True Blue Skills | Drake University

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Drake is more than just one of the top private universities in the Midwest. It’s a place where students develop skills that set them apart from their peers and where they learn attributes that employers want. True Blue Skills are not about the knowledge you possess, but rather the behaviors you display.

	Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Exercise sound reasoning, self-reflection of assumptions, and careful consideration of evidence to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems.
	Collaboration Build collaborative relationships with individuals representing diverse cultures, races, ability, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. Strive to increase ability to work within a team and across differences to come to an agreement.
	Personal Responsibility Demonstrate personal accountability, and integrity; act responsibly with the interests of the community in mind. Recognize and learn from mistakes.
	Communication Express ideas to others in an effective manner in verbal and written forms. Read with thoughtfulness and understanding. Listen to and respond appropriately to divergent points of view. Understand the impact of non-verbal communication.
	Digital Proficiency Remain up to date, intellectually curious, and open-minded about technology; embrace and encourage digital initiatives; demonstrate ability to lead, and be a part of, dispersed teams through use of technology. Understand and demonstrate the appropriate and ethical use of technology.
	Leadership Leverage the strengths of self and others to influence achievement of common goals. Use interpersonal skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work. Navigate through conflict with civility and emotional intelligence.
	Global/Intercultural Understanding Value, respect, and learn from those with lived experiences that differ from one’s own. Identify elements that create diversity, inclusion, exclusion and privilege, and reflect on personal biases. Demonstrate empathy and willingness to view issues from other’s points of view in appreciation and sensitivity to diversity.
	Innovation Use design thinking and curiosity to identify creative solutions/ideas, experiment, explore multiple forward-thinking strategies, and apply knowledge to move to action.
	Growth Mindset Ask questions and investigate the “why” behind issues. Actively listen. Appropriately challenge the status quo and gain new perspectives through various interactions. Embrace feedback and demonstrate a persistent desire to learn, reflect and evolve.
	Values Driven Identify and align interests, values and strengths to help build meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship.

The True Blue Skills were developed as a way to help students identify and develop the skills employers value most. These skills were identified through research and employer surveys spanning nearly a year. The purpose of these skills to help students build a story worth telling.

True Blue Skills for Students

True Blue Skills are a combination of social skills, communication skills, character or personality traits, and attitudes that enable our graduates to navigate their environment, work well with others, perform well, and achieve their goals. Unlike technical or “hard” skills, Drake’s True Blue Skills are not about the knowledge you possess but rather behaviors you display in different situations. Students are able to gain True Blue skills through a multitude of Drake experiences both in and outside of the classroom.

View the True Blue Skills Defined.

Assess your skills using the True Blue Skills Rubric.

Gain new skills through Drake co-curricular events. You can sort by the True Blue Skill you would like to enhance.

View the events sponsored by Career Services that can help you develop your skills.

True Blue Skills for Employers

At Drake University, we take professional development seriously. Throughout the co-curricular and academic experience, students gain what we call our True Blue Skills. By developing these skills, our graduates are able to excel in the workforce and graduate/professional programs and inspire change and innovation in schools, businesses, the community, and society.

Learn more: True Blue Skills Information for Employers

View the events sponsored by Professional & Career Development Services that help students develop their True Blue Skills.

Want to connect with our students to help them develop their True Blue Skills? Contact our staff and we will be happy to discuss opportunites.

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