How Can I Get Career Ready?

Career Readiness

As you move through college, it's a great time to explore and strengthen your career readiness competencies. These skills—like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership—are valuable not only in the classroom but in any career path you choose. Taking the time to build these competencies now will give you a head start in the professional world, making you more adaptable, confident, and prepared for the challenges ahead. Think of it as investing in yourself; by developing these skills, you’re creating a foundation that will support you in whatever career you pursue. Explore opportunities in your courses, extracurriculars, and internships to practice and refine these skills.

Here are some great resources to help you improve your career readiness. We’ve included examples of how you’ve already gained competencies in academic settings and ways you can continue to build these skills on your own. You’ll see examples of how you might have developed these competencies in high school and strategies for strengthening them as an undergraduate or graduate student. Lastly, we've highlighted some common gaps between what employers expect and what students believe they bring to the table—identifying these can help you focus on areas for growth.

Career & Self-Development

How to develop your Career & Self-Development Skills at UCSB
- Attend career services workshops on resume writing, interview skills, and goal setting.
- Take a career management course if available, and practice networking with alumni.

How to develop your Career & Self-Development Skills on your own
- Set specific career goals, create a LinkedIn profile, and actively network with professionals in the field.
- Create a personal development plan, updating skills regularly through online courses.

How you acquire Career & Self Development Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Initial exposure through career fairs and resume-building.
- Undergraduate: Active management through internships, networking events, and career mentoring.
- Graduate: Proactive career management with industry-focused events, networking, and skill-building.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Students often lack proactive career planning and realistic expectations.
- Student Perspective: Students feel confident but may lack a long-term plan and adaptability.

Communication

How to develop your Communication Skills at UCSB
- Take courses emphasizing presentations, such as communication studies, rhetoric, and technical writing.
- Engage in group projects where students must present findings collectively.
- Write for campus publications or serve as a student ambassador, practicing professional and persuasive communication.

How to develop your Communication Skills on your own
- Start a personal blog, write LinkedIn articles, or join clubs where persuasive speaking is needed.
- Volunteer to give presentations in community organizations, develop a YouTube channel, or record podcasts.
- Practice networking at local events, which improves informal and professional communication skills.

How you acquire Communication Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Builds through speech and drama clubs, class presentations, and group project participation.
- Undergraduate: Expands with more structured assignments, advanced presentations, public speaking events, and internships.
- Graduate: Advanced skills developed through conference presentations, thesis defenses, professional publications, and seminar teaching.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Employers often observe students lack professionalism, brevity, or clarity, especially in formal emails and presentations.
- Student Perspective: Many students feel proficient due to class presentations but may lack confidence in adapting their tone or style for different professional contexts.

Critical Thinking

How to develop your Critical Thinking Skills at UCSB
- Engage in case studies, simulations, and labs that require hypothesis testing and data analysis.
- Take courses emphasizing analytical thinking, such as philosophy, statistics, economics, cultural analysis, and logic.
- Participate in research assistant roles where students analyze data or conduct literature reviews.

How to develop your Critical Thinking Skills on your own
- Join debate teams or clubs that promote critical discussion and structured argumentation.
- Engage in real-world problem-solving activities, like planning events, where quick, efficient solutions are needed.
- Practice personal projects that involve learning new skills or troubleshooting, such as coding a website or building furniture.

How you acquire Critical Thinking Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Develops through science fairs, group projects, literary analysis, creative projects, and problem-solving exercises in math and science.
- Undergraduate: Deepens through capstone projects, research papers, case studies, and internships requiring project analysis.
- Graduate: Advanced acquisition through complex research projects, thesis work, teaching assistant roles, and industry internships involving high-level problem-solving.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Employers often find students lacking in structured problem-solving methods, particularly in real-time or high-pressure situations.
- Student Perspective: Students may feel confident due to academic exercises but may not understand the need for adaptability and innovation in real-world problem-solving.

Equity & Inclusion

How to develop your Equity & Inclusion Skills at UCSB
- Take DEI courses, join multicultural or social justice organizations, and attend related campus events.
- Volunteer in projects that serve underrepresented communities.

How to develop your Equity & Inclusion Skills on your own:
- Engage with diverse communities outside of school and participate in DEI-oriented events.
- Educate oneself on DEI topics through books, podcasts, and online resources.

How you acquire competencies across your education levels
- High School: Initial exposure through diversity clubs and community service.
- Undergraduate: Active engagement in DEI initiatives, diverse group activities and social activism engagement.
- Graduate: DEI roles in professional internships, clubs, or graduate associations.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Students may show awareness but lack proactive advocacy and concrete action in DEI.
- Student Perspective: Students often feel DEI-aware but may not fully understand how to implement inclusive practices actively.

Leadership

How to develop your Leadership Skills at UCSB
- Take on leadership roles in clubs or class projects,where decision-making and responsibility are required.
- Participate in leadership training programs or workshops offered by career services.
- Lead presentations or take on teaching assistant roles where mentoring or guiding others is involved.

How to develop your Leadership Skills on your own
- Volunteer to organize community projects or events.
- Take responsibility for planning or organizing group activities with friends or family.
- Develop mentorship skills by tutoring younger students or peers.

How you acquire Leadership Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Initial experiences through club leadership, team captain roles, or student government.
- Undergraduate: Builds through leadership in organizations, internships, and project management.
- Graduate: Strong leadership roles in teaching, research management, and industry internships.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Employers may find that students struggle with accountability or motivating diverse teams.
- Student Perspective: Students may feel confident leading peers but underestimate the challenges of leading mixed-experience teams.

Professionalism

How to develop your Professionalism Skills at UCSB
- Meet deadlines consistently, maintain attendance, and actively participate in classes.
- Engage in career workshops focused on professionalism and workplace conduct.
- Take on roles that require reliability, such as a student ambassador or research assistant.

How to develop your Professionalism Skills on your own
- Work a part-time job and focus on punctuality, dependability, and clear communication with supervisors.
- Volunteer consistently, developing a reliable track record.
- Set personal goals and adhere to a routine that builds self-discipline.

How you acquire Professionalism Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Basic work ethic built through classroom responsibilities and first jobs.
- Undergraduate: Professionalism developed through internships, campus jobs, and leadership roles.
- Graduate: Advanced professionalism through high-stakes projects, networking, and industry roles.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Students may lack consistency and accountability, especially when faced with challenging tasks.
- Student Perspective: Students may feel prepared but may underestimate the rigor and professionalism expected in full-time roles.

Teamwork

How to develop your Teamwork Skills at UCSB
- Engage in collaborative projects, labs, and group study sessions where roles are divided, and tasks are delegated.
- Take part in team-oriented extracurricular activities, like student council or study groups.
- Participate in simulations or case competitions, where teams work towards a common outcome.

How to develop your Teamwork Skills on your own:
- Join volunteer organizations or local sports teams, where team success requires effective cooperation.
- Work part-time jobs where teamwork is essential, such as retail or food service.
- Organize or participate in community events that require collaboration, like fundraisers or local festivals.

How you acquire Teamwork Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Gained through sports teams, theater productions, and group assignments.
- Undergraduate: Deepened through internships, project-based courses, and leadership roles in campus organizations.
- Graduate: Reinforced in professional team settings, such as research teams, industry-specific group projects, and peer-review committees.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Students may lack maturity in handling conflicts or taking accountability for team outcomes.
- Student Perspective: Students may overestimate their collaboration skills, believing they work well with others but lack real-world experience managing team conflict or cross-functional dynamics.

Technology

How to develop your Technology Skills at UCSB
- Enroll in courses requiring specialized software (e.g., Excel, CAD, programming languages).
- Attend workshops on advanced digital tools, like video editing or web design.
- Participate in online collaborative tools for project management, such as Slack, Trello, or Microsoft Teams.

How to develop your Technology Skills on your own
- Engage in self-directed learning through platforms like Coursera or Udemy.
- Practice by creating personal projects, such as building a website or starting a digital portfolio.
- Stay updated on tech trends by following tech blogs or attending tech meetups.

How you acquire Technology Competencies across your education levels
- High School: Basics learned through computer classes and using collaborative software for projects.
- Undergraduate: Digital fluency expands through internships, project-based courses, and research requiring specific software.
- Graduate: Mastery expected, with advanced usage in field-specific software, technical certifications, or IT-based roles.

Perceived gaps to be aware of between employer expectations and your beliefs
- Employer Perspective: Students are often skilled in basic tech but may lack industry-specific or advanced software knowledge.
- Student Perspective: Students often feel tech-savvy but may not realize employers expect more than basic software skills.