The Career Key® Canada

“How can I do well in college? Get good grades and enjoy it?” 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 counsellors., faculty advisors, administrators, and education policymakers. We hope you will read and share it with others.

“Common sense” tells you, "The more you are interested in a school subject (and work with people who share your interests) – the more time you will spend learning it, the better grades you will get, and the sooner you will graduate."

And, now, scientific studies confirm it. They show that the degree to which students’ interests and personality match their major, predicts grades earned, sticking to your plan, and graduating on time.

Of course, other factors are important, too, but “doing what interests you, around people like 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 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 Behaviour, 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”, Junior college and college students; and
  
  
• Parents of junior 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 counsellors, 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 Behaviour, 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.

Be sure to,

Visit,

• Choose a College Major or Training Program
  

    Checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”,

• Middle and high school counsellors., 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 personality match the major you choose. -- The more you are interested in a major (and work with people who share your interests) – 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,

• “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.

How to help students succeed . . . 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 (interests) match their college major environment.

A significant number of students do NOT choose a major compatible with their personality -- low grades, changing majors, dropping out, not graduating on time, frustration and depression are the result.

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 particular 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.

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. They are widely used on commercial, school, college, and government websites. Students may have been directed, as early as middle school, into programs of study that are incompatible with their interests or personality.

These research findings offer career development specialists new opportunities -- read the section on School Counsellors, above.

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 do you reduce the time and increase the rate of college and credential completion? Improve graduation rates? Recent research suggests an important part of the answer: Increase the number of students who choose a college major that matches their personality.

A significant number of students do not make a good choice. Low grades, changing majors, dropping out, and not graduating on time are the result.

The research is recent and relatively unknown. It was done primarily by scientists associated with ACT, and has been published in technically-challenging, peer-reviewed scientific journals, over the past ten years. 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).

“Personality-Environment Match” is important, specifically, how well students’ Holland RIASEC personality types match their college major environment. Studies show the degree of personality-major match predicts grades earned, persistence, and timely graduation.

Unfortunately, many students have been mislead by the widespread use of invalid career tests. Students are directed, as early as middle school, into programs of study that are incompatible with their interests or personality. These pseudo-measures are widely offered in schools, colleges, and at commercial and government websites.
Effective solutions should be relatively low-cost and straight-forward: build or strengthen programs that help students and adults identify compatible majors.

There are two basic ingredients for effective programs: 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.

Match Up! is the 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. It 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.

Be sure to checkout Career Key’s “Solutions for”,

• Administrators, and Offices of Retention, Financial Aid & Admission.
  
  
• Potential Licensees

	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.