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The SMLR Career Services Office offers students the opportunity to earn digital badges in Career Development.

  • Are you interested in taking pro-active steps to develop your work and career readiness?
  • Do you see value in digitally showcasing your career development competencies?
  • Do you want to visibly demonstrate to employers that you are ready to start your careers?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, we encourage you to consider investing in your future through Career Development digital badges. Upon completing the competency-based learning criteria, you will be awarded the following digital badges that you can add to your digital media platforms, such as LinkedIn, to demonstrate to the world your career preparedness.

Click on each digital badge icon below to learn more about the completion requirements, which need to be finished before graduating with your undergraduate degree at Rutgers.

> Learn about the Personal Branding Badge

> Learn about the Networking Badge

> Learn about the Interviewing Badge

> Learn about the Mastery Badge

Career Development Badge Descriptions

Badge 1 - Personal Branding

To succeed in the workplace, students must be able to effectively present their personal brands as they navigate pivotal career developments, such as changing industries and job functions. Earners of this badge will learn best practices in resume development, how to craft a personal branding statement, and how to effectively manage their LinkedIn profiles. Students will participate in a group or personalized session with SMLR Career Services to review their resume and LinkedIn profile. Indicating their commitment to career and self-development, this badge demonstrates that earners have taken proactive steps, with concrete deliverables, for presenting their personal brands through resume building and online networking.

> Learn more about the Personal Branding Badge

Badge 2 - Networking

To be work ready, current and future employees need to be able to understand how to effectively develop and maintain a professional network. Setting career goals and developing relationships with people to help achieve these goals is an essential professional development skill. Earners of this badge will identify short- and long-term goals for their career and participate in one SMLR or Rutgers career networking event to exercise the role of networking in career development and advancement. This badge demonstrates that students have taken proactive steps to develop career goals and link them to networking strategies for the betterment of their career and self-development.

> Learn more about the Networking Badge

Badge 3 - Interviewing

Successful interviewing skills require students to have knowledge of professionalism and effective communication, which are two critical competencies recognized by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Earners of this badge will have the opportunity to practice developing professionalism and interpersonal communication skills to excel in interviews. By earning this badge, students will have demonstrated professionalism and the mastery of clearly articulating their skills, education, and experience to excel in future interviews.

> Learn more about the Interviewing Badge

Mastery Badge

Earners of this badge have demonstrated mastery of their career and self-development by learning personal branding skills, developing and improving their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, connecting their career goals to professional networking, practicing professional networking, and learning how to cultivate professional, effective interviews by developing appropriate interpersonal communication. Earners of this badge showcase their mastery of career and self-development by further refining their learned competencies and skills through the SMLR Career Management or Internship courses.

> Learn more about the Mastery Badge