FRTF resource hub | Centre for Career Development

Future Ready Talent Framework

The University of Waterloo developed the Future Ready Talent Framework (FRTF) to help students in their lifelong-learning journey.

The FRTF framework outlines four sets of competencies with a total of 12 competencies needed to navigate the emerging global workplace.

By understanding these competencies and how to develop them, you can take a fresh look at your career direction.

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Understand and develop your competencies

The FRTF goes a step further than just identification, delving into reflection and development. As you consider the significance of the FRTF and its role in helping you achieve your goals, explore questions like:

What does the FRTF mean to me and my future; how can I use it to help me reach my goal?
How do I develop these competencies?
Have I already been developing them? If so, how?

The Competency Chart presents an opportunity to reflect and record your current competency growth through a future-focused lens. You can explore meaningful connections between today and your future, and set goals to keep you moving forward even when you are unsure about the future of work.

The Competency Goal Setting Worksheet will help you createS.M.A.R.T. goals for competency development to help focus your efforts and increase your chances of achieving your career goals.

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, ABILITIES… IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

Understand key competencies needed to navigate the future of work and learning

Before we get started looking at the competency chart, you may have noticed that we have used the terms skills, abilities and competencies, and you may be asking yourself: if any, what is the difference between those terms? Although it is not uncommon for the terms to be used interchangeably, competencies refer to the skills, abilities and knowledge that lead to superior performance.

SKILLS + ABILITIES + KNOWLEDGE = COMPETENCIES

It is important to make this distinction because when we approach things as competencies, we get to explore much more than just the learned things we do well (skills), we also get to look at things we are able to do (abilities) and our theoretical and practical understandings of things (knowledge).

Examples

Communication is one of the twelve competencies that is often referred to as both a skill and competency. When we approach communication as a competency, it opens up the opportunity to explore the abilities and knowledge alongside the skills that create a good communicator. For example, communication as a competency can include not only writing, public speaking and editing skills but also an ability to listen, empathize and demonstrate cross-cultural communication knowledge.

Let's try this out with critical thinking: what do you think of when you hear that term? What skills do you need to be a good critical thinker?

The skills often associated with critical thinking include:	When we approach critical thinking as a competency, we can open up our understanding to include:
Analytical skills Effective listening skills Problem-solving skills Evaluation skills	Being open-minded Thinking creatively Understanding different groups of knowledge in order to compare and contrast Being able to reflect on learning

Ideally, this leads to not only a more robust understanding of what the term means but also a more robust account of the evidence we have for developing and demonstrating said term.

So, now you may be asking yourself: how does this discussion relate to the Competency Chart? The chart will ask you to identify and reflect on skills, abilities and knowledge associated with each competency. It can be ones you have or ones that you would like to develop. This is your chart to design and set goals for. The main task is to push yourself to explore what each competency consists of, and how you can provide evidence of developing and demonstrating said competency.

THE COMPETENCY CHART

Record and reflect on your development

Reflecting on and recording your competency development can provide valuable insights into your career interests, skills, values, and preferences. This self-awareness can lead to a clearer understanding of yourself in relation to your career, resulting in benefits such as

quicker employability,
improved ability to learn relevant information,
reduced indecision about your occupation, and
decreased anxiety about future work.

When crafting resumes, cover letters and preparing for interviews, this self-reflection allows you to identify and showcase important skills, abilities and knowledge; providing evidence to potential employers.

The Competency Chart (PDF)presents an opportunity to reflect and record your current competency growth through a future-focused lens. You can explore meaningful connections between today and your future, and set goals to keep you moving forward even when you are unsure about the future of work.

How to use the competency chart

Competency

Explore each competency, its description and associated behaviours using the FRTF Overview (PDF).

Skills, abilities and knowledge

Each competency is made up of skills, abilities and knowledge.

Record the ones you are developing and the ones you want to develop. Start with 2-4 ideas per competency.
Explore common skills, abilities and knowledge associated with each competency with the FRTF Competency Matrix (PDF).

Evidence of development

Record evidence of developing and demonstrating the competency. To help you get started, consider:

How can I prove that I can do this?
How do I know I have the knowledge and/or ability?
Has someone commended me on demonstrating this competency?
What experience do I have with this competency?

Competency

Communication

Skills, abilities and knowledge

Effectively communicate using online meeting platforms
Listen attentively to others
Empathize with others

Evidence I have it

Collaborated with 3-person team using Zoom over a two-month project; received excellent evaluation
Developed small business go green program based on 7 interviews with company owner and employees
Excelled at customer service summer job position that required strong ability to empathize

The Competency Goal Setting Worksheet

Work toward setting goals to future proof yourself

Take a moment to reflect on how and why each competency is important to you and your future. Create S.M.A.R.T. goals for competency development to help focus your efforts and increase your chances of achieving your goals. You can do this with the FRTF Competency Goal Setting Worksheet (PDF). If you would like to speak with a career advisor about the FRTF and your competency chart, book a one-on-oneappointment.

For example: Self assessment competency

An ability to reflect on how one's motivation, strengths and areas of challenge relate to contribution to the workplace. Seek feedback and remain curious and honest regarding one's knowledge, skill and abilities.

Why and how is it important to me and my future?

I may be working a contract job and not have access to regular performance evaluations with a supervisor. I need to make sure I know to actively seek feedback and develop skills to help assess my contributions.
I'm probably going to have to build new skills many times during my career. In order to do this, I've got to stay motivated and understand my strengths and areas of challenge.

How could I further develop this competency?

Seek regular feedback from professors and teaching assistants on my strengths and challenges. Discuss with them areas for improvement.
Get feedback from class project group members on my contributions and areas for improvement.
Use the FRTF Resource Hub to find a Centre for Career Development workshop that develops self-assessment skills, abilities and knowledge.

FRTF Competency Goal Development

Specific	Describe your goal: Develop a habit of professionally seeking feedback on my performance to gain a better understanding of my skills, abilities and knowledge.
Measurable	How will you track your progress? With a goal tracker app. I will outline all steps needed to accomplish my goal and use the app to monitor and record my progress, challenges and achievements along the way.
Attainable	What are three steps you could take to reach your goal? Build an easy to complete feedback form to evaluate my performance with a focus on skills, abilities and knowledge Ask professors/group members to complete feedback form and meet with me to discuss my performance Follow up with thank you emails to express gratitude and take the opportunity to summarize what I learned. Let them know one step I will take to improve in an identified area of challenge
Relevant	Why is this goal important to you? I want to develop the habit of professionally seeking feedback so that I’m motivated to pay attention to my strengths and areas of challenge (because I know I will need to continuously learn and adapt throughout my career).
Time-bound	When will you reach your goal? When I automatically think to request feedback and look at experiences as an opportunity to learn about my strengths and identify areas of growth.

Reminder: the FRTF Resource Hub identifies University of Waterloo opportunities for competency development to help you reach your goals!

Ways to develop your competencies

FRTF Catalogue highlights

Collaboration

Effective Listening

In this course, communications experts Tatiana Kolovou and Brenda Bailey-Hughes show how to assess your current listening skills, understand the challenges to effective listening (such as distractions!), and develop behaviors that will allow you to become a better listener—and a better colleague, mentor, and friend.

Being an Effective Team Member

In this course, Kelley School of Business professor Dr. Daisy Lovelace highlights the key characteristics of exemplary team members, and how you can adopt these traits to improve your professional performance.

Discover more Collaboration opportunities

Implementation

Learning Gantt Charts

In this course, project management trainer and Gantt chart aficionado Chris Croft explains how to create and use a Gantt chart for a variety of purposes, using different Gantt chart software.

Project Management: Preventing Scope Creep

This course explains what scope creep is and how to identify the causes, whether it's vague expectations, inadequate requirements, or a lack of change control.

Discover more Implementation opportunities

Information and data literacy

Learning Data Analysis

This popular training course—dramatically expanded and enhanced for 2018—teaches analysts and non-analysts alike the basics of data analytics and reporting.

Data Visualization: Story Telling

Join data visualization expert Bill Shander as he guides you through the process of turning "facts and figures" into "story" to engage and fulfill our human expectation for information.

Discover more Information and data literacy opportunities

Communication

Academic Interviews

Learn how to analyze interview questions that are asked during academic interviews and evaluate and develop effective responses to them.

Interviewing Effectively

In this interactive workshop, you'll practice translating academic language to industry language, apply strategies for answering interview questions, and evaluate the effectiveness of responses to interview questions.

Discover more Communication opportunities

Critical thinking

Résumé Tips: Thinking Like an Employer

Bring a paper copy of your résumé to this hands-on workshop targeting a few of the most challenging areas of résumé writing for junior students.

Strategic Thinking

This course teaches managers and leaders how to use strategic thinking to guide the direction of their teams and come up with solutions to key business problems.

Discover more Critical thinking opportunities

Self-management

Developing Your Emotional Intelligence

Executive coach and organizational psychologist Gemma Roberts explains what emotional intelligence is and why it's important.

Improving Your Focus

In this course, productivity expert and best-selling author Dave Crenshaw helps you develop survival skills to both avoid daily distractions and stay focused on what's most valuable.

Discover more Self-management opportunities

Innovation mindset

Problem Solving Techniques

In this course, learn techniques for identifying the root cause of a problem, generate solutions, and selecting the best option(s).

Risk-Taking for Leaders

In this course, author and consultant Deborah Perry Piscione reveals the differences between gambling and calculated risk-taking, and how to master the art of risk.

Discover more Innovation mindset opportunities

Intercultural effectiveness

Global Experience Certificate

A certificate that recognizes your accomplishments in internationalization at home and abroad.

Social Interactions for Multinational Teams

This course explains how members of diverse workforces can effectively communicate. Learn to avoid potential misunderstandings by discovering the nuances of intercultural communication.

Discover more Intercultural effectiveness opportunities

Self-assessment

EDGE – Skills Identification and Articulation

The skills identification and articulation workshop helps students identify the essential employment-related skills that they are developing throughout their undergraduate career.

Developing Self-Awareness

In this course, learn how to become more self-aware in order to develop yourself personally and enhance career progression.

Discover more Self-assessment opportunities

Discipline and context-specific skills

Learning Food and Drink Photography

Join award-winning food and advertising photographer, Bill Robbins, as he shows how to enhance a food's color, shape, and texture and how to convey a sense of mood, environment, and story.

Music Production: Techniques and Concepts

Learn how to turn a demo recording into a fully mastered song with Grammy-winning writer/producer/mixer Scott Jacoby.

Discover more Discipline and context-specific opportunities

Technological agility

Blockchain Basics

In this introductory-level course, learn what blockchain is and how it might be useful to you.

Symmetric Cryptography Essential Training

This course delivers a practical overview of this technology, with an emphasis on high-level concepts that affect how our data is stored and transmitted.

Discover more Technological agility opportunities

Lifelong learning and career development

EDGE Program

EDGE is an opt-in experiential education certificate program for undergraduate students in traditional (non-co-op) programs of study.

Career Resources

CareerHub; Career Planning and Job Search; Career Action Library; Online Planning tools and more are available.

Discover more Lifelong learning and career development opportunities