Earning a college degree can unlock economic opportunities, such as higher salaries and improved benefits, but it takes more than just having a degree. The Rivet School Career Team believes that you can unlock these opportunities if you dedicate time and effort towards your career development alongside your schoolwork.
The seven career competencies are skill areas that will support your professional development no matter where you're at in your career journey. You can choose which career competencies to focus on based on your individual needs.
| If you're thinking... | You might want to focus on... |
| "I don't know what my career goals are." | 🗺️ Career Navigation |
| "I have a career goal, but I don't know how to get there." | 🗓️ Career Planning |
| "I need to get a new job now (or soon)." | 🔍 Job Search |
| "I want to excel in my new position." | 👔 On The Job Success |
| "I need to connect with people who can help me in my career." | 🤝 Social Capital |
| "I need different work experience, but I work full time." | 💼 Professional Experience |
| "I need to gain technical skills that aren't a part of the BA" | 💻 Technical Training |
Here are three examples of how the career competencies have come to life with Rivet School fellows:
1. Career Planning - Irene is currently employed as an Administrative Assistant for a large community college and wants to advance within her current organization. Before she graduated, she received one-on-one career coaching from a Rivet School Career Coach about how to pitch herself professionally, starting with exercises that helped her to identify her strengths. She got advice about how to plan for becoming a coordinator on her path to becoming a manager.
2. Job Search - Dominique is working on her BA in Healthcare Management. After 10 years of working at the same medical office, she was ready to move onwards and upwards. She worked with a Rivet School Career Coach and her College Coach to polish up her resume and apply for new jobs, all while balancing her schoolwork. She landed a job at Kaiser as a Research Assistant and hopes to graduate in the next 6 months.
3. Professional Experience - Norma is a former dental assistant working as a Project Clerk for a local government agency. She participated in a new career program called RivetWorks, an 8-week remote externship where she was a paid consultant for the HR department of a financial technology company. She added the experience to her resume and is now looking for new jobs while continuing to work towards her degree.
