
Competencies for Career Readiness
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines career readiness through career competencies identified by employers as essential skills or competencies they seek in job candidates entering the workforce.
Below are the seven Cardinal Flight NACE-inspired competencies for career readiness.

Career 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 outside of one’s organization.

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

Diversity and Inclusion – Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to engage equitably and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.

Leadership – Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

Strategic Thinking – Identify and respond to needs based on an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

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

Technology – Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.
Note: Adapted from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
See sample behaviors of each of the competencies on NACE’s website.
To help students make the most of their experiences beyond the classroom, we have identified a collection of experiences, events and activities that we believe will help students to gain skills in each of the seven competencies.
Download and complete the activities on the checklist and track your involvement.
View the Checklist