Do you wonder how well you'll do in the profession when you graduate from college? Internships, co-ops, and other work experiences are a great way to improve your skills and get feedback from your employers about how you measure up against key qualities that companies value. These qualities include critical thinking, teamwork, and professionalism. By taking on various roles within an internship or co-op, you can get a better sense of what area you might want to specialize in and also get a feel for what it's like to work within a team environment.
A Concentration on Today's Workforce Skills:
While colleges and universities have just always worked to prepare students for important abilities in their fields, institutions are now focusing on the behavioural competencies or soft skills that employers want. This has become increasingly important in a workplace which has been significantly enhanced by automation and technology.
However, while soft skills really aren't explicitly taught in schools, internships as well as other collaborative projects or job simulations can be among the most productive ways for students to develop these competencies.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) knows a lot about what students need to do to succeed in their careers. The NACE Center for Career Development and Talent Acquisition does research and works with others to create a shared understanding of what it takes for students to get started and keep moving forward in their careers. It has established eight competencies that are linked to high-demand talents within employers. The following are the NACE competencies and brief meanings:
Career and self-development: Using learning sources and taking advantage of professional growth possibilities.
Communication: Exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with people inside and outside of an organisation in a clear and effective way.
Being able to understand and respond to the circumstances surrounding you is an essential critical thinking skill. Equity and inclusion in the workplace are important for a variety of reasons. For one, it shows that you are aware of the diverse range of perspectives and experiences that your employees bring to the table. Additionally, workplace diversity can also help improve communication and collaboration among employees. By valuing equity and inclusion in the workplace, you are demonstrating your commitment to creating a respectful and inclusive environment for all employees. Lastly, leadership is another highly sought-after quality in today's job market.
Leadership:
Recognizing and leveraging on personal and team capabilities to achieve goals
Professionalism is defined as understanding and displaying effective work habits - even in different situations - and behaving in the best interests of the bigger business.
Teamwork is the process of establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with the purpose of achieving a common goal while respecting varied perspectives and shared responsibilities.
Understanding and responsibly exploiting technology to improve efficiency, complete tasks, and achieve goals
A increasing number of the country's leading schools and institutions are assisting students in determining how they precisely fare in these abilities by utilising a technological solution created by the NACE and industrial organisational psychologists at SkillSurvey.
After completing internships, co-ops, or other work experience, the tool collects input from students' employers and supervisors. This feedback is used to help students assess how they rank on work behaviours related to the NACE Competencies. Colleges and institutions that use this assessment method can provide career-readiness reports to assist students learn about their job strengths and chances for growth.
Supervisors can provide students with a lot of helpful information, but it's also important for students to be able to assess themselves. By compare the input from their supervisors to the students' own self-assessments, students can get a well-rounded view of their progress and skills. This way, they can develop a plan for their own self-improvement.
Comparisons to a wider database of all students (including those from other institutions) who were graded using the same survey criteria following their internships, co-ops, and other employment arrangements.
Many students even utilise their evaluations to show their preparation for the industry, publishing them as certifications on LinkedIn.
If you're a student looking for an internship or already have one, find out how you'll be evaluated for the experience. Consider utilising the above list of competences as a starting point for talks with your programme supervisor, boss, or coworkers.
It is useful to learn how your coworkers and bosses perceive your habits and routines. With that knowledge, you may hone in on the areas where you can improve before graduating. Furthermore, career preparedness feedback will help you increase your competence in soft skills, such as critical thinking, that today's companies value.