Workplace Competencies (NACE) in Marketing and Sales 2026
Aug 30, 2025Do you want to graduate with a profile that companies can’t ignore? Today we’re sharing 5 practices to boost your employability in marketing and sales.
Welcome.
Hi, I am Dr. Carlos Valdez, founder and director of MercadotecniayVentas.com, an educational portal where 90% of our content is freely accessible. Our mission is to educate and inspire students, academics, and professionals in the fields of marketing and sales through innovative and practical content, aimed at developing essential skills for value creation.
And this is our video audio blog of August 30 titled:
Workplace Competencies (NACE) in Marketing and Sales 2026
Introduction
This post is aimed at senior students in business programs, particularly marketing and sales, who want to graduate with a highly employable profile. First, we will explain what a workplace competency is; then, we will review the professional preparation competencies established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in the USA, and which of these are most in demand in marketing and sales; finally, we will review five concrete practices to strengthen your employability before graduation.
What is a workplace competency?
A workplace competency is the demonstrable combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and observable behaviors that enable successful performance in real work contexts. Within the framework of professional preparation, NACE defines a set of key competencies that provide the foundation for accessing employment, adding value, and managing career development; these competencies translate into verifiable behaviors that can be observed and assessed through evidence of performance in projects, internships, and simulated situations (NACE, 2024).
Workplace competencies according to NACE
The NACE framework identifies eight professional preparation competencies:
- Career and self-development
Taking active responsibility for one’s professional growth by identifying strengths, areas for improvement, and opportunities for continuous development. - Communication
The ability to express ideas clearly, both verbally and in writing, adapting messages to different audiences and contexts. - Critical thinking
Analyzing information, evaluating alternatives, and making sound decisions to effectively solve problems. - Equity and inclusion
Promoting respect, empathy, and collaboration in diverse environments, contributing to fair and equitable workplaces. - Leadership
Influencing others positively, motivating teams, and managing resources to achieve common goals. - Professionalism
Acting with responsibility, ethics, and commitment, demonstrating reliability and consistency in job performance. - Teamwork
Focusing on collaboration, active listening, and effective contribution to achieve shared goals. - Technology
Ethical and strategic use of digital tools to improve processes, communication, and results in the workplace.
Key competencies today in marketing and sales
Today’s market demands integrating NACE competencies into specific areas of the profession. Accelerated decision-making supported by analytics and artificial intelligence has become central for account assignment, opportunity prioritization, and real-time message adjustment; this requires critical thinking, clear communication, responsible data management, and professionalism (Lorimer et al., 2025). At the same time, customer analytics only creates an advantage when it translates into actionable decisions: formulating hypotheses, running controlled tests, interpreting indicators, and linking findings to commercial performance improvements (Knowledge@Wharton, 2022). In higher education, there is also a growing emphasis on developing skills and preparing for the disruption caused by artificial intelligence, reinforcing the usefulness of linking to the NACE framework (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2025). Finally, recent NACE reports confirm that employers prioritize evidence of problem-solving, teamwork, and written communication, along with initiative and technical skills (NACE, 2025).
Five practices to graduate with these competencies and enhance your employability in Marketing and Sales
First practice. Build a portfolio of evidence based on NACE competencies and the learning outcomes of your program. Include an analysis with interpretation of indicators, one written and one oral communication piece, a collaborative project with defined roles, and a reflection on ethics and responsible data use. Ensure that each piece includes evaluation criteria and verifiable results so that an employer can appreciate your professional preparation (NACE, 2024; AACSB International, 2023; Valdez, 2025, July 12).
Second practice. Demonstrate data-driven decision-making in marketing and sales. It is not enough to present metrics; explain what problem you addressed, what hypothesis you formulated, what tests you conducted, what you learned, and how you planned a campaign or sales plan based on the evidence. This data narrative shows critical thinking and technical mastery with real impact on results (Knowledge@Wharton, 2022; Valdez, 2025, July 19).
Third practice. Integrate artificial intelligence strategically and ethically. It is valuable to demonstrate that you use it to prioritize accounts, personalize messages, generate drafts faster, and reduce response times, but also that you document criteria, limits, and risks, and that final decisions are made with professional judgment. That balance between efficiency and discernment is what organizations seek today (Lorimer et al., 2025; Valdez, 2025, July 12).
Fourth practice. Strengthen your professional communication across multiple formats. Prepare a convincing executive summary, a presentation that tells a story with data, and records of meetings or demonstrations where your participation contributed to a concrete outcome; this showcases your communication competency and makes it easier for employers to assess your contribution to the company. That is why involvement in student groups is very important (NACE, 2024; Valdez, 2025, July 5).
Fifth practice. Connect your experiences with skills development through credentials and results. Participate in projects with companies, obtain certificates or credentials, and document your learning using clear language of evidence and achievements; this allows employers to translate your education into observable value for the organization (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2025; Valdez, 2025, July 19).
Conclusion
For those about to graduate in marketing and sales, the most solid employability path consists of speaking the language of NACE—competencies and observable behaviors—and evidencing it through the logic of assurance of learning with results, measurement, and continuous improvement, while incorporating current practices in the profession: data-driven decisions, responsible integration of artificial intelligence, and effective communication.
With this, you will present a professional profile with clear and relevant proof of what you know how to do (NACE, 2024; Lorimer et al., 2025; Knowledge@Wharton, 2022; The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2025).
I hope you put these practices into action in your job search in marketing and sales, and that you get the job you’ve been wishing for. If you do, I would be very glad to hear from you; share your story at [email protected].
I leave you with a reminder that 90% of our content at MercadotecniayVentas.com is free. Also, once you start your first job in marketing and sales, I recommend the Red Manual for Marketing and Sales Coordinators. It is not a book, but a manual and practical guide to help you remember the most important marketing topics and how to use them with artificial intelligence.
I wish you great success in your job interviews and remind you that in marketing and sales we must always…
Generate value!
Thank you and see you next time!
References
Lorimer, S., Sarangan, S., Shastri, A., & Sinha, P. (2025, junio 6). Companies are using AI to make faster decisions in sales and marketing. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2025/06/companies-are-using-ai-to-make-faster-decisions-in-sales-and-marketing
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2024, abril). Competencies for a Career-Ready Workforce (revisión). https://www.naceweb.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2024/resources/nace-career-readiness-competencies-revised-apr-2024.pdf
National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2025, enero). Job Outlook 2025 (revisión de enero). https://www.naceweb.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/2025/publication/research-report/2025-nace-job-outlook-jan-2025.pdf
The Chronicle of Higher Education. (2025). How colleges can thrive in the skills economy (informe especial). https://connect.chronicle.com/rs/931-EKA-218/images/Skills%20Economy%20Insights%20Report.pdf
Wharton School – Knowledge@Wharton. (2022, noviembre 1). How to get the most from your customer data. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/podcast/knowledge-at-wharton-podcast/how-to-get-the-most-from-your-customer-data/
Valdez, C. (2025, julio 5). Las 10 habilidades clave que todo mercadotecnista y vendedor debe dominar en 2025. Mercadotecnia y Ventas.com. https://www.mercadotecniayventas.com/blog/Las%2010%20habilidades%20clave%20que%20todo%20mercadotecnista%20y%20vendedor%20debe%20dominar%20en%202025
Valdez, C. (2025, julio 12). Las 10 funciones clave que todo mercadotecnista puede potenciar con ChatGPT. Mercadotecnia y Ventas.com. https://www.mercadotecniayventas.com/blog/Las%2010%20funciones%20clave%20que%20todo%20mercadotecnista%20puede%20potenciar%20con%20ChatGPT
Valdez, C. (2025, julio 19). 10 tendencias de la profesión de mercadotecnia y ventas en la era de la IA. Mercadotecnia y Ventas.com. https://www.mercadotecniayventas.com/blog/10%20tendencias%20de%20la%20profesi%C3%B3n%20de%20mercadotecnia%20y%20ventas%20en%20la%20era%20de%20la%20IA