- July 7, 2014
- 1:34 pm
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What is Career Readiness?
“Own your career!” I tell job seekers this almost every day. But what does this phrase exactly mean?
Growing up without a mentor, I always believed that if I worked hard enough, I could create opportunities that didn’t exist before. It was this philosophy that carried me forward, if nothing else. It helped me internalize a strong sense of positive belief. But it wasn’t always easy.
I remember walking around the UCLA campus as an undergraduate, nearing graduation, wondering where the Career Services Center was. The campus was enormous and I would literally break a sweat walking from class to class. Needless to say, I never found it. When I was a graduate student at Columbia University, I found it quite easily as it was centrally located, but to my disappointment, it wasn’t the most helpful department at the time. Essentially, I was handed a sample resume and pointed in the direction of a computer where I could access jobs. I heard, “good luck” in the background as I sat down, understanding I was on my own when it came to finding my career path.
At the time, I found myself far from what I would consider and what most career coaching professionals would consider, “career ready”. There are a multitude of confusing definitions surrounding the topic of career readiness, including a plethora of implementation strategies that vary across the board. Some perspectives on career readiness focus on learning skills for a specific entry-level job, while others define career readiness as a broader understanding of workplace skills. Still other definitions focus on knowledge of a particular industry sector such as accounting, finance or marketing. Career readiness is a convergence of all of these descriptions.
For me, career readiness meant the bottom line. In other words, that hidden skill set that helped my friends get jobs before the ink on our diplomas was dry. I used to ask myself, how did they do it? I found the entire process of applying for positions overwhelming.
I soon realized that they were privy to a secret skill set which allowed them to develop employment seeking competencies. These competencies better prepared them for the competitive nature of the job search well in advance of graduation. This seemed to be the key. These talents helped them take ownership of their career path, built confidence, and even allowed them to hit the ground running upon hire. I was amazed when I saw them celebrating after receiving their first pay check and at how professional they dressed and carried themselves after landing the positions. Their personal stock in terms of career profile skyrocketed with popularity on campus almost immediately.
So what I have learned? I’ve learned that a “career ready” person owns, navigates and creates the trajectory that connects their experience in education and employment to achieve a fulfilling, financially rewarding and successful career. They understand that a career is more than just a job. I’ve also learned that career readiness has no distinct or defined endpoint. To be “career ready” in our ever-changing global economy requires adaptability and a commitment to lifelong learning, along with mastery of fundamental academic, technical and workplace skills and dispositions.
Career services is a dynamic and changing landscape that is continuously evolving. Business cards may change over time as a person progresses along a continuum, however, transferable skills remain. This includes the commanding and hidden skill set of career readiness.
Hassan Akmal, Director of Business Career Services