Do you naturally like to create order and organize things? Do you tend to notice details and find patterns? Or are you a “numbers person”?
The “Conventional” interest category
These are characteristics of the “Conventional” interest; that’s one of the six interest categories from the Interest Assessment, based on the widely-used Holland career theory. Dr. John Holland proposed that people’s interests and work environments could be classified into six categories. Since then, researchers have found that by knowing your interests and choosing a career that matches them, you’re more likely to find greater job satisfaction and success.
On a personal level, people with Conventional interests tend to be detail-oriented, careful, orderly, thrifty, and well organized.
They often like to:
- Make plans with others in advance
- Find the most efficient way to do things
- Structure their day
- Persist until a task is done
- Commit to meeting deadlines
Which careers feature Conventional interests?
Careers that feature strong Conventional interests tend to emphasize following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, materials, and information, typically in a business setting.
A variety of work categories tend to be a good fit for people with Conventional interests. Check out these types of work environments, and examples of activities that workers perform.
| Detailed category | Example activities |
| Office Work | Maintain files, inventory, and database systems. Schedule appointments. |
| Accounting | Develop spreadsheets. Keep accounting records and prepare budgets. |
| Finance | Analyze a company’s investments. Manage businesses’ financial decisions. |
| Information Technology | Research security measures and resolve computer software problems. Write software code. |
| Human Resources | Hire employees and maintain personnel records. Explain company policies. |
| Mathematics/Statistics | Develop statistical models and conduct analyses. Expand knowledge in math fields. |
Want to learn more about “Conventional” careers? You can see career profiles and watch career videos by selecting a link from some sample “Conventional” careers below.
- Baristas
- Derrick operators
- Gambling dealers
- Orderlies
- CNC tool programmers
- Energy Auditors
- Pharmacy technicians
- Web developers
- Accountants and auditors
- Database administrators
- Survey researchers
If you’d like to learn whether Conventional is one of your strongest career interests, take the Interest Assessment on CareerOneStop and explore the careers listed in your results.
You can also view a longer list of Conventional occupations on O*NET.
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