Online Guide to Employment Navigation

Step 1:
Identifying Your Skills

Step 2:
Establishing a Job Objective

Step 3:
Résumé Preparation

Step 4:
Identifying and Contacting Potential Employers

Step 5:
The Cover Letter

Step 6:
Submitting Your Résumé and Cover Letter

Step 7:
Following Up on a Job Lead

Step 8:
Preparing for an Interview

Step 9:
3 Steps to a Successful Interview

Step 10:
Evaluating the Interview

Step 11:
Following Up After an Interview: the Thank You Letter

Step 12:
Negotiating and Handling Job Offers

Step 13:
Maintaining Employment

Online Guide to Employment

Step 1: Identifying Your Skills

It is important to identify your marketable skills before you begin your job search. Just think of marketable skills as activities that you do well. A lot of people have trouble identifying their skills, but remember it is crucial in order to establish your job objective, develop your resume and determine your future employment goals. Also it's okay to toot your own horn. In fact, it is required of you. You've got to sell your abilities to an employer. That is how people get jobs.

Do not act arrogant or exaggerate, but do not sell yourself short either. If an employer asks, "What are your strengths?" or "What would make you stand out from the other applicants?" you need to know how to answer. But before you even get to the interview stage, the skills listed in your résumé must first grab the employer's attention.

Let us start by looking at the different kinds of skills. They can be split into two categories - hard and soft.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are tangible - activities that you do well. For example:

Soft Skills

Soft skills are the abstract, personal qualities that you posses:

Steps to Identifying Your Skills

  1. Make a list of all the jobs that you have held and the responsibilities associated with each job. There will surely be many skills associated with your list. Do not minimize even the smallest activity. What seems simple and straight forward to you may be of value to an employer.
  2. Make a list of volunteer activities while following the instructions above.
  3. Make a list of hobbies. There can be a wealth of skills that are developed through hobbies. Being an accomplished chess player might indicate that you pay great attention to detail and excellent critical thinking skills.
  4. Think of all those other things that you do and take for granted. Is organization of material important to you? Are you a good problem solver?

For more help identifying your skills, check out sample personality qualities and action verbs.

Now that you have a list of things that you do well, you may use it to help you decide upon a career objective. Select the skills from your list that are most relevant to the employment that you are seeking. Don't worry about cutting out some of the less relevant skills from your list.

It is important to tie in the skills that you have listed to your job objective (employment goal). Select from your skills the ones that an employer is most likely to value, while ensuring that you are able to back up your list with examples. Be realistic about the level of skill that you have achieved. For instance, if you state that you are well-organized, then you need to be able to talk about various situations in which you have demonstrated this quality. For example, you might prepare yourself to discuss how you plan your day (i.e. activities, priorities, lists, etc).

Knowing your skills is important to every part of the job search process.

 
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