John Hollands Theory of Vocational Personalities Jackson State UniversityAbstract Hollands theory of vocational personalities and work environments is the premier structural theory behind modern counseling. His theory structural theory is centered around the basic belief that people will seek out careers that offer environments that are compatible with their interest, likes and dislikes. This basic premise is the foundation for Hollands globally accepted vocational personality and work environment theory. This structural theory can be explained by four general statements. First, in todays society, generally most people will fall into one of Hollands six category types. These types are defined as Realistic, Intellectual, Social, Conventional, Enterprising and Artistic. Secondly, there are six kinds of environments that exists in modern society (Holland, 1966). These environments are also defined as Realistic, Intellectual, Social, Conventional, Enterprising and Artistic. Next people will search for the environment and vocation that allows them to best use there skills and talents, to express their attitudes and values, to take on problems and roles they like and avoid the ones that they dislike (Gottfredson, 1981). Finally a persons behavior is determined by the interaction of his personality pattern and his environment. Hollands theory allows counseling to define, explain and predict personality types and their compatibility with the work environment. Hollands theory on the surface may seem simple, but the interest in his theory are useful and can indicate much more than just the types of work a person will enjoy. The many components of abilities and personalities are contained within a persons interest profile.John Hollands Theory of Vocational Personalities and Work Environments Hollands theory states that there are six different occupational personality types. These types are Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, ...
