What are Career Competencies, and how will I develop them through Work+?
Career Readiness & Competencies
Career readiness is achieved through the attainment and demonstration of core competencies that will help you successfully pursue your career goals. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has identified eight core competencies (also known as transferable skills) that are highly valued by employers and considered key predictors of career success. Your experiences at UConn and beyond offer many opportunities to develop and enhance these eight competencies, including participation in classroom projects and assignments, internships, co-ops, research, on-campus involvement, work experience, or other on- or off-campus endeavors.
- Career and Self Development
- Communication
- Critical Thinking
- Equity and Inclusion
- Leadership
- Professionalism
- Teamwork
- Technology
Career and 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.
- Skill Enhancement and Self-Awareness: Work+ UConn Jobs offer practical opportunities to develop and refine key skills such as time management, communication, and problem-solving. Through hands-on experience, you gain a clearer understanding of your strengths and areas for improvement, aiding in continuous personal growth and career readiness.
- Professional Learning and Adaptability: Engaging in Work+ UConn jobs allows you to learn professional etiquette and workplace norms, preparing you for future careers. It also encourages adaptability and flexibility as you balance academic responsibilities with work commitments, fostering resilience and a proactive learning attitude.
- Career Exploration and Opportunity Navigation: Work+ UConn jobs provide a platform for you to explore various career paths and gain insight into different professional fields. This exposure helps in making informed decisions about future career opportunities and aids in developing a strategic approach to career planning.
- Networking and Relationship Building: Working at Work+ UConn jobs enables you to connect with peers, faculty, and staff, expanding your professional network. These relationships can lead to mentorship opportunities, references, and valuable connections that support career development both during and after your academic journey.
Communication
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
- Clarity in Information Exchange: Work+ UConn jobs provide opportunities to practice clearly and effectively exchanging information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with others. This experience enhances your ability to communicate succinctly and accurately, ensuring that your messages are understood by diverse audiences.
- Effective Communication with Diverse Groups: Engaging in Work+ UConn jobs enable you to interact with individuals both inside and outside of the organization. This broad exposure helps you develop the ability to tailor your communication style to different contexts and audiences, fostering better understanding and collaboration.
- Idea and Perspective Sharing: Work+ UConn jobs create a platform for you to share your ideas and perspectives with colleagues and supervisors. This not only improves your confidence in presenting your thoughts but also hones your ability to listen and incorporate feedback, leading to more effective and dynamic exchanges.
- Enhanced Professional Interaction: Through Work+ UConn jobs, you learn to navigate professional conversations and relationships, both within and beyond the organization. This experience builds your capacity to convey information professionally and persuasively, essential for career advancement and effective teamwork.
Critical Thinking
Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
- Situational Awareness and Responsiveness: Work+ UConn jobs offer you the chance to identify and respond to various needs based on an understanding of situational context. This helps you develop the ability to assess different scenarios and prioritize actions accordingly.
- Logical Analysis and Problem Solving: By engaging in Work+ UConn jobs, you practice logical analysis of relevant information to address challenges effectively. This experience enhances your critical thinking skills, enabling you to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.
- Adaptation to Changing Contexts: Work+ UConn jobs require you to adapt to changing situations and respond appropriately. This helps you build the flexibility and resilience needed to analyze and address new issues as they arise, fostering a proactive approach to problem-solving.
- Informed Decision-Making: Through Work+ UConn jobs, you learn to gather and evaluate information systematically. This process improves your ability to make well-reasoned decisions based on thorough analysis, ensuring that your responses are both effective and contextually appropriate.
Equity and Inclusion
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity.
- Awareness and Attitude Development: Work+ UConn jobs provide opportunities to cultivate awareness and a positive attitude towards equity and inclusion. By interacting with diverse individuals, you learn to appreciate and respect cultural differences, fostering an inclusive mindset.
- Knowledge and Skill Building: Engaging in Work+ UConn jobs allow you to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to equitably engage and include people from various local and global cultures. This hands-on experience equips you with the tools to navigate and celebrate diversity in professional settings.
- Engagement and Inclusion: Through Work+ UConn jobs, you learn to engage with people from different backgrounds and perspectives. This experience enhances your ability to foster inclusive environments where everyone feels valued and respected, promoting equity in all interactions.
- Personal Strength Recognition: Work+ UConn jobs help you identify and leverage your personal strengths. By understanding your unique skills and abilities, you can contribute more effectively to your team and the organization’s success.
- Team Strength Utilization: Engaging in Work+ UConn jobs allow you to recognize and capitalize on the strengths of your team members. This fosters collaboration and ensures that the team operates at its highest potential to achieve organizational goals.
- Goal Achievement: Through Work+ UConn jobs, you learn to align your personal and team strengths with organizational objectives. This experience enhances your ability to set, pursue, and achieve goals efficiently and effectively.
Professionalism
Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
- Understanding Diverse Work Environments: Work+ UConn jobs expose you to different work environments, helping you understand their unique dynamics. This experience enhances your ability to adapt and function effectively in varied professional settings.
- Demonstrating Effective Work Habits: Engaging in Work+ UConn jobs allows you to develop and showcase effective work habits, such as punctuality, reliability, and attention to detail. These habits are essential for maintaining high standards of professionalism.
- Community and Workplace Interest: Through Work+ UConn jobs, you learn to act in the interest of the larger community and workplace. This includes prioritizing collective goals, adhering to ethical standards, and contributing positively to the organizational culture.
Teamwork
Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
- Collaboration and Shared Goals: Work+ UConn jobs provide opportunities to develop collaborative working styles. You’ll learn to effectively work with colleagues from diverse backgrounds to achieve shared goals, fostering a sense of teamwork and accomplishment.
- Communication and Appreciation of Diverse Viewpoints: Working in a team environment strengthens your communication skills and fosters appreciation for diverse perspectives. You’ll learn to express your ideas clearly, listen attentively to others, and find common ground to reach solutions.
- Shared Responsibility and Accountability: Work+ UConn jobs instill a sense of shared responsibility and accountability within a team setting. You’ll learn to contribute effectively towards projects, hold yourself and others accountable for meeting deadlines, and celebrate successes achieved together.
- Conflict Resolution and Negotiation: Through Work+, you’ll develop the ability to navigate disagreements constructively. You’ll learn to approach conflict resolution with empathy and find win-win solutions through negotiation and compromise.
Technology
Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.
- Technology Proficiency and Integration: Work+ UConn jobs provide opportunities to develop proficiency in using a variety of technologies relevant to the workplace. This experience equips you to integrate these tools seamlessly into your workflows, enhancing efficiency and productivity in completing tasks and achieving goals.
- Digital Literacy and Critical Thinking: Engaging in Work+ UConn jobs fosters the development of digital literacy skills. You’ll learn to evaluate information sources online, identify potential biases, and leverage technology responsibly for informed decision-making.
- Innovation and Problem-Solving with Technology: Work+ UConn jobs can provide a platform to explore innovative uses of technology to solve problems or streamline processes. This experience encourages creative thinking and equips you to adapt to the ever-evolving technological landscape.
- Data Analysis and Interpretation: Certain Work+ UConn jobs may involve working with data. This can provide valuable experience in analyzing and interpreting data sets, drawing insights, and effectively communicating findings. This skill is increasingly sought-after in many fields.