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Career Readiness
With feedback from employers and career centers, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) developed a definition of career readiness and they identified eight related competencies. According to NACE, career readiness is the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.
Understanding career readiness will help you to answer the question, "Are you career ready?" Mastering the career readiness competencies can help you to become a competitive candidate for future employment.
The NACE Career Readiness Competencies are:
1. Critical Thinking
Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
What is the person able to do?
The person is able to make decisions and solve problems using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment. Additionally: 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.
2. Communication
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
What is the person able to do?
The person understands the importance of and demonstrates verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language, abilities. Additionally: 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 diversity of 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.
3. Teamwork
Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
What is the person able to do?
The person is able to listen carefully to others, taking time to understand and ask appropriate questions without interrupting. Additionally: Effectively manage conflict, interact with and respect diverse personalities, and meet ambiguity with resilience; Be accountable for individual and team responsibilities and deliveries; 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.
4. Technology
Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.
What is the person able to do?
The person is able to navigate change and be open to learning new technologies. Additionally: Use technology to improve efficiency and productivity of their work; Identify appropriate technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making; Manipulate information, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals.
5. Leadership
Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.
What is the person able to do?
The person is able to inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision. Additionally: 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.
6. Professionalism
Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
What is the person able to do?
The person is able to act equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization. Additionally: Maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values; Be present and prepared; Demonstrate dependability (e.g. report consistently for work or meetings); 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 their work; Show a high level of dedication toward doing a good job.
7. Career & Self Development
Proactively develop oneself and one's career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one's strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one's organization.
What is the person able to do?
The person demonstrates awareness of their own strengths and areas for development. Additionally: Identify areas for continual growth while pursuing and applying feedback; Develop plans and goals for one's future career; Professionally advocate for oneself and others; Display curiosity; Seek out opportunities to learn; Assume duties or positions that will help one progress professionally; Establish, maintain and/or leverage relationships with people who can help one professionally; Seek and embrace development opportunities; Voluntarily participate in further education, training, or other events to support one's career.
8. Equity & Inclusion
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.
What is the person able to do?
The person is able to solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive and equity-minded decisions. Additionally: Actively contribute to inclusive and equitable practices that influence individual and systemic change; Advocate for inclusion, equitable practices, justice, and empowerment for historically marginalized communities; See global cross-cultural interactions and experiences that enhance one's understanding of people from different demographic groups and that leads to personal growth; Keep an open mind to diverse ideas and new ways of thinking; Identify resources and eliminate barriers resulting from individual and systemic racism, inequities, and biases; Demonstrate flexibility by adapting to diverse environments; Address systems of privilege that limit opportunities for members of historically marginalized communities.
How Can These Competencies Be Developed?
Buffalo State students can develop their Career Readiness Competencies in a multitude of ways and examples include:
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