--- title: "Job Preferences - José DA COSTA" description: "Identifies which job fields fit best based on preferences, addressing one of the most important life decisions about making a living." locale: "en" canonical: "https://portfolio.josedacosta.info/en/about/personality-tests/job-preferences" source: "https://portfolio.josedacosta.info/en/about/personality-tests/job-preferences.md" html_source: "https://portfolio.josedacosta.info/en/about/personality-tests/job-preferences" author: "José DA COSTA" type: "page" slug: "job-preferences" generated_at: "2026-04-23T15:46:41.127Z" --- # Job Preferences Identifies which job fields fit best based on preferences, addressing one of the most important life decisions about making a living. ## Concept Identifies compatible professional fields ## Details - Duration: ~20 min - Source: 16personalities.com specialized tests battery - Website: 16personalities.com/specialized-tests/job-preferences ## My detailed results **Title:** Job Preferences **Subtitle:** My compatible employment fields ### Intro **Text:** My top 3 interests are **Investigative**, **Enterprising**, and **Realistic** (O*NET interest code: **IER**). Here's a sample list of careers that feature these interests: ### Career List - Data Operations Analyst - Medical Laboratory Scientist - Statistical Programmer - Climate Analyst - Neuroscience Researcher - Cybersecurity Analyst - Urban Planner - Materials Scientist - Quantum Physicist - Geospatial Analyst **Note:** However, I don't feel limited by this list. It's merely intended as a useful starting point for me to explore ideas and careers that may interest me, based on this career framework. ### Realistic **Title:** Realistic Jobs **Score:** 56% **Description:** 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**. **Quote:** I prefer the certainty of clear instructions over improvisation. **Workers:** 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. #### Careers - Electricians - Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists - Anesthesiologist Assistants - Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers - Automotive Engineers - Firefighters - Foresters - Precision Agriculture Technicians - Surveyors - Audio and Video Technicians ### Investigative **Title:** Investigative Jobs **Score:** 81% **Description:** 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. **Quote:** I solve complicated problems and unravel mysteries. **Workers:** 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. **Quote2:** I prefer flexibility to hard deadlines. **Training:** 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. #### Careers - Animal Scientists - Biostatisticians - Computer and Information Research Scientists - Financial Quantitative Analysts - Nurse Anesthetists - Physicists - Psychiatrists - Chemists - Electrical Engineers - Coroners ### Artistic **Title:** Artistic Jobs **Score:** 50% **Description:** 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**. **Workers:** 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. **Quote:** I sacrifice security to do what I love. **Dedication:** 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. #### Careers - Actors - Floral Designers - Architects, except Landscape and Naval - Art Directors - Choreographers - Commercial and Industrial Designers - Interior Designers - Interpreters and Translators - News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists - Video Game Designers ### Social **Title:** Social Jobs **Score:** 37% **Description:** 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**. **Workers:** 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. **Quote:** My work is a calling. **Challenges:** 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. #### Careers - Art, Drama, and Music Teachers - Communications Teachers - Marriage and Family Therapists - Athletic Trainers - Recreational Therapists - Training and Development Specialists - Clergy - Childcare Workers - Registered Nurses - Residential Advisors ### Enterprising **Title:** Enterprising Jobs **Score:** 75% **Description:** 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. **Quote:** I am dynamic and recognize opportunities. **Workers:** 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. **Motivation:** 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. #### Careers - Curators - Travel Guides - Lawyers - Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates - Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes - Computer and Information Systems Managers - Human Resources Managers - Marketing Managers - Public Relations Specialists - Sustainability Specialists ### Conventional **Title:** Conventional Jobs **Score:** 48% **Description:** 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. **Workers:** 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**. **Quote:** I keep things running smoothly and efficiently. **Impact:** 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**. #### Careers - Archivists - Judicial Law Clerks - Statisticians - Accountants and Auditors - Budget Analysts - Compliance Managers - Document Management Specialists - Logistics Analysts - Web Administrators - Phlebotomists **Footer:** This page includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Full interactive version with visual charts, percentages, and cross-test comparisons: https://portfolio.josedacosta.info/en/about/personality-tests/job-preferences