Category Archives: Job/Career

I believe the John Holland Codes to be the most effective tool for finding what you were born to do. There are six codes–realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. I spent 40 years working in the social area but I really belonged in the investigative field. I have almost no relationship energy (of the 4 energies; grounding, relationship, creative, and logic). Once you start down a path, it is hard to jump to a completely different path.

Please, please spend some time on the Holland Codes to determine your best career directions.

John L. Holland is a psychologist who spent much of his career at Johns Hopkins University. He received his B.S. from the University of Omaha and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.

Holland is the creator of the RIASEC career development model often referred to as the Holland Codes.

This information is a reprint from Wikipedia(July 25, 2007):

Holland Codes are career types created by psychologist John L. Holland.

Holland mapped these types into a hexagon which he then broke down into the RIASEC job environments:

• Realistic- practical, physical, hands-on, tool-oriented
• Investigative- analytical, intellectual, scientific, explorative
• Artistic- creative, original, independent, chaotic
• Social- cooperative, supporting, helping, healing/nurturing
• Enterprising- competitive environments, leadership, persuading
• Conventional – detail-oriented, organizing, clerical

Holland argues that 2-3 types dominate in each person.

For more of the Wikipedia definitions, use this link.

The North Carolina State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee has a free self-assessment exercise using the Holland Codes.

The Holland Codes are used frequently in choosing careers and/or college majors because they are based on natural interest. One of the largest sites, HollandCodes, has free college search and career information. This site has extensive information and links to sites specializing in the Holland Codes.

More Holland Codes links:

1.  Take the quiz–Rogue Community College.

2.  Holland Codes–Powerpoint by Salesforce.

3.  A great article about career clusters and Holland Codes–iseek.

4.  Holland Career Codes matched to industry–by careersmarts.

5.  A large site with many Holland links–HollandCodes

Photo credit.

1. From Marc and Angel Hack Life–”I will do one thing today” to-do list. Choosing to one thing well and to completion gives us confidence and peace. Marc has helped us by adding a PDF file for eight small cut-outs for “I will do one thing today!”

2-8. From Zen Habits–How to get a lot done–7 tips to achieve more.

2.  Find the platform that gives you the time you need

3.  Plan, plan, plan

4.  Work smart

5.  Push yourself, but don’t overjuggle

6.  Team up, delegate, outsource, don’t try to do it all yourself

7.  Work smart

8.  Don’t be bound by what others tell you is or isn’t possible

9.  Eleven tips for broaching difficult subjects by Gretchen Rubin at The Happiness Project.

10.  Using waiting time productively–10 ways to save 10 minutes daily by Marc and Angel Hack Life.

More links about being productive:

1.  From the Harvard Business Review: “The Problem with High Expectations”

2.  From Psych Central: “When Feeling Like a Victim Hurts More Than Helps”

3.  From Pick the Brain: “5 Simple Steps to Start Your Day Productively”

Photo credit.