Become Career Ready through Work Experiences (On and Off-Campus)
Sometimes students need to work full- or part-time while they are going to school and might not have the time to do an internship or co-op. Don’t worry, you are still enhancing the NACE competencies while working either on- or off- campus. Even if this job isn’t in your field or you don’t particularly enjoy the work; work hard and reap the benefits
Examples of how students have developed or enhanced their competencies during work experiences:
- Nicole, a Junior majoring in Economics, developed her competencies in critical thinking and communication by securing a summer internship with a corporation that offered both on the job experiences and special training programs for interns in these areas.
- Will built his communication and equity & inclusion competencies by working a retail job where he interacted with a diverse group of coworkers and customers.
- Amira, a Sophomore Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) major, grew her critical thinking competency by taking a part-time bank teller position. While this was outside of her “comfort zone”, she knew the experience would accelerate her growth.
- Alice expanded their communication and equity & inclusion competencies by requesting involvement within these areas as part of their full-time position as a supply chain assistant manager. Alice’s hiring manager developed a 6-month rotation in the human resources department to build their experience in diversity and gain a better understanding about the career management process.
Feel free to schedule a meeting with a Career Coach in the Center for Career Development or talk to another trusted faculty or staff member on campus; maybe someone you’ve already connected with around career. The entire campus community is committed to your success-all you need to do is ask!
Do you have an example of a career-readiness competency that you have gained or enhanced? (Career & Self Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Equity & Inclusion, Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, Technology)
We would love to hear your story. Please complete the Competency Intake form.
Sharing your competency development inspires other students to think about where and how they can gain competencies within and beyond UConn, and can prepare you for future interview questions when employers ask for examples about skills you have developed.
