How WOWI Began
The World of Work Inventory (WOWI) was developed in 1970 by Dr. Robert Ripley, a career research specialist working with the U.S. Department of Labor.
From 1958 to 1963, Dr. Ripley traveled throughout the United States studying occupations, workplace demands, and the skills required for success. During this time, he contributed to the development of the Third Edition of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) — a widely used occupational reference for many years.
Through this work, he identified a significant gap: professionals needed a comprehensive career assessment that could bring together multiple factors influencing career success.
That insight led to the creation of WOWI — one of the first fully integrated, multidimensional career assessments designed to support informed career decision-making.
*In 1998, O*NET replaced the DOT.
A Multidimensional Approach to Career Assessment
WOWI brings together three important areas of career decision-making to help professionals understand more than interests alone.
Interests
Career Interest Activities help identify the kinds of work activities and occupational areas a person is most likely to find engaging.
Aptitudes
Career Training Potentials provide insight into learning strengths connected to education, training, and workplace success.
Work Styles
Job Satisfaction Indicators describe preferences for the work environment, communication, structure, and daily job demands.
“Combining these three types of information into one system is the greatest accomplishment of the system’s developers.”