Career Competencies: Your Passport to Professionalism

To be selected for an interview for an internship or a full-time entry-level position, students need to have the technical skills (requirements) listed in the job description. To get a job offer, students need to show employers they are career ready.

What does it mean to be career ready? It means possessing the professional skills that employers’ value. These highly sought-after abilities are known as career competencies and include career & personal development, communication, critical thinking, equity & inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, and technology. To assist students in understanding how to leverage these skills in interviews and when talking with recruiters, Embry-Riddle offers a self-paced, interactive program called Eagle Elevate.

The opportunity to acquire career competencies is embedded in the student experience—in coursework, co-curricular activities (clubs and organizations), student employment, research, special projects, volunteer work, civic engagement, and more. In the Eagle Elevate program, students learn more about why these skills are important to employers and how to connect their experiences outside the classroom with the skills employers are seeking. The program allows students to practice, document, and reflect on their skills, while teaching them how demonstrate these skills to potential employers on resumes and in interviews. The program will be accessible through Canvas for Fall 2022.

Learn: Choose a competency, learn why it is important for professional growth and success.

Individual sections review each career competency/soft skill and offer additional resources for practicing and learning more about them.

Apply: Demonstrate learning with short exercises relevant to career development.

Short modules and exercises help students integrate professional skills needed for career readiness and success.

Reflect: Take a self-assessment and write goals for learning more. Practice answering interview questions.

Students will have the opportunity to self-reflect and set individualized goals. The STAR method of answering interview questions is illustrated and students record a written or video response to an interview question related to the competency. Students are encouraged to send their interview answer to their Career Services Program Manager and others for feedback.

How do students benefit?

Students seek out and participate in activities and experiences that allow them to acquire important skills employers seek when making hiring decisions. By displaying these on resumes and articulating them in interviews, Embry-Riddle students stand out when applying for internships or jobs.

How do employers benefit?

Employers benefit because they will be able to identify candidates who have developed career competencies and are career ready. Employers know career ready candidates add immeasurable value to the overall organization and its goals.

By participating in Eagle Elevate, Embry-Riddle students will be interview-and job-ready. They will both understand the career-ready skills employers seek and will know how to leverage these in interviews. In short, students will be prepared for success in the workplace and long-term professional growth.