PSYCHOLOGY MATTERS

The Strong Interest Inventory is an assessment used to help people make educational and occupational choices .The inventory is a carefully constructed questionnaire that inquires about a respondent’s level of interest in a wide range of familiar items (i.e. words or short phrases describing occupations, occupational activities, hobbies, leisure activities, school subjects, and types of people). For each of the 317 items, the respondent is ask to indicate his / her preferences among three response categories on an answer sheet. The answers are then analyzed by computer to derive scores on measures of interest type, called scales. The results are then printed on a report called a profile, which presents the scale scores in an organized format and offers interpretive information. 

The assessment was introduced in 1927 by E.K. Strong, a researcher at Stanford University. Since that time the Strong Interest Inventory has been revised and improved, including the addition of Holland’s RIASEC theory, which added general occupational themes to improve the quality of the instrument. Because the instrument is constantly updated, the scores received by an individual today compare that person’s interests with those of people who have responded to the inventory recently and who may be in occupations that did not exist in Dr. Strong’s day.

The current Strong Interest Inventory offers several advantages over other methods of data gathering. The first section of the profile reports results on six General Occupational Themes: 

CONVENTIONAL: Indicates an interest in problem solving through organizing. Individuals that show high scores in this occupational theme enjoy activities that permit organization of information in a clear, orderly fashion. They are detail-oriented logical, conforming, and like structure and responsible.  Some occupations that correlate to this theme include: Accountant / Credit Manager / Actuary/ Medical Records and Health Information Technician / Air Traffic Controllers / Financial Analyst / Business Education Teacher. 

 REALISTIC: Indicates an interest in solving problems by hands-on activity. Individuals that show high scores in this occupational theme enjoy working with machines, tools, objects, and animals. They are practical, reserved, get pleasure from work that involves   physical activity. They often enjoy working outdoors on concrete problems and seeing tangible results. Some occupations that correlate to this theme include: Law Enforcement Officer / Engineer  / Forester  / Landscape/Grounds Manager  / Horticulturist / Athletic Trainer .

INVESTIGATIVE: Indicates an interest in abstract problem solving. Individuals that show high scores in this occupational theme tend to be methodical, original, and logical. They enjoy researching and exploring ideas, and collecting, analyzing data and solving problems of a conceptual nature. Some occupations that correlate to this theme include: Psychologist / Chiropractor / Dentist / Chemist / Software Developer / Veterinarian .  

ENTERPRISING: Indicates interests in solving problems by persuading. Individuals that show high scores in this occupational theme Seek to use  words, and feelings in dealing with people to motivate, persuade, manage, and sell things or promote ideas. Tend to be assertive, outgoing, ambitious, enthusiastic, influential, and goal oriented. Some occupations that correlate to this theme include: Chef / Travel Consultant / Restaurant Manager / Optician / Human Resources Manager / Purchasing Agent . 

SOCIAL: Indicates interests in solving problems by helping. Individuals that show high scores in this occupational theme enjoy working with people to inform, enlighten, or cure. They tend to be perceptive, responsible, emphatic, and patient, enjoy group activities and, are usually skilled with words. Some occupations that correlate to this theme include: Social Worker / College Instructor / Minister / School Administrator / Speech Pathologist / Occupational Therapist .

ARTISTIC: Indicates interests in solving problems through creativity and innovation. Individuals that show high scores in this occupational theme enjoy being original, independent, self-expressive, innovative and unstructured. They are often skills in music, art, drama, language, and writing. . Some occupations that correlate to this theme include: Librarian / Broadcast Journalist / Corporate Trainer / Urban & Regional Planner / Artist / Public Relations Director . 

ISTPs are realist who apply expediency and reasoning as they manage and adapt to situations. They are happiest when in situations that require immediate attention. Reflective, utilitarian, pragmatic and,logical they have a knack for taking in and retaining data of a technical nature. ISTPs enjoy working in an environment that is casual and informal and lets them use available resources in the most efficient manner possible to deal with concert/ tangible problems. ISTPs prefer a work environment that: Allows for economy of motions and energy and does not require needless routine / Provides the opportunity to use troubleshooting skills / Enables them to understand and apply technology. For ISTPs career satisfaction means: working independently, expediently, and dealing with real world objectives. Three careers that meet these criteria that have been determined by The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to be in high demand are: Forest Fire Fighter, Regional Commercial Pilot, and Civil Engineer. Forest Fire Fighter: Forest fire fighters work as members of a crew to put out fires in forests and rangelands. Qualities necessary to succeed as a forest fire fighter include initiative, good judgment , mental alertness, mechanical aptitude, endurance, strength and the ability to function under conditions of stress and danger. Education and Training: Typically a high school diploma . Completion of community college courses, or  an associate degree, in fire science however  may improve chances for a job .Wage and Projected Growth: BLS estimates median wage for 2006 was $19.80 per hour , $41,190 annually.  Projected occupational growth from 2006 to 2016 is estimated to be between  6%  to 13%.  Regional Commercial Pilot: Flies and navigates small fixed or rotary winged aircraft, for the transport of cargo and passengers. Pilots often start out working for smaller commuter and regional airlines to acquire the experience needed to qualify for higher paying jobs with national or major airlines. Qualities necessary to succeed as a pilot include: mental alertness, mechanical aptitude, the ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust controls to exact positions,  to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, and an aptitude to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions. Education and Training: Pilots very often learned to fly in the military, however a growing numbers of commercial pilots are choosing to receive training  from colleges that have been  certified by the FAA to provide flight instruction. Wage and Projected Growth: BLS estimates the annual median wage for 2006 was $57,480. Projected occupational growth from 2006 to 2016 is estimated to be between 7%  to 13%. Civil Engineer: Plan, design and oversee the engineering duties related to the construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities such as roads, bridges, pipelines, power plants, etc.  General characteristics associated with success in this occupation include  the ability to : work independently, apply general rules to specific problems to produce common sense solutions, and   arrange things or actions in a certain  pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules . Education and Training: A bachelors degree in engineering is required for most all entry-level engineering jobs. College graduates with a degree in a natural science or mathematics occasionally also qualify for some engineering jobs. Wage and Projected Growth: BLS estimates the annual median wage for 2006 was  $32.98 hourly, $68,600 annually.Projected occupational growth from 2006 to 2016 is estimated to be between  14% to 20%.

Anyone who has ever worked at a job quickly realizes that criteria for what makes a job great varies significantly from one person to another. Whether a particular individual is more strongly motivated by the opportunity for personal growth or financial reward depends to a great extent upon the individual’s personal values and personality type. Level of education and time and money needed to obtain additional education also factor greatly into individual career choice.With regard to financial reward and career choice it is commonly accepted that on average jobs that require associate degrees pay  far less than jobs that require bachelor and graduate degrees . Bureau of Labor statistics however indicate a number of occupations that require associate degrees pay salaries that are comparable to positions that require more advanced degrees and this trend is expected to continue. These careers include: Dental Hygienists: $49,309 ; Diagnostic Medical Sonographer : $50,526 ; Broadcast Technician / Sound Engineering Technician : $40,000; Desktop Publishers : $35,430 ; Flight Attendant : $43,450 ; Physical Therapist Assistants: $38,000.