Overview
Skills in Action reflect eleven transferable, behavior-based abilities learners develop through real experiences — the how behind what they do. They're how people think, communicate, collaborate, lead, adapt, and contribute.
Unlike technical or role-specific skills, these abilities transfer across courses, roles, and industries — and they strengthen through intentional reflection. When learners can name these skills clearly, they begin to see patterns in their growth and communicate them with specificity and confidence.
As a research-backed behavior-based competency framework, Skills in Action translates national standards like NACE Career Readiness Competencies into practical, behavior-based skills language students can understand, practice, and apply. It supports educators in guiding students to reflect on their growth, articulate their skills, and see the real-world relevance of their learning.
This resource defines 11 skills essential for college learners to develop for career and future readiness, organized by expanding spheres of impact, with concrete example behaviors at every level.1. What Are Skills in Action?
In academic contexts, students often default to vague identity claims: "I'm a leader," "I worked on a project," "I'm a good communicator." These statements reflect role participation — not demonstrated capability.
Skills in Action anchors the learning process in observable behaviors. Instead of abstract labels, learners identify the specific capabilities they demonstrated, describe those capabilities using concrete behaviors, recognize patterns in how they approach challenges, and articulate transferable value.
✅ Behavior-Based Language
- "I adapted my communication style to make sure everyone understood the timeline."
- "I took initiative to schedule check-ins when momentum slowed."
- "I asked clarifying questions to understand perspectives I hadn't considered."
⚠️ What to Move Beyond
- "I'm a good communicator."
- "I worked on the project."
- "I helped my team."
Whether in a class or at work, on internship or practicum, part of a team, club, or community project — learners are developing, practicing, and building these transferable skills every day. Skills in Action gives them the language to see it.
2. Why Skills in Action Matter
National standards like NACE and AAC&U VALUE rubrics offer helpful direction — but they often feel abstract or disconnected from the daily realities of students and educators. Skills in Action is a flexible bridge between academic learning and the complex, evolving demands of life, community, and work — one that reflects how real people learn and grow over time.
For Students
- Recognize the skills they're building across different contexts
- Articulate growth using concrete, behavior-based language
- Connect experiences to career readiness and civic engagement
- Transfer learning into authentic stories for interviews, portfolios, and applications
For Facilitators
- Anchor reflection activities in shared language
- Design authentic assessments tied to observable behaviors
- Map student learning to institutional or program outcomes
- Support advising conversations with concrete skill vocabulary
For Institutions
- Align with NACE and other national frameworks
- Provide evidence of career readiness outcomes
- Support accreditation and program review
- Create shared language across academic and co-curricular settings
3. The 11 Skills in Action
Each skill includes a clear definition, three levels based on sphere of impact, and specific example behaviors at each level. Select a skill to explore it in detail.
How to use these skill pages: Each page provides a definition, three levels of impact with descriptions, and concrete example behaviors. Use them when building reflections, identifying skills in student work, designing assessments, or preparing for conversations about growth and readiness.
4. Spheres of Impact
Skills can be demonstrated at different levels based on the sphere of impact — where the effects of your actions are felt. The three levels represent expanding circles of influence, not skill "grades." You might demonstrate the same skill at different levels in different contexts, and all levels are valuable.
🌱 Impacting Self
Using a skill in ways that primarily affect you personally — your own learning, growth, work, or well-being.
Example: "I practiced critical thinking by analyzing my own assumptions about a topic."
🌿 Impacting Relationships
Using a skill in ways that affect your interactions and relationships with others — teammates, classmates, colleagues, community members.
Example: "I used critical thinking to help my team evaluate different approaches and reach consensus."
🌳 Impacting Systems
Using a skill in ways that affect organizations, communities, or broader systems — creating structures, changing processes, or influencing at scale.
Example: "I used critical thinking to design a new decision-making framework that the entire organization now uses."
These levels aren't about how "good" you are at a skill — they're about where your impact is felt. A first-year student volunteering at a food bank might demonstrate Civic Responsibility at the Systems level, while a seasoned manager might be working on Leadership at the Self level. Context matters more than experience.
5. Key Features & Alignment
Behavior-Based
Focuses on observable actions — making competencies teachable and assessable in real-world contexts. Instead of asking "Are you a leader?" we ask "What did you do that demonstrated leadership?"
Developmental & Growth-Oriented
Organized by expanding spheres of impact, not just skill mastery — from emerging habits to systemic engagement. Growth is always the point.
Equity-Driven & Student-Centered
Encourages learners to recognize their context and agency — cultivating inclusive, justice-oriented habits of mind and practice.
Career-Connected, Life-Ready
Aligns with NACE Career Competencies and extends beyond them to prepare students for work, community, and civic life.
Flexible & Integrative
Designed to embed seamlessly into courses, advising, and programs across disciplines — no curriculum overhaul required.
Transparent & Transferable
Helps students make learning visible and portable — connecting competencies to real experiences through storytelling and reflection.
NACE Alignment
Eight of the 11 Skills in Action map directly to NACE Career Readiness Competencies. Three additional skills — Civic Responsibility, Global Perspective, and Intentional Resilience — extend the framework to address broader life and civic readiness.
| Skill | Behavior Focus | NACE Competency |
|---|---|---|
| Purposeful Communication | Adapt communication, give/receive feedback, inclusive language | Communication |
| Critical Thinking & Inquiry | Question, analyze, weigh evidence, solve complex problems | Critical Thinking |
| Equitable & Inclusive Practice | Respect identity, collaborate across differences, challenge exclusion | Equity & Inclusion |
| Leadership | Take initiative, guide groups, align people and values | Leadership |
| Professionalism | Manage time and tasks, integrity, mentor, shape culture | Professionalism |
| Self-Development & Career Agility | Seek feedback, adapt to change, mentor others, align goals and values | Career & Self-Dev |
| Teamwork & Collaboration | Clarify roles, adjust contributions, build cohesion | Teamwork |
| Technology Fluency & Agility | Use tools, adapt, apply emerging tech ethically | Technology |
| Civic Responsibility | Strengthen community, advance justice, contribute to collective well-being | — |
| Global Perspective | Engage across cultures, navigate global systems, bridge perspectives | — |
| Intentional Resilience | Cope with challenges, build support systems, sustain well-being | — |