By Teresa Danner

Career Services and Cooperative Work Experience Specialist

The Career Services and Cooperative Work Experience department invites you to get acquainted with all the services available to you with no cost. 

Career Services centers provide individualized career planning and development services to Collin students and area residents. You can assess your personal interests, explore potential career paths, and launch an effective job search from any one of our three primary locations.

The Career Planning Process allows our professional staff to guide students in career exploration and planning along with helping students build the skills necessary to prepare for a work environment.  We recommend some or all of the following action steps as you move along in your college career.

Action Step One:

Make an appointment to meet with a career counselor.

Action Step Two:

During the appointment discuss your interests, educational goals, personal strengths and determine next steps in academic and career planning.

Action Step Three:

When recommended, take appropriate inventories/assessments in a Career Center.

Action Step Four:

Set an appointment to meet with the career counselor for interpretation of the assessments and to discuss research and exploration techniques and resources.

Action Step Five:

Do some personal homework to research occupations using research websites and tools such as O.O.H. (Occupational Outlook Handbook) and O’Net; talk with faculty in areas of interest; volunteer or work part-time to explore options; take a class to confirm abilities; or conduct an “information interview” with someone in a specific career.

Action Step Six:

Meet with the career counselor to discuss the results of the research and exploration, and discuss “top choices” and “next steps.”

Action Step Seven:

For future job search and career development, you may prepare your resume and have it critiqued in the Career Center.  You may also take advantage of the job search coaching options including a mock interview to help with your interview techniques.

In addition, we provide services in On-campus and Off-campus Employment, and for-credit work experiences.  For more information, visit or contact your Career Center at Central Park, 972.548.6764; Preston Ridge 972.377.1781; or Spring Creek Campus 972.881.5781.  .