Strong Interest Inventory: Where Your Interests Lead You 

You have things you’re interested in, but you might not see how they connect to actual career paths. Or maybe you’ve been told to “follow your passion” without any real map for doing that. Understanding how things connect can help you explore based on data, not just guessing. 

Strong Interest Inventory is an assessment mapping your interests to career clusters, showing you fields and roles that tend to attract people who think and work the way you do. 

The assessment asks questions about activities, topics, and work environments that interest you. Your answers are then compared to hundreds of established professionals in different fields. The results show which careers have interest profiles most similar to yours. 

This is useful because: 

  • You get objective comparison data. It’s not just your opinion; it’s how your interests compare to satisfied professionals 
  • You discover careers you might not have considered. You may find that your interests align with fields you didn’t know existed or hadn’t thought to explore 
  • It confirms or challenges your assumptions. Sometimes the career you thought you wanted doesn’t match your actual interests. SII can highlight that mismatch early 

Your Strong Interest Inventory report shows: 

  • General Occupational Themes – broad categories like “investigative,” “artistic,” or “social” work 
  • Basic Interest Scales – more specific interests (like “science,” “writing,” “leadership”) 
  • Occupational Scales – specific careers where your interests are similar to working professionals 

Don’t treat your results as a prediction. They’re a starting point for exploration. If the report suggests you’d be good in a career that doesn’t appeal to you, that’s okay—interests are just one part of the picture. 

  • For career exploration: Use your results to research careers you hadn’t considered. If your interests align with careers in fields you’re not familiar with, read about those fields. Talk to people working in them 
  • For major selection: If you’re choosing or changing a major, your results can help you think about which field better matches your interests 
  • For internship and co-op searches: Target opportunities in fields where your interests align. You’re more likely to enjoy and excel in work that matches what naturally interests you. 
  • For interviews: When asked about your interests and motivations, reference your results insights. It shows you’ve done real self-reflection 

How to Start 

Here’s how to use your Strong Interest Inventory results in your career journey: 

  1. Visit Career Design to see if Strong Interest Inventory is the right assessment for your needs 
  1. Review your results – Look at your general occupational themes, basic interest scales, and occupational matches 
  1. Bring your results to a conversation with a Career Counselor who can help you interpret them and explore what they suggest 
  1. Research aligned fields – Explore careers where your interests match those of working professionals 
  1. Talk to people – Conduct informational interviews with professionals in careers that interest you 

How We Can Help 

Drop in or set up an appointment with a Career Counselor to: 

  • Help you understand your interest patterns and what they suggest about career directions 
  • Guide you in exploring fields you might not have considered 
  • Help you research careers that match your interest profile 
  • Support you in planning informational interviews and conversations 
  • Show you how to use your interests when choosing majors, roles, and experiences 

Questions? 

Reach out to Career Design at huskycareers@northeastern.edu or visit the Career Studio for additional guidance.