most people score high on two or three types rather than one, so results are read as a combination of the top types.
How do the RIASEC types differ?
The RIASEC types differ in what the activities that draw you work with. Realistic interests gather around things and tools, Investigative around ideas and evidence, Artistic around expression and creation, Social around helping and teaching people, Enterprising around persuading and leading people, and Conventional around organizing information and procedures. People in the same workplace can split across types depending on which part of the job they enjoy, so think about the activities inside a job rather than its title.
Are interests the same as aptitude?
No. Interest is about which activities you enjoy and are drawn to; aptitude is closer to how well you can do them. They influence each other but are not the same, so treat high-interest areas as good candidates where skill is likely to grow with learning and experience.
One type scored far above the rest.
That means your interests point clearly in one direction, which gives career exploration a clear starting point. Each type covers many kinds of work, so look at your second type too to narrow down the setting where you want to use that interest.
All six types scored about the same.
This is common when you have tried few fields so far or enjoy many activities evenly. Trying things through short experiences or projects and then retaking the test can make the differences clearer.
Keep reading
- Jobs by Holland type: five decades of US census data on the RIASEC areasIn 2010, 27% of US jobs were Realistic, 24% Social and only 2% Artistic. Five decades of census data on jobs and income by Holland type, and how to read them.
- RIASEC vs strengths tests: when to use eachRIASEC shows the work you are drawn to; the strengths test shows the character strengths you lean on. See when to use each and test both in small experiments.
- VIA strengths vs RIASEC: what does each show?VIA reveals the character strengths that energize you; RIASEC maps the work you are drawn to. Learn to read both together and use your strengths at work.
- MBTI and careers: using your type to explore jobs and majorsBefore trusting a type-to-job list: work conditions and majors for NT, NF, SJ and SP types, the limits of MBTI, and how RIASEC and the Big Five help.
These are self-reflection descriptions, not a diagnosis. People with the same type can differ a lot by person and situation.