What Color Is Your Parachute?

With the great emphasis upon the importance of the environment, in recent years, and global warming in particular, it has become increasingly realized that jobs are environments, too. The most important environmental factor always turns out to be people, since every job, except possibly that of a full-fledged hermit, surrounds us with people to one degree or another.

Indeed, many a good job has been ruined by the people one is surrounded by. Many a mundane job has been made delightful, by the people one is surrounded by. Therefore, it is important to think out what kinds of people you want to be surrounded by.

The late Dr. John L. Holland offered the best description of people-environments. He said there are six principal ones:

1. The Realistic People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving “the explicit, ordered, or systematic manipulation of objects, tools, machines, and animals.” “Realistic,” incidentally, refers to Plato’s conception of “the real” as that which one can apprehend through the senses.

I summarize this as: R = people who like nature, or athletics, or tools and machinery.

2. The Investigative People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving “the observation and symbolic, systematic, creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena.”

I summarize this as: I = people who are very curious, liking to investigate or analyze things.

3. The Artistic People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving “ambiguous, free, unsystematized activities and competencies to create art forms or products.”

I summarize this as: A = people who are very artistic, imaginative, and innovative.

4. The Social People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving “the manipulation of others to inform, train, develop, cure, or enlighten.”

I summarize this as: S = people who are bent on trying to help, teach, or serve people.

5. The Enterprising People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving “the manipulation of others to attain organizational or self-interest goals.”

I summarize this as: E = people who like to start up projects or organizations, and/or influence or persuade people.

6. The Conventional People-Environment: filled with people who prefer activities involving “the explicit, ordered, systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, operating business and data processing machines.” “Conventional,” incidentally, refers to the “values” that people in this environment usually hold—representing the broad mainstream of the culture.

I summarize this as: C = people who like detailed work, and like to complete tasks or projects.

There is, incidentally, a relationship between the people you like to be surrounded by and your skills and your values. See John Holland’s book, Making Vocational Choices (3rd ed., 1997). You can procure it by going to the Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc., website at www3.parinc.com or calling 1-800-331- 8378. The book is $56.00 at this writing. PAR also has John Holland’s instrument, called The Self-Directed Search (or SDS, for short), for discovering what your Holland Code is. PAR lets you take the test online for a small fee ($4.95) at www.self-directed-search.com.

According to John’s theory and findings, everyone has three preferred people-environments, from among these six. The letters for your three preferred people-environments gives you what is called your “Holland Code.”

For those who don’t have Internet access (or are in a hurry), I invented (many years ago) a quick and easy way to get an approximation of your “Holland Code,” as it’s called. I call it “The Party Exercise.” Here is how the exercise goes (do it!):

Below is an aerial view of a room in which a party is taking place. At this party, people with the same or similar interests have (for some reason) all gathered in the same corner of the room.

1) Which corner of the room would you instinctively be drawn to, as the group of people you would most enjoy being with for the longest time? (Leave aside any question of shyness, or whether you would have to talk to them.) Write down the letter for that corner.

2) After fifteen minutes, everyone in the corner you have chosen leaves for another party crosstown, except you. Of the groups that still remain now, which corner or group would you be drawn to the most, as the people you would most enjoy being with for the longest time? Write down the letter for that corner.

3) After fifteen minutes, this group too leaves for another party, except you. Of the corners, and groups, which remain now, which one would you most enjoy being with for the longest time? Write down the letter for that corner.

The three letters you just chose, in the three steps, are called your “Holland Code.” Here is what you should now do:

1. Circle them on the People petal, on your Flower Diagram.

Put three circles around your favorite corner; two circles around your next favorite; and one circle around your third favorite.

2. Once the corners are circled, you may wish to write (for yourself and your eyes only) a temporary statement about your future job or career, using the descriptors on the Party Exercise, previous.

If your “Code” turned out to be IAS, for example, you might write: “I would like a job or career best if I were surrounded by people who are very curious, and like to investigate or analyze things (I); who are also very innovative (A); and who are bent on trying to help or serve people (S).”

3. See what clues the Internet has to offer.

Back in April 1977, I conducted a workshop at the University of Missouri-Columbia, introducing “The Party Exercise.” Subsequently, some unknown genius there did a rhapsody on this, calling it “The Career Interests Game.” It is brilliant, and can be found on that University’s Career Center’s website, at: http://career.missouri.edu/students/majors-careers/skills-interests/career-interest-game. You play the “Game” the same way, but afterward you can click on each letter of RIASEC (in color!) and find out which skills, interests, hobbies, and career possibilities go with each letter. For a complete Holland Code, of course, you need the combination of all three letters in your Code; but this at least offers a good beginning, taking one letter at a time. It is free.

Another Holland website is Lawrence Jones’s Career Key, found at http://careerkey.org/asp/your_personality/take_ test.asp. It costs $9.95 to take it, but offers suggestions as to related college majors, possible careers, etc., when you are done. Great test!

The final Holland-related site I want to mention is CareerPlanner.com’s Career Test, invented by Michael T. Robinson, and found at I recommend it; it will cost you $24.95 to take this test, so you must decide if it’s worth the cost. You get a listing of thirty to one hundred careers related to the results of your test. As in all test results, treat these as starting points, only, for your subsequent research and Informational Interviewing. Please.