Career and Self Development

Pursuing training, certificates or roles that align with your career aspirations creates opportunities for advancement and to strengthen the contributions you make to your team or community. Embracing challenges, persisting through obstacles and learning from criticism.

Suggested activities

  • Asking your supervisor for feedback on your projects and performance and receiving that feedback gracefully.
  • Attending faculty office hours.
  • Doing an informationalÌýinterview in a career field of interest.
  • Attending a workshop/group advising session in Career Services to work on career prep.
  • Getting involved in a campus club/program that aligns with your personal identity or values.

Rate where you are on this skill

Basic Intermediate Advanced Expert
Basic

You understand that career and self development is an ongoing process of knowing yourself, committing to personal growth, building new skill sets and focusing on your future so you can have a rewarding job after you graduate and navigate future career transitions.

What this skill looks like in action:

  • Study this skill in a class or training.
  • Demonstrate interest in careers, personal growth and your future.

At this level, it is appropriate to include this skill on your resume.

You actively explore potential career interests through courses and appointments with advisors, and learn about the world of work through part-time employment, volunteer work, campus involvement or other experiential learning opportunities. You possess a curiosity and interest in learning and continual growth and development.

What this skill looks like in action:

  • Show an awareness of personal strengths and areas for development.
  • Seek and embrace development opportunities.
  • Develop goals and plans for potential future careers.
  • Display curiosity; seek out opportunities to learn.
  • Self-reflect and self-evaluate.
  • Clearly articulate interests, skills, strengths and values.
  • Present a polished and accurate personal brand/identity via LinkedIn profile or a personal website.
  • Build an authentic network.
  • Talk to working professionals to learn about their fields.

You have dedicated many hours to learning about yourself and building new skill sets in multiple environments including a work setting. People seek you out as someone who is committed to learning, growing, adapting to feedback and effectively managing change and transitions.

What this skill looks like in action:

  • Professionally and respectfully advocate for yourself and others.
  • Assume duties or positions that will help you progress professionally.
  • Establish, maintain and/or leverage relationships with people who can help you professionally.
  • Voluntarily participate in trainings, conferences or events to support your career development.
  • Manage stress and emotions effectively.
  • Handle others’ concerns and complaints in a mature manner.
  • Solicit and learn from feedback.
  • Apply and grow from feedback.

You have committed hundreds of hours to learning about growth, self development and goal striving. You have studied and collaborated with other experts on personal growth and mindset, and you lead others in the self-exploration process. People look to you to teach them about career and self development,

What this skill looks like in action:

  • Continue to learn about this skill through graduate studies or certifications and/or apply it in more advanced and complex work situations.
  • Serve as mentors to others on their career journeys.
  • Be recognized as an expert in a certain field.
  • May have written a book, taught classes, mentored or trained others in your field.