Tests, tools and methods · 8 min read
How to use your O*NET Interest Profiler results
The free O*NET Interest Profiler gives six interest scores and a long job list. Narrow it by Job Zone and tasks, then test the two that survive.
The short answer
The O*NET Interest Profiler, available free through My Next Move, scores your interests across six RIASEC areas and suggests occupations by Job Zone, which indicates how much preparation each needs. To use the results well, choose a Job Zone that fits how much training you can realistically do, shortlist five occupations, read the tasks and work activities for each on O*NET OnLine, and test the two most appealing with small real pieces of work.
On this page 8 sections
What you get
After answering a set of questions about activities you would like or dislike, you receive scores on the six RIASEC areas, then a list of occupations that match your top interests at the Job Zone you choose. Each occupation links to a profile with tasks, skills, technology and outlook.
Step 1: choose the right Job Zone
Pick the Job Zone that matches the preparation you could realistically take on in the next two years. Then look one zone up and one down. Occupations at a lower zone can be quick entry points to the same field; higher zones show where it could lead.
Step 2: shortlist by tasks, not titles
Open each suggested occupation and read the Tasks section. Highlight tasks you would genuinely like to spend a day on. Keep the five occupations with the most highlights, regardless of how impressive the title sounds.
Step 3: check the practical facts
| Occupation | Tasks I'd enjoy | Preparation needed | Local demand (check) | Test I could do |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Example: Technical writer | Explaining how things work | Degree often expected, portfolio matters | Check local job postings | Rewrite a confusing help page |
| Example: Market research analyst | Designing surveys, finding patterns | Bachelor's often expected | Check local job postings | Run a ten-person survey on a real question |
For U.S. readers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook gives pay and outlook. Elsewhere, use your national careers service or labour statistics agency.
Step 4: test the top two
Take a task you highlighted for each of your top two occupations and do it in miniature. Afterwards, compare: which did you want to continue? The profiler gave you a list; the test gives you evidence.
A worked example (illustrative)
Illustrative example: a 34-year-old administrator scores highest on Social and Conventional, and chooses Job Zone 3, which typically means some vocational training or an associate degree. Their list might include roles such as medical secretary, human resources assistant and teaching assistant.
They read the Tasks for each and highlight the ones they would enjoy. Human resources tasks such as explaining policies and helping employees resolve issues get the most highlights. Looking one zone up, human resources specialist appears, which typically needs more preparation but builds on the same interests.
Their test is to offer to help their own organisation's HR team update the onboarding pack for new starters, then to talk to an HR specialist about how they entered the field. They now have a direction, a ladder within it, and evidence.
Common mistakes with the results
- Treating the list as a ranking of what you should do.
- Ignoring Job Zones and feeling discouraged by roles that need years of training.
- Reading job titles instead of tasks.
- Stopping at the list without trying anything.
Questions people ask
- What is a Job Zone?
- O*NET groups occupations into five Job Zones by the amount of preparation they usually need, from little or no preparation (Zone 1) to extensive preparation such as a graduate degree (Zone 5).
- Is the O*NET Interest Profiler free?
- Yes. It is developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor and is available free online through My Next Move.
- Why are some suggested jobs completely wrong for me?
- The suggestions match interests, not skills, values, pay needs or circumstances. Cross off the ones that clearly do not fit and focus on the tasks of those that remain.
- Is the profiler useful outside the U.S.?
- The interest model applies broadly, but pay, outlook and qualification information are U.S.-based. Check local sources for those details.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- O*NET Interest Profiler · O*NET Resource Center, U.S. Department of Labor
- O*NET Interest Profiler Manual · O*NET Resource Center
- O*NET OnLine · U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational Outlook Handbook · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.