Discovering Your Top Skills and Qualities
You're a star. You may not realize it, but you are. There are many things about you that make you shine, and I want to help you uncover them and show them to hiring managers so you can get a job you love.
I get it. It's not easy to "sell" yourself. For many of us, obsessing over our flaws comes much more naturally than praising our strengths. If that sounds like you, read on to learn how to discover the skills and qualities that make you the best person for the job.
Job Skills: What You Do
What do you do at your job every day? Do you coordinate meetings? Build relationships? Provide customer service? Develop software? Lead a team? Whatever you do best at your job are your top job skills.
Example: Meet Jane. Jane is an executive assistant. She answers phone calls and helps customers with questions and issues. She manages a calendar for her boss and schedules meetings. She organizes and keeps track of important files. She composes and proofreads emails and other correspondence for her boss.
Some of Jane's job skills are: customer service, calendar management, scheduling, records management, writing, and proofreading.
Technical Skills: What You Do With Computers
What software or hardware do you use at your job? Maybe you design presentations with Microsoft PowerPoint, manage software development using JIRA, or communicate information using WordPress. These are your technical skills.
Example: Jane uses Microsoft Word to compose letters. She uses Google Calendar to manage her boss's schedule. She uses Zoom and Slack to coordinate and run meetings.
Some of Jane's technical skills are: Microsoft Office Suite, Google Calendar, Zoom, and Slack.
Soft Skills: How You Do What You Do
So-called "soft" skills are those that can't be quantified or qualified, like communication, critical thinking, time management, or organization. Think about how you do your job and interact with people throughout your day, and try to identify some soft skills you use regularly.
Example: Jane has to be very organized to keep track of her boss's schedule and files. She communicates clear information to customers over the phone and in the letters she composes. She has to work with people from different companies and departments to coordinate large meetings.
Some of Jane's soft skills are: organization, written and verbal communication, and cross-functional collaboration.
Personal Qualities: Who You Are
What is it about your personality that makes you good at what you do? If you work well with others you're a team player. If you thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, you're flexible. If you're super pumped about providing quality products or services, you're passionate. Think about what makes you tick, what you're enthusiastic about, what you love doing, and what people say about you. These are the qualities that make you the best at what you do.
Example: Co-workers are always complimenting Jane on her ability to stay on top of many different important tasks at the same time. She prides herself on her ability to take jumbles of confusing information and translate it in a logical, organized way. She loves taking initiative and taking on extra projects.
Jane is: adaptable, flexible, analytical, driven, and proactive.