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Get Career Ready
Career readiness and preparation is an important issue in higher education, in the labor market, and in the public arena. In today’s 21st century employment arena, it is critical for graduating college students to competitive, skilled and competent. Career readiness and preparation processes help student’s attainment the knowledge that is needed for them to demonstration their respective skillsets and competencies broadly. According to information for eCampus News, there are six drivers of change in today’s workforce:
- Extreme Longevity with People Living Longer
- The Rise of Smart Machines and Systems
- Computational World
- New Media Ecology Communication Team
- Super Structured Organizations with Social Technologies
- A Globally Connected World
Each of these six drivers are requiring employers to seek out new and unique skills and competencies from future employees. These 21st century skills and competencies demand that college graduates are also prepared, shaped, and knowledgeable in the following way:
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Demonstrate the ability to exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. Can obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in a process-oriented way, and can demonstrate originality and inventiveness. Last, are proficient at thinking and coming up with solutions and responses beyond that which is rote, or rule based.
- Sensemaking: Has the ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being expressed. Also, can discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive functions.
- Oral/Written Communications: Can articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of any organization. Demonstrate strong public speaking skills; can express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively. Has the ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms and leverage these media for persuasive communication.
- Teamwork/Collaboration: Subscribes to design thinking, project-based learning and can build collaborative relationships with a diverse cross-cultural group representing a variety of races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. Must be willing and able to work within a team structure and can negotiate and manage conflict.
- Social Intelligence: Must have the ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions. The ability to work productively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team.
- Digital Technology: Able to 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. Can translate vast amounts of data into abstract concepts and to understand data-based reasoning.
- Leadership: Can leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual can assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
- 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. Can demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior, act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and can learn from their mistakes.
- 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. The ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes. The individual can navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
- Global/Intercultural Fluency: Value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions. The individual demonstrates, openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences. Is proficient in operating in different cultural setting with skills and understanding of cultural literacy, cultural flexibility and cultural humility.
Today’s workforce opportunities are more global, interconnected and relational than ever. Future students will need to focus their career preparation on broad skills and competencies that speak to their ability to agile, flexible and cross-cultural. The Office of Success Coaching will do its part to work with our partners at the CSU San Marcos Career Center to ensure that all first year students understand how to use the resources offered to empower themselves and become viable and more competitive candidates.