Skills are activities that you do well. Most people
have a difficult time identifying their skills but remember, IT'S
OK TO TOOT YOUR OWN HORN!
That's how people get jobs. They sell their abilities.
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. Even in the
resume, you need to get the reader to take notice of your SKILLS.
There are two types of skills; soft and hard.
Soft skills are those personal
qualities that you possess. Examples of soft skills are as follows:
1) Ability to work well
independently
2) A good team player
3) Enthusiastic
4) Decisive
5) Well organized
Hard
skills are those that are more tangible.
1) Knowledge regarding
the use of particular computer software
2)Ability
to operate a variety of machinery
3) Keyboarding skills,
ability to type at a certain speed (e.g.- 45 w.p.m.)
4)Knowledge of/and
skills with specific tools
5) Credentials
and/or experience in a specific occupation: e.g. woodworking
How Do I Identify My Skills?
Think of all of the activities that you have
undertaken. These activities can include paid employment, volunteer activities, hobbies,
and things that you do around the house or elsewhere.
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 have good manual dexterity.
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?
Click on the links below to help you in the creation
of your skills lists.
Personal Qualities
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 give example of how
you have demonstrated this quality. For example, you might prepare yourself
to discuss how you have effectively used your time by making lists and prioritizing
activities to be completed.
Knowing your skills will be important
to every part of the job search process.
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