Career Exploration and Planning

Explore yourself and the world of work to choose your future

Identify your passion and prepare for a bright future.

The more you know about yourself, the better choices you’ll make for your career. Career Development Services at ECC offers resources to help you explore your interests, strengths, personality, and values. These tools support you in choosing a career and major that suit you best.

There are three different ways to explore for yourself. Which one will you choose first?

One-on-One Career Counseling

Meet individually with a career specialist who will help you explore careers that align with your strengths, interests, and values. Experience a supportive environment with individualized guidance to help you decide what's best.

How do I do this?

Schedule an appointment for a career counseling appointment.

Career Assessments

Complete the Career Assessment Package (CAP) to gain insight into your unique personality, interests, and values. Meet a Career Development Specialist to review your results and explore careers suited to your personality type and interests.

How do I do this?

On Campus

Visit the Student Success Center in Building B, Room B120.

Off-Campus

Call ECC Student Accounts at 847-214-7380 to tell them you want to pay for the CAP.
They will ask you for your student ID number and credit card information for your $20 payment.
Once your payment is processed, please allow 1-2 business days. You will then receive an email with assessment links and detailed instructions on the next steps.

If you have any questions, please contact Career Development Services at 847-214-7390.

Career Exploration Class

Enroll in GSD 120: Exploring Careers and College Majors. This eight-week, one-credit course improves self-awareness and work knowledge, helping you make informed career decisions. This course includes the same personality and interest assessments as the CAP.

How do I do this?

View the current class schedule and sign in to accessECC to register.

Search Sections for GSD 120

Tools to explore yourself, your majors, and the world of work.

FOCUS 2 Online Career Planning Tool

FOCUS 2 is an online, interactive, self-guided career and educational planning system. Take assessments, connect majors to careers, and learn about careers that specifically fit you.

New users: Use access code "Spartan"

Use FOCUS 2

Learn More

Career Coach Website

Career Coach is an online tool to help you make the right career decisions based on relevant information. It provides local data on employment opportunities, salaries, education, and training for various careers. Take a free, personalized 30-question assessment to get started!

Visit Career Coach

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What Can I Do with this Major?

Whether you know your major or are still exploring, the What Can I Do with this Major (WCIDWTH) website will help you connect majors to careers. Pick a major and learn about various career areas, types of employers, and strategies that can help you prepare.

Visit WCIDWTM

Learn More

Career Cruising Research Tool

Career Cruising gives you visibility into the world of work by showing what careers look like, including the day-to-day duties, earnings, education needed, and career paths. It includes interviews with people working in the career fields and behind-the-scenes videos.

To use:

Go to CareerCruising.com
Enter username: ecc
Enter password: careers (case sensitive)

Other Online Resources

Using the right tools to explore careers helps you discover the many possibilities available in the world of work. In addition to the websites above, Career Development Services has collected the best career research sites to help you.

Here are just a few built from research data from the Department of Labor:

Other professional development resources