Self-Assessment
Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) has over 50 majors (academic programs) and many credentials. There are several options available to help you approach career exploration and major choice as an informed decision-maker.
Take the Career Interest Assessment on your own
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.
There are about 50 years of research supporting this assessment approach and career exploration.
Take the Career Interest Assessment
Schedule a one-on-one meeting
In our time together, we’ll be able to individually explore:
- Your personal results from the Career Interest Assessment.
- Research on career pathways and major programs that may come up.
- 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.)
- Set up another appointment after initial exploration, to develop an action plan.
We invite you to sit down with us, or connect virtually.
Arrange a Meeting Time
Research Careers
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.
Career Exploration Resources
- Career Exploration Worksheet
- Learn about different majors by visiting our Programs and Majors page.
- Select programs you're interested in and read through the program description and employment information.
- Review the courses in the program – do the classes look interesting to you, and are the subjects ones you’re interested in learning more about?
- Compare different programs to see what may be a good fit for you.
- Once you have some job titles of interest, it can be helpful to review job postings to further understand position responsibilities as well as what employers in your area are looking for in candidates. To do this, spend time researching job postings.
- Identify a job title on your list that you want to learn more about. Find 3-5 job postings for that job title using sites like Indeed.com, LinkedIn jobs, or other job board.
- Read through the entire job posting carefully. Take note of the responsibilities, skills, education, and other qualifications for each posting. Make note of common skills, education, certifications that employers are seeking.
- Record this information and reflect if the position aligns with your interests and goals. Also, consider what skill or education gaps you may have and how you could address those gaps. This can help you in your academic and career planning.
- Conduct Informational Interviews
- Schedule an appointment with the Career Center
Additional Resources
- CareerOneStop: Your source for career exploration, training and jobs sponsored by the US Department of Labor.
- O*NET is a detailed career database sponsored by the US Department of Labor and the Employment & Training Administration
- CareerForce: Minnesota’s Career Resource providing the support you need for the success you want.
- ExploreHealthCareers.org: Find the latest health care information and tools to guide you as you prepare for a future in health care.
