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Choose a career based on your career interests.
Want a simple recipe for job satisfaction and success? Choose work that includes mostly what you like to do, and not too much of what you dislike.
Career interests are the activities and work environments you prefer in a job. They might match up with your much-loved hobbies or projects, favorite school subjects, or the topics that most interest you.
Ready to take the Interest Assessment?
Visit the Interest Assessment where you can:
- Answer questions about what you like to do, and what you prefer not to do
- Create a list of careers that fit your interests
Learn about the six groups of career interests and work environments below.
Careers with Realistic interests involve hands-on activity, working with materials, tools, and equipment, building, design, or working outdoors.
People with Realistic interests tend to be practical, grounded, persistent, genuine, and natural. They like to:
- Be physically active
- Spend time outdoors
- Focus on real-world things, like plants and animals
- Take machines apart
- Fix things
Careers with Investigative interests involve using math, data analysis, researching scientific subjects, and studying human behavior.
People with Investigative interests tend to be logical, curious, precise, intellectual, and quiet. They like to:
- Spend time thinking
- Make observations
- Seek scientific explanations
- Learn new things for fun
- Work independently
Careers with Artistic interests often include creating visual artwork, dance or theater performances, written works, food, or music.
People with Artistic interests tend to be creative, open, self-directed, independent, and original. They like to:
- Express individuality in unique ways
- Create various types of artwork
- Avoid routine or repetitive activities
- Follow their intuition or impulses
- Design objects or materials
Careers with Social interests involve teaching, counseling, nursing, facilitating communication, and helping solve social problems.
People with Social interests tend to be helpful, understanding, responsible, friendly, and patient. They like to:
- Counsel and inspire others
- Share information
- Help people
- Volunteer in their community
- Cooperate in groups
Careers with Enterprising interests involve leadership, selling/marketing, and persuading others, often in a business, law, or political setting.
People with Enterprising interests tend to be sociable, ambitious, energetic, action-oriented, and optimistic. They like to:
- Negotiate and debate
- Compete
- Make decisions
- Take risks for the chance to gain
- Inspire and lead others
Careers with Conventional interests involve using systems to organize information, data, and materials, often in a business setting.
People with Conventional interests tend to be detail-oriented, careful, orderly, thrifty, and well-organized. They like to:
- Make plans with others in advance
- Find the most efficient way to do things
- Structure their day
- Persist on a task until complete
- Commit to meeting deadlines