Key Career Readiness Competencies as Established by The National Association of Colleges and Employers
(NACE Competencies)
Being involved in VCU Student Government and the Office of Student Involvement should strongly support students’ career readiness. What is career readiness? Simply put, it is the reason for getting a college education and specific degrees. Evidence clearly speaks to the importance of the learning and involvement that students engage in outside the classroom.
Career readiness is a foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management. The VCU Office of Student Involvement works with students to advance their career readiness through SGA, student-centered Clubs and Programming Board engagement. We work to support the following NACE Competencies for students involved in these areas:
Career & Self-Development
- Show an awareness of their own strengths and areas for development.
- Identify areas for continual growth while pursuing and applying feedback.
- Develop plans and goals for one’s future career.
Communication
- Promptly inform relevant others when needing guidance with assigned tasks.
- Understand the importance of and demonstrate verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language, abilities.
- Employ active listening, persuasion, and influencing skills.
Critical Thinking
- 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.
Intercultural Fluency
- Solicit and use feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive and equity-minded decisions.
- 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.
Leadership
- Inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision.
- Motivate and inspire others by encouraging them and by building mutual trust.
- Plan, initiate, manage, complete, and evaluate projects.
Professionalism
- 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.
- 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 while being present and prepared.
Teamwork
- Build strong, positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.
- Employ personal strengths, knowledge, and talents to complement those of others.
- Exercise the ability to compromise and be agile as they collaborate with others to achieve common goals.
Technology
- 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.