| Course | HS106 Health Science Profession and Career Planning |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 7 |
| Paper type | Skills and interests inventory |
| Length | About 580 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Science |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HS106 Unit 7
Investigative, Social, Then Realistic: A Unit 7 Skills and Interests Inventory Applied to Two Health Careers
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HS106: Health Science Profession and Career Planning
Unit 7 Skills and Interests Inventory
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The student, scores and experiences are composite; the inventory and sources cited are real.
The Interest Results
The O*NET Interest Profiler, free from the Labor Department, sorts answers into the six interest types of Holland's theory, from hands-on and analytical to helping, creative, persuasive and orderly work (National Center for O*NET Development, n.d.; Holland, 1997). My highest scores were investigative, then social, then realistic. Artistic and enterprising were lowest.
In plain terms, I am most drawn to work that involves figuring things out, then to work that helps people directly and then to hands-on work with tools and equipment. That order matters. Holland's theory holds that people do best in work environments that match their interest pattern, and a large meta-analysis found that the fit between interests and occupation was related to performance and persistence, more strongly than interest scores alone (Nye et al., 2012).
How the Careers Match
O*NET describes both careers as high in investigative and social interests, and respiratory therapy as also strongly realistic, reflecting its equipment and procedures. My top two interests fit the PA role closely, since diagnosis is investigative work and patient care is social. My third interest, realistic, fits the respiratory therapist's daily work with ventilators, airways and monitors.
The Skills I Bring
Patient assessment. On the ward and in the field I took histories, measured vital signs and recognized deterioration. Example: recognizing early sepsis in a Marine with a fever and fast heart rate at a battalion aid station, and arranging evacuation.
Procedures. IV starts, wound care, splinting and airway management with basic and supraglottic devices. Example: managing an airway for a casualty during a training accident until the evacuation team arrived.
Documentation. Daily notes and medication records in the military health record. Example: auditing my section's medication documentation before an inspection.
Teaching. Training junior corpsmen and teaching Marines tactical casualty care. Example: running a quarterly first-aid course for 40 Marines.
Working under pressure. Example: triaging four injured Marines after a vehicle rollover.
My scores pointed toward the careers I expected; my list of skills pointed toward one I had not counted, teaching.
Where the Results Disagreed With Me
I expected realistic to be my top interest, because I enjoy procedures. It came third. Looking back at the questions, I chose activities like solving a medical puzzle and explaining a diagnosis over activities like repairing equipment. That shifts my thinking toward the PA path, where the investigative part of the work is central, and it makes me cautious about choosing respiratory therapy only because I like the hands-on parts.
The skills list surprised me in a different way. Teaching appears in almost every year of my service, and both careers include it: PAs explain diagnoses and treatments, and respiratory therapists teach patients to manage chronic lung disease. It is a strength I had never listed as one.
What the Inventory Means for My Plan
The results support the PA as my long-term goal and support respiratory therapy as a meaningful step along the way rather than a fallback. They also suggest I should look for roles, in either career, that include patient education, since that combines my strongest interests with a skill I already have.
References
Holland, J. L. (1997). Making vocational choices: A theory of vocational personalities and work environments (3rd ed.). Psychological Assessment Resources.
National Center for O*NET Development. (n.d.). O*NET Interest Profiler. U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
Nye, C. D., Su, R., Rounds, J., & Drasgow, F. (2012). Vocational interests and performance: A quantitative summary of over 60 years of research. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(4), 384-403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612449021
The Purdue Global HS106 Unit 7 instructions
Unit 7 often asks students to complete a skills and interests assessment and relate the results to health careers. Expect to report your results, explain what the scores mean and compare them with the careers you are considering. A skills list with concrete examples usually accompanies the interest results, since transferable skills matter for career changers. Instructors look for critical use of the tool: where the results fit, where they surprised you and what you will do with them. A source on the theory behind the inventory adds weight. The worksheet should end by connecting the results to your plan. Where your results feel wrong, say so and explain why; that discussion often earns the most.
How the HS 106 Unit 7 example is put together
The inventory opens with the Interest Profiler results and a plain explanation of the three top interest types, with Holland's theory and Nye and colleagues' meta-analysis explaining why fit matters. A section compares the results with how O*NET describes each career. Five skills follow, each with a specific example from the ward or the field, beneath a highlighted line that the scores pointed where expected while the skills list pointed toward teaching. A section explains where the results disagreed with the writer's expectation and why, after reviewing the questions answered. The worksheet ends with what the inventory means for the plan: the PA as the long-term goal, respiratory therapy as a meaningful step and a preference for roles that include patient education.
Where the points sit in the HS106 Unit 7 rubric
Inventory worksheets are graded mainly on interpretation and application. Results should be reported accurately and explained in plain terms. Comparison with specific careers, using the same framework, earns credit. Each skill should come with a concrete example rather than an adjective. Graders reward honest discussion of surprises or disagreements, since that shows the student thought about the results. A source on the underlying theory strengthens the analysis. The conclusion should connect the inventory to the student's emerging plan. Listing the Profiler, Holland's book and the meta-analysis in APA 7 completes the work, and a short closing paragraph tying the results to the next unit helps.
Common HS106 Unit 7 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Inventory worksheets often paste the results and stop, without saying what they mean for any career. Another frequent weakness is a skills list of adjectives, such as hardworking and caring, with no examples. Some students accept the results uncritically even when they conflict with experience, or reject them without explanation. Military and career-change students sometimes leave out their most transferable skills because they seem ordinary. Worksheets that do not connect to the career plan miss the point of the unit. After taking the inventory, review the questions you answered and ask why your top scores came out as they did. A custom worksheet can interpret your own results.
Get an HS106 Unit 7 example written to your instructions
Send your assessment results and the instructions with the rubric. A custom inventory relates your results to specific careers. Delivery is within 24-48h, and a first inventory is free. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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HS106 Unit 7 questions, answered
Which assessment is used?
Often the O*NET Interest Profiler or a tool from the Center for Career Advancement.
Should I agree with the results?
Not necessarily. Explaining where you disagree is often the most useful part.
How do skills from other jobs count?
Transferable skills, such as teamwork or documentation, should be named with examples.
Where can I find a free HS106 Unit 7 sample paper?
Read the complete HS106 Unit 7 skills and interests inventory here, interpreting O*NET Interest Profiler results and corpsman skills against physician assistant and respiratory therapy careers.
What surprised the writer in the HS106 Unit 7 sample?
Realistic, hands-on interest ranked third rather than first, and teaching appeared as a strength in almost every year of service even though it had never been listed as one.