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7 Core Competencies Shape Career Readiness for College

Graduates

CAREERS POSTED BY TERRI WILLIAMS ON JANUARY 12, 2016 AT 3:01 PM

https://www.goodcall.com/news/7corecompetenciesshapecareerreadinessforcollegegraduates03909 1/12
5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

Manycollegestudentsandtheirparentsmistakenlythinkthatobtaininga
collegedegreeautomaticallyleadstoagoodjobandasuccessfulcareer.
However,graduateswhoarenotcareerreadywillfinditmoredifficultto
obtainemploymentandthriveintheworkplace.

TheNationalAssociationofCollegesandEmployers(NACE)recentlyreleaseda
factsheetdefining7corecompetenciesthatformcareerreadiness:
https://www.goodcall.com/news/7corecompetenciesshapecareerreadinessforcollegegraduates03909 2/12
5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

1.CriticalThinking/ProblemSolving
2.Oral/WrittenCommunications
3.Teamwork/Collaboration
4.InformationTechnologyApplication
5.Leadership
6.Professionalism/WorkEthic
7.CareerManagement

GoodCallassembledateamofexpertstoexplaintheimportanceofeach
competencyandalsosuggestwaystodevelopthem.

Mostresumeslistaccomplishments,collegecourses,andjobsand
responsibilitiesthatdontapplytothecandidateslongtermcareergoals,
accordingtoJ.LanceReese,COOoftheLIMUCompanyinLakeMary,Florida.
Ireadbetweenthelinesintheseresumesaretheygivingmeanobituaryof
responsibilitiesandduties?Oraretheytellingmewhattheycandoformeand
mycompany?Reesescommentsareindicativeofthedilemmaemployersface
whendecidingoncandidates,andwhythesecorecompetenciesareso
important.

CRITICAL THINKING

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5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

Criticalthinkingandproblemsolvingskillsarenecessarycomponentsof
workplacesuccess,accordingtoRodAdams,U.S.recruitingleaderat
PricewaterhouseCooper.Reflection,analysisandplanningalldrive
achievement,innovationanddeepunderstanding,whichareinstrumentalto
success,saysAdams.Problemsolvingskillsarenecessaryatalllevels
whetheryoureamillennialrightoutofcollegeortheCEOofacompany.

ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Somepeoplemistakenlythinkthatstrongcommunicationskillsareonlyvital
foremployeeswhowriteproposalsandconductpresentations,butAdamssays
theseskillsarenecessaryforallemployees.Itisimportanttocultivateaclear
communicationstylethatnotonlygetsyourideasandmessagesacross,butalso
helpsyouconnectandconvinceotherpeople,saysAdams.Communicating
withauthenticityallowsyoutobeengagedandengaging.

Adamsaddsthatstrongcommunicationisnotaboutmemorization.Itisabout
knowingyourmessagesothoroughlythatyoucaneasilyandconfidentlyshare
yourideassootherswillwalkawaywithaclear,cohesive,andconsistent
understandingofwhoyouareandwhatyouhavetooffer.

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5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

AndLaurenGriffin,seniorvicepresidentofAdeccoStaffingUSAexplainsthat
regardlessoftheindustry,thegrowthofcrossofficecollaborationandsocial
mediatoolsincreasestheneedtocommunicateeffectively.Itsalsocriticalthat
youbeawareofnonverbalcommunicationconveyedthroughbodylanguage
andfacialexpressions.Asyouseektomakeagoodimpressionwithanew
employer,trytoexudeenthusiasmevenifyouaregivenadifficulttask.

TEAMWORK/COLLABORATION

Thisisoneoftheskillsthatmaybeasimportantastechnicalabilityorwork
history.Evenifyouarecapableofhandlingtheworkload,yourinterpersonal
skillsliketheabilitytobeateamplayer,buildstrongrelationships,and
effectivelymanageconflictorthelackthereof,couldmakeorbreakahiring
managersdecisionastheydeterminewhichcandidateistherightfit,warns
Griffin.Whenapplyingforajob,Griffinsaystomakesureyourresume,cover
letterandLinkedInprofilehighlighttheabilitytoworkwellwithothers.

IT APPLICATION

Theworldischangingaroundusandfastbusinessesarefeelingthe
unprecedentedimpactofrapiddemographicchanges,economicshifts,

https://www.goodcall.com/news/7corecompetenciesshapecareerreadinessforcollegegraduates03909 5/12
5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

increasingresourcescarcity,urbanization,andtechnologybreakthroughs,says
Adams.Andasaresult,hesaysthatcompanieswantemployeeswithskillsin
dataanalyticsandinformationmanagementbecausethisdatahelpstodrive
innovationandleadchange.

LEADERSHIP

Leadershipisoftenconfusedwithmanagement,butaccordingtoReese,thetwo
havenothingincommon.Anyonecanbealeader,regardlessofposition,says
Reese.

Imlookingforaresumethatreflectstheexhibitionofleadershipskills,
independentofwhetherthecandidateevermanagedpeople.

AndAdamsadds,Leadershipskillsprovethatyoulearnfromyour
experiences,takethetimetodevelopyourpersonalapproachtowork,lead
otherstobethebesttheycanbe,actwithintegrityandupholdprofessional
standardsatalltimes.

PROFESSIONALISM/WORK ETHIC

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5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

Ourexpertshadthemostcommentsaboutthiscompetency.AaronMichel,co
founderandCEOatPathSource,says,Theseskillscannotbeovervaluedinthe
jobmarket.Forrecentcollegegraduateswhoaretryingtoprovethemselves,
whattheydodoesntnecessarilyimpressasmuchashowtheydoit.Michel
saysjustbeingontimeandbehavingresponsiblycanleaveastrongimpression.

Takingtheinitiativeisalsoanimportantpartofthiscompetency.Griffinsays
employersarelookingforreliableselfstarterswhocandothejobrightthefirst
time.Managershavetheirownresponsibilitiestoattendtoandcannot
micromanageanemployeeseverymove.

AndAdamswarnscandidatestorememberthattheyrebuildingtheirpersonal
brand.Itsalwaysagoodideatomakesurethatyoursocialmediapersona
reflectsyouappropriately,soresearchyourselfonthewebtoseewhatcanbe
foundaboutyou.Headvisestakingactiontocorrectanythingthatcould
negativelyimpactacandidatesreputation.

AdamsalsoadvisescandidatestousetoolslikeLinkedIntobuildtheir
credibilityandvisibilitywithintheirprofessionalnetwork.Brandingisa
journey,notadestinationandeachinteractionisanopportunitytobuildyour
brand.Makesuretobeclearonwhatyouwanttobeknownforandbe
compellinginhowyoushareyourstorywithothers,saysAdams.

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5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

CAREER MANAGEMENT

Careermanagementmaybeanunfamiliartermtomanypeople,andsince
Michelscompany,PathSource,isacareerexplorationcompany,weaskedhim
toexplainthisoftenoverlookedskillset.Manyyoungprofessionalsbelieve
thatiftheyjustworkhard,theyllorganicallyadvanceintheircareer,butthe
truthisthatgraduatesneedtobeabletodefinetheircareerpathandrecognize
opportunitiesthatcanhelpthemachievetheirpersonalgoals,saysMichel.He
notesthisinvolvestakingadvantageofopportunitiestolearnfrom
professionalsthattheyadmire.

Michelalsoadvisescollegestudentstoengageincareerexplorationearlyto
makesuretheyreontherightcareerpath,andthennurtureanddeveloptheir
careerstocontinuegrowingprofessionally.

HOW TO GAIN CORE COMPETENCIES

Collegestudentsareintheperfectenvironmenttodevelopmanyoftheseseven
competencies.Nomatteryourpassionsports,academics,volunteerism,etc.
youcanabsolutelyfindanoutletforexpandingyourleadership
responsibilitiesandfinetuningyourteamwork,criticalthinking,

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5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

communication,andotherskills,saysTonyaLain,regionalvicepresidentof
AdeccoStaffingUSA.

Forexample,shesaysthatmostcollegestudentsareinvolvedinsometypeof
extracurricularcluboractivity.However,thosejobapplicantsthatstandoutto
employerswillbethosewhoarebothcommittedtoaparticularcluboractivity
formultipleyears,andpursuedleadershiptitleswithinthatorganization,says
Lain.Sheexplainsthatthistypeofinvolvementtellsemployersthatthestudent
wouldbewillingtocommitto,andgrowwith,theircompany.

Greekorganizations,studentgovernment,theatertroupes,andsportsteams
areobviousexamplesofgroupsthatcanprovideanopportunitytodevelopa
varietyofskills,saysLain.However,sherealizesthatnoteveryonewillhave
thetimeand/ormoneytodevotetothesetypesoforganizations,and
recommendsthatstudentsjoingroupsthatfittheirscheduleandbudget.

Forexample,ifyoulovetennis,butcantcommittotheVarsityteam,consider
joiningorstartingaclubtennisteamthatmeetscasuallyonceaweek.Or
perhaps,youlovetheideaofbeingpartofasocialorganization,butwould
prefernottopaydues.Lainsaysthatthereareothertypesofoncampus
organizationsthatcanprovidethesametypeofteambuilding,leadership,
communication,andcriticalthinkingskillsasaGreekorganizationwithoutthe
costortimecommitment.

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5/8/2017 7CoreCompetenciesShapeCareerReadinessforCollegeGraduates|GoodCallNews

AndLainsaysthatstudentswhoworkparttimearealsogainingvaluableskills.
Showingthatyoujuggledschoolandwork,andtookonfinancial
responsibility,showsnotonlyleadershipbutalsomaturityandskillfultime
management,saysLain.

TERRI WILLIAMS
Terri Williams graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her education, career, and business
articles have been featured on Yahoo! Education, U.S. News & World Report, The Houston Chronicle, and in the print edition of USA
Today Special Edition. Terri is also a contributing author to "A Practical Guide to Digital Journalism Ethics," a book published by the
Center for Digital Ethics and Policy at Loyola University Chicago.

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