Strong Interest Inventory

1. Strong Interest Inventory The most widely used interest assessment in North America Started after WWI – veterans returning to the workforce

2. Warm-up Exercise • Guess the Occupation

3. Why Use the Strong? • The Strong Interest Inventory can help you identify your interests, which can lead to greater job satisfaction • You can use the information to assist you in determining your career path

4. The Assessment • Measures your INTERESTS - NOT skills, aptitudes or abilities to do any of the occupations

5. How the Assessment Works The Strong is organized in four ways: 1- General Occupational Themes (GOT) An overall view of your interest patterns 2- Basic Interest Scales Specific interest areas based upon your GOT 3- Occupational Scales Specific interest patterns to people working in certain occupations that share your likes and dislikes 4- Personal Style Scales Your preferences on 5 different scales

6. General Occupational Themes There are six broad areas that all occupations can be classified under People (and occupations) usually have a combination of two or three of the themes What is your theme code? (middle of page 2)

7. Realistic Active, hands-on Investigative Analyzing Artistic Creative expression Social People-oriented Enterprising Business-oriented Conventional Organizing The Six G.O.T Theme Codes:

8. Realistic R • People are generally interested in mechanical, construction and repair activities • Enjoy nature and outdoors, adventurous, physical activities • Providing public safety • Like working with tools, machines, equipment, computers and computer networks • Interested in action • Enjoy work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions

9. Realistic R Potential Skills • Mechanical ingenuity and dexterity • Physical coordination

10. Realistic R Work activities include: Operating equipment Using tools Building and repairing Providing security

11. Realistic R What kinds of occupations do you think are in this theme?

12. Investigative I • Interested in activities related to science, math, medicine and research • Like gathering information, uncovering new facts or theories, and analyzing and interpreting data • Scientific and inquiring • Enjoy abstract problems

13. Investigative I Potential Skills • Mathematical ability • Researching and analyzing • Writing

14. Investigative I Work activities include: Performing lab work Solving abstract problems Conducting research

15. Investigative I What kinds of occupations do you think are in this theme?

16. Artistic A • Generally interested in visual art, performing arts, culinary arts and writing • Like observing and participating in arts • Need to express artistic interests • Interested in aesthetics and self-expression • Interested in communication and culture

17. Artistic A Potential skills • Creativity • Musical ability • Artistic expression

18. Artistic A Work activities include: Composing music Performing Writing Creating visual art

19. Artistic A What kinds of occupations do you think are in this theme?

20. Social S • Generally interested in being with other people • Enjoy working in groups, sharing responsibilities, communicating with others • Like to solve problems through discussions of feelings and through interactions with others • Interested in teamwork, helping, community service

21. Social S Potential skills • People skills • Verbal ability • Listening • Showing • Understanding

22. Social S Work activities include: • Teaching • Caring for others • Counselling • Training others

23. Social S What kinds of occupations do you think are in this theme?

24. Enterprising E • Generally interested in persuading and leading • Seek positions of leadership, power and status • Enjoy working with other people and leading them towards organizational goals and economic success • Interested in business, politics, leadership, entrepreneurship

25. Enterprising E Potential skills • Verbal ability • Ability to motivate others • Ability to direct others

26. Enterprising E Work activities include: • Selling • Managing • Persuading • Marketing

27. Enterprising E What kinds of occupations do you think are in this theme?

28. Conventional C • Generally interested in activities that require attention to organization, data systems, detail and accuracy • Work well in large organizations • Like to use information to solve problems efficiently • Interested in organization, data management, accounting, investing, information systems

29. Conventional C Potential skills • Ability to work with numbers • Data analysis • Finances • Attention to detail

30. Conventional C Work activities include: • Setting up procedures and systems • Organizing • Keeping records • Developing computer applications

31. Conventional C What kinds of occupations do you think are in this theme?

32. Your Assessment Do you agree with your theme code? Page 2 summarizes your interest level on each of the six scales

33. Basic Interest Scales Each General Occupational Theme is narrowed down further into more specific areas

34. Basic Interest Scales

35. Basic Interest Scales

36. Basic Interest Scales

37. Basic Interest Scales • Page 3 of your assessment summarizes your top five interest themes • Your interest level is anywhere from very little interest (VL) to very high interest (VH) • Notice that your LEAST favorite are also included… why do you think this is included?

38. Basic Interest Scales What do you think about your highest interest areas? Do you agree?

39. Basic Interest Scales

40. Occupational Scales • Different from previous scales – does not measure your interest level in the occupation itself, but measures how similar or dissimilar you are to the people working in the occupations • Page 4 summarizes your top 10 occupations, while pages 5, 6 and 7 list all occupations

41. Occupational Scales • Occupations are listed in order from your highest to lowest interests • Occupations that have a result over 40 shows that you have similar likes and dislikes to the people working in that occupation

42. Occupational Scales You will notice that there are one, two or three letters in the Theme Code column next to each occupation • The theme code for Attorney is A… why do you think that is? • The theme code for Health Information Specialist is C… why do you think that is?

43. Occupational Scales • Ultimately you want to look at occupations that have your theme code in it… what is an occupation with your theme code? Introduce the Holland Occupation Book

44. Personal Style Scales Page 8 states your preference on five different scales • Work Style • Learning Environment • Leadership Style • Risk Taking • Team Orientation

45. Personal Style Scales Your score is in the right hand column Below 50 – your preference is the left Above 50 – your preference is the right

46. Personal Style Scales Work Style Prefer working alone vs working with people Learning Environment Prefer practical learning environment, learn by doing vs an academic environment and learning through lectures

47. Personal Style Scales Leadership Style Not comfortable taking charge of others, prefer doing job yourself vs comfortable taking charge of others and directing others Risk Taking Dislike risk taking, like quiet activities vs like risk taking, appreciates original ideas, seek thrilling activities

48. Personal Style Scales Team Orientation Prefer accomplishing tasks independently vs prefer working on teams and collaborating

49. You’re Done! Congratulations! You made it! • Are there any clarifying questions? Keep in mind, if you have a question, someone else probably does too • Review supplementary handouts • As well, your individual counsellor can help

50. Last game… Mix & Match Split into groups or pairs Match occupation definitions to occupational titles