Career COM-petency
Welcome to the School of Communication’s NEW Career COM-petency program, a professional development opportunity for undergraduate communication students!
What is it?
Here in the School of Communication, we prepare our students for fulfilling careers. But we also want our graduates to be more than just marketable candidates with a skillset in communication. We want our Redbirds to reflect our School of Communication values and embody professionalism—creating alumni employers covet.
That's why we created the Career COM-petency program, a series of professional development workshops, tasks, and opportunities designed to elevate student success.
Core Competencies
- Professionalism
- Creativity and Innovation
- Communication
- Digital Media
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
- Technology
- Leadership
- Civic Engagement
Program Details
Students may elect to participate in this program; it is not required for graduation. All undergraduate communication majors and minors are eligible to participate and can join at any time by completing this form.
The Career COM-petency program is housed in Canvas. Once accepted, students will have access to the eight modules (competencies).For each module, students will be asked to complete two of three tasks (one of which will always be a hands-on workshop hosted by a School of Communication alum or faculty member). Note, there is a new supplementary module students can complete as one of the tasks OR as a replacement for any task.
Workshop topics and speakers for the 2024-2025 academic year are communicated on the School of Communication Instagram page.
Students can join and opt-out at any time. All competencies must be completed prior to graduation. If you are a spring/summer grad, your deadline to complete the program requirements is April 1, 2025. Please note, completion of this program will not appear on an official Illinois State University transcript.
Outcome
Participating students will earn a commencement stole and graduate from Illinois State University as a well-rounded, marketable individual well prepared for a professional career. Students will also be recognized at the School of Communication Awards and Scholarship luncheon, held annually every spring.
Questions
If you have questions, please contact Kyah Joseph, office support specialist, or Dr. Becky Hayes, associate director, at kljose1@ilstu.edu and rahayes@ilstu.edu.