How a Talent Acquisition Manager Is Helping Shape ND’s Workforce, One Person at a Time
Every semester, Colleen T. strolls into another college classroom carrying the same backpack and laptop. Yet her PowerPoint presentation on resume building and job interviewing is always evolving—to keep pace with the day’s job market. She never knows which student might remember her advice years later (rest assured, it’s rock-solid) or which one might someday become a future coworker.
But that’s all part of the fun.
On this particular morning at the University of Mary, she isn’t there to lecture. She’s there to mentor. As NDIT’s Talent Acquisition Program Manager, Colleen spends much of her time helping students prepare for life after graduation. She approaches the room like a kind teacher, a supportive coach—inviting conversation instead of simply clicking through slides while hiding behind a podium.
To keep students engaged, she’ll pause mid-presentation and toss out a mock interview question, watching reactions unfold in real time. Then she shares the practical advice nobody thinks to Google: know where you’re going before the interview, make sure your laptop actually works if it’s virtual, comb your hair. Little things. Human things. The kind of advice that comes from someone who’s spent years on both sides of the interview table.
By the end of the session, students are handing Colleen their resumes, eager for feedback.
One student in particular stands out—Ingrid Clarke, sitting near the front, hanging on every word. Neither of them knows it yet, but their futures are about to collide in the most wonderful way. That hour will help set Ingrid on a path that eventually leads to a career at NDIT...and right back across the table from Colleen, this time as a job candidate.
It’s the kind of full-circle moment that reminds Colleen why she loves what she does.
For Colleen, career workshops are about more than resumes—they’re opportunities to encourage the next generation of North Dakota’s workforce.
From Chicago to the Dakotas
Fun fact: Long before she was helping students launch their careers, Colleen thought she’d spend her own in an elementary school classroom.
Growing up in Chicago, she enrolled in college as an early childhood education major and made it all the way to her student-teaching year before facing a difficult reality—she was earning more working part-time at Starbucks than she would as a first-year teacher.
Rather than continuing down a path that no longer felt sustainable, Colleen transitioned into corporate management, where she spent the next decade leading teams and developing talent. Although her work environment looked quite different from the classroom she once envisioned, some of her favorite moments came from doing what she does best: helping people grow, building their confidence, and giving them the tools they needed to succeed.
Over time, that teacher’s instinct and passion only grew stronger, and Colleen began to do something she never imagined possible—set her heart on a new career trajectory.
Then came another unexpected life pivot. Her husband’s federal job required a transfer…to North Dakota. Not exactly where she had planned on ending up, but Colleen decided to embrace the change and take a leap of faith.
As it turned out, it was the best decision she could have made.
Helping People Find Their Future
After settling into the Peace Garden State, Colleen soon became an operations manager for a property management company while completing her bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. Recognizing a need for stronger employee development, she created training resources that quickly became invaluable across the organization. Managers sought her guidance, a recruitment opportunity opened, and she found herself stepping into human resources—talent acquisition, to be exact.
From there, a beloved mentor helped finetune her path forward, spurring Colleen to expand her experience in recruiting, leadership development, and coaching managers across multiple regions. Those experiences would prove crucial when she ultimately joined NDIT in November 2023.
Today, Colleen regularly visits colleges across North Dakota for career fairs, resume workshops, classroom presentations, and outreach events. Every so often, she’ll recognize a familiar face—or interview someone who once attended one of her sessions. Those moments serve as a powerful reminder that a single conversation can influence someone’s future in ways neither person expects.
For Colleen, career fairs are more than recruiting events—they’re opportunities to encourage students, answer questions, and help them imagine what’s possible.
Falling in Love With NDIT
Ask Colleen what she enjoys most about her role, and her answer comes easily: supporting NDIT’s hiring managers as they build strong teams. Having led employees herself, she knows an organization’s success depends on finding people who not only have the right skills, but also the right mindset and motivation.
Recruiting, she says, is about far more than checking boxes on a resume. Every candidate brings a different story, different perspectives, and different experiences. Helping hiring managers uncover those qualities—and identify people who will thrive in public service—is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
Delivering value to corporate shareholders was never something I was passionate about,
Colleen says, reflecting on her years in the private sector. Moving into public service changed everything. The people we hire today are going to be the people who serve our communities tomorrow. Now that’s a purpose I can get on board with!
Naturally, Colleen believes the best candidates are often the ones motivated by service—people willing to solve problems, work through challenges, and make a meaningful difference for North Dakotans.
Helping managers ask thoughtful interview questions and better understand each candidate’s intentions ultimately helps NDIT build stronger teams that support agencies and citizens across the state.
Life Beyond the Job
Outside of work, Colleen and her husband share an adorable passion: animal rescue.
Over the past decade, they’ve opened their home to numerous dogs. Today, their family includes Fern, a cuddly pug with a permanent sleepy expression; Gunther, a 13-year-old Boston-cattle-dog mix whose younger years included the occasional destroyed couch and pair of shoes; and Phoebe, a 12-pound bundle of joy made up of at least 21 different breeds, according to a DNA test.
“They've trained me 100%,” Colleen laughs, joking that the dogs seem to know her work schedule better than she does.
The couple also enjoys a long-running debate over whether beaches or mountains make the better vacation destination. Colleen has always leaned toward the beach, though these days she’s settled on a compromise: Hawaii, where she gets the best of both worlds.
When she’s not helping people find their next career move, Colleen loves spending time with her biggest supporters: Fern, Gunther, and Phoebe.
Finding Home
When Colleen encourages someone to consider a career at NDIT, she doesn’t begin with the State of North Dakota’s benefits (although they’re top-notch!). Instead, she talks about purpose.
Meaningful work. Supportive teammates. An organization where people genuinely care about one another. These are all reasons why NDIT has twice been recognized as a Top 10 Workplace by the Bismarck-Mandan Young Professionals Network—a reflection of the culture she’s experienced firsthand.
The road from teaching to talent as been a long one, but it’s been well worth it.
I’ve never worked with a group of more sincere and genuinely dedicated individuals than I have here,
Colleen says, still amazed by teammates who’ve devoted decades of service to North Dakota. This may not be where I’m technically from, or where I envisioned I’d end up, but one thing is for sure—it’s a great home.