Career Readiness

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), Career Readiness involves “the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.” Career Readiness includes eight competencies.

Critical Thinking / Problem Solving

  • Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems.
  • Obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.

Oral / Written Communication

  • Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization.
  • Strong public speaking skills; is able to express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.

Teamwork / Collaboration

  • Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints.
  • Able to work within a team structure, and can negotiate and manage conflict.

Digital Technology

  • Leverage existing digital technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.
  • Demonstrate effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies.

Leadership

  • Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others.
  • Assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.

Professionalism / Work Ethic

  • Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image.
  • Demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind and is able to learn from his/her/their mistakes.

Career Management

  • Identify and articulate one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth.
  • Able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.

Global / Intercultural Fluency

  • Value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions.
  • Demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences.