Career Exploration

Career Exploration

Career Exploration

Come explore with us! Look at options and research the possibilities. Plan your career with interest assessments and career related websites. So, define what motivates you, examine values as a criterion that help us evaluate career decisions.

Values may play a key role in determining your career satisfaction. They help you define what you want and need in your work life. We offer time to consider your important personal goals and put together an action plan, whether for Major Choice or picking out a Major for Transfer later on.

Career Field Information

Plan your career with assessments and career related websites.

Exploring careers is more than just choosing a program or major. DCTC provides a variety of planning resources to help current students and alumni be successful in career and academic planning.

Explore Career Options:

  • CareerWise: Minnesota State's career, education and job resource.
  • O*NET is a detailed career database sponsored by the US Department of Labor and the Employment & Training Administration
  • ExploreHealthCareers.org​: Find the latest health care information and tools to guide you as you prepare for a future in health care.

Career Interests & Major Choice

Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) has over 50 majors (academic programs) and many credentials. We offer a 50-minute appointment on how to approach these areas as an informed decision-maker.

The information is presented about our DCTC specific major programs but also broadly sharing occupational and labor market trends that come up as you explore your most promising options, both short- and long-term. Options may include not only a particular program starting out at DCTC, but you may wish to transfer for furthering your education after graduation.

We recommend you do not complete this Career Interest Assessment on your own, but spend an hour with us to fully explore the many resources, how to use them, and develop your action plan. Career exploration presents an opportunity you can further develop, this assessment and resources are tools and will not define a path for you. However, they will provide an opportunity to reflect on and consider your options.

In our time together, we’ll be able to individually explore:

  •  The 60-question assessment Career Interest Profiler is a self-report of your interests (not innate and developed talents, nor previous occupation skills developed, etc.) in specific work tasks.
  • These are grouped in theme categories, corresponding to occupations and majors or training.
  • Research on career pathways and major programs that may come up.
  • We show you online research tools and options to consider (salary, data on existing and future occupations’ growth, work settings, types of occupational tasks, potential education options, etc.)
  • There are about 50 years of research supporting this assessment approach and career exploration.
  • Set up another appointment after initial exploration, to develop an action plan.

We invite you to sit down with us, or connect virtually, by arranging a meeting time through our careerservices@dctc.edu email.

Contact Information

Location

  • Career and Transfer Resource Center, Room 2-202

Career and Transfer Resource Center Hours