Examine Your Interests Questionnaire
Completion Instructions
Your interests reflect your preference for doing some activities instead of others and can help you choose an appropriate career. Simply score the following statements from 1 to 5 in the clear box alongside each one. If you strongly disagree with a statement – score 1, and if you strongly agree score 5. Add up your scores for each column and put the overall score boxes overleaf. If you rank your scores in order the top 3 represent your major interest areas.
| I like … | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| working out how to get things done efficiently | ||||||
| repairing and fixing machines | ||||||
| producing designs from my own ideas | ||||||
| being physically active | ||||||
| managing a team of people | ||||||
| working our problems | ||||||
| working with people | ||||||
| getting the details right | ||||||
| to be different | ||||||
| exploring new ideas for research and purposes | ||||||
| helping people learn new skills | ||||||
| making or building things with my hands | ||||||
| gathering information | ||||||
| learning new things | ||||||
| using my imagination in my work | ||||||
| persuading people to do or to buy something | ||||||
| organising things, people and events | ||||||
| providing care for people in some way | ||||||
| making decisions | ||||||
| carrying out research projects | ||||||
| briefing a sales team about a new product | ||||||
| making lists | ||||||
| expressing myself in music, painting or writing | ||||||
| working with community groups | ||||||
| questioning established theories | ||||||
| taking calculated risks | ||||||
| designing or servicing equipment | ||||||
| analysing statistical data | ||||||
| working outside in the fresh air | ||||||
| listening to people’s problems | ||||||
| analysing a company’s annual accounts | ||||||
| selling something I have created | ||||||
| writing letters, reports and articles | ||||||
| using hand/machine tools to make things | ||||||
| being involved in a community arts project | ||||||
| giving advice on grants or benefits | ||||||
| Totals for each column | P-20 | E-30 | S-40 | C-50 | I-10 | O-70 |
Overall scores
P Score
You may enjoy working with tools, machines or animals, rather than people. You tend to prefer solving manual, mechanical, or electronic problems in a logical way. You may be good at using your hands to design, make or mend things. You prefer to use your physical skills, possibly out of doors and may be well co-ordinated or agile.
E Score
You enjoy working on projects, taking risks, organising or influencing other people. You may be ambitious, outgoing, independent, energetic, self confident, enthusiastic. You may want to develop your skills to lead, manage, motivate or persuade others. Careers with status, power, money or variety may attract you.
S Score
You enjoy working with people. You tend to be friendly, sympathetic, helpful and sensitive to others. You may enjoy being close to other people, sharing problems, or managing a team. You may be interested in careers involving training, informing, understanding or helping people, such as teaching, nursing or counseling.
C Score
You enjoy developing your skills in art, music, drama or writing. You may prefer to work with your mind, body or feelings, enjoying beauty, variety, unstructured activity, unusual sights, sounds, textures or people. You tend to be talented, non conformist, sensitive and expressive and want to use your creative abilities in some way.
I Score
You enjoy intellectual challenges, focusing on ideas and using your thinking skills. You tend to be curious, independent, logical, and sometimes, introspective or unconventional. You may be more interested in solving problems than working with people or machines. You may have related interests in maths, science or medicine.
O Score
You enjoy working with people, data and things where you can establish clear systems for your own and others’ work. You may be particularly good with details and can be relied upon to work accurately and to get things done. You may be interested in a work environment that is fairly structured such as administration.