Build Your Skills
Employers want to know about your skills and achievements. Being able to effectively communicate them to a potential employer or graduate school admissions committee will give you a key advantage.
We want to help you use your education to figure out how to:
- Enhance your skills
- Prepare for a career or graduate school
- Interview competently and confidently
- Navigate finances and challenging workplaces
- Transition to your next phase of development
Level Up Certificate Program
The Level Up Career Certificate Program is designed to help you strengthen the knowledge and skills you already have as well as develop new competencies. You will complete each level to Level Up. After you complete each level, you will receive detailed instructions on how to move to the next level.
Level 1 – The NACE 8 – A Comprehensive Overview
Determine if you have the top career competencies that employers are looking for and create a plan to build and enhance your skills by using the Career Ready Guide. The Career Ready Guide is a self-paced, online career course inspired by the National Association of Colleges and Employers 8 Career Readiness Competencies.
When you complete this first level, you’ll receive a professional certificate of completion as well as language to showcase what you accomplished on your resume and online profiles.
Level 2 – Transferrable Skills & The Big Interview
You can never practice interviewing enough for internships, employment and/or graduate or professional school. To complete LEVEL 2, fill out the transferrable skills checklist. After you submit the checklist, you will be invited to record and submit a virtual interview using the Big Interview platform. Since the interview are virtual, you can do it any time. However, you will need access to a device with a webcam and internet access.
When you complete level 2, you’ll get a chance to win one of many giveaways, including a University of Pittsburgh diploma frame.
Level 3 – Senior Career Week & Master Classes
During Senior Career Week April 5-9, attend at least one Career Master Class and create, enhance and update your Handshake profile and experience sections to ensure that everything is current and ready to go.
Complete all three levels to earn the Level Up with Distinction certificate and receive a University of Pittsburgh embossed portfolio.
Additional Resources:
LinkedIn Learning: The Importance of Professional Soft Skills.
Coursera: Free courses on soft skill building
Certifications/Credentialing
Consider a boost to your career and explore credentialing. You’ll get insight into building skills through short-term credentialing in either your industry of interest or in soft skills such as leadership, Microsoft Suite, etc.