Four weeks ago I shared about vocational foreclosure and recommended taking a proactive approach to avoiding career crisis points by intentionally exploring all facets of the world of work before making any career decisions. The goal is to really discover who you are before you narrow your interests and make a decision on a major and career path for the first time or before you change mid-career. You can read that post here.
As part of your discovery and exploratory process, I recommend that you carve out a period of time and systematically try a variety of activities in all six areas of the world of work using the RIASEC hexagon, the framework of John Holland’s theory which divides people and work environments into six occupational areas: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. I challenge you to choose at least 3-5 activities in each of the six areas to try out. The most important part of this process is paying attention to what you liked and didn’t like in each of the activities, perhaps even keeping a journal to keep track of what you experienced and learned about yourself.
Three weeks ago I discussed the Realistic area of the world of work and who would benefit from this exploratory process. Check out that post here. Realistic people are “The Doers.” They like to see tangible, physical results from their work, and often like physical activities and working with things, computers, tools, animals, nature, and the outdoors.
Two weeks ago I discussed the Investigative area of the world of work. You can read that post here. These people are the “The Thinkers.” They are analytical, curious, and research-oriented and enjoy problem-solving, working with ideas and information, and subjects like science, math, and medicine.
This week I want to focus on the Artistic area. These people are “The Creators.” Here are some activities to try out and explore the Artistic area:
- Take a cooking class
- Work on crafts
- Decorate a cake
- Take photographs
- Write stories
- Listen to music
- Join a choir
- Sew a pillow
- Collect artwork
- Attend a play or concert
- Visit art museums
- Sketch, Draw, Paint
- Play a musical instrument
- Write poetry
- Sing, Act, Dance
- Design fashions or interiors
- Read fiction, plays, or poetry
- Take dance lessons
- Design sets for plays
- Join a community theater group
- Learn desktop publishing
- Travel
- Learn a foreign language
Stay tuned for the next three areas in coming weeks. Have fun exploring!
