Career Readiness Competencies

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Mastering Self-Motivation
• Taking Charge of Your Career
• Holding Yourself Accountable
• Developing Self-Awareness
• Networking Foundations: Networking Basics

Ways to Build

• Show an awareness of strengths and recognize areas for development.
• Identify areas for continual growth; pursue and apply feedback.
• Develop plans and goals for your future career.
• Professionally advocate for yourself and others.
• Display curiosity; seek out opportunities to learn.
• Assume duties or positions that will help you progress professionally.
• Establish, maintain, and/or leverage relationships with people who can help you professionally.
• Seek and embrace development opportunities.
• Voluntarily participate in further education, training, or other events to support your career.

Specific Examples

• Attend workshops and events hosted by the Center for Career & Professional Development
• Connect with peers, alumni, faculty and staff.
• Seek out campus student leadership opportunities, such as Admissions Ambassadors, Dean’s Hosts, Career Peers, and student organization leadership roles.
• Participate in internships, undergraduate research, student employment, or other experiential programs.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Communication Foundations
• Confident Communication for Introverts
• Business Etiquette: Phone, Email, & Text

Ways To Build This Competency

• Understand the importance of and demonstrate verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language, abilities.
• Employ active listening, persuasion, and influencing skills.
• Communicate in a clear and organized manner so that others can effectively understand.
• Frame communication with respect to different learning styles, varied individual communication abilities, and cultural differences.
• Ask appropriate questions for specific information from supervisors, specialists, and others.
• Promptly inform relevant others when needing guidance with assigned tasks.

Specific Examples

• Actively participate in coursework, including class discussions, papers, class presentations.
• Practice professional communication during internships, campus-based experiential learning, and off-campus jobs and volunteer experiences.
• Seek opportunities to deliver presentations in front of small and large groups.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Critical Thinking
• Strategic Thinking Tips to Solve Problems & Innovate
• Analytical Thinking to Evaluate Conclusions

Ways To Build This Competency

• Make decisions and solve problems using sound reasoning and judgment.
• Gather and analyze information from a diverse set of sources and individuals to fully understand a problem.
• Proactively anticipate needs and prioritize action steps.
• Accurately summarize and interpret data with an awareness of personal biases that may impact outcomes.
• Effectively communicate actions and rationale, recognizing the diverse perspectives and lived experiences of stakeholders.
• Multi-task well in a fast-paced environment.

Specific Examples

• Take courses that involve data and analysis.
• Complete projects in Forage to demonstrate skills.
• Seek opportunities understand problems and contribute to solutions using available data.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Creating a Connection Culture
• Skills for Inclusive Conversations
• Leading and Motivating People with Different Personalities
• Managing Multiple Generations

Ways To Build This Competency

• Solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make informed decisions.
• Actively contribute to practices that influence individual and systemic change.
• Advocate for respectful practices, justice, and empowerment for all.
• Seek global cross-cultural interactions and experiences that enhance your understanding of people from different demographic groups and that leads to personal growth.
• Keep an open mind to a variety ideas and new ways of thinking.
• Demonstrate flexibility by adapting to environments.

Specific Examples

• Take courses to learn about cultures and perspectives different from your own.
• Join student groups who have members with a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.
• Volunteer with community or campus groups to get to know a wide range of people, particularly those with different lived experiences.
• Study abroad and immerse yourself into other cultures to gain a better understanding and perspective.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Leading without Formal Authority
• Best Practices for New People Leaders
• Leadership Foundations

Ways To Build This Competency

• Inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision.
• Seek out and leverage diverse resources and feedback from others to inform direction.
• Use innovative thinking to go beyond traditional methods.
• Serve as a role model to others by approaching tasks with confidence and a positive attitude.
• Motivate and inspire others by encouraging them and by building mutual trust.
• Plan, initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate projects.

Specific Examples

• Get involved in student organizations or campus leadership opportunities, such as Admissions Ambassadors, Dean’s Hosts, Career Peers, or others.
• Mentor fellow students, formally or informally.
• Seek opportunities to contribute to or lead a project, such as with student organizations, internships, volunteer work, or part-time jobs.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Business Etiquette for the Modern Workplace
• Mistakes You Should Avoid at Work
• Developing Your Professional Image in a New Job
• Business Etiquette for Gen Z

Ways To Build This Competency

• Act equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
• Maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values.
• Be on time, present, and prepared.
• Demonstrate dependability.
• Prioritize and complete tasks to accomplish organizational goals.
• Consistently meet or exceed goals and expectations.
• Have an attention to detail, resulting in few if any errors in your work.
• Show a high level of dedication toward doing a good job.

Specific Examples

• Be positive when talking about your experience and career goals.
• Manage your time effectively to organize your schedule so that you meet all of your commitments. If needed, prioritize your activities and make decisions about where you can reduce time commitments.
• Lead with solutions and not complaints.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• Teamwork Foundations
• Conflict Resolution Foundations
• Collaboration Principles & Process
• Becoming a Team Player from Day One

Ways To Build This Competency

• Listen carefully to others, taking time to understand and ask appropriate questions without interrupting.
• Effectively manage conflict, interact with and respect different personalities, and meet ambiguity with resilience.
• Be accountable for individual and team responsibilities and deliverables.
• Employ personal strengths, knowledge, and talents to complement those of others.
• Exercise the ability to compromise and be agile.
• Collaborate with others to achieve common goals.
• Build strong, positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.

Specific Examples

• Seek opportunities to collaborate with others, such as on student organization efforts, internship projects, or campus initiatives.
• Join a intramural sports team or other groups that emphasize team involvement.

Gain the Knowledge

Use these LinkedIn Learning courses to learn more:

• A Guide to Understanding Ethics in Technology
• Ethics in the Age of Generative AI
• Excel Essential Training
• Taking a Break from Your Phone

Ways To Build This Competency

• Navigate change and be open to learning new technologies.
• Use technology to improve efficiency and productivity of their work.
• Identify appropriate technology for completing specific tasks.
• Manage technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
• Quickly adapt to new or unfamiliar technologies.
• Manipulate information, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals.

Specific Examples

• Seek opportunities to learn new or specialized technologies and systems, such as a industry-specific digital tool used at an internship site.
• Complete certification programs or training opportunities for specific technology relevant to your chosen field.
• Attend lectures and training opportunities related to AI.