NACE Competency: Equity and Inclusion — Jessica’s Career Tip of the Week

Career readiness is such an important concept in the field of career development, and by applying the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) eight core competencies, you will grow as a future professional, and increase your career readiness levels. This week I will define, highlight and provide examples of the competency of Equity and Inclusion.

According to NACE (2021), Equity and Inclusion is the ability to “demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures and policies of racism.”

Equity and Inclusion is a critical soft skill in today’s global world for several reasons. The ability to connect with diverse populations is something that everyone should demonstrate due to the fact that our world is diverse and multicultural. The ability to connect with another cultural group because you know another language will make you well-rounded in the work that you do, especially if your future company is conducting business deals with another country.

First, you will want to reflect on how you envision your career trajectory. Things to consider to enhance this competency skill is to consider taking a language course. Maybe you envision getting hired at a company where they are conducting business deals with another country. Or maybe you are considering applying your technical skills within the federal government — in which you may find that you are having to conduct governmental relations abroad. Consider taking advantage of the study abroad experiences that are offered here at ASU and attending ASU Culture Fest to build this competency. You may also want to join a club or a student organization that works with diverse populations.

As engineers, you may find yourself working with a team of people from a wide range of backgrounds. Remember to keep in mind that diversity is what adds richness to teams. Value and respect everyone’s ideas and be sensitive to another individual’s culture. In other words, demonstrate being culturally competent, while also developing an awareness that will allow for learning to occur.

The idea is to immerse yourself and pursue the aforementioned opportunities. You do not want to miss out on global opportunities because you didn’t take the necessary steps to enhance this competency. And do not let fear stop you from pursuing study abroad opportunities. You never know what opportunities will come up afterward.

Reference Cited: 

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). (2021). Retrieved from https://www.naceweb.org/career-readiness/competencies/career-readiness-defined/

**Former Peer Career Coach Wesley Guerra assisted with providing examples for the blog.