Definitions

The Career Education Center acknowledges several historically exclusionary practices in the job search and workplace that reflect systems of racism and oppression. We are committed to promoting equity, access, and inclusion for all students and alumni. Through reframing professionalism, networking, and cultural fit, we aim to educate and empower from an antiracist lens. When we talk about those concepts, this is what we mean:

Professionalism:

The individual demonstrates personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, time management, prioritization, and dependability.

They demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior, act equitably, inclusively and responsibly to self, others, and the organization, are present and prepared, and are able to learn from their mistakes. They maintain a positive personal brand in alignment with organization and personal career values.

Networking:

The ongoing process of building and maintaining intentional, mutually beneficial relationships as a critical component of career exploration and navigation, and the internship/job search.

Through engaging in career conversations and fostering connections with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, an individual will:

• Learn information about roles, employers, industries, and paths to assist with career decision-making and exploration
• Develop awareness of and access to connections and opportunities
• Build professional community for current and future growth

Cultural Fit:

Researching an organization’s culture based on policies, values, mission, history, beliefs, positioning statements, and other public information in order to assess alignment with one’s own values, identities, interests, and career goals. This is a two-way process in which the organization is also assessing the individual through application materials, interviews, and online presence, in light of their organizational culture.

In addition to publicly available information, networking will reveal organizational norms that reflect the personal experiences of individuals within the organization. This can help better understand congruency between research and employees’ experiences.

Career Readiness:

Career Readiness is the demonstration and articulation of Career Readiness Competencies that broadly prepare students for a successful transition in the workplace and lifelong career management. ​