Career Competencies

Career and self-development includes how you demonstrate an awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, the ability to navigate career opportunities, and/or a capacity to create professional relationships.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Meeting with your faculty, Career Services, or the Success Center to learn about career options that exist within a specific major or industry.
• Gaining hands-on experience with a particular industry by participating in a job shadow, internship, fieldwork, research project, or other applied learning experience.
• Participating in Forage job simulations, trainings, webinars, and events that relate to your major and/or skills you wish to develop.

Communication is how you clearly, effectively, and respectfully exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives through verbal, nonverbal, or written communication.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Working as a team to complete a group assignment for a course.
• Communicating with your faculty, athletic coaches, on-campus supervisors, and others when you are unable to attend class, a practice/game, or your scheduled work shift.
• Asking for help when you need it - this may include talking with your faculty, advisor, resident assistant/resident director, coaches, Success Center counselors, Career Services staff, etc.

Critical thinking is how you demonstrate an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information in their problem solving.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Committing to an academic major that sounds interesting to you after you’ve explored options by taking intro courses, doing research, or other methods.
• Gathering and analyzing information from multiple sources before making a decision.
• Anticipating outcomes and adjusting your plan accordingly.

Equity and inclusion are how you demonstrate respect in their awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to interact with people from different backgrounds. Different backgrounds may refer to people of diverse age, race, ethnicity, religion, etc.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Attending classes - JCC has a diverse student body!
• Joining a campus club or organization that allows you to interact with new people.
• Staying open minded and listening without judgment to new ideas or perspectives.

Leadership is how you recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goals.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Taking the lead when working as a team to complete a group project in one of your courses.
• Joining student government and becoming a student senator.
• Creating a new or joining an existing campus club or organization.
• Taking advantage of other leadership opportunities available through JCC.

Professionalism is how you understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace. This may refer to punctuality, dress, dependability, etc.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Showing up on time for your classes, on-campus job, fieldwork/internship experience, athletic practices and games, club meetings, etc.
• Following all directions within an assignment and turning in the completed project on time.
• Dressing appropriately for your internship, fieldwork, on campus job, etc.

Teamwork is how you build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Managing multiple ideas, opinions, skills, and weaknesses when completing a group project for a class.
• Participating in an athletic team or campus club
• Building strong relationships with classmates, professors, and others.

Technology is how you understand and adapt to new technology and/or leverage the appropriate technology to accomplish goals.

Some ways you can develop this career competency at JCC:

• Completing homework assignments using Microsoft 365.
• Developing e-portfolios or professional profiles on LinkedIn and/or Handshake.
• Familiarizing yourself with and getting comfortable using all technology platforms JCC requires for students.