The Holland Typology and the CVS Self-Assessment Process

In the CVS, people’s career orientation and the world of work are divided into 6 Career Vectors (broad orientations and themes) as originally developed and named by Dr. John Holland (Making Vocational Choices: A Theory of Personalities and Work Environments, 1997) whose work provided the foundation for the Career Vectors System.

Holland clustered work preferences and personal qualities and characteristics into global descriptions of 6 career orientations and related occupational personalities.

He believed that individuals and work-environments could be characterized by these six broad vocationally relevant personality types that we call Career Vectors. Each personality type (Career Vector) can be thought of as a cluster of personal characteristics including vocational interests, abilities, and personality characteristics that often correlate with each other and form a broad orientation to the world of work. For each personality type there is also a corresponding work environment best suited to that type.

Each of us is usually a composite and a blend of several career types, (vectors) however, usually one Vector is preferred, is most dominant, and tends to determine the primary direction of career choice. Individuals show a lesser degree of resemblance to a second and third type as well. In choosing a career, one most often combines a primary career theme with other secondary themes.

The CVS Self-Assessment Process is meant to help you determine which Career Vectors (career orientations) best describe you in order to help you better understand your own characteristics, and strengths and weaknesses, and help you identify possible career directions you may wish to explore.

The occupational classification system developed by Holland is currently being used in all of the major occupational information resources such as the O*Net and the Occupational Outlook Handbook, both published by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The CVS Comprehensive Version can also be used as a resource with any Holland-based instrument to gain additional information and learn more about the skills and abilities, vocational interests, personality characteristics, and career possibilities that go with each Holland personality type.