“Begin with the end in mind.”

That’s one piece of advice from management guru Stephen Covey to people who want to be successful.

It’s also the advice that Daniel Orozco has for Southwestern’s incoming students.

Orozco is Southwestern’s new director of Career Services. He replaces Roger Young, who retired from Southwestern in August after serving as director of office since 1998.

Orozco is taking over an office that was recently ranked #7 in the country and #1 in Texas for Best Career/Job Placement Services by the Princeton Review. The ranking was based on responses to a survey of 126,000 students who attend the colleges included in the 2014 edition of The Best 378 Colleges. 

Orozco said this ranking don’t come as a surprise to him.

“Southwestern has a very strong Career Services team,” he said. “They have been very intentional and successful in their efforts to connect with students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

Career Services offers a variety of programs throughout the year to help students explore career options. Particularly popular programs include the annual “Etiquette Dinner” and a “Career Connections” barbecue on campus that connects students with alumni.

The office also runs a Pirate Apprentice Days program that matches students with alumni who are working in fields they are interested in. Students can shadow those alumni during Winter Break.

Career Services also does plenty of one-on-one advising. Last year, staff in the office held more than 1,000 individual advising sessions.

Orozco said Career Services isn’t planning on resting on its laurels, though.

“I want to keep doing what they have been doing and push it further,” he said.

Orozco is joining the Southwestern staff from Abilene Christian University, where he served as associate director of their Career Center since 2008. Before that, he was associate director of the Career Center at Texas A&M University from 1986 to 2008. Orozco holds two degrees from A&M − a bachelor’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a master’s degree in educational administration.

Orozco said he switched to career center work after a brief stint as a 5th grade teacher.

“I haven’t looked back since,” he said.

After having worked at career centers at both a large university and a smaller university, Orozco said he prefers the smaller schools.

“At smaller schools you really get to connect with students,” he said.

Orozco said he hopes new students will connect with Career Services soon after they arrive on campus.

“If students start early, by the time they are seniors they won’t need us,” Orozco said. “If all we get is a year or a half year, students are cheating themselves.”

New students will have a chance to learn more about what Career Services offers during the “First-Year 411” program that will be held Aug. 28 from 4:30-6 p.m. just outside the Career Services office on the first floor of the Prothro Center.

The event provides a good opportunity for students to meet the Career Services staff as well as staff members from the Center for Academic Success.

In addition to Orozco, the Career Services staff includes Associate Director Alexandra Anderson, Internship Coordinator Maria Kruger and Office/Recruiting Specialist Dana Luna. Two mannequins also play an important role in the office – Ichabod and Antoinette.

Ichabod and Antoinette show students how to dress properly for interviews and have a Facebook page that helps students keep up with all the programs offered by Career Services. This innovative use of social media won Career Services the 2011 National Association of College and Employers (NACE) Innovation Excellence Award in the marketing and branding category.