The Universities at Shady Grove, in partnership with our Montgomery County educational partners Montgomery County Public Schools and Montgomery College, are committed to supporting students in their journey to become prepared for the world of work. We have collaborated with Montgomery County educators to develop an initiative called Hire U that contains a shared set of career readiness competencies which reflect the key behaviors that employers, across all industries and functional areas, are seeking in graduates entering the world of work.
These nine career competencies are adapted from best practices developed by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE), in addition other sources, including employers. Employer involvement was key to the development of these national best-practice models, and including employer priorities is central to our approach in Montgomery County.
Complementing the skills and experiences students receive in the classroom, students must seek experiences out of the classroom, which will help to develop these competencies over time. The development of these competencies, in addition to completion of a college degree and participation in meaningful experiential learning experiences, will help students become prepared, competitive, and ready to thrive.
Hire U Career Competencies
Students and graduates are in more demand than ever — no matter what academic pathway they choose. Building your career competencies during your time at USG is valued by employers across industries.
Leadership
Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. Assess and manage one’s own emotions and those of others; use empathy to guide and motivate. Take initiative to organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Planning, initiating, managing, completing, and evaluating projects.
Articulating a vision and strategy and using innovative thinking to go beyond traditional methods.
Seeking out and leveraging diverse or competing perspectives and feedback from others to inform direction.
Motivating and inspiring others by encouraging them and by building mutual trust.
Recognizing and supporting the strengths of others to achieve common goals.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Exercise sound reasoning and analytical thinking. Use knowledge, facts, and data to solve problems and make decisions. Strategically demonstrate innovation, creativity, and inventiveness to achieve outcomes.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Navigating and using information for decision making, using sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment.
Organizing and planning strategies and effectively communicate actions and rationale to stakeholders.
Coming to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing them against relevant criteria and standards.
Managing difficult or unexpected situations in the workplace, as well as complex business challenges.
Maintaining a resilient mindset to persist through challenges.
Multi-tasking well in a fast-paced environment and proactively anticipating needs.
Professionalism & Work Ethic
Demonstrate initiative, personal accountability, effective workload management, and efficient use of time. Exercise integrity and ethical behavior in the workplace. Develop an exemplary professional reputation and the ability to adapt to organizational culture and conduct expectations in varied work settings.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Acting equitably with integrity and accountability to self, others, and the organization.
Demonstrating dependability (e.g., report consistently for work or meetings).
Evaluating one’s own performance, acknowledging and learning from mistakes.
Having an attention to detail, resulting in few if any errors in their work.
Understanding the importance of nonverbal behavior in a professional setting.
Teamwork & Collaboration
Build collaborative relationships and maximize strengths across diverse teams. Navigate group dynamics and manage conflict to achieve common goals. Negotiate solutions to meet the varied needs of professional stakeholders.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Collaborating with others to achieve common goals. Being accountable for individual and team responsibilities and deliverables.
Effectively managing conflict and diverse personalities, and exercising the ability to compromise.
Listening carefully to others, taking time to understand and asking appropriate questions without interrupting.
Building positive working relationships with supervisor and team members/coworkers.
Equity & Inclusion
Value, respect, and learn from individuals with diverse identities and backgrounds. Demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, and sensitivity with all people. Continually seek deeper knowledge and understanding of varied cultures in order to skillfully navigate a local, national, and global landscape. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge individual and systemic racism, inequities, and personal biases.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Advocating for inclusion, equitable practices, justice, and empowerment for historically marginalized communities.
Effectively integrating into new culturally diverse environments; effectively communicating and adapting in intercultural and multilingual situations.
Soliciting and using feedback from multiple cultural perspectives to make inclusive and equity-minded decisions.
Keeping an open mind to diverse ideas and new ways of thinking.
Addressing the systems of privilege that limit opportunities.
Career Development
Identify and articulate transferable skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to desired career goals. Seek to continually add knowledge and skills required for progression along a career pathway. Explore and navigate steps necessary to pursue professional opportunities which match personal values and implement strategies for self-advocacy in the workplace.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Recognizing and articulating how specific strengths, skills, knowledge, and experiences connect to career goals and related opportunities.
Planning, renewing, and pursuing personal and career goals.
Displaying curiosity; seeking and embracing development opportunities to learn career related skills.
Developing awareness of professional areas which have room for growth and pursuing opportunities to develop related skill sets.
Assuming duties or positions that will align with career advancement.
Establishing, maintaining, and/or leveraging relationships with people who can help one progress professionally.
Digital Technology
Demonstrate general proficiency in commonly used technology tools and applications to ethically solve problems. Engage in continual learning of emerging technologies to maintain adaptability. Employ innovative use of technology tools to enhance professional and organizational success.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Navigating information, constructing ideas, and using technology to achieve strategic goals.
Managing technology to integrate information to support relevant, effective, and timely decision-making.
Seeking out opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity.
Adhering to ethical standards and conventions for safeguarding privacy and security.
Adapting to new and quickly changing technologies.
Oral & Written Communication
Utilize effective communication strategies to convey information to a target audience. Employ a variety of writing styles and formats to articulate ideas and messages in a clear, compelling, and sensitive manner when speaking publicly or engaging in professional interactions.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Asking appropriate questions for specific information from supervisors, specialists, and others.
Framing communication with respect to diversity of learning styles, varied individual communication abilities, and cultural differences.
Demonstrating verbal/non-verbal abilities, such as oral and written communication skills for conveying information.
Demonstrating active listening skills, respect for others, and appropriate nonverbal behavior.
Communicating in a clear and organized manner so that others can effectively understand.
Personal Well-being
Enhance self-awareness by developing a better understanding of personal motivations, emotions, and behaviors. Engage in the continual enhancement of one's physical, mental, and emotional health. Cultivate and foster habits of well-being to increase focus, productivity, and impact.
SKILLS THAT EXPRESS THIS CAREER COMPETENCY:
Balancing and supporting work, career, and personal and social needs.
Utilizing organizational training and supports for well-being, and advocating for one’s needs related to health and well-being.
Engaging in regular self-evaluation and reflection of emotions, motivations and behaviors that could impact well-being and productivity.
Acknowledging the mind and body’s impact on work and productivity and taking regular steps to promote health.
Utilizing strategies for coping and building resilience to manage difficult or unexpected situations.
