Master The Skills Employers Want
Career Competencies
One of the many terms that you'll likely come across during your working life is "career competency." Career competencies are the skills required to successfully perform a job.
Career readiness is the attainment and demonstration of competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace.
Problem Solving
- exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems.
- obtain, interpret, and use knowledge and data effectively to resolve issues.
- identify, evaluate, and select effective solutions.
Strategies for obtaining competency:
Analyze a specific issue and ask yourself:
- why does this issue matter?
- what can I do to solve it?
- what are the short term and long term ramifications?
- what is the best approach to navigate this situation?
-
which of the proposed solutions would best address the issue?
Communication
- articulate thoughts and ideas clearly in written and oral forms
- effectively speak in public, express ideas to others
- write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports.
Strategies for obtaining competency:
- write stories, advertisements, press releases or newsletters
- improve the way you listen to others
- refine your job search materials at the Career Center
- practice giving presentations or presenting your career pitch to groups
Teamwork
- building collaborative relationships with colleagues representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints.
- able to work within a team structure, and negotiate and manage conflict.
Strategies for obtaining comptency:
- focus on team goals more than personal goals
- join a campus student club/organization
- participate in intramural team or sports club
Digital Technology
- leverage existing digital technologies to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals
-
demonstrate effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies.
Strategies for obtaining competency:
- design a website, brochure, PowerPoint, advertisement or newsletter
- assist clubs/orgs with databases, stat analyses, financial or service reports
- learn computer and technical skills in classes and workshops
Leadership
- leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals.
- use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others.
- use empathetic skills to guide and motivate, and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
Strategies for obtaining competency:
- listen to leadership podcasts to learn about leadership styles and approaches
- read leadership literature to learn the theoretical approaches and current trends
- start leading people; delegate work and motivate others
Professionalism
- demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, time workload management.
- understanding the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image.
- demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior, act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind
Strategies for obtaining comptency:
- seeking constant feedback to work out how to improve.
- being committed to personal or organizational goals .
- actively seeking out opportunities and seizing them when they occur.
Career Management
- identify one's skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and determining areas necessary for professional growth.
- navigate and explore career options to take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities.
-
understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
Strategies for obtaining competency:
- setting high but realistic goals
- actively seeking out opportunities and seizing them when they occur
- being able to deal with setbacks and continue to pursue goals despite obstacles
Global Understanding
- value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions.
- demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences.
Strategies for obtaining competency:
- seek out interactions with diverse populations
- study abroad
- learn languages
- attend sensitivity trainings
- review the University’s HeforShe Initiative information
The Student Experiential Highlights
Stony Brook University students take part in all types of experiential opportunities both locally and around the world. The Career Center's Student Experiential Highlights project seeks to focus on these students and uplift their accomplishments in remarkable job and internship experiences outside of the classroom.
Find out more about the great experiences students have taken part in through the featured highlights below!
Fall 2018
Maria Valencia
Company: Gilbane Building Company
Job title: Civil Engineering Intern
Major: Civil Engineering and Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Eshana Weerasinghe
Company: Department of Defense Intel Agency
Job title: Research Scientist Intern
Major: Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Minor in Information Systems
Talal Mian
Company: Air Force Research Lab (Wright Patterson Air Force Base)
Job title: Mechanical Engineering Intern
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Shakibul Chowdhury
Company: Appalachian Mountain Club
Job title: Astronomy Intern
Major: Physics and Astronomy
Rajesh Mohan
Company: Hachette Book Group
Job title: Software Engineer Intern
Major: Computer Science
Angelo Macapagal San Pablo
Company: Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Job title: Summer Intern
Major: Marine Science
Angelo Macapagal San Pablo
Company: Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Job title: Summer Intern
Major: Marine Science
Jessica Chin
Company: Blank Slate Media
Job title: Reporter
Major: Journalism
Hugo Concha
Company: St. Jude Children's Hospital, Department of Oncology, Pediatric Oncology Education program (POE)
Job title: Summer Research Intern
Major: Health Science
Irvin Lin
Company: Stony Brook University Volunteer Ambulance Corps (SBVAC)
Job title: Ambulance driver, EMT-B
Major: Health Science
Ian Lesnick
Company: Children's Defense Fund
Job title: Servant Leader Intern
Major: Spanish Education and TESOL
Christian Rodriguez
Company: Stony Brook Red Watch Band
Job title: Care Team Intern
Major: Chemistry
Anne Deubel
Company: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
Job title: Volunteer Board Member
Major: Psychology