NACE competencies

Are you employable?

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What employers want most:

Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

"Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness." - NACE

Teamwork/Collaboration

"Build relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints." - NACE

Professionalism/Work Ethic

"Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image." -NACE

Digital Technology

"Leverage existing digital technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. The individual demonstrates effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies." - NACE

Oral/Written Communication

"Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization." - NACE

Leadership

"Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. Use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work." - NACE

Career Management

"Identify and articulate one's skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth." - NACE

Global/Multicultural Fluency

"The individual demonstrates, openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences." - NACE

8 skills for employment success

References

References Doyle, A. (2020, January 20). Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What's the Difference? The Balance Careers. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/hard-skills-vs-soft-skills-2063780. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Career Readiness Defined. NACE. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). (2019, March 29). The Four Career Competencies Employers Value Most. NACE. https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/the-four-career-competencies-employers-value-most/.

This can be acquired by practicing coming up with solutions on yourown and using the resourcesavailable to you to solveproblems. You can alsopractice active listeningand asking good questions.

Practice teamwork by collaborating on projects with others. Try resolving conflicts on your own and managing

your relationships with others. Don't forget to practice delegating tasks and sharing roles.

Dressing appropriately for work, showing up on time, and completing tasks within the deadline are allways to practice this. This alsoincludes accepting feedback,managing your workload,and being aware of how youractions reflect you and your work.

Practice public speaking, networkingand sharing your ideas with others to expand your oral communication.

Written communication can be practiced by writing and editing emails, memos, and marketing materials. Don't forget to proof-read!

This skill is more than just having a knoweldge about different software. This is about deciding what software will be most useful to complete tasks, and being ableto adapt to and learnnew technology quickly.

Leadership skills can be practiced by demonstrating empathy for others and understanding how to delegate

tasks based on others' strengths. Try coaching or mentoring and helping others consider the importance of goals.

This is all about being able to articulate your skills and experience to others. Practice networking and giving an elevator pitch. Also try taking ownership ofyour growth and learning atwork by seeking challenges.

This skill is about valuing and respecting the culture and experiences of others. Practice inclusive language

and controling your biases. Consider how your actionsmight impact others and be open to learning more.

How employers rate graduates:

How employers rate graduates:

3.64/5

Do you think you're proficient in critical thinking/problem solving? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201855.8%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201879.9%

3.83/5

Do you think you're proficient in teamwork/collaboration? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201877.0%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201885.1%

3.47/5

Do you think you're proficient in professionalism/work ethic? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201842.5%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201889.4%

This is the highest rated skill of all 8.

3.49/5

Do you think you're proficient in oral/written communication? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201841.6%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201879.4%

3.76/5

Do you think you're proficient in digital technology? This is the only skill where recent graduates considered themselves less proficient than employers did. Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201865.8%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201859.9%

This is the lowest rated skill of all 8.

3.13/5

Do you think you're proficient in global/cultural fluency? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201820.7%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201834.9%

3.05/5

Do you think you're proficient in career management? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201817.3%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201840.9%

3.31/5

Do you think you're proficient in leadership? Be careful! Often graduates rate themselves more proficient in skills than their employers might consider them to be! Percentage of employers who consider recent graduates proficient in 201833.0%Percentage of graduates who consider themselves proficient in 201870.5%

How employers rate graduates:

How employers rate graduates:

How employers rate graduates:

How employers rate graduates:

How employers rate graduates:

How employers rate graduates: