Type R
Realistic
Realistic work happens in the physical world. Something gets built, fixed, grown, driven or moved, and you can see whether it worked.
People with a strong Realistic pull tend to think through their hands. They would rather try the repair than read about it, and they trust a result they can test. A job counts as finished when the engine starts, the wall stands straight or the crop comes up.
This type covers far more than construction. Surgical technologists, wind turbine technicians, electricians, airline pilots and carpenters all rely on skilled hands and spatial judgment. Many Realistic jobs can be learned through apprenticeships and on-the-job training, while others, such as engineering roles, need a degree.
The tradeoff is that the work can be physically demanding and tied to a place. If you score high here, look at the conditions as closely as the task: hours outdoors, shift patterns and how the job treats your body over twenty years.
What tends to energize
- Solving a problem you can see and touch
- Using tools well
- Clear signs that the job is done
- Moving around rather than sitting
What tends to drain
- Long meetings about the work instead of the work
- Abstract goals with no visible result
- Being at a desk all day
On the compass, Realistic sits between Investigative and Conventional, the two types it has most in common with. Social sits directly across from it.
Careers led by Realistic
381 occupations in our library have Realistic as their top interest. A sample across preparation levels:
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversRCI · Some preparation
- RoofersRCE · Some preparation
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and BrazersRCI · Some preparation
- CarpentersRCA · Some preparation
- FirefightersRCS · Some preparation
- Automotive Service Technicians and MechanicsRCI · Medium preparation
- ElectriciansRCI · Medium preparation
- MachinistsRCI · Medium preparation
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersRCI · Medium preparation
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersRCS · Medium preparation
- Civil EngineersRIC · Considerable preparation
- Mechanical EngineersRIC · Considerable preparation
- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight EngineersRCE · Considerable preparation
- Agricultural EngineersRIC · Considerable preparation
- Fire-Prevention and Protection EngineersRIC · Considerable preparation
- VeterinariansRIC · Extensive preparation
- Architects, Except Landscape and NavalRCA · Extensive preparation
- ProsthodontistsRIS · Extensive preparation
- Orthotists and ProsthetistsRIS · Extensive preparation
- Museum Technicians and ConservatorsRCI · Extensive preparation
Find your own mix
Most people lean toward two or three types. The test shows yours.
The other types
Occupation lists use information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.