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MnCareers Interest Assessment

Before you choose a career or start a job search, find out which careers match your personality. This will increase your chances of job satisfaction and career success.

What is an Interest Assessment?

When you go on a trip, you know what to pack in your suitcase, right? As you explore careers, it helps to know which skills, talents, and personality traits you bring to a job. An interest assessment can help you learn which careers might be the best fit for you. It is meant to help you find careers that you might enjoy. It will give you a broad list of career options that match your interests. Skills assessments can also match your skills to careers.

Don't panic if an assessment lists careers that don't interest you. Always take more than one before you make a decision. Talk with a career counselor or family and friends before making a career decision.

If you need help figuring out your interests, talk with your campus career counselor or go to a workshop at a CareerForce Locations

The MnCareers Interest Assessment

Discover how your interests relate to occupations. The MnCareers interest assessment is a simple 42-statement quiz. You can take it online or print a copy of the assessment. 

Tips for Taking the MnCareers Interest Assessment

  1. Read each statement. If you agree with it, then fill in the corresponding square. If you don't, then leave it blank.
  2. Add each column. Record each number at the bottom of the page. The three letters with the highest scores are your interest profile.
  3. Read the descriptions for each interest type in your Interest Profile.
  4. Match your interest profile with career clusters and start exploring careers.

What is the Holland Interest Assessment?

This MnCareers interest assessment is based on Holland's Inventory of Basic Interests, also sometimes called the RIASEC assessment. It shows that people with similar personal interests often like the same types of careers.

Holland Interest Profiles

R = Realistic
I = Investigative
A = Artistic
S = Social
E = Enterprising
C = Conventional

If you already know your interest profile, then explore career clusters matched to your interest types. If not, take the online or paper assessment now. After completing it, use your interest profile to learn about occupations in various clusters.

What Does Each Holland Interest Type Mean?

Read the descriptions to see how well your top three types match your personality and interests. Then look for careers that match your top interests.

R - Realistic people are DOERS.

  • Personality traits: You are practical, reserved, curious, and persistent. You are good at solving problems. You prefer to work with things like machines, tools, and greenery.
  • Hobbies and career interests: You like to work with your hands to build or fix things. You like to play sports and be physically active. You prefer outdoor activities. You are good at electronics, mechanics, engineering, lab work, farming, or carpentry work.

I - Investigative people are THINKERS.

  • Personality traits: You are curious, observant, and analytical. You're like to work independently rather than on a team.
  • Hobbies and career interests: You are good at math or science. You may enjoy analyzing data. You like to solve puzzles and figure out difficult problems. You enjoy reading, investigating and research, or using scientific or computer equipment.

A - Artistic people are CREATORS.

  • Personality traits: You are intuitive, sensitive, and imaginative. You prefer to work in unstructured situations. You like to work where you can use your creativity and come up with new ideas.
  • Hobbies and career interests: You enjoy performing or creating visual arts. You might like to go to museums. You may like to attend concerts or plays. You might enjoy fashion, creative writing, drawing, and creating new things in a variety of settings.

S - Social people are HELPERS.

  • Personality traits: You are friendly, empathetic, cooperative, and responsible. You like to work directly with people rather than things. You prefer to work as part of a team and sometimes lead or coordinate activities.
  • Hobbies and career interests: You enjoy teaching, counseling, or curing others. You might be a good public speaker or trainer. You may like playing team sports. You like to work with children, the elderly, people with special needs, or diverse populations.

E - Enterprising people are PERSUADERS.

  • Personality traits: You are enthusiastic, assertive, adventurous, and talkative. You like to start new projects and make decisions that affect others. You like to work with other people and often prefer to be in leadership positions.
  • Hobbies and career interests: You enjoy influencing, persuading, and performing. You are good at selling things, promoting ideas, and managing people. You may enjoy starting your own business or running for political office.

C - Conventional people are ORGANIZERS.

  • Personality traits: You are respectful, orderly, persistent, and practical. You like working with numbers and are good at following instructions. You like working in structured situations with set goals and deadlines.
  • Hobbies and career interests: You are detail-oriented and enjoy working with data. You are good at following budgets and creating reports. You like to make sure that systems and projects work efficiently and effectively.

Matching Interest Types to Career Clusters

All 16 career clusters are divided by interest types below. Clusters are listed more than once when occupations match different Holland interest types. Find occupations that match your interests by clicking on the clusters listed under interest types.

R-Realistic

Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources

Architecture and Construction

Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications

Health Science

Hospitality and Tourism

Information Technology

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

Manufacturing

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics


I-Investigative

Health Science

Information Technology

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics


A-Artistic

Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications

Education and Training

Hospitality and Tourism

Human Services

Marketing, Sales, and Service


S-Social

Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications

Education and Training

Government and Public Administration

Health Science

Human Services

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

Marketing, Sales, and Service


E-Enterprising

Arts, A/V Technology, and Communications

Business, Management, and Administration

Finance

Government and Public Administration

Hospitality and Tourism

Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security

Marketing, Sales, and Service


C-Conventional

Architecture and Construction

Business, Management, and Administration

Finance

Health Science

Manufacturing

Marketing, Sales, and Service

Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics