Choosing work that matches a person's interest pattern can lead to greater success in any occupation. Note the difference between someone who focuses on getting away from the job and someone who enjoys their area of work enough to read and learn more when away from work. This match is important for developing career paths. Psychological instruments are able to differentiate between work and leisure interest patterns. A person who enjoys cooking for pleasure may be a poor match with the occupation of chef. Understanding this difference is a key element in career path building.

Energy and mood increase when a person works in areas where this match exists, as long as there are no unusual factors - such as extremely long work days or harshly critical team members. When a strong mis-match exists, work drains energy and leads to negative mood.