The Strong Interest Inventory® test is an assessment that helps test takers match their interests with potential educational, career, and leisure activities. This is done by identifying their preferences through a series of questions. Based on the answers to those questions, and a comparison to those surveyed who actively work in the field, test takers will score higher or lower on the Strong Interest Inventory’s series of scales.
More important than the scales though, are the patterns between their likes and dislikes, and what they mean when looked at altogether. When test takers receive their “inventory” (or results), they are given a clear insight into which kinds of activities and subjects they prefer. This also includes an expert interpretation of these results.
The final component of the Strong Interest Inventory is a series of indexes that allow interpreters and individuals to understand more atypical profiles that may not conform directly with the scales of the Strong Interest Inventory.
The information gathered through the various sections of test then comes together to provide a picture of where the test taker’s interests lie. It also includes which professions or areas of study match these interests. Each scale is ranked by the individual’s scores, so you aren’t simply told your highest scores. You see the actual patterns and trends that are identified through the Strong Interest Inventory.
The standard Strong Interest Inventory Profile features information on career paths, interests, risk-taking preferences, leadership styles, learning environments, work styles, and team orientation. If you are interested in college-focused information, we also provide a Strong Interest Inventory College Edition Profile. This profile adds an additional section that lists typical college majors, recommended college courses, further college preparation recommendations, and learning and studying tips.
DIGITAL DELIVERY
Delve deeper into what your interests, hobbies, favorite topics, and locations can mean for your career and personal life with the help of this extensive and personalized Strong profile. Your Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report starts with the same foundational information found in the Strong Interest Inventory Profile, but goes even further into analyzing your likes and dislikes by offering you a detailed look at how following your interests and preferences can help you lead a more fulfilling, satisfied life. The report presents you with the closest matched occupations for people with your interests, an in-depth breakdown of certain areas matched to your Strong Interest Inventory test results, and insight into your likes and dislikes. Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
The Strong Interest Inventory® Test is a psychological instrument that was developed through the work of E.K. Strong, Jr., published in 1927. The original purpose of the Inventory was to study the occupational interests of men and women. Its use was somewhat limited for the next several decades until the 1980’s.
Through the work of Jo-Ida Hansen, Lenore Harmon, and Fred Borgen, major revisions occurred throughout the 1980s and ’90s that transformed The Strong Interest Inventory® into the test we know today. These revisions included adding new sections to further dive into the test taker’s interests beyond just the workplace. It also create opportunities to update and revise the test to keep it current as trends inevitably change.
The current 2004 Edition represents a revolutionary step forward for the assessment, with updates and revisions to every major section of the instrument. The 2004 edition of the Strong Interest Inventory® Test is considered today to be the most well-investigated and universally used.
In addition to the 2004 overhaul, the Occupational Scales received a more recent revision in 2012. New data gathered with the help of 21st-century digital-age technology has allowed a more accurate representation of the general population’s interests. Changes to the response options on the assessment have also assisted in providing a more accurate and varied representation of results.
Through regular updates to the test based on modern research and changing trends, the Strong Interest Inventory® test remains an industry-standard in occupational and educational placement assessments.
The Strong Interest Inventory® starts with six General Occupational Themes. This section was created to better organize the ever-expanding list of occupations included in the test. The structure of these themes also makes it easy to add other occupations as various updates occur to the Strong Interest Inventory, meaning the test will never lose relevancy.
The scales in this section give a bird’s eye view of the test taker’s interests. These interests not only include preferences for different components of each scale, but also interest in the type of environment that each scale represents.
The components include the Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional categories. Depending on the answers, users are categorized by a one-, two-, or three-letter General Occupational Code. For example, if they score high in Realistic, Investigative, and Conventional, the code would be RIC.
Some Occupational Themes are more closely related than others. This means that some individuals may score equally on two different scales. For example, the Social and the Enterprising scales are more closely related than Enterprising and Investigative, so it is not uncommon for an individual to score highly in both. On the other hand, it is also possible that an individual will score highly in an Occupational Theme that they may not see a correlation between all interests of that theme. This just goes to show that very rarely are there individuals that are considered “pure” types, meaning that they fulfill all facets of a specific theme.
Some Occupational Themes are more closely related than others. This means that some individuals may score equally on two different scales. For example, the Social and the Enterprising scales are more closely related than Enterprising and Investigative, so it is not uncommon for an individual to score highly in both. On the other hand, it is also possible that an individual will score highly in an Occupational Theme that they may not see a correlation between all interests of that theme. This just goes to show that very rarely are there individuals that are considered “pure” types, meaning that they fulfill all facets of a specific theme.
The Strong Interest Inventory test's Realistic theme is based on constructing, building, repairing, working outdoors, being physical, and overall using their bodies and minds to fulfill certain duties. Test takers are also likely to score high on the Realistic theme if they enjoy physical activity and being adventurous. Users will also score high on the Realistic theme if they enjoy working with tools, computers, computer networks, and machines.
Those who score highly in this theme usually prefer to find solutions to clearly defined problems. They see the world more in black and white than in shades of gray. The Realistic Theme is also generally associated with taking risks, preferring concrete dilemmas, and working with data as opposed to abstract issues and research.
Individuals who score highly in the Realistic Theme are usually good at problem solving using specified tools. They are also strong due to their affinity for physical activity and are logical and intelligent. They are adept at understanding how things work the way they do. These individuals enjoy occupations that require specific skills such as working with machinery, computers, and heavy equipment. As far as work environments go, Realistic Theme individuals will often find themselves in fields such as construction, product manufacturing, and other technical environments. They prefer to work mostly on their own, with a specified hierarchy of individuals in the company.
The Strong Interest Inventory assessment Investigative theme is based on researching, analyzing, and inquiring. People associated with this theme have a strong scientific and inquiring orientation. They tend to be comfortable in academic or research environments. They also like to uncover new facts and interpret data.
During their time at work, those who score highly in the Investigative Theme enjoy completing more abstract tasks that involve critical thinking, working on experiments or research in a laboratory, accumulating and structuring data that they find, analyzing their research, and solving problems.
These individuals are often rather independent and prefer to work on their terms and by themselves. They can be a bit solitary in the workplace. Along with their independent working styles, high scorers in the Investigative Theme need a certain level of flexibility in their work environment. This allows for accommodation of a variety of working styles. They find themselves working in areas like technology, medical institutions, universities, and laboratories.
We mention work as a hobby because Investigative-focused individuals tend to have their work take the place of their hobbies. It is not uncommon for them to work 12-14 hour days.
The Strong Interest Inventory test Artistic theme is all about creating and enjoying Art, Drama, Music, and Writing. It’s associated with individuals who have a great need for expression. Those scoring high in Artistic can enjoy art both as a participant and a spectator.
Because of their position as both participant and spectator, it is common for those who score highly in the Artistic Theme to enjoy all components of art in both the workplace and their leisure. They often surround themselves with art in all aspects of life.
Although there are varying artistic forms that an individual might be interested in, all of these subcategories involve similar typical work activities and overall interests. For example, the four art forms of the Artistic Theme all involve creating something at the workplace, whether that be writing up an article or sculpting a new piece for an exhibit.
Many individuals also find themselves drawn to activities that involve being in front of an audience, whether they are acting or playing a musical instrument. They possess good linguistic skills and are usually great communicators. These individuals are nonconformists, choosing to be themselves over following societal standards, and are often in touch with their feelings and the beauty of the world around them.
As far as work environments go, those who score high in the Artistic theme of the Strong Interest Inventory prefer flexible schedules and structures. They need the freedom to express themselves as they see fit. They are also associated with occupations that allow them to create their specific form of art, whether that means that they work in an art studio, a museum, a gallery, or a design firm. It is also common for these individuals to teach their art form to others through occupations in universities or art institutes.
Individuals who favor the Artistic theme are also apt to express their Artistic preferences not only in work environments but also in their recreational activities.
The Strong Interest Inventory assessment Social theme revolves around helping, instructing, and caregiving. Individuals who score high on the Social theme tend to like working with people directly and in groups more than those who prefer the Realistic, Investigative, or Artistic theme. Their likening to group work is due in part to the idea of shared responsibilities and working together. They prefer clear duties for each person even in collaboration.
These test takers tend to gravitate to teaching professions and feel comfortable being the center of attention in a group setting, especially if their work involves instructing or nurturing the younger generation. They problem solve through discussions of feelings. In addition, interactions with others are typically the focal point of their occupation. Their work environment preferences are those of education or outreach, but high scores in the Social theme are also known to work in areas like training others or caring for the sick.
High scorers in the Social theme enjoy completing work that involves instructing or educating others on certain topics, tasks, or subjects. They are outgoing and succinct when speaking publicly. Their verbal skills also extend to their interpersonal interactions, as they are often good at sympathizing with others. They generally tend to follow rules, are generous, appreciative, friendly, and often outwardly happy.
The Strong Interest Inventory test Enterprising theme revolves around selling, managing, and persuading. Individuals who score high in Enterprising tend to seek positions of power, status, and leadership. Often, they enjoy working in a group setting where everyone works together to reach a fiscal or end goal, usually with themselves leading the way.
These individuals tend to be well suited for selling and leading, with a focus on economic success.This theme is the opposite of the Investigative theme. Individuals who prefer the Enterprising theme generally dislike scientific activities. These individuals also tend to be more comfortable in taking financial and personal risks in order to meet their goals—they have a competitive nature both in and out of the workplace.
Those who score high in the Enterprising Theme are often found persuading, leading discussions or talks, managing others, or making clients happy on a typical workday. They are often described as having a high level of energy and confidence and optimism. Enterprising individuals are organized and always aware of the task and goal at hand. They're also adventurous with their ideas and willing to take risks to be successful. They can typically be found in work environments such as government, larger corporations, financial institutions, private businesses, and large for-profit firms.
The Strong Interest Inventory Assessment Conventional theme centers on accounting, organizing, and processing data. They often lean toward occupations that involve mathematics and data management. This also can involve dealing with computer programming, working with different software, or other electronic management systems.
Those that favor the Conventional theme value activities that require organization, detail, and accuracy. This is a direct contrast to those who prefer the Artistic theme, who value unstructured and creative tasks. Similar to those preferring Enterprising, these test takers work well in large organizations but differ in that they prefer to work with ideas and data over people-oriented occupations.
At work, those who score highly in the Conventional theme often enjoy analyzing financial data, developing office protocols, keeping detailed accounts of all money spent, structuring data in an easy-to-read format, writing computer software, and projecting financial trends. They are adept at organizing, solving mathematical problems, dealing with functional computer operations, and getting lost in the details. They are methodical, controlled, and careful with their finances. As far as their work environments go, those who score highly in the Conventional theme enjoy working in office settings for larger corporations or institutions that handle money, such as banks, accounting firms, or credit companies. They prefer that their work hierarchy be very well defined and structured.
After the General Occupational Themes, The Strong Interest Inventory test includes 130 gender specific (for a total of 260) Occupational Scales. They, unlike the broader General Occupational Themes and Basic Interest scales, are very specific. It answers the question “Does the respondent have likes and dislikes similar to women or men in this occupation?” generating individualized information for each person who completes the Strong Interest Inventory®. Occupational Scales are most beneficial for those trying to decide what educational path to take for their career. It can help individuals decide whether or not they should change their career, or what job they should start out in, all of which are inherently connected.
These scales work in a different way than both the General Occupational Themes and the Basic Interest Scales (which are discussed further below). The other scales take the likes/dislikes of the test taker and match them to scales that match those preferences. In contrast, the Occupational Scales compare your results to the results of others in a specific occupational field, keeping in mind your gender (for both societal differences and occupationally related differences, although some correlations of certain occupations are quite high). Other factors that are considered as well include ethnicity and cultural differences.
Here’s an example to help illustrate this point:
Let’s take the “Mathematician” Occupational Scale as an example. First, the creators of the Strong Interest Inventory test took the results of verified mathematicians and compared them to the results of the rest of the individuals who took the assessment. It’s obvious that a mathematician would “like” items that are directly related to math, so the key point was finding patterns that differentiated the mathematicians from the rest of the general sample.
For example, if a high proportion of mathematicians had answered “like” to “watching sporting events” compared to the general sample of respondents, then that item would be associated with the Mathematician Occupational Scale. This process is repeated until all the questions on the Strong Interest Inventory assessment are covered and a “Mathematician” specific answer key is created.
So, in order to score high on the “Mathematician” scale, you would have to like and dislike similar things that working Mathematicians like and dislike. This allows individuals to see if they like or dislike similar things to people in a specific career field. It is entirely possible, and common, for you to score high on certain scales based off of your General Occupational themes and Basic Interest Scales, while also scoring low on a related Occupational Scale. This generally means that you have an interest in a field, but your likes and dislikes don’t necessarily match those of others in that field. This does not mean that you can’t be successful in said field, but it’s something to keep under consideration while exploring career options. (Donnay, D et al. CPP, 2005)
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In addition to the Occupational Scales, the Strong Interest Inventory test includes 30 Basic Interest Scales. The Basic Interest Scales were created as a means to improve the understanding of the Occupational Scales. They can also be seen as closely related to the General Occupational Themes. In fact, they are built in a very similar method to the General Occupational Themes, with each Basic Interest Scale falling under a broader category related to a General Occupational Theme. The scale categories are more focused than the General Occupational Themes, but less than the Occupational Scales.
Here is another illustrative example:
The Protective Services Basic Interest Scale is related to the Realistic General Occupational Themes. In addition, the Protective Services scale includes professions that have their own, more specific Occupational Scales, such as Military Enlisted and Law Enforcement Officer. Scaling from broadest to most narrow focus, we would have a Realistic Theme, then Protective Services Basic Interest Scale, and finally Law Enforcement Officer as the narrowest and most specific scale.
This sort of narrowing down of the scale is especially important in those Occupational Themes that encompass such a wide variety of Basic Interest skills. This can be seen well with the Artistic Occupational Theme, which is broken down into Visual Arts & Design, Performing Arts, Culinary Arts, and Writing and Mass Communications. These Basic Interests, although related all under the umbrella of “art,” are incredibly different. The chances are someone who prefers the performing arts is not necessarily going to be adept at design.
The Basic Interest Scales are based off of the General Occupational Themes, with each scale existing underneath one of the six broad General Occupational Themes.
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The final set of scales used with the Strong Interest Inventory Test are the five Personal Style Scales. The most recent additions to The Strong, first added in the 1994 Edition, work to complement the other traditional scales and measure preferences for more specific aspects of the work itself.
These scales are applicable to individual working styles and atmospheres. It takes into account the way in which you best take in and process information, both outside of the workplace and during your career. The broad impact of these scales makes them applicable to the individual in all areas of life. This means that learning about them is that much more important. Similarly, these scales can help people understand how their way of working may differ from their coworkers, and how each person can adjust to make the most of their productivity and adjust their work settings accordingly.
These scales are built similarly to the General Occupational Themes and Basic Interest Scales, but they do have one important unique feature. Unlike the other scales, the Personal Style Scales are created as bipolar scales with a unique middle range. Therefore, you can have three distinct results per scale. These scores range from a low score dictating one preference, a higher score dictating a second polarizing preference, or a mid-range score that denotes a flexible use of both preferences that changes depending on the situation at hand.
The first Personal Styles Scale is the Work Style Scale. It separates individuals that prefer to work with people from those that prefer to work with ideas, data, and things. The mid-range represents individuals who can be comfortable with people under certain circumstances, but are also comfortable working alone with data when appropriate. It’s important not to read into this scale as a measure of introversion and extraversion. The different poles of this scale merely refer to how much these individuals enjoy interaction with others in a work setting.
These individuals will often lean toward college majors and/or occupations in the realms of education, journalism, business, and social sciences. They enjoy working with people not only in the sense of helping others but also just in the atmosphere—these individuals may enjoy event planning or something of that nature that doesn’t necessarily involve the aiding of others. Generally, more women score highly in the “works with people” pole than do men.
These individuals are often interested in scientific, technical, and mechanical ideas and processes, and usually lean toward college majors and/or careers in areas such as the physical sciences, engineering, biological sciences, computer and information sciences, and mathematics.
Even though certain occupations are more inclined toward different poles of the Work Style scale, individuals should not use the scale solely as a way to choose an occupation—rather, the scale should act as guidance for the types of occupations that would mesh well with one’s working style in conjunction with other information obtained from the Strong Interest Inventory.
The second scale is called the Learning Environment Scale. This scale separates people who prefer to learn in a practical environment from those who prefer a more academic environment. Individuals who prefer a practical environment are more comfortable with trade or technical schools, as well as positions with on-the-job training that lasts a limited duration.
Individuals who favor an academic learning environment are more likely to spend more time in a traditional research-based university environment. These same individuals are also more likely to pursue teaching positions or advanced schooling at the Masters and PhD level, as well as hold interests in various cultural, verbal, and research areas. The mid-range represents a balanced approach to learning. Individuals in the mid-range will prefer to learn certain skill sets in a practical setting while utilizing the academic approach when it best suits their needs.
Although this scale measures an individual’s comfortableness in a specific setting (whether academic or practical), it does not mean that they will necessarily be successful in one or the other. Unlike the Work Style scale, the Learning Environment scale does not see one gender leaning toward a certain pole.
The standings in this pole are applicable at various stages of an individual’s career. For example, learning about one’s placement on this scale while you’re already in a comfortable occupation can help them decide whether or not to continue the education in their particular field, and how they should go about doing that (whether academically or practically).
The individuals who find themselves on the academic pole of this scale are often involved in college majors in the areas of accounting or finance, business, engineering or computer technology. Those leaning toward this pole are often associated with careers that involve practical training, such as hands-on workshops.
Those who score more highly toward the academic pole of the Learning Style scale are usually those who enjoy the study of subjects such as culture, art, linguistics, research, language, literature, history, journalism, physical sciences, and social sciences. Usually, these individuals go into occupations that require them to have a substantial amount of academic preparation or experience, whether that includes an advanced degree or several different courses of study.
The third scale is called the Leadership Style Scale. This scale focuses on a person’s preference related to directing and persuading people, as well as meeting and acting as an authority figure.
On one end, you have individuals who like taking leadership roles and thrive in environments where they can influence others, focusing more on the interpersonal dynamics between people in the workplace and how to use them to the highest advantage. The other end of the spectrum has individuals who prefer to “lead by example” and do not feel comfortable taking charge of others. They would much prefer doing tasks by themselves rather than have to teach someone else how to do it for them. People in the mid-range will step into leadership roles when they feel it’s necessary, but if there is a natural leader present, they will have no problem stepping back and focusing on their own tasks.
This style scale is beneficial not only in directing individuals towards what type of occupations they may enjoy but also helps them to understand what part of the workplace hierarchy they would perform best in, allowing them to jump into potential leadership roles or choose to stay away from these jobs.
Those who score highly on this Personal Style Scale are also more interested in making their own contributions to their project or occupation rather than collaborate with others or try to act as a mentor to their peers. They usually score highly on the Realistic and Investigative Basic Interests Scales, in areas such as Mechanics & Construction, Science, Computer Hardware & Electronics, and Mathematics—scales that usually include jobs that value solitary analytical thinking over collaboration and group work. This could include fields such as physical sciences, applied art & design, and biological sciences as well.
These individuals will often find themselves scoring highly in certain Enterprising Basic Interest Scales, including Politics & Public Speaking, Marketing & Advertising, and Management, but that does not mean that all individuals who score highly in this Personal Style Scale will work well in occupations that align with these Basic Interest Scales. They are also likely to work in areas such as journalism, social sciences, law, and marketing.
The fourth scale is the Risk Taking Scale. At its most basic, the scale separates those who like to take risks from those who like to play it safe. Often, risk-taking involves various different attributes, such as a willingness to actually take the risks themselves, be spontaneous and act in the spur of the moment, and act recklessly.
This scale accounts for both physical risk taking as well as financial and social risk taking. Physical risk taking may include risks like skydiving, bungee jumping, rock climbing, and auto racing. Financial risk taking examples include individuals that would prefer a commission-paying job over salary or those that like to heavily invest in the stock market. Social risk taking is associated with one’s willingness to step out and meet new people and be generally spontaneous, and has been associated with acting independent or rebellious. It’s also interesting to note that as we get older, we tend to adapt and move more toward the “play it safe” pole of this scale regardless of what the inclination is in our youth.
Individuals score in the mid zone for one of two reasons. Some individuals might be risk takers in one area, but not another.
A good example would be a stockbroker who doesn’t like any physically risky behavior or a professional race car driver who is very conservative with his finances. The other situation is when an individual who has always been a risk taker starts to move toward the “play it safe” pole in their later years, ending up in the mid zone.
There is also an interesting gender difference that accompanies this scale, with women tending to lean toward the “play it safe” pole and men toward the “takes chances” preference. Because of this, gender should be considered when assessing the information from this pole, as a man leaning toward the “takes chances” pole may mean something completely different than a woman scoring the same.
The physical risk takers in this scale often lean toward occupations such as firefighters and military officers, while the financial risk takers make sufficient realtors and technical sales representatives. In a completely different way, some individuals manifest their risk-taking in the form of trying new things or going to new places without guarantees of success, such as traveling to exotic destinations or putting themselves out there emotionally.
Individuals who score on the lower end of this Personal Style Scale often worry most about their personal safety, and do whatever they can to maximize that. They are often uncomfortable with trying new things or activities and prefer to always have a carefully formulated plan. Various activities that these individuals enjoy include reading and listening to music—hobbies that involve very little risk to them.
The fifth and final Personal Style Scale is the Team Orientation Scale which was added for the first time in the 2004 iteration of the Strong Interest Inventory. This scale separates those who prefer to accomplish tasks independently from those who prefer to accomplish tasks as a team. Some individuals are confused about the difference between this scale and the Work Style Scale.
This scale, unlike the Work Style Scale, has a focus on whether you prefer to “collaborate” with others on a team goal, or whether you prefer to work on tasks independently. For example, it is possible that you might prefer to work with data as opposed to people directly, but you value collaborating with others on big projects. In a case like this, you might meet as a team to brainstorm ideas, then go and work on your part independently, then meet up to brainstorm new ideas, etc.
Also, unlike the Work Style scale, there are no apparent gender differences between these two poles. Individuals in the mid zone are able to adapt and adjust to the situation depending on what a specific job or situation dictates.
High scores on this Personal Style Scale are often associated with high scores in the Social and Enterprising General Occupational Scales and the Enterprising Basic Interest Scales, in areas such as Human Resources & Training, Management, and Marketing & Advertising. They enjoy problem solving with others and sharing success as part of a team.
These individuals find that they prefer to accomplish tasks on their own and provide independent contributions that do not involve working alongside others for the greater good of the project. They are more likely to score highly in the Realistic, Investigative, and Artistic General Occupational Themes, as well as Basic Interests Scales such as Visual Arts & Design, Nature & Agriculture, and Science. Just because individuals lean toward this pole does not mean that they are ineffective in team settings, however—they just prefer to rely on themselves and their own actions rather than those of others. Therefore, these individuals often lean toward occupations that appreciate their individual accomplishments but allow them to succeed in group settings as well.
Occasionally, there are those individuals who don’t fit perfectly into one pole, scale, or type as defined by the Strong Interest Inventory. For this, the typicality index was created, allowing for a numerical score and explanation for potentially unusual combinations of responses.
The combination of responses is really what formulates the answers of the Strong Interest Inventory, and the typicality index uses a consistency of individual responses to enhance the reliability of the inventory, coupling alike responses and measuring an individual’s consistency in liking similar responses. In order to prove consistency in this way, an individual must answer “like” and “strongly like,” “indifferent,” or “like” to the adjoining (related) responses. This helps the interpreter to understand whether or not the individual is a typical case or an atypical case, requiring further interpretation.
The Strong Interest Inventory® is among the most widely used career coaching resources. It can trace its origins to two conceptual frameworks: The General Occupational Themes (GOT) and The Basic Interest Scales (BIS). Together, these frameworks provide valuable insights into the complex interrelationships between individuals’ professional and personal preferences, and the characteristics of specific careers. The first framework, The GOT, divides careers into six categories based on characteristics of the various work environments, daily tasks, typical responsibilities, and other features associated with different careers. The second framework,
The BISs, are instead focused on the individual. The BIS explores one’s level of interest in a broad range of academic subject areas, vocational pursuits, and leisurely pastimes. These two frameworks, one centered on careers and the other on the individual, are integral to understanding the Strong Interest Inventory®. This section first provides a detailed history of the GOTs and BISs in turn. It then examines how these frameworks evolved over time to produce the Strong Interest Inventory® assessment that is so widely utilized today.
General Occupational Themes can trace their origin to the Strong Vocational Interest Blank, which was released in 1927 and intended to assess the degree of similarity between an individual’s interests and those of workers in a given occupation. In other words, one might be able to see how similar their interests were to those of people employed in a broad range of careers, from doctors to engineers, and automobile repair workers to secretaries. They might then use this information to decide which careers may be a good fit for them, based on their own interests. However, at that time, the assessment inventory was disparate, and there was no cohesive strategy for determining exactly which interests could be associated with particular professions. It was not made explicit what interests doctors had, or what interests secretaries had, let alone how they could be similar or different from one another. Instead, individuals were left to their own devices and were expected, with the help of a career coach, to determine the categorizations of these interests themselves.
While this structure was certainly economical, and unintimidating to use, it also lacked cohesion and a broad structure that would enable large numbers of users to apply it in their daily lives effectively and systematically. The entire system could be undermined by individuals or career coaches simply making different judgments and assumptions about the interests and preferences of various professionals.
A generation later, in 1959, renowned psychologist and counselor J. L. Holland proposed six basic categories of occupational interests, building on a long tradition of work within the fields of vocational counseling and occupational theory. These occupational interest categories are: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Collectively, these are sometimes referred to as the RIASEC hexagon. Individuals with a proclivity for different careers may have different combinations of occupational interests.
For instance, those who have interests in the Enterprising Theme Code Category may be fulfilled and successful in careers such as being a judge or a telemarketer, while those who have interests in the Artistic Theme Code category might prefer to become chefs, writers, or actors. Conversely, someone with an interest in both the Investigative and Enterprising Theme Code Categories might become a private investigator, research scientist, or professor.
In 1973, Holland provided four additional tenets that expanded upon his original framework. First, he posited that most individuals feel an affinity for one or more of these Theme Code Categories. Rarely do individuals have an utter lack of interests or motivations. Second, Holland posed that the social and operational norms of various work environments are shaped by the personalities of the individuals who tend to be attracted to those careers. In other words, people shape the environments in which they work. Businesspeople, who tend to be highly social and driven by financial success, tend to value organization, efficiency, and productivity, and shape their work environments to reward these characteristics.
On the other hand, painters or artists, who value flexibility of expression, tend to reject overly structured corporate settings and instead construct work environments that foster creativity. Holland’s (1973) third observation is that people tend to seek out work environments that allow and encourage them to expand their abilities and express their values in ways that they find stimulating and satisfying. At the same time, individuals tend to avoid responsibilities that they find unpleasant. For example, elementary school teachers not only gain a deep-seated satisfaction from molding the minds of the next generation but also are not deterred by the many challenges that come with working with small children.
Holland’s final note is how individuals function and interact in their work environment which is shaped by the relationship between their personality and their work environment. Just as actors respond to their setting and others on stage, so do professionals respond to their environment and their co-workers.
Career coaches and lifestyle professionals utilize the General Occupational Theme scores to support clients in understanding which activities are valued by people with particular characteristics, what kinds of jobs or occupations fit them, what environments are comfortable for them, and what kinds of co-workers would appeal to them. This level of detailed guidance is especially beneficial to young people, who are still discovering their path in life, as well as to those who are still clarifying their general vocational direction. The GOT is particularly widely used because it can help them transform a vague list of interests and preferences into a career that they will find both personally fulfilling and financially sustainable.
The GOT has been shown to be an extraordinarily reliable tool for helping individuals discover careers regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, or even income level. Moreover, and perhaps more surprisingly, the GOT has demonstrated that individuals’ preferences change extraordinarily little throughout their lifetime. If someone was a happy and successful travel agent at the age of 25, it is likely that they will continue to be drawn to social or enterprising careers throughout their lives.
Basic Interest Scales are the second major contributor to the Strong Interest Inventory® of today. The Basic Interest Scales (BIS) were introduced in the late 1960s with the goal of improving professionals’ understanding of the General Occupational Themes. Once an individual’s proclivity for a given Occupational Theme or combination of themes was determined, the Basic Interest Scales could be applied to provide a more granular view of the combination of interests that were present. In this way, the Basic Interest Scales provide career coaches with the tools needed to focus on specific aspects of the General Occupational Themes.
Unlike the GOT items, which are broad and general as their name suggests, each of the BIS uses statistically correlated items to provide a detailed understanding of a specific content area. For example, the singular Artistic Theme Code Category is associated with a number of Basic Interests, including interests in visual arts and design, performing arts, culinary arts, and mass communication. All of these interests are Artistic, but they do not necessarily overlap with one another, and, more importantly, the careers with which they are associated can be vastly different from one another. Being a chef is very different from being a singer, which is different from being a news anchor or journalist. As such, the detailed view of the BISs augments the analytical power of the GOTs.
While the BIS’s sheds light on many factors and considerations underlying GOTs, clinicians can apply them in much the same way when providing services to clients. The end purpose of BISs, as with GOTs, is to identify activities, jobs, environments, and types of people for which they have a proclivity. Their primary difference is that BISs provide a more granular, individually-oriented perspective than GOTs.
Since the initial release of Basic Interest Scales in the late 1960s, substantial updates in content have been made to account for changes in the modern workplace. For example, technological innovations have made commonplace career options and workplace environments that would have been impossible to conceive a few decades ago. For instance, the idea that we would have armies of computer programmers, social media marketing specialists, and web developers would have seemed alien when the BIS’s were first released. Similarly, the notion that working remotely full time via a computer the size of a notebook would have been unimaginable. Innovations such as these motivated the release of additional, more recent, versions of the Basic Interest Scales as well as of the Strong Interest Inventory® itself. On the other hand, the General Occupational Themes have remained relatively static since their release, though they have been applied in novel ways.
The Strong Interest Inventory® as well as its components, the General Occupational Themes, and the Basic Interest Scales, have been updated periodically for several reasons. One of the most obvious reasons is to account for changes in the modern workplace due to the passage of time and the evolution of technology. These temporal changes involved adding new items, modifying existing items, and removing items that are no longer relevant. For instance, technological innovations have made the modern workplace all but unrecognizable to most professionals of the 1960s. There are even full careers and subject areas that could scarcely have been imagined a few generations ago. On the other hand, some interests are no longer relevant. For instance, few 21st century professions are associated with an interest in “Repairing a Clock.”
An additional reason the Strong Interest Inventory® is updated is to improve the psychometric properties of the inventory. Psychometrics is the branch of psychology that uses statistical methods and big data analysis to delve into human thought and behavior. One example of such a change is the streamlining of response options. While the original survey included three possible responses, the Likert-style “Like,” “Indifferent,” and “Dislike,” the 2004 update included a more granular 5-item response, enabling a more detailed analysis. The final change, though arguably the least significant, is the slight updating of some items in the inventory for reasons such as correcting typographical errors or implementing more inclusive terms. One such example is the textual change from “Air Hostess,” which appeared in the 1997 Strong Interest Inventory® to “Flight Attendant” in 2004.
The impact of these and other changes has been studied in-depth over many years. Such studies typically fall into one of three categories: analyses of unchanged items, analyses of items with minor changes in wording, and the reliability of several measures comprising common items. These analyses generally found that providing five response options rather than three did not significantly alter the underlying distribution of interests and that changes in wording did not significantly affect subjects’ responses, either positively or negatively. However, longitudinal analyses do reveal general shifts and trends toward some interests and away from others. Throughout this process, items and responses that elicited an overwhelmingly positive or overwhelmingly negative response were systematically removed. Because such items cannot effectively distinguish among different groups of respondents, they are rendered useless and therefore eliminated.
In addition to the ongoing changes made to the clinical version of the Strong Interest Inventory®, another update released in 2004 was a version of the Strong Interest Inventory® specifically designed for research. This version is used by colleges, universities, and private research organizations to gain additional insights into career counseling, to continue to assess the validity and reliability of the inventory itself, and to bring to light any additional interests or career subject areas that ought to be added to new updates of the Inventory.
Several factors can act as challenges for those interpreting the Strong Interest Inventory, but trained interpreters are able to recognize these patterns and pull useful information from the profile. For example, narrow, well-defined interests, little knowledge of the working world, cultural differences, mood, unwillingness to make a commitment, indecisiveness, no desire to actually work, an apathetic “indifferent” or “dislike” style, low self-esteem, undeveloped vocational identity, family pressure, and peer pressure can all shift the answers of an individual, skewing their responses.
Another challenge that can arise is that of the “elevated” profile, which means that an individual scored unusually high in a large number of General Occupational Themes, Basic Interest Scales, and Occupational Scales. This could be due to many reasons, including fear of appearing negative, trying to please everyone, a desire to keep all their options open, a genuine diversity of interests, and multi-potential interests and abilities. Interpreters can study specific strategies to help take away these challenges.
[Strong Interest Inventory-based information was referenced from the following publication: Strong Interest Inventory Manual (Donnay, D et al. CPP, 2005)
The Strong Interest Inventory test has had countless studies over its 80 plus-year existence to confirm its concurrent and construct validity. The Strong Interest Inventory assessment has also been updated throughout the years to adapt to the ever-changing work environment. The 2004 edition is the most thorough and up to date version accounting for the major economic and technical changes that occurred starting in the mid to late 1990s. Recent improvements in sample data gathering, thanks to the emergence of the internet, have also greatly increased data sampling sizes for a more accurate representation of the national sample of individuals. (Donnay, D et al. CPP, 2005)
The Strong Interest Inventory test has one of the oldest and most trusted pedigrees among current interest inventories. The first iteration of the Strong Interest Inventory assessment was introduced in 1927. It has expanded and evolved over the last 80+ years with the last two major updates occurring in 1994 and more recently 2004. It has been formulated to work effectively across both genders, as well as the full range of ethnicities. The 2004 edition also had its occupational scales adjusted to account for the ever-evolving job market and new technology-driven fields. These factors have helped the Strong earn a reputation as a leader of the premier assessments for those individuals looking to match their interest to promising career and educational options. (Donnay, D et al. CPP, 2005)
The main use of the Strong Interest Inventory test is to match people with their best fit career. The Strong Interest Inventory assessment is used in a variety of settings and can help a person pick an educational direction, find a satisfying start to their career, change careers for those in transition, or encourage career development for those stagnant in their current position. Not only is it used in school settings, but it has also been widely used by social service agencies, outplacement consulting firms, corporations, and other large entities such as the military. (Donnay, D et al. CPP, 2005)
There are many free personality and interest inventory tests and assessments located around the Internet, though one must know that though these tests attempt to mimic The MBTI assessment or Strong Interest Inventory test, at no or sometimes a low cost to you, they are neither valid nor proven to assess you or what you are searching for. The MBTI test has been rewritten for validity and cross culturally tested for over 40 years and cannot be replaced by replicas that attempt to mimic its legitimacy. Being that The MBTI® and Strong Interest Inventory® are quite affordable, there really is no reason to not be administered the genuine assessments.
Here at Career Assessment Site, whether you are a career counselor, a corporate CEO, a college student seeking a career change, or a personality assessment, we provide our unique “white glove” customer service to every customer. We provide complimentary email and telephone support while taking great care in managing your account, whether you have taken a single test, multiple tests, or multiple clients. We track your orders, keeping an organized database of your and/or your clients’ assessments and consultation progress, all of which are electronically filed in a secure, confidential server, which is backed up to a safe electronic environment in case of computer or server failure. Your records will be kept and can be accessed for several years after your purchase as a courtesy from Career Assessment Site with a free reprint service of your assessment(s) at any time if you misplace or lose your or your client’s original report(s) as another free-of-charge courtesy.
Strong Interest Inventory Manual (Donnay, D et al. CPP, 2005)
Strong Interest Inventory Manual Supplement (Thompson, Richard, 2005, CPP Inc.)
