UPOP’s Career Compass is designed to help students understand, build, and talk about the skills that matter most in internships, research positions, and other professional experiences.
The UPOP year guides students as they build the skills needed to find and acquire professional experiences while developing the broader proficiencies that will help them contribute and succeed in professional settings. Our Career Compass highlights six key professional competencies, and provides a clear framework for students to recognize the critical skills they can develop in their experience at MIT and beyond - ones that should be highlighted on resumes, in interviews, and while networking. As they embark on their career journeys, the UPOP Career Compass can help students identify the value of their work experiences, coursework, student organization and club participation, research positions, and co-curricular activities, as well as pinpoint areas for growth relating to their career goals.
UPOP’s Career Compass has been adapted from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies, with a specific focus on the unique skill set MIT students need to couple with their technical education to successfully launch their careers.
Career and Self-Development
Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and beyond one’s organization.
Communication
Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
Leadership
Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve goals.
Professionalism
Understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
Teamwork
Build and maintain collaborative and trusting relationships to work effectively toward common goals, while appreciating varied viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
UPOP students can find more information about each competency including sample behaviors, how employers ask about specific skills, and how to talk about them on your resume in our Career Compass document.