Career Exploration

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.