Career Readiness - UCI Division of Career Pathways

Get Career Ready!

Career readiness is the process of preparing for the workforce and developing skills to be successful in your career. Career readiness competencies includes both content skills (such as proficiency in specific software or tools) and transferable, essential skills (such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving).

What is career readiness?

Participating in activities that build career readiness skills imparts experience and confidence. Being intentional about career readiness also equips you to identify and articulate your skills for employers in your resumes, cover letters, interviews, online profiles, and networking conversations.

Why is career readiness important?

Career readiness is important because it helps you succeed in the job search and positions you for the future you want. It also helps you develop a growth mindset for success throughout your career. Employers are more likely to hire people who they believe are career ready.

Career Readiness Competencies

The National Association of Colleges and Employers worked with employers to identify 8 core competencies that will equip college graduates to successfully transition to the workplace.

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.

Sample behaviors

Show an awareness of 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.
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.

Communication

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

Sample behaviors

Understand the importance of and demonstrate verbal, written, and non-verbal/body language, abilities.
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.

Critical Thinking

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

Sample behaviors

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.

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.

Sample behaviors

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.
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 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.

Leadership

Sample behaviors

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.

Professionalism

Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

Sample behaviors

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.
Manage technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
Quickly adapt to new or unfamiliar technologies.
Manipulate information, construct ideas, and use technology to achieve strategic goals.

Teamwork

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

Sample behaviors

Inspire, persuade, and motivate self and others under a shared vision.
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.

Technology

Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.

Sample behaviors

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.
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.

Career Readiness Worksheets

Consider where and how have you developed the competencies above. Which competencies would you like to develop further during your time at UCI? Use this worksheet to guide your progress in the 8 competency areas.

Download the Worksheet

UCI Career Development Process

Self-Assessment

Sample Action Steps:

Take Focus 2 or My Next Move career assessments
Get involved with student clubs, volunteer, explore hobbies
Graduate students: Imagine PhD, Beyond Prof

Career Exploration

Sample Action Steps:

Explore Occupational Outlook Handbook, Onet
Visit What can I do with this major?
Watch Career panels
Vault career guides
Conduct Informational Interviews
Network: Linkedin UCI alumni search, The Anteater Network
The Forage virtual work experience programs

Decision Making

Sample Action Steps:

Evaluate and reflect upon your career research to narrow down options
Talk with family, support circle; continue networking
Develop a resume and search Handshake to gain experience

Self-Marking/Action

Sample Action Steps:

Update and finalize your Resume
Utilize Big Interview
Practice One-minute introduction
Search for jobs and internships on Handshake
Attend Career fairs, employer information sessions
Explore UCI Internship programs
Consider Graduate school planning