How Hit Your Bullseye Career Using The Strong Interest Inventory

To be happy, you need to hit your “bullseye career”

Have you ever wondered if there is a career out there that you would absolutely love? You know you are interested in certain things, but can they be found in the workplace , a single job or even a lifetime career? And how do you find out exactly what those interests are, and what kind of jobs incorporate them? How do you find a career that hits the target of all your interests? How do you find one that hits the bullseye?

To answer these questions, I made up a “bullseye” or “target” career defining method for interpreting the Strong Interest Inventory (SII). I will explain “bullseye career targeting” method after giving a little background of Strong Interest Test.

The Strong Interest Inventory is the best career interest test on the market.   It uses John Holland’s theory, which articulates 6 interest themes (called Holland Codes) into which he divides the world of work and breaks these themes down further into 30 interest areas before ranking 130 occupations. Section 2, the “Career Interest Areas,” containing the 30 work interests, is arguably the most helpful and important part of the Strong Test. Most importantly, it applies equally well for career changers as for college students.

If you’ve ever taken this interest test, you’ll remember that this is the page with “Top Five Interest Areas” section, accompanied by six sets of bar graphs rating your career interests in different categories within each of the 6 themes (the themes being “Realistic,” “Investigative,” “Enterprising,” “Artistic,” “Social,” and “Conventional”).

The values on the bar graphs are assigned a level, varying between “Very Little” to “Very High” interest levels. Your top five highest interests areas are displayed above the graphs, in the aforementioned “Your Top Five Interest Areas” box.

Each person’s top five interests are unique: yours will be different even from your best friend or your most enjoyable co-worker. The top interests that come up for you can be interpreted as your fulfillers, satisfiers, and energizers. In contrast, your bottom three interest categories would, therefore, be your stressors, fatigue’s, and dissatisfiers.

If you can find a career that includes all of your top 5 interests you can be guaranteed that you’d LOVE your career. It is rare to be able to find a single job that does that, however. Even if you can’t find a job containing all 5, you should then to find a way to incorporate them into your personal life if you wish to enjoy your life.   These top interests are your “happy factor”. Isn’t it nice to know that there is a test out there that can help to tell you what will make your happy in work and in life?

This is the type of target shape I use for my bullseye method

But, what about the 25 other interest categories you don’t see in your top 5? I like to review them in two ways. First of all, I like to see if there should be exactly 5 interest categories that qualify for your unique top interests. And secondly, I like to see exactly how strong your top 10 interests are.   To review these in a meaningful way, I first draw out a target on a piece of paper, made of three concentric circles. This is the career target – your career target tool.

In the innermost circle, the “bullseye,” is where I write your highest career interests. I don’t just limit them to your “Very High” interest scores, though. In some cases, the highest level scored will be just “High”. These highest interests are placed in the bullseye of the career target.

From there, I move to the next circle out on the career target.  Here, I write the areas that fall into the next natural break in scores. Sometimes, these are in the same “High” category but are lower in ranking. Other times, these fall an entire scoring level lower. You see, each person’s distribution of interests is profoundly unique. Regardless, there always seems to be a natural division within the top 5 interest categories between the “bullseye” career interest center and the next target circle.

Finally, in the outermost circle, I write the career interests in which you scored high but not as high as in the other 2 interest circles. Sometimes, there is absolutely no “outer circle” career interests. Other times, none fall in the middle circle. On occasion, there is a longer list than the designated top 5. For example, I had a client who had 2 bullseye career interests, 2 middle career interests and 5 outer ring career interests. Instead of having just 5 career interests, this client actually had 9 top career interests she needed to find expression for to be happy in her life.

For people like this or who have diverse interests, I always recommend taking The Highlands Ability Battery since such a career interest profile indicates the person has, what are referred to as “driving” abilities. Driving abilities unconsciously demand expression — let me repeat: “unconsciously DEMAND” – and therefore these are critical to know for life and career happiness.

The career target diagram is laid out in said fashion which makes it easy to see what you need to aim for in a career if you want to love it. To hit “the career bullseye” with a single job, you will include all of the areas in which you maintain a very high interest level. It is even better to hit a career that encompasses the middle and outer circle also. If you can find such a career, you will have hit your “career bullseye” – a work you’ll love doing for a lifetime.

The goal of my “Bullseye Career Method” or “Career Target Method” is to visually show you how to find your career happiness. The more of the target that can be included in the career you decide to pursue, the happier you will be. Your career will be fulfilling, satisfying, and you will be fully energized to perform in it, if you are able to hit the bullseye.

A good career coach with superior training in the interpretation of the Strong Interest Inventory will be able to help to (1) identify exactly which career interests fall in each ring of the circle, (2) explain more in-depth what each of your top interest areas means, and (3) find ways that you can take something you are interested in and turn it into a career.  That can be a difficult gap to bridge, but an expert career coach can do just that with you and your Strong Interest Test results.

For expert career help, including interpretation of the Strong Interest Inventory, click here.

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What Does DiSC Stand For?

What Does “DiSC” Stand For?

The DiSC Test is a very useful career test that pinpoints characteristics that contribute to the way you work. This can be extremely helpful in finding a job you love, and avoiding taking a job you hate. But what do each of the letters stand for?

Navigate the slides below to view each of the four categories, and a list of descriptors from the Personal Insights Profile DiSC Booklet that go with each letter:

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Now that you’ve been introduced to a little bit about each of the four types of people that the DiSC Test presents, follow these links to learn more about how each letter: adds value to a team, tends to react under stress, works best, and is most limited:

  1. “D” = Dominance

  2. “I” = Influence

  3. “S” = Steadiness

  4. “C” = Compliance

To take the DiSC Test, go to TestEts.

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DiSC Test: Dominance

D

In the DiSC Test, “D” stands for “Dominance“.

What does a high test score on the “Dominance” scale on DiSC Behavioral test mean to me? How will I work best in a team? What negative behaviors do I exhibit under stress? What are my weaknesses? The Personal Insights Profile and DiSC Booklet gives many helpful characteristics and descriptions for these four categories for each of the DiSC quadrants.

Primary Driving Force of an “D” is anger – anger with circumstances and lack of any number of factors. All personality behaviors of DiSC type “D” emanate from this force.

  • Adds Value To The Team:

    What does a DiSC “Dominant” type contribute to a work team? A DiSC test type “D” contributes these qualities and behaviors to the team:

    • Strives to get to the bottom-line and organizes all factors to reach it
    • Forward-thinking and planning
    • Thrives in challenging situations and seeks to win
    • Driven and therefore initiates activity
    • Seeks to innovative to solve problems
  • Ideal Work Environment:

    In what type of work environment will a DiSC “Dominant” type thrive, excel and succeed? In a work environment where there is:

    • Freedom from authoritarian controls, supervision and details
    • Acceptance of innovative and futuristic-oriented vision
    • Opportunities to express ideas and viewpoints
    • Variety in work and work schedule, non-routine tasks
    • Challenge and opportunity to excel
  • Tendencies Under Stress:

    When a person is under stress, the negative aspects of their personality reveal themselves. You can tell when a DiSC test “D” is under excessive pressure because they exhibit the following behaviors:

    • Overly demanding and commanding
    • Daring and bold; edgy
    • Aggressive and even belligerent
    • Arrogance even to the point of egotistical
  • Possible Limitations:

    In additions to the numerous strengths of an “Dominant”, it is prudent to know what the weakness of a DiSC “D” is as well. Here are the most obvious weakness behaviors of an “Dominant”:

    • Overreliance and abuse of a position
    • Expects much of self and others; sets standards too high
    • Directness exhibits as lacking in tact and diplomacy
    • Overburdens self with challenges; takes on too much, too soon, too fast
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DiSC Test: Influence

I

In the DiSC Test, “I” stands for “Influence”.

What does a high test score on the “Influencing” scale on DiSC Behavioral test mean to me? How will I work best in a team? What negative behaviors do I exhibit under stress? What are my weaknesses? The Personal Insights Profile and DiSC Booklet gives many helpful characteristics and descriptions for these four categories for each of the DiSC quadrants.

Primary Driving Force of an “S” is optimism – being positive and driving forward is the goal. All personality behaviors of DiSC type “I” emanate from this force.

  • Value To The Team:

    What does a DiSC Influencer type contribute to work team? A DiSC test type “I” contributes these qualities and behaviors to the team:

    • Attitude of optimism, enthusiasm and eagerness for the new
    • Creatively solves a variety of problems
    • With optimism motivates peers, employees, clients toward goals
    • Acts as member of a team; is a team player
    • Strives to find solutions to conflicts through negotiations
  • Ideal Environment:

    In what type of work environment will a DiSC Influencer type thrive, excel and succeed? In a work environment where there is:

    • A significant amount of people contact
    • Freedom from authoritarian style management and control and detail
    • Freedom to set own schedule, freedom to move, flexible schedule
    • Willingness to have ideas be heard and respected
    • A democratic leadership style and superiors with whom to associate with
  • Tendency Under Stress:

    When a person is under stress, the negative aspects of their personality reveal themselves. You can tell when a DiSC test “I” is under excessive pressure because they exhibit the following behaviors:

    • Self-promoting and self-aggrandizement
    • Overly optimistic and excessively eager
    • Excessive talking with inability to listen effectively; Gabby
    • Unrealistic expectations
  • Possible Limitations:

    In additions to the numerous strengths of an “Influencer”, it is prudent to know what the weakness of a DiSC “I” is as well. Here are the most obvious weakness behaviors of an “Influencer”:

    • Inattentive to details
    • Overly optimistic appraisal of people
    • Indiscriminately trusts and believes people
    • Challenged listener reveals itself as situational and sporadic listener
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DiSC Test: Steadiness

S

In the DiSC Test, “S” stands for “Steadiness”.

What does a high test score on the “Steadiness” scale on DiSC Behavioral test mean to me? How will I work best in a team? What negative behaviors do I exhibit under stress? What are my weaknesses? The Personal Insights Profile and DiSC Booklet gives many helpful characteristics and descriptions for these four categories for each of the DiSC quadrants.

Primary Driving Force of an “S” is to be non-emotional and unaffected by circumstances. All personality behaviors of DiSC type “S” emanate from this force.

  • Adds Value To The Team:

    What does a DiSC “Steady” type contribute to work team? A DiSC test type “S” contributes these qualities and behaviors to the team:

    • Dependable and reliable team member; team player
    • Conscientiously and steadily works for leader or cause
    • Patient and empathic towards others
    • Methodical step-by-step doer
    • Service-oriented thinker
  • Ideal Work Environment:

    In what type of work environment will a DiSC “Steady” type thrive, excel and succeed? In a work environment where there is:

    • Predictable, unchanging and stable work setting
    • Allows time to absorb and adjust to changes
    • Long-term close working relationship with small group
    • Conflict free atmosphere
    • Freedom from overly restrictive rules; flexibility in scheduling
  • Tendencies Under Stress:

    When a person is under stress, the negative aspects of their personality reveal themselves. You can tell when a DiSC test “S” is under excessive pressure because they exhibit the following behaviors:

    • Undemonstrative and apathetic
    • Remote and unconcerned to maintain steady emotions
    • Hesitant to embrace new or different
    • Inflexible and unyielding though typically in non-confrontational way
  • Possible Limitations:

    In additions to the numerous strengths of a “Steadier”, it is prudent to know what the weakness of a DiSC “S” is as well. Here are the most obvious weakness behaviors of an “Steady” type:

    • Yield to avoid conflicts and controversy
    • Difficult establishing priorities when multiple competing demands
    • Dislike change especially when they deem its unwarranted
    • Unnerved by diverse situations
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