Building Your Skills

Are You Career-Ready?

Every employer is looking for employees who display certain traits, skills, and competencies. In order to have a successful transition to the workplace, there are steps you can take while you're in college to ensure that you have what employers are looking for when hiring new employees.

Career-Readiness Competencies

Skill in these areas is an expectation that is fairly universal amongst industries and career fields. Employers look for entry-level employees who display competence in these areas.

Your goal should be to make sure that these competencies are evident in your resume and cover letter when applying for jobs. You can do that by participating in activities and describing your contributions in ways that demonstrate these skills.

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers

Career & 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.

Communication

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

Critical Thinking

Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.

Equity & Inclusion

Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage 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.

Professionalism

Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.

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.

A note for pre-health students...

Admission to health professions schools requires more than a strong GPA and test scores. Gaining a variety of experiences is ESSENTIAL!

Enroll in our Canvas page for Pre-Health Students at Illinois for access to a list of local community resources and opportunities to gain clinical experience, volunteer time, observation hours, RSO membership and leadership opportunities, and more.
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