Career Competencies

WHAT IS CAREER READINESS?

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) defines career readiness as a set of core competencies that prepare students for workplace success and lifelong career growth—the “new career currency.” These competencies reflect the skills, abilities, and behaviors employers consistently value across industries.

CAREER & SELF-DEVELOPMENT
Awareness of strengths, career plans and goals, seek opportunities to learn, build relationships, display curiosity, develop skills.

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

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

LEADERSHIP
Recognize and capitalize on personal 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.

EQUITY & INCLUSION
Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different cultures and backgrounds. Engage in anti-oppressive practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism and inequity

BUILDING SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

The Chirico Career Center is committed to ensuring every Providence College student develops the competencies needed to thrive in an evolving workforce. At Providence College, students build these skills through coursework, student organizations, campus jobs, internships, volunteer service, leadership roles, and other experiential opportunities. Through our coaching model, career coaches help students recognize and articulate the competencies they are already developing, identify areas for growth, and create personalized plans to strengthen any gaps through targeted programs, experiences, and resources. The following initiatives demonstrate how the Chirico Career Center intentionally helps students build, communicate, and apply these career-ready competencies—preparing them for success after Providence College.

CHIRICO CAREER CENTER SIGNATURE PROGRAMS & EVENTS:

Career EXPOs
Masked Major
Careers In… Series
Road Treks
NEW STEP Program (Student Training, Experiences & Professionalism)
How to get through a HireVue
Networking: From Awkward to Awesome

TECHNOLOGY:

FriarHub: Platform for internship/job opportunities and alumni networking
NEW Jobscan: Resume optimization tool that analyzes resume against specific job descriptions
CliftonStrengths: Assessment tool that identifies top five innate talents
NEW Forage: Real world project experience that can be added to a resume
LinkedIn Learning: Self-paced learning opportunities to earn badges
Certifications: MicroSoft Office Suite | NEW AI | NEW Amazon Ads

ADDITIONAL WAYS TO GAIN COMPETENCIES:

Meet with employers during Snacks with Students
Connect with alumni for informational interviews
Participate in Classroom Discussions
Engage in undergraduate research
Collaborate with peers in a study group, club or team project
Take on a leadership role in a group project or club

IMPORTANCE VS. PROFICIENCY

NACE’s 2026 Job Outlook report found more than 40% of employers believe new graduates’ skills align closely with their needs, while communication, professionalism and critical thinking remain areas for improvement.