Skills Based Hiring
A shift is underway in the job market: employers are increasingly prioritizing skills over traditional qualifications like educational background or extensive job history. This approach, known as skills-based hiring, focuses on the demonstrable skills, knowledge, and abilities you possess, regardless of how or where you acquired them (DOL). These skills are also referred to as soft skills, employability skills, or career-readiness skills.
In their Job Outlook 2025, the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) showed that two-thirds (64.8%) of employers they covered reported that they use skills-based hiring practices for new entry-level hires. This underscores the vital need for you to develop strong skills for your job search.
College is the ideal environment to cultivate these skills. You’ll gain:
- Job-Specific (Hard) Skills: The technical abilities relevant to your chosen career.
- Stand-Out Soft Skills: Qualities like teamwork, problem-solving, and communication that make a big difference in applications.
Watch this video that differentiates your soft-skills and job-specific skills.
NACE Competencies
The Magner Career Center has developed comprehensive resources to help you understand and develop the skills employers are looking for. We strongly encourage you to read this page in full and explore the other pages we link to for a complete understanding. Our guidance is based on the 8 Career Readiness Competencies identified by the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE), which are crucial for success in today’s workforce.
Where & how should I begin?
The eight competencies introduced in the previous section can appear daunting. Like any new talent, you should begin slowly and intentionally. Start with just a few things to focus on and build out from there. Some relevant and crucial skills you can begin with are Communication, Professionalism, and Technology.
- You can work on your communication skills in class by participating (raising your hand, doing extra credit, visiting your professor during office hours). Or you can join groups like Smooth Talkers or Toast Masters to get help public speaking.
- Learning to present yourself positively and professionally is important for giving good first impressions. You can review this page to learn more tips on your business etiquette and professional communication. You can employ these skills when you have meetings with your professors, or if you go to networking events.
- Technology is constantly evolving – being able to manage and adapt will be vitally important in the workplace. For example, explore how Artificial Intelligence can help your job search and applications.
How else can I develop skills?
There are many ways you can work on your skills – these can be in the form of micro credentials or in your classes. Here are some additional resources:
- How to Build In-Demand Professional Skills.
- Get a mentor who can help you learn about skills needed for your particular field and how you can develop them.
- Develop and maintain a positive online presence by having a built out LinkedIn profile!
- Consider attending events, completing mock interviews with a career coach, and joining public speaking club like Smooth Talkers & Toast Masters.
- Explore our guide to weekly career activities, designed for each week of the academic semester.
Other BC Knowledge Pages with Skill Development Resources
All skill development webpages on BC Knowledge.