NACE: Career Readiness Competencies
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) launched its Career Readiness Initiative in 2015 to establish a shared understanding of what new college graduates need to launch a successful career — creating a common vocabulary and a core set of competencies recognized by both career services professionals and employers. The competencies were developed by a task force of career services and university recruiting professionals, and have since been reviewed and updated based on extensive member feedback to reflect current workforce expectations. The framework identifies eight key competencies — including communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and professionalism — and serves as a widely adopted standard for helping students, institutions, and employers assess and develop career readiness across all stages of the hiring and onboarding process.
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.
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
Identify and respond to needs based on an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
The ability to engage and include others from diverse cultures, proactively develop a culture of belonging and respect, and seek to understand individual differences.
Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.
Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.