Career and Life Readiness Starts Here
Build the Skills Employers Want - Starting Today
Saint Xavier University’s Career and Life Readiness framework provides a comprehensive roadmap to prepare students for professional success and personal fulfillment. Developed in alignment with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies and informed by SXU’s mission and Mercy values, the framework integrates ethical leadership, service, and a commitment to the common good into ten core competencies. Together, these competencies empower students to navigate their careers, relationships, communities, and lives with purpose, adaptability, and a strong sense of responsibility.
Career readiness isn't something you wait until senior year to think about -- it's something you build throughout your entire college experience.
What is Career and Life Readiness?
When you graduate from SXU, you’ll leave with much more than a diploma. You’ll also have experiences that demonstrate your ability to:
- Communicate effectively
- Solve problems creatively
- Work well with others
- Adapt to change
- Lead with integrity
- Think critically
- Use technology professionally
- Continue learning throughout your career
Career and Life Readiness Competencies
Career and Self-Development
Students reflect on their strengths, identities, and goals, grounded in SXU's Mercy values, so they can thoughtfully explore, plan, and manage their college, career, and life pathways as part of Learning for Life.
Communication
Students communicate clearly, ethically, and persuasively across written, oral, visual, digital, interpersonal, and professional contexts in ways that respect the dignity of every person.
Critical Thinking, problem Solving, and Decision Making
Students analyze information, evaluate evidence, and search for truth as they solve problems, make ethically informed decisions, and respond effectively to complex situations in ways that serve the common good.
Equity, Inclusion, Intercultural Fluency, and Community Engagement
Students understand the social, cultural, ethical, and systemic dimensions of work and life, engage respectfully across differences, and help build inclusive communities while honoring the dignity of every person.
Leadership, Collaboration, and Teamwork
Students work effectively with others, build trust, manage conflict, contribute to shared goals, and exercise ethical leadership with or without formal authority in ways that advance the genuine well-being of the community.
Professionalism, Work Ethic, and Accountability
Students demonstrate reliability, ethical judgment, initiative, preparation, follow-through, adaptability, and respect for workplace and professional norms through a commitment to excellence.
Technology, Digital Fluency, Data Literacy, and AI Readiness
Students use digital tools, data, emerging technologies, and artificial intelligence responsibly, ethically, and strategically to learn, communicate, solve problems, and contribute to the common good.
Research, Inquiry, Information Literacy, and Evidence Based Practice
Students locate, evaluate, generate, and apply information ethically to answer questions, solve problems, and advance knowledge or practice.
Well-Being, Resilience, Purpose, and Life Design
Students develop self-awareness, resilience, wellness strategies, purpose, adaptability, and the ability to design meaningful lives and careers through reflection, experimentation, and revision.
Experiential Learning, Networking, and Career Mobility
Students build confidence, professional connections, applied experience, and evidence of readiness through internships, clinicals, research, service learning, student employment, fieldwork, leadership, mentoring, and community-engaged experiences.
Experiences
Student Employment
Your Student Job is More than Just a Paycheck
By graduation, you'll have meaningful experiences you can confidently discuss in interviews, showcase on your résumé, and use as examples throughout your career.
Career and Life Readiness
Career and Life Readiness Happens Everywhere
Every experience helps tell your professional story.
Career Development Center
How the Career Development Center Can Help
No matter where you are in your college journey, we're here to help you prepare for what's next.
Start Building Your Future Today
Career readiness isn't about having everything figured out. It's about taking small steps, gaining experience, reflecting on what you've learned, and continuing to grow.
Every opportunity at SXU helps prepare you for life after graduation -- and the Career Development Center is here to support you every step of the way.
Schedule an appointment with the Career Development Center and start building the
skills that will set you apart.Contact Career Development Center