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Competency kit

Competency kit image (water bottle) Competencies are the knowledge, skills and attributes you can develop in every aspect of your life. As more and more supervisors focus on competencies in the hiring process, successful candidates will be those who can communicate their competencies in their résumés and at interviews.

Not sure where to start? Check out the roadmap to the competency kit.

Your core competencies

At Co-op and Career, we’ve identified 10 core competencies that are valued across all sectors (see detailed descriptions here). Check out the following tabs to learn about the core competencies and how they’re useful to you.

Develop your
core competencies

Choose a competency from the list below to find:

a detailed description of each core competency
where to find support as you develop your competencies
a printable PDF version of the competency description

Personal management

Personal management means that you understand yourself and are conscious of the implications of your interactions with others.

You show personal management skills when you:

act with honesty, integrity and personal ethics
recognize your personal efforts and the efforts of others
acknowledge diverse opinions and accept differences
manage your personal health and emotional well-being
take responsibility and demonstrate resiliency and accountability for yourself
plan and manage your personal time, finances and other resources
assess, weigh and manage risk in the face of uncertainty
recognize your strengths and areas for improvement
adapt to new environments and cultures

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

Co-op and Career offers many helpful services and programs, including:

Communication

Communication means that you’re comfortable using a broad range of communication styles, and you choose appropriate, effective ways to communicate to different audiences in diverse situations.

Your show communication skills when you:

communicate in a respectful tone and manner
listen actively and communicate effectively with others
write clearly and accurately in a variety of contexts and formats
listen and ask questions to understand other people’s viewpoints
communicate issues promptly
are aware of and responsive to verbal and non-verbal communication styles
recognize cultural differences in communication
use effective cross-cultural communication skills

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

Co-op and Careers offer many helpful services and programs, including:

Managing information

Managing information means that you’re able to think critically and gather, sort, store and use information to turn data into knowledge.

You show information management skills when you:

research and interpret relevant information from a range of sources
review, retain and apply ideas
evaluate the validity and bias of information
use gathered data to draw conclusions or to create new sources of information that can be shared with others
document your sources of information
use appropriate technology to find and process information
assess, weigh and manage risk in the face of uncertainty
recognize your strengths and areas to improve
adapt to new environments and cultures

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

Co-op and Career offers many helpful services and programs, including:

Research and analysis

Research and analysis means that you use information from a variety of sources—including personal experience and your own observations—to identify options and solve problems.

You research and analyze when you:

recognize the human, interpersonal and technical sides of a problem
access, analyze and apply knowledge and skills from various fields
think critically and strategically
apply knowledge and skills from past experiences to new situations
assess situations and identify problems
explore possible solutions in an innovative and creative way
evaluate solutions to make decisions

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

Project and task management

Project and task management means that you plan, implement, manage and measure projects and tasks in a timely and directed manner.

You put this competency into practice when you:

plan and carry out projects with well-defined goals and outcomes
determine appropriate implementation strategies, tools and technologies
adapt to changing work priorities and workplace practices
use a range of assessment techniques to monitor a project or task
establish priorities to meet deadlines
carry out multiple tasks or projects at the same time

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

Teamwork

Teamwork means that you work cooperatively and collaboratively with others to achieve collective goals.

You show teamwork when you:

work within the dynamics of a group
show commitment to the team’s purpose and goals
accept and provide feedback in a constructive and considerate way
share information and encourage others to do the same
support and motivate the group to perform at its best
recognize the role of conflict when appropriate
build professional relationships
show accountability to the team’ and follow through on your commitments
work effectively with different personalities across a variety of social and professional situations
consider diverse, cross-cultural perspectives and working styles

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

interview workshops and mock interviews
one-on-one career coaching
Career Ambassador Program

Commitment to quality

Commitment to quality means that you take pride in your work and strive for excellence to achieve the best possible results.

You show commitment to quality when you:

look for opportunities to improve your work practices
generate ideas for improvement
pay attention to the quality of your work
persist when difficulties arise
try innovative ways to get things done
consider situations from new perspectives
evaluate work results for effectiveness

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

help with job search skills
résumé and cover letter workshops
interview workshops and mock interviews
one-on-one career coaching
Career Ambassador Program

Professional behaviour

Professional behaviour means you use sound judgment to meet or exceed your guidelines, standards and expectations.

You show professional behaviour when you:

follow workplace policies (e.g. health and safety, equity, harassment and confidentiality)
recognize your rights and responsibilities
respect federal and provincial laws related to workplace policies and procedures
abide by the standards of practice recognized in your field

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

Social responsibility

Social responsibility means that you recognize how your beliefs, ethics and actions fit within the context of a greater community.

You show social responsibility when you:

know your personal convictions and strive to put them into practice
accept responsibility for your own actions
show a respect for others’ rights and diverse ideas
commit to personal, professional and academic honesty
choose ethical courses of action
contribute to your local, national and international community
build relationships without prejudice
consider the global implications of your decisions

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

Continuous learning

Continuous learning means that you use, pursue and apply new knowledge and skills in all of your experiences.

You show continuous learning when you:

set and pursue personal and educational goals
access learning sources and opportunities
show a willingness to continuously learn and grow
learn from your mistakes and successes
seek feedback from others and accept constructive feedback
stay current with techniques and technologies in your field

How can Co-op and Career help you gain this competency?

We offer many helpful services and programs, including:

Assess your
core competencies

You can rate your competencies before, during and after your work and life experiences. Use the How to assess your competencies - info sheet to learn how to complete a competency assessment, and then use the Competency assessment - worksheet to:

Document your current competencies
Describe your competencies

These resources will help you find out where you fit on this scale:

Beginning: You start to find opportunities to develop skills related to your competencies.
Developing: You practice your competencies in the workplace, classroom and in daily life, and often think about how to develop your skills.
Accomplished: You reach your competency goals and are always thinking about opportunities to use your skills.
Exemplary: You’re a master—you completely understand your competencies and are constantly using them in all areas of your life.

Want help? Work with a career educator or co-op coordinator to talk about your competency development.

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