My Job Preferences
Test Results

Realistic jobs usually require some form of physical work and offer tangible, practical problems to solve. They tend to result in some form of visible, measurable progress on a more or less daily basis. While interacting with other people, pondering abstract ideas, or filling out forms and other paperwork may be an occasional part of the job, none of these are a central duty.

I prefer the certainty of clear instructions over improvisation.

Realistic workers like to work with their hands. They are detail-oriented, preferring the certainty of clear instructions and expectations over improvisation. People with this preference enjoy being productively engaged and dislike feeling idle. Realistic workers are particularly impatient with disagreeable personal interactions and high-maintenance co-workers or customers.

Investigative jobs require sustained mental effort to solve complex, often abstract problems. The ability to assemble facts into a coherent plan through methodical thinking, research, and testing is often key to success in this field.

I solve complicated problems and unravel mysteries.

Investigative workers enjoy solving complicated problems, inventing new theories or improving old ones, and unraveling mysteries. They can stay focused on a single idea or project for extended periods of time, requiring few immediate rewards and demonstrating high intrinsic motivation for their work. For this reason, they prefer flexibility to hard deadlines, and particularly dislike being micro-managed.

I prefer flexibility to hard deadlines.

Since many investigative jobs require academic or professional credentials, as well as expertise in a particular area, these workers must often be willing to pursue years of training or higher education, then patiently build experience in their field, often through apprenticeships or lower-level jobs.

Artistic jobs involve aesthetics, creativity, and a lot of professional freedom. They require confidence and comfort with self-expression. Instead of asking workers to fit a mold or follow exact procedure, they actively encourage individuality and outside-the-box thinking.

Artistic workers often feel stifled by rigidly defined roles and expectations that do not allow them to express their personal, creative flair. While they often do their best to make traditional jobs, like HR and sales, more exciting and fun, over the long haul they tend to lose their enthusiasm for roles that do not inspire them.

I sacrifice security to do what I love.

People with a very strong preference in this area often hold true to the "starving artist" cliché; they are willing to sacrifice security in order to do what they love. They are usually willing to go to great lengths to achieve their desired careers, which often involve craftsmanship, art, music, writing, and other creative pursuits.

Social jobs involve working with other people to educate, comfort, provide services, or help them improve their own lives. While these jobs can take many forms - from being a teacher or counselor to a massage therapist, midwife, member of the clergy, or even a bartender - being a "people person" is an absolute necessity.

People with this preference are usually empathetic and altruistic. Some are called to this work by religious or spiritual beliefs, while others are driven by more secular ideas of social responsibility. Many perceive their job choice as a "calling" and can recall an experience when they first developed a strong concern for the plight of others.

My work is a calling.

Social jobs often require working with people who are experiencing significant distress, or who may not see the need for the services being offered. For this reason, they can be quite stressful. A strong intrinsic motivation is critically important.

Enterprising jobs tend to require personal initiative, persuasive social skills, and a willingness to take risks. They often have a fluid, merit-based hierarchy. Success is not guaranteed. It usually depends on a person's ability to set a course of action and convince others - whether coworkers or customers - to do what is needed. This could mean selling a certain number of vacuum cleaners or leading an army in battle. Money, power, and status are often important as motivation as well as prime indicators of success.

I am dynamic and recognize opportunities.

Enterprising workers have a knack for leading or convincing other people. They are highly confident and sociable, which makes them strong public speakers and effective leaders, although their assertiveness can sometimes be perceived as domineering or manipulative.

People with this work preference tend to enjoy competition and are not afraid to take risks. They relish making decisions and feel motivated by the opportunity to rise or fall according to their own abilities. They tend to be dynamic: ready to recognize opportunities and act on them. They do not need to be told what to do and are often quite ambitious; once a goal is achieved, they waste no time setting their sights even higher.

Conventional jobs are guided by procedure and routine. They require an attention to detail and an ability to organize information. Power tends to flow through well-defined hierarchies with clear paths of advancement. Many jobs in the modern economy fall under this category, including administrative work, accounting, banking, and logistics.

Conventional workers easily make themselves irreplaceable in busy workplaces, where they keep things running smoothly and efficiently. They rarely enjoy the spotlight, and prefer to play a supporting role rather than be in the spotlight. When given specific directions and clear expectations, they take great satisfaction in executing a task accurately and competently.

I keep things running smoothly and efficiently.

While charismatic leaders often receive credit for the success of an organization, it is the collective efforts of Conventional workers meticulously fulfilling their unique responsibilities within the system that transforms a vision into a reality.