Identifying Your Skills
First thing's first.
You should identify your skills. This is your ticket to
get that job and you should be able to articulate your
abilities and expertise as best as you can. Many people
have a hard time telling their skills and abilities as
this may seem to be bragging. But you should not be shy
or afraid to discuss your skills. In fact, it is
important that you convey to your potential employer
what your talents are. You should be able to sell your
abilities to your employer. That is how you will get the
job that you want. It is important that you don't appear
arrogant or condescending but you should also avoid
selling yourself short. If the interviewer asks you
about your strengths or what separates you from the
other applicants, you should be able to readily give a
good answer. But before you even go to the interview,
your resume should highlight your skills and talents for
your prospective employer to see.
Type of Skills
There are two main
types of skills, hard skills and soft skills. Hard
skills are tangible in the sense that these are things
that you do like: knowing how to operate different kinds
of machinery, knowledge of a specialized computer
program, ability to type fast, skills on using many
types of tools, credentials regarding special crafts,
etc. Soft skills are skills that are rather abstract in
nature like personal qualities. This may include the
following: being a good team player, having the ability
to work on your own, being enthusiastic or organized and
decisive.
The steps to follow:
Making a list of your previous jobs and experience acquired
First thing to do is
to make a list of all the companies that you have worked
for and the things that you learned from these jobs.
There will be a lot of things to list and you should be
careful not to forget even the smallest things or
activities that you were part of or organized. It is
also a good idea to list the volunteer activities that
you participated in.
Include a List of Your Hobbies
Although it might
sound trivial at first, it is also very helpful to list
all your hobbies. There are a lot of abilities that your
prospective employer may get from your hobby list. This
will also give an idea of your personality. For example,
if you were part of the school's debating team, then
your employer may deduce that you have good analytical
skills. If you were a champion chess player, then your
employer will have the impression that you are good at
making critical decisions. Think of your daily routine
and the things that you do and often take for granted.
Are you an organized person who always keeps your things
in proper order? Are you an extrovert that can easily
make friends in a matter of minutes? These may seem
ordinary to normal things to you, but your future boss
might think otherwise.
Deciding What Career You Want
After listing all your
skills and all the things that you do well, you may now
decide what field or career you want to take a crack at.
Select the skills contained from your list and partner
it with the employment you are seeking. Always take time
to consider if your skills are relevant to the job that
you are aspiring for. Don't be bothered if you have to
cut out some of the skills from your list. It is also
important to include in the list your skills that the
prospective employer will probably value.
Stand by What You Write
You should be
realistic about your skills and the level of expertise
that you have with it. For example, if you indicate that
you are a very organized person, then you should be able
to show this to the interviewer by being able to
organize your thoughts and effectively use the time that
was given for your interview.
It
is important to know your skills every time you are job
hunting. Always put your best foot forward and good
luck!
