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.

View on YouTube

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

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.

Building Teams that Work

Learn the components of a successful team and the stages of its development. You'll also hone the skills you'll need to effectively manage projects, make decisions, and solve problems in a team setting.

Discover more Collaboration opportunities

Implementation

Advanced Project Monitoring and Control

This course focuses on the execution, monitoring and control, and project completion aspects of project management. Participants will learn how to apply advanced project management techniques to actively navigate their project to a successful outcome.

Blogging and Podcasting for Beginners

In this course, you'll learn how to create, manage, and promote your own blog and audio and video podcast using tools that you already have on your computer—no paid software or equipment is needed.

Discover more Implementation opportunities

Information and data literacy

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.

Introduction to Business Analysis

This course will teach you powerful quantitative methods that will have you making better, more informed, and more effective business decisions.

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.

Business and Marketing Writing

Whatever your background, this fun, introductory course will teach you to write or identify copy that achieves business and marketing goals.

Discover more Communication opportunities

Critical thinking

CTE1217 Teaching Methods

This interactive workshop will provide participants with a toolbox of activities suitable for any classroom.

Managing the Opportunities Provided by Conflict

Learn how to correctly respond to conflict and take advantage of the positive potential that exists when conflicts, differences, and disagreements occur at work.

Discover more Critical thinking opportunities

Self-management

Alleviating Anxiety

Throughout this seminar, we will introduce you to a number of strategies designed to alleviate anxiety in the moment, challenge your anxious thoughts, and change behaviours that maintain your anxiety.

Calming the Panic: Practical Skills to Reduce Anxiety

Learn facts about panic/anxiety attacks, common symptoms of panic attacks, and practical coping strategies for calming your mind and body in our three-part Calming the Panic series.

Discover more Self-management opportunities

Innovation mindset

CTE1260 Interactive Lectures

Are you worried that active learning is incompatible with lecture-style instruction? That you have to choose between one and the other? In this workshop, we address these concerns, and investigate a variety of "lecture breaks" that can be easily integrated between lecture segments without significant cost in instructional time.

Fundamentals of Supervision and Management I

If you have recently been promoted to a supervisory or management position or want to learn how to become a more effective manager, this course will help you. You will learn to master the basics of business by learning things such as the language of management, as well as communication and interpersonal skills.

Discover more Innovation mindset opportunities

Intercultural effectiveness

Developing Cross-Cultural Intelligence

Communications expert Tatiana Kolovou helps you develop the cross-cultural intelligence required to navigate cultural differences.

Global Experience Certificate

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

Discover more Intercultural effectiveness opportunities

Self-assessment

Conflict Management Exploration (Student Leadership Program)

By the end of this workshop, you will have the ability to identify and use five conflict management styles. You will also be able to practice the basic principle of conflict management by focusing on the situation or behaviour at the heart of a conflict, not on the person involved, and apply the Five Whys technique as an effective problem-solving method.

CTE1234 Teaching with Confidence

Many graduate students experience low confidence in their roles as teaching assistants and instructors. In this workshop, we will explore the common roots of this lack of confidence, as well as ways/how to overcome it.

Discover more Self-assessment opportunities

Discipline and context-specific skills

Beginning Conversational French

This course will teach you essential words and phrases so that you can begin to communicate comfortably with those who speak French.

Business Finance for Non-Finance Personnel

Using practical explanations and real-life examples, this course will show you how money flows through a typical business.

Discover more Discipline and context-specific opportunities

Technological agility

Advanced Microsoft Excel 2016

Wouldn't it be great to learn how to effectively use all of Excel’s advanced features? In this practical and information-packed course, you'll see how to maximize this program's functions and capabilities.

Advanced Microsoft Excel 2019/Office 365

This course will help you master many features in Microsoft Excel 2019/Office 365 that most users don't know exist.

Discover more Technological agility opportunities

Lifelong learning and career development

Academic Interviews

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

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