STRONG INTEREST INVENTORY

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STRONG INTEREST INVENTORY
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• Go by the sign that you think you have the most
  in common with where would you fit in the best?
• Discuss what brought you to that group
• What did you all have in common with one another?

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Strong Background

• Most researched interest scale
• High validity and reliability
• First developed by E.K. Strong
• Decided similar interests bring people together
  in work settings
• Holland expanded on the theory
• People tend to surround themselves with others
  who share interests, competencies, and outlook on
  world. Thus, where people congregate reflects
  the type they are.
• Gave every person and every job a Holland Code -
  RIASEC

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Strong Theory

• What people do is a reflection of their interests
• People of similar interests will be satisfied in
  those occupations given their values, knowledge
  and abilities are also the same
• Measures interests, not abilities
• Not used to tell you what you should be, but to
  be used as a spring board for ideas
• Purpose is to identify themes and patterns

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Normative Sample

• Compared against 67,000 people who took the
  assessment
• All at least 21 years old, satisfied with their
  work, been in occupation for 3 years, do typical
  work tasks
• Random sample with race and ethnicity
• Measures how similar you are to them how well
  you would fit in with them
• Profiled with women only

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General Occupational Themes (GOTs)

• Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social,
  Enterprising, and Conventional
• Usually identify with three codes strongly
• Represented with first letter of code name
• Can see self in all
• After age 25, the letters should stay the same,
  but the order of them might change
• Will rate yourself first and then see how you
  scored

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Realistic The Doers

• Love to work with their hands, tools, machinery,
  computer networks
• Rugged, practical, athletic, mechanical,
  adventurous, self-reliant
• Enjoy fixing, repairing, building, working
  outdoors
• Like physical risks
• Prefer concrete rather than abstract problems
• Present oriented, thing oriented

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Realistic Work Environments

• Places where they can produce tangible results
• Things that that they can see and touch
• Situations calling for minimal interaction with
  others
• Where casual dress is allowed
• Organizations structured with clearly drawn lines
  of authority

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Realistic Quiz

• What kind of car do they drive?
• Trucks, SUV, Jeep
• What would be their ideal vacation?
• Camping, attending sports event, fishing,
  golfing, outward bound, hiking, adventure trip
• What motivates them?
• Hands-on, tangible results
• What would they buy?
• Boats, campers, sports equipment, power tools,
  ESPN magazine, adventure books

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Investigative The Thinkers

• Like to gather information, uncover new facts,
  interpret data
• Curious, abstract thinkers, rational, critical,
  intellectual, introverted, insightful, persistent
• Love to explore learning
• Strong scientific or mathematic orientation
• Competent in analysis, writing, problem solving,
  research
• Very task-oriented
• Express themselves by using their minds
• Enjoy mental challenges
• Solve problems by thinking

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Investigative Work Environments

• Unstructured work environments that allow freedom
  in work styles
• Where they can work alone most of the time
• Research labs, universities, computer-related
  industries, scientific foundations, medical
  facilities
• Where they can continue to learn and uncover new
  data

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Investigative Quiz

• What would they drive?
• Bicycle, Volvo, hybrid, Honda
• What would be their ideal vacation?
• Space camp, fossil dig, science museum, African
  safari, visit ruins, historical places (Europe)
• What motivates them?
• Curiosity, learning, knowledge
• What would they buy?
• Telescopes, computers, books, puzzles, electronic
  equipment, science fiction or mystery novels

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Artistic The Creators

• Enjoy music, art, drama, anything cultural
• Enjoy self-expression
• Independent and highly creative
• Creativity is expressed in many ways ideas,
  writing, appreciating or creating arts,
  performing, counseling, developing programs, etc
• Impulsive, non-conforming, sensitive, emotional,
  visionary, introspective, imaginative
• Enjoy beauty, variety, and what is unusual
• Solve problems by doing something new

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Artistic Work Environments

• Unstructured, flexible settings that allow
  self-expression
• Where they can work on their own
• Where they can teach skills
• Where they can incorporate creativity in their
  work
• Theaters, concert halls, advertising, PR,
  museums, libraries, education, etc.

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Artistic Quiz

• What kind of car do they drive?
• Bug, PT Cruiser, Mini Copper, Convertible
• What would be their ideal vacation?
• NYC to see shows, Venice to see art, dance/acting
  workshop
• What motivates them?
• Self-expression
• What would they buy?
• Art objects, music CDs, colorful things,
  decorations, theater tickets

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Social The Helpers

• Like to work with people, often in groups, to
  help inform, train, teach, nurture, help,
  develop, cure
• Like to arrange positive relationships create
  harmony
• Deep concern for people and excellent
  interpersonal skills
• Humanistic, cooperative, supportive, tactful,
  friendly, outgoing
• Solve problems by discussing feelings with others

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Social Work Environment

• Unstructured settings where they can get to know
  others
• Where they can feel like they make a difference
• Where they can work with others
• Social services, non-profit, schools, human
  resources, mental health fields, medical services

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Social Quiz

• What car would they drive?
• Mini-van, SUV, Suburban
• Where would be their ideal vacation?
• Cruise with friends/family, beach house vacation,
  Disney World, family reunion
• What motivates them?
• Helping others
• What would they buy?
• Charity event tickets, food to entertain others,
  People magazine, self-help books

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Enterprising The Leaders

• Enjoy working with others to persuade, sell,
  lead, manage
• Lead others towards some organizational goal or
  economic gain
• Self-confident, sociable, ambitious, energetic,
  verbal, assertive, optimistic, competitive
• Prefer social tasks cant stay at a task for
  too long
• Like to lead groups, give speeches, manage people
  and projects

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Enterprising Work Environment

• Like careers in businesses and large
  organizations
• Where they can work with others
• Where they can live thoroughly in their
  environments and have variety
• Positions of leadership, power, status
• Own a business

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Enterprising Quiz

• What kind of car do they drive?
• Lexus, BMW, Cadillac, Lincoln, high-end SUV
• What is their ideal vacation?
• Luxury cruise, spa retreat, week of golf,
  Hamptons or Cape Cod, skiing
• What motivates them?
• Persuading others
• What do they buy?
• Nice cars, good clothes, country club
  memberships, the latest equipment, bestsellers,
  Wall Street Journal

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Conventional The Organizers

• Like activities requiring attention to detail,
  organization, accuracy, data systems, filing
  systems
• Enjoy mathematics and data management
• Practical, organized, systematic, accurate,
  dependable, conscientious, efficient, quite
• Like to organized others
• Dont mind being managed
• Live in orderliness
• Solve problems by organizing it

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Conventional Work Environment

• Prefer support service roles
• Like to know the structure of the organization
• Well organized chain of command
• Where they can be around others and by self
• Where they can be given exact instructions on a
  project
• Large corporations, business offices, accounting
  firms
• Where they can organize things and people

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Conventional Quiz

• What kind of car do they drive?
• Buick, Honda, Saturn, fuel efficient cars
• What is their ideal vacation?
• Historical cities, knitting workshop,
  pre-programmed tour, same cabin each year
• What motivates them?
• Organizing and bring things together
• What do they buy?
• Hobby collections, how-to books, file cabinets
  and shelves

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• Check out your results...

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General Occupational Themes (GOTS)

• Usually two to three letters show up most
• Who are you are in whole life (24/7)
• Show what you self-rated yourself
• Bars represent the strength of theme in you
  compared to your same sex groups
• Very high top 10 of people with this interest,
  more interest than almost all
• High 15 above moderate interest group, more
  interest than most
• Moderate 50 of population are here, about as
  much interest as most
• Little less interest than most
• Very Little less interest than almost all

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Basic Interests Scales

• 25 scales that measure interest in particular
  activities
• Tell what you like to do
• Same rating as before vh, h, m, l, vl
• How do these interests play out in your life?
• How is your life enriched by these activities?
• Which would you want to pursue professionally?

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Occupational Scales

• Scales that measure your similarity to women
  employed in 122 different occupations
• Who are you like in your day-to-day activities
• Only scale that incorporates both what you
  answered like and dislike
• Anything above 40 means that you are very similar
  with both your likes and dislikes with people in
  those professions
• You would fit in with them like to do similar
  things when working

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Occupational Scales

• Each job has a code by averaging peoples codes
  who are in that field
• Some codes change slightly depending on work jobs
• What do all of the job listed have in common with
  one another?
• What do they have in common with you?
• What picture do they paint?
• What themes do you see?
• Where do these themes fit into your life?

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Personal Style Scales

• Five scales that assess personal preferences
  regarding work style, learning, leading, risk
  taking, and team orientation
• Also important when considering and examining
  career professions

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Normal Ranges

• Mean Bounds
• Strong Like 11 0 27
• Like 24 5 43
• Indifferent 25 5 45
• Dislike 19 0 39
• Strongly Dislike 21 0 56

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Strong Wrap Up

• Questions?
• Think about what you learned?
• What do you need in a career to make sure it is
  in line with your interests?
• What careers will you research as a result?