A career interest quiz asks what kinds of work you would enjoy and sorts your answers into six interest areas, often called RIASEC: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. Rate 30 short statements below to see your top two or three areas, with careers and degree guides to explore for each. It is an exploration tool, not a validated assessment.
Career interest quiz
Each statement starts with I would enjoy. Choose Not really, Maybe or Yes, going with your first reaction. Nothing you choose is saved or sent anywhere.
0 of 30 answered
How to take the quiz
Answer for what you would enjoy doing, not what you are good at, what pays well or what someone expects of you. Those questions matter, but they come later.
- Yes means you would look forward to it.
- Maybe means it sounds fine, or you would enjoy it some of the time.
- Not really means you would rather do something else.
If you have never tried an activity, imagine doing it for an afternoon and go with your gut. The quiz takes about five minutes, and nothing you choose is saved or sent anywhere.
What the six interest areas mean
- Realistic (Doers): hands-on work with tools, machines, materials or animals. See careers for people who like working with their hands.
- Investigative (Thinkers): research, problem solving, science, health and data.
- Artistic (Creators): design, writing, performing and other work with room for your own style. See careers for creative people.
- Social (Helpers): teaching, caring for and advising people. See careers for people who like helping.
- Enterprising (Persuaders): leading, selling, negotiating and starting things.
- Conventional (Organizers): records, numbers, accuracy and clear procedures.
The six areas come from the work of psychologist John Holland, and versions of his model are widely used in public career research and in school and college career programs. The US Department of Labor sponsors a free O*NET Interest Profiler that uses the same six areas and connects results to its occupation database. It is worth taking alongside this quiz.
How to read your results
Each statement scores 2 for Yes, 1 for Maybe and 0 for Not really, and each area has five statements, so every area is scored out of 10. Your top two or three areas form your interest code. A third area appears when it scores close to your second.
The combination tells you more than any single letter. Social and Investigative together often point toward health care. Realistic and Investigative point toward technical and engineering work. Artistic and Enterprising point toward marketing, media and creative business.
Interests are not the same as abilities, and a low score is not a verdict. If an area you care about came out low, that may only mean you have not had much chance to try it.
Turning results into next steps
- Read two or three career guides from your results, or browse all of our career path guides. Pay attention to the day-to-day work, not just the job title.
- Talk to someone who does the job. A 20-minute informational interview tells you more than an hour of reading.
- Try a small version. A class, a part-time job, a volunteer shift or a weekend project shows quickly whether the interest holds up.
- Check the training path. Some careers need a degree, others an apprenticeship or a license. The college majors guide and trade school vs. college help you compare.
- Retake the quiz in a year. Interests shift as you try new things, especially in your teens and twenties.
A note for parents
If your teen takes the quiz, let them answer alone, then ask what surprised them. Resist steering toward the results you hoped for. Our guide on helping a teen choose a career has questions that keep the conversation open.
Where a mentor helps
A quiz can name a direction; it cannot set up the informational interview, the summer job or the class that tests it. A mentor is not a career counselor and does not give admissions advice. A mentor works one-on-one with a student or young adult to turn a direction into weekly steps and check in between sessions. See career and education mentoring, or read mentor vs. career counselor to see which fits.
Related
- Career path guides
- College majors guide
- How to choose a major
- When you do not know what to do with your life
- Careers for people who like science
- Careers for people who like writing
- Careers for people who like working with kids
- Careers for people who like to travel
Common questions
Is this a real career test?
It is an exploration tool based on the widely used RIASEC model, not a validated assessment. For a research-backed version, try the free O*NET Interest Profiler from the US Department of Labor.
What does RIASEC stand for?
Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. These six interest areas come from psychologist John Holland's work on how people's interests relate to the work they enjoy.
What if my top areas do not match the career I want?
That is useful to know, not a reason to give up. Look at what the job involves day to day, talk to people who do it and try a small version before you decide.
Get started
Want help turning a direction into a plan? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.