Research in Industrial Organizational Psychology has demonstrated the benefit of participating in a job search intervention, such as Career Readiness Solution. A recent meta-analysis of 47 job search interventions concluded that “the odds of obtaining employment were 2.67 times higher for job seekers who had participated in a job search intervention” compared to those who had not participated (Lin, Huang, & Wang, 2014).

 

UCF Psychology majors have seen similar benefits to those described in this research. After working with Career Readiness Solution (CRS), UCF Psychology majors have reported high satisfaction ratings and positive outcomes. The combination of our realistic exercises and virtual environment allow our assesses to participate in a well-rounded hands-on experience, benefiting them in their future job search endeavors.

“Career Readiness Solution helped to prepare me for my employment search after graduation.”

What people say

 

In the future, CRS plans to maintain high satisfaction ratings and to continue preparing our assesses for the job market., we’re improving their marketability – benefiting both the University of Central Florida and our local Orlando business market. With the expanding job market and ease of application through technology, CRS will play a larger role – closing the gap to 100% employment.

Our main goal is to prepare our assesses for the job market. We aim to achieve this by developing and therefore improving their overall hireability. We define hireability based on the seven competencies defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Hireability Competencies

 

 

Click to expand for more information about each topic below                                                                                                             

• [expand title=”Professionalism/Work Ethic:“]Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits (e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time workload management) and understand the impact of nonverbal communication on professional work image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes.[/expand]
• [expand title=”Critical Thinking/Problem Solving:“]Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.[/expand]
• [expand title=”Oral/Written Communication:“] Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization. The individual has public speaking skills, is able to express ideas to others, and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.[/expand]
• [expand title=”Teamwork/Collaboration:“] Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure and can negotiate/manage conflict.[/expand]
• [expand title=”Information Technology Application:“] Select and use appropriate technology to accomplish a given task. The individual is also able to apply computing skills to solve problems.[/expand]
• [expand title=”Leadership:“] Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others, use empathetic skills to guide and motivate, and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.[/expand]
• [expand title=”Career Management:“] Identify and articulate one’s skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth. The individual is able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.[/expand]

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

 

• Hands-On Exposure
  • • The great thing about the Career Readiness Solution is that it provides hands-on exposure and a realistic simulation of the job-search and hiring process. CRS provides our majors with the opportunity to work on their resumes and cover letters, and to practice the steps of sending these deliverables to hiring authorities. The process provides practice and first-hand experience utilizing tasks and exercises that realistically could be included in any organization’s hiring process.

• Entirely Virtual Environment
  • • We are entirely virtual/online! Career Readiness Solution  provides this hands-on experience in an entirely virtual environment. Undergraduate students participate remotely from any location. Thus, CRS is able to meet the needs of all our assesses including assesses who are exclusively online and geographically remote. This parallels the increasing use of technology by organizations throughout the hiring process. Technology use/virtual candidate assessment is now a common practice in the recruiting and hiring process.