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Find My Work Type

Career Interest Explorer

Answer work type related questions to test the strength of your interests.

Work Type Explorer

Discover occupations and career information relevant to the work types that interest you.

Research Industries

Use your work type to explore industries, and find out everything you need to know.

The Career Interest Explorer, Work Type Explorer, and Research Industries pages can all be used to help you identify your work interests. This is an important part of your career planning, as identifying your career interests can help you decide on your future career pathway.

Career interests are different to abilities and skills. They are activities that you enjoy doing or are interested in. Understanding your career interests can help you identify the areas you may want to develop abilities and skills in.

The Career Interest Explorer is a quiz that tests the strength of your interests, and shows you which work types you prefer. The Work Type Explorer helps you explore occupations within your selected work types. You can Research Industries by choosing a work type to show which best fit your interest.

Your interests can change over time, so it is good to redo the Career Interest Explorer if your results don't suit you anymore. Or you can move through the Work Type Explorer and Research Industries pages to find information about the work types that you prefer.

The Seven Work Types

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Analytic and Scientific image showing lab equipment.

Analytic & Scientific

Work out solutions to problems through theories and ideas, and by investigation and experimentation.

Creative and Artistic image showing a music mixing desk.

Creative & Artistic

Express yourself and your ideas through your work.

Helping and Advising Image showing a elderly woman sitting comfortably on a wheelchair.

Helping & Advising

Help people, often through advising, teaching, guiding or treating them.

Nature and recreation image showing a water dam.

Nature & Recreation

Many occupations involve working outdoors and are active and physical.

Organising and Clerical image showing a business woman working with a computer.

Organising & Clerical

Occupations that gather facts and figures, and recording and interpreting them.

Persuading and Service Image showing a payment processed on an EFTPOS machine.

Persuading & Service

Selling, or promoting ideas or a point of view, often industries involving people.

Practical and Manual Image showing trade workers digging a road foundation.

Practical & Manual

Working with a lot of tools and equipment, and their hands, to make things.

About the seven work types

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Analytic & Scientific
If you like working out solutions to problems through theories and ideas, and by investigation and experimentation, then this may be a career direction to consider. Related occupations are often in the scientific and technical areas, but also some industries covering ‘social’ fields. Some of the main skills required by these industries are observing, researching, analysing and interpreting results. Australian Apprenticeships training in this area develops your thinking and planning capabilities, as well as the practical skills to carry out a plan.
Creative & Artistic
These industries could suit you if you like to express yourself and your ideas through your work, often using your imagination and flair for communication or presentation. People in this area often have an appreciation of design, style, form and beauty. Training through Australian Apprenticeships in these fields helps develop your skills and abilities to perform and produce your creative best.
Helping & Advicing
Careers in this area involve informing or helping people, often through advising, teaching, guiding or treating them. These industries revolve around people so you’ll need to have an interest in their welfare, and an understanding and concern for others. Skills needed include being a good listener and communicator, the ability to provide advice, and being able to get along with people in different situations. Australian Apprenticeships training in these areas develops practical skills and also orientates people to working within a specific industry’s processes and procedures.
Practical & Manual
Industries with this outlook need people who like working a lot with tools and equipment, and their hands, to make things. Jobs can also involve installation and maintenance tasks. The work can be physical and is usually quite practical. Training through Australian Apprenticeships helps build your understanding of how things work and fit together. It will also develop your skills in using equipment to get the job done.
Nature & Recreation
If you like the natural environment and the physical world these industries could interest you. Some industries involve raising crops or livestock, gardening, land conservation, or handling animals. Others focus on the sport, recreation or leisure areas. Many occupations involve working outdoors and are active and physical. Training through Australian Apprenticeships will develop your interests and practical skills.
Organising & Clerical
In these occupations you will be gathering facts and figures, and recording and interpreting them to keep a business moving. This may be part of a customer service, or helping to administer a company’s policies, activities, reports or accounts. People in these roles enjoy working with detail and data. Being organised is an important skill that is developed by Australian Apprenticeships training along with the skills relevant to a specific occupation.
Persuading & Service
People working in these industries like selling, or promoting ideas or a point of view. Occupations usually focus on people so you need to have good communication skills, enjoy customer service and interactions involving influence, motivation or negotiation. Australian Apprenticeships training combines development of broad selling and influencing skills and the practical skills used every day in the workplace.