Auburn University nominated for Suitable's inaugural Career Ready Excellence Award

Auburn University has been nominated for Suitable's inaugural Career Ready Excellence Award for its work helping students develop the career-ready skills employers value most through the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness framework.

Developed by NACE, the Career Readiness Initiative established a shared language between higher education and employers around the skills, behaviors, and experiences students need to successfully transition from college to career. Through years of research, collaboration, and validation, NACE identified eight Career Ready Competencies that prepare students for workplace success and lifelong career management: Career & Self-Development, Communication, Critical Thinking, Global and Societal Impact (Auburn University specific), Leadership, Professionalism, Teamwork, and Technology. Together, these competencies provide a nationally recognized framework for helping students understand, develop, and articulate the abilities most valued across industries and career paths. 

The award recognizes colleges and universities that have embedded career readiness into the student experience through Suitable's NACE Ready platform. Auburn was nominated for its collaborative approach to helping students develop career-ready skills while using assessment data to strengthen programs and support student success across campus.

Presented in Suitable's Key Contributor category, the award recognizes institutions that use the platform to engage students, inform programming and curriculum, and continuously improve career readiness initiatives.

At Auburn, this work is driven through collaboration among Career Discovery and Success, the Harbert College of Business, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and the College of Sciences and Mathematics. Together, these units are helping students connect academics, experiential learning, and professional development while providing valuable insight into how students grow during their time at Auburn.

The Harbert College of Business utilizes Suitable with incoming first-year students and graduating seniors to measure growth in the NACE Career Readiness Competencies throughout their academic journey. The platform is also integrated into internship experiences across most business majors, allowing students to complete self-assessments while receiving feedback from internship supervisors.

The resulting data helps faculty and staff identify opportunities to strengthen career readiness within coursework and co-curricular experiences, supporting the college's commitment to the Distinctly Harbert student experience.

"Our focus is not only on measuring growth, but on using that data to drive action," said Marianne McCarley, Director of Professional Development. "By embedding development opportunities directly into our classes and co-curricular experiences, we ensure our students are continuously progressing in ways that align with current employer expectations—ultimately enhancing the exceptional student experience."

The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering launched the Suitable Career Readiness Assessment in summer 2025 through its Office of Career Development and Corporate Relations. Students participating in Auburn Engineering's Cooperative Education and Internship Programs complete self-assessments during each work term and invite supervisors, mentors, or colleagues to provide feedback aligned with the NACE Career Readiness Competencies.

This process of assessment, feedback, and reflection helps students better understand how their experiences contribute to their professional growth and prepares them to effectively communicate the skills they have gained through internships, co-op, and other formative experiences. Through a partnership with Career Discovery and Success, assessment data is captured and reported in Salesforce, providing valuable insights into student experiences and skill development that support continuous improvement at multiple levels, university, college, and program to continuously improve efforts that support future career-readiness initiatives.

The College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) at Auburn University uses the Career Readiness Assessment in SCMH 1950: COSAM Major & Career Exploration, a first-year experience designed for incoming COSAM students. The assessment helps students understand and connect with the NACE Career Readiness Competencies introduced throughout the course, while reinforcing the course's focus on developing academic and professional skills.

Through the assessment, students reflect on their strengths, identify areas for growth, and gain a better understanding of how career-ready skills apply to their academic experiences, co-curricular involvement, and future career goals. The resulting data also provides faculty and staff with valuable insights that help inform programming and support strategies for first-year students. Combined with other course initiatives, these insights have contributed to increased student engagement, a stronger sense of belonging, and ongoing first-year retention efforts within COSAM.

Looking ahead, COSAM is exploring opportunities to expand the Career Ready Assessment into internships, job shadowing, undergraduate research, and other experiential learning opportunities, allowing students to receive meaningful feedback from supervisors and mentors that supports their professional growth.

"Auburn is committed to ensuring students graduate with both the technical knowledge and professional skills needed to succeed in an evolving workforce," said Dr. Erica Stallings, Executive Director of Career Discovery and Success. "This nomination reflects the collaborative work happening across our campus to help students recognize, develop, and articulate the value of their Auburn experience, and it is exciting to see this collaborative effort expanding to additional colleges in the 2026-2027 academic year."

Suitable's Client Success team selected nominees from more than 200 partner institutions nationwide. Auburn joins a distinguished group of universities recognized for advancing innovative approaches to career readiness and student success. Award recipients will be announced later this year.

If you are interested in learning more about the Suitable NACE Career Readiness Assessment tool, please contact Dr. Erica Stallings at estallings@auburn.edu. Career Discovery and Success is available to assist faculty and staff in exploring ways to incorporate career-readiness into their courses, programs, and student experiences.