Career Readiness Competencies

Career readiness is a holistic foundation of essential skills supporting lifelong career success. Whether you refer to them as essential skills, soft skills, durable skills, or employability skills, these refer to a set of knowledge, skills, and behaviors that shape how a person performs, in their personal and professional life.

To help students understand what those essential skills are, Wilson College has defined a set of Career Readiness Competencies. These competencies are a modified version adapted from the NACE® Career Competencies, which define the career readiness foundation as demonstrated through a set of core competencies. (More information on NACE® can be found at: https://www.naceweb.org/.)

In the Wilson College of Business, competency in these skills is developed inside the classroom through engagement in experiences outside the classroom. Partnering with our faculty, the Office for Professional Distinction (OPD) plays a key role in helping our business students develop the career readiness competencies expected by employers today. 

OPD provides a range of services to our students, including academic advising and the Professional Readiness Program® (PRP). In the delivery of these services, OPD integrates the career readiness competencies as a way to articulate how students can gain the most from their time at UNI. Further, OPD uses these competencies to provide guidance as to how a student might develop their own professional distinction through a deep investment of time and energy to excel at one or more of those competencies. 

The eight career readiness competencies include:

• Career and Personal Development
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Equity and Inclusion
• Leadership
• Professionalism
• Teamwork
• Technology and Business Intelligence

What this means:

Proactively developing yourself and your career through building awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses, successfully navigating opportunities, and networking to build relationships in your personal and professional communities. This also includes purposeful continual learning throughout your lifetime. 

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Show an awareness of your own strengths and areas for development
• Identify areas for continual growth while pursuing and applying feedback from credible sources 
• Develop plans and goals for your future career and personal life 
• Professionally advocate for yourself and others
• Display curiosity and seek out development opportunities to continue to learn
• Assume duties or positions that will help you progress professionally
• Establish, maintain, and leverage relationships with people who can support you professionally and personally
• Voluntarily participate in further education, training, or other events to support personal and career goals 

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Clifton Strengths Assessment and Workshop 
• Faculty/Student Mentorship Opportunities 
• Earning digital credentials awarded through the College of Business  
• Wells Fargo Mentoring Activity
• Leading with Your Values Workshop
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Emotional Intelligence Workshop 

What this means:

Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization. 

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Understand the importance of and demonstrate abilities in verbal, written, and non-verbal/body communication
• 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, 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

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Written assignments required in courses
• Presentation assignments required in courses
• Elevator Pitch Workshop
• Encouraging students to add communication-focused courses to their curriculum 
• PRP presents additional opportunities including:
  • Professional Communication and Branding Workshops 
  • Wells Fargo Mentoring Activity
  • Next-Level Communication Techniques Workshop 
  • Mock Interview Workshop 
  • Communicating with Confidence Workshop 
  • The 4 P’s of Powerful Presentations Workshop
  • Business 4000 Mentor/Mentee Program 

What this means:

Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Make decisions and solve problems using sound, inclusive 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

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Rigorous courses offering opportunities to address difficult and complex problems
• Providing academic opportunities including major/minor/certificate and credentials based on short and long term career goals
• PRP presents additional opportunities including:
  • Leading with Your Values Workshop 
  • Emotional Intelligence Workshop

What this means:

Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to appropriately engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of exclusion.

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive decisions
• Actively contribute to inclusive practices that influence individual and systemic change
• Advocate for inclusion, equitable practices, justice, and empowerment for those historically marginalized, including but not limited to, the disabled, veterans, low-income and minority communities
• Seek 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 different perspectives, ideas and new ways of thinking
• Demonstrate flexibility by adapting environments different than your own
• Address systems that limit opportunities for individuals to achieve and advance

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Courses that provide insight into different cultures, perspectives and human behavior
• Courses exploring ethical issues and topics
• Study abroad opportunities
• PRP presents additional opportunities including:
  • Unconscious Bias Training 
  • Business Ethics Workshop 
  • Generational Differences in the Workplace Workshop 
  • Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) 
  • Intercultural Development Plan (IDP) 

What it means:

Stepping up in any situation to resolve problems and proactively find solutions. Recognizing and capitalizing on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

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

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Providing leadership-focused courses
• Campus-wide and major specific student organizations
• On and off campus employment opportunities  
• Business 4000 Mentor/Mentee Program 
• Professional internships

What this means:

Knowing work environments differ greatly, understanding and demonstrating effective work habits, and acting ethically in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Act with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization
• Maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values
• Be 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 their work
• Show a high level of dedication toward doing a good job

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• One-on-One appointments with Career Services professionals through the OPD
• Communicating with Confidence Workshop 
• Building successful relationships with faculty and support staff through mentorship opportunities 
• PRP Mentor/Mentee Program with a business professional
• Completion of the four levels of the Professional Readiness Program®

What this means:

Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Listen carefully to others, taking time to understand and ask appropriate questions without interrupting.
• Effectively manage conflict, interact with and respect diverse 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.

A few examples of how we support the a student’s professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Building relationships through the four year experience with key stakeholders in individual educational experience including: faculty, academic advisors, Career Services professionals, mentors, and leaders across campus 
• Encouraged participation in campus-wide and major specific student organizations
• Emotional Intelligence Workshop 
• Active participation in group work, activities, and assignments through academic coursework

What this means:

Develop business intelligence through understanding and ethically leveraging data and technologies to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, accomplish goals and make decisions.

Demonstrations of readiness in the workplace 

• Navigate change and be open to learning new technologies
• Use data and technology to improve efficiency and productivity of 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 data, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals

A few examples of how Wilson College supports student professional distinction development in this competency area: 

• Technology and data focused courses
• Access to earn the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel certification
• Access to earn the Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Expert certification
• Earning digital credentials awarded through Wilson College