The Career Key®

“How can I do well in college? Get good grades and find it satisfying?” These questions are on the minds of many, with the high cost of college and news stories about high college dropout rates. Recent research can help you.

Over the past ten years, researchers investigated what is known as "personality-environment fit". They asked, "Does the fit between students' Holland personality type and their college major (environment) affect students' success in college?"

Click the image to download.

The answer is emphatically, Yes! This match can affect your grades and whether you stay in your major and graduate.

This research is summarized by Career Key author, Dr. Lawrence K. Jones in Choosing a College Major Based on Your Personality: What does the research say? (a free 29-page e-book download). It includes practical tips for students, adults returning to school, and parents.

This e-book will also interest school and college counselors, faculty advisors, administrators, and education policymakers. We hope you will read and share it with others.

It’s “common sense”, that the more you are interested in a school subject, career pathway, college major, or training program – the more time you will spend on it, the better grades you will get, and the sooner you will graduate. 

And, now, research evidence is in.  It shows that the degree to which students’ interests and personality match their major, predicts how well they do.  Of course, other factors are important, too, but “doing what interests you” is vital.

Students in Middle and High School (and Parents)

Starting in the eight grade, you will make important choices about what to study in high school and beyond.  In most schools, students are asked to choose a career pathway or career field.  If this is true for you, be sure to read Choose a Career Cluster, Career Field, or Career Pathway.  It will show you how to use your interests to make a good decision.  This choice can have a big impact on how you feel about school, the grades you earn, what you study in college, and your career.

In your first years in high school you will likely be thinking about colleges and college majors.  It is an important time to explore your options. 

Take a scientifically valid career test that measures your “Holland personality types” (Be aware that many schools and websites use invalid online career tests that can seriously mislead you). 

Once you know the “Holland types” that you are most like, you can use Match Up!'s college major list to identify the subjects and majors that are likely to fit you best. You will be surprised at how many there are!  You will also get tips on how to learn about the majors, learn what schools offer them, and how to make a good decision.

You may wonder, “Will my interests and personality change?  Can I rely on them to guide me to majors?”  Research shows that you should have confidence in your interests.  A study of 69,987 students that followed them from 8th grade through 12th showed that interests are fairly stable (Tracey & Robbins, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2005,67, 335-364). 

Be sure to checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for” middle and high school students; and for the parents of middle and high school students.

Are you choosing a major?  Thinking of changing your major?  Considering graduate school?  Regardless, one of the most important considerations is “personality-major match”.  We highly recommend that you download our free e-book, Choosing a College Major Based on Your Personality: What does the research say? It will help you understand why this match is important, and how to leverage this knowledge to your advantage.  If you are dissatisfied with your current major, you will likely better understand why after reading it.

Take a scientifically valid career test like the Career Key (avoid invalid measures, they can seriously mislead you).  With the results and Match Up!, you will be surprised at the number of interesting majors and programs of study you identify.  Match Up! leads you through five practical steps to making a good decision.

Be sure to,

• Visit Choose a College Major or Training Program
  
  
• Checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”, Community college and college students; and
  
  
• Parents of community college and college parents.

Match Up! Match Up! and Test* *To match your personality with college majors, be sure to take a career test that measures your Holland personality type AND that is scientifically “valid”.  Nearly all career tests on the internet are NOT valid.  They can seriously mislead you. The Career Key® test is recommended. It is brief and scientifically valid.

How frequently do you ask, “How can I be more effective?”  For most counselors, it’s an ongoing challenge to balance time and resources.  Recent research offers encouragement and opportunities in one area:  school and college success.

As one researcher wrote, “Congruence matters.”  Helping students match their interests and personality to courses, pathways, and college majors can have a lasting positive impact on their feelings toward school, the grades they earn, and their chances of graduating.

The research is summarized by Career Key author, Dr. Lawrence K. Jones  in, Choosing a College Major Based on Your Personality: What does the research say? – a free, public service e-book download.  Most of the studies were done by scientists associated with ACT and were published in respected, peer-reviewed journals.  The e-book also offers tips, especially for students, adults returning to school, and parents.

For more details on the studies, just Google the title in quotation marks.

The research supports what you are doing. 

Now, there is strong evidence that helping students choose pathways and college majors that fit their RIASEC interests makes a difference.  It helps them succeed in school and college.  What you are doing is serious and important.

It’s an opportunity to strengthen your efforts. 

Students are ready for serious work. A longitudinal study of 69,987 students 8th grade through 12th, showed that students’ RIASEC interests are “fairly stable” (Tracey & Robbins, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 2005,67, 335-364). 

They are ready for formal, valid career interest testing with a valid measure of Holland’s RIASEC personality types (invalid measures can seriously mislead students). [The studies were done with valid measures of Holland’s RIASEC interests.  So, the research findings only apply when using a valid measure (most online measures used in schools and internet websites are not valid).   The only way students can benefit is to use a valid measure.  More . . .]

Match Up! enables you and students to identify matching majors.  It is the only book or resource that lists all 1400+ majors and programs of study found in colleges – scientifically organized by Holland personality type (along with related occupations).  All majors are described and users are shown how to identify colleges that offer them. 

Match Up! is based on the latest revision (2010) of the Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs, the list of college majors used by all colleges in the U.S. and Canada.

Many of the resources you or students need are available on the ad-free Career Key website at no cost.  Group discounts are available.

The research strengthens your role as consultant and thought-leader. 

You are the in-house expert on John Holland’s theory of careers, the theoretical basis of this research.  You are the one best qualified to help students, parents, and other school personnel understand and apply the theory and research findings.

The findings have important implications for how Career Clusters, Career Pathways or Career Fields are implemented.  The free, public service e-book mentioned earlier and our article on the topic will help you sort through the issues and help you in your leadership role.

Be sure to,

Visit,

• Choose a College Major or Training Program
  
  
• Choose a Career Cluster, Career Field, or Career Pathway, and

    Checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”,

• Middle and high school counselors, teachers, and
  
  
• Parents of middle and high school students.

Match Up! Match Up! and Test* *To match your personality with college majors, be sure to take a career test that measures your Holland personality type AND that is scientifically “valid”.  Nearly all career tests on the internet are NOT valid.  They can seriously mislead you. The Career Key® test is recommended. It is brief and scientifically valid.

Regardless of your reasons for returning to school, it is important that your interests match the major or program of study that you choose -- the more you are interested in a subject, college major, or training program – the more time you will spend on it, the better grades you will get, and the sooner you will graduate.

Common sense, and now research, demonstrates the truth in this. The research is summarized by Career Key author, Dr. Lawrence K. Jones  in, Choosing a College Major Based on Your Personality: What does the research say? – a free, public service e-book download.  Be sure to read it and share with others. The e-book also offers tips for adults returning to school.

Thinking of changing careers?  The same “personality-environment” idea holds true.  Research shows that personality-occupation match predicts job satisfaction and success. 

Match Up! is a sophisticated tool, the product of over a year of research and analysis.  It enables you to identify those college majors or training programs that are compatible with your interests and personality, as well as the related occupations. 

It is the only book or resource that lists all 1400+ majors and programs of study found in colleges – scientifically organized by Holland personality type (along with related occupations).  It shows you how to find the schools that offer the programs of study that interest you.

To take advantage of these research findings, you also need to have a clear understanding of which Holland personality types you are most like.  Taking a career test is the best way to do this.  Be sure to take a scientifically valid career test like the Career Key (avoid invalid measures, they can seriously mislead you).

Career Key articles are free, and based on the best practices and science of the field.  These may fit your situation,

• Military to a Civilian Career; “Green Economy” and “Green Jobs”; Self-Employment.

Checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”,

• Adults Changing Careers; Adults Returning to School; Adults Who are Unemployed.

Match Up! Match Up! and Test* *To match your personality with college majors, be sure to take a career test that measures your Holland personality type AND that is scientifically “valid”.  Nearly all career tests on the internet are NOT valid.  They can seriously mislead you. The Career Key® test is recommended. It is brief and scientifically valid.

It is likely that you are concerned about students who are not performing as well as they should.  Low grades, changing majors, dropping out, not graduating on time, frustration and depression – are symptomatic.  You are on the “front line”.  Students look to you for help.  Recent research gives you new information and tools.

A decade of research sheds new light on the factors affecting college success – the impact of “personality-environment match”, specifically, how well students’ Holland RIASEC personality types (or interests) match their college major (environment).

This research is summarized by Career Key author, Dr. Lawrence K. Jones in Choosing a College Major Based on Your Personality: What does the research say? (a free 29-page e-book download).  It describes Holland’s theory and answers the question, “Why does matching your personality to college majors affect college success?”  There are practical tips for students, adults returning to school, and parents – as well as people in your position.

For more details on a study, just Google the title in quotation marks.

Match Up! gives you a new, powerful tool. It enables you to identify those college majors or training programs that are compatible with students’ interests and personality -- as well as those that are not.  It will help you understand college students better (and faculty members and their departments) and offer a new way to help.

A product of over a year of research and analysis, it is the only book or resource that lists all 1400+ majors and programs of study found in colleges – scientifically organized by Holland personality type. Match Up! is based on the latest revision (2010) of the Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs, the list of college majors used by all colleges in the U.S. and Canada.

You will want to use Match Up! with a scientifically valid measure of the six Holland personality/interest types, like Career Key.  An accurate assessment is vital.  That is what the research is based on. 

Be aware that invalid career tests can seriously mislead students.  Invalid measures are widely used on commercial, school, college, state and federal government websites.  Students may have been directed, as early as middle school, into career pathways or programs of study that were incompatible with their interests or personality.

These research findings may offer career development specialists new opportunities.  Be sure to read the section on School Counselors, above.

Career Key articles are free, and based on the best practices and science of the field.  Be sure to checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”,

• Career Development Specialists in junior or community colleges and 4-year colleges, and Academic Advisors.

Match Up! Match Up! and Test* *To match your personality with college majors, be sure to take a career test that measures your Holland personality type AND that is scientifically “valid”.  Nearly all career tests on the internet are NOT valid.  They can seriously mislead you. The Career Key® test is recommended. It is brief and scientifically valid.

Low graduation rates are a national issue.  As President Obama said recently, “We have been slipping.  In a single generation, we’ve fallen from first place to 12th place in college graduation rates for young adults. ” 

College success is likely a major issue for you, “How can we help students do better?”  

Recent research suggests an important answer:  increase the number of students choosing a college major that matches their interests or personality – a relatively low-cost and easily implemented solution.

The research is summarized by Career Key author, Dr. Lawrence K. Jones in Choosing a College Major Based on Your Personality: What does the research say? (a free 29-page e-book download). (Google a study’s title in quotation marks for more details).

It describes the theory on which the research is based (John Holland’s) and answers the question, “Why does matching your personality to college majors affect college success?”  There are practical tips for students, adults returning to school, and parents – as well as college administrators and education policymakers.

The primary question, “How well are students and adults helped to match their interests and personality to courses, career pathways, training programs, and college majors?” 

One factor to consider is that invalid career tests are widely used on commercial, school, college, state, and federal government websites and, as a consequence, many students and adults are seriously misdirected to occupations, career pathways, and college majors -- ones that do not fit their interests or personality.  This is likely one reason for the declining college graduation rate.

As most recognize, it’s “common sense”, that the more you are interested in a school subject, career pathway, college major, or training program – the more time you will spend on it, the better grades you will get, and the sooner you will graduate. 

And, now, research shows that the degree to which students’ interests and personality match their major predicts how grades earned, persistence, and timely graduation. Of course, other factors are important, too, but “doing what interests you” is vital.

High-impact solutions should be comparatively low-cost and straight-forward:  building or strengthening programs from the 8th grade up that help students and adults returning to school identify programs of study and majors that fit their personality.

There are two basic ingredients:  a scientifically valid measure of Holland’s RIASEC personality types and a list of instructional programs and majors organized in a scientifically sound manner according to the Holland types.

Career Key’s career test meets the needs of many.  It is brief and scientifically valid.  It has been widely used since 1997. 

And, Match Up! is a unique and powerful tool. It is based on the latest revision (2010) of the Department of Education’s Classification of Instructional Programs, the list of all college majors and programs of study found in all colleges in the U.S. and Canada. It required more than a year of research and analysis. The rationale for the system used to classify the majors is fully described.

Career Key articles are free, and based on the best practices and science of the field.  Be sure to checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”,

• Administrators, and Offices of Retention, Financial Aid & Admission.
  
  
• Licensing The Career Key®

	Match Up!
	Match Up! and Test*
*To match your personality with college majors, be sure to take a career test that measures your Holland personality type AND that is scientifically “valid”.  Nearly all career tests on the internet are NOT valid.  They can seriously mislead you. The Career Key® test is recommended. It is brief and scientifically valid.