RIASEC gives students, educators, families, and employers a shared language to connect interests with career paths.
Psychologist Dr. John Holland developed the RIASEC themes — Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional — to describe both the “worker” and the “work.” For individuals, RIASEC identifies personal interests and preferences. For jobs and tasks, it explains the style of work needed.
RIASEC supports career management at every stage. The themes provide a vocabulary for how a person sees themselves now, how they are developing skills, what options are available, and where they want to go.
MoCo CAP Career Coaches use RIASEC as a shared language to help students self-identify and explore post-secondary options. Through one-on-one meetings, small groups, and large-group sessions, coaches use a variety of activities to help students find work environments where they can thrive and address challenges that may affect performance or satisfaction. Coaches also help students develop skills that serve them in school and throughout their careers.
Students use RIASEC to reflect on their interests and connect these themes to post-secondary opportunities, understanding that their interests can change over time.
MCPS educators link classroom content to RIASEC themes to help students see natural connections between their learning and potential career paths. They prompt students to reflect on how subject matter can open career opportunities.
Families use RIASEC to guide conversations about key decision points and align post-secondary and career choices.
Business partners use RIASEC to describe their workplace and career paths, connecting employees’ strengths to their industry’s work.
Career exploration experiences — such as career fairs and professional meetups — give students the chance to explicitly connect RIASEC to real-world encounters.
By regularly using RIASEC to identify strengths, interests, and values, students find strong matches between themselves and career paths, preparing for a successful future.
See how different occupations align with each RIASEC theme: O*NET Database →
Discover your interests: Take the O*NET Interest Profiler quiz →
Understanding the Six Themes
Realistic – “Doers”
Work with machines, tools, plants, animals, or the environment.
Likes to:
- Grow plants
- Be physically active
- Build and repair things
- Be outdoors
- Work with animals
- Operate tools and machines
Investigative – “Thinkers”
Observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate, and use math and science to solve problems.
Likes to:
- Conduct experiments
- Figure out puzzles
- Research to find answers
- Solve problems
- Think deeply
- Understand why things happen
Artistic – “Creators”
Work in unstructured environments using imagination, art, and creative self-expression.
Likes to:
- Sketch, draw, paint
- Play a musical instrument
- Write stories, poetry, music
- Sing, act, dance
- Design fashion or interiors
- Attend concerts or plays
Social – “Helpers”
Work with others to listen, understand, empathize, inform, help teach, or heal.
Likes to:
- Lead discussions
- Do volunteer work
- Help people with problems
- Teach or train
- Take care of others
- Heal others
- Advocate for social justice
Enterprising – “Persuaders”
Influence, persuade, sell, compete, or lead people and projects to achieve organizational goals.
Likes to:
- Debate ideas
- Lead groups
- Persuade people
- Make decisions
- Sell things
- Initiate projects or start businesses
Conventional – “Organizers”
Work with data and systems, accurate, organized, and follows instructions.
Likes to:
- Find patterns in data
- Organize collections
- Keep accurate records
- Follow a set plan
- Create structures and systems
- Be responsible for details