Tune Into Your Talents and Identify Your Skills

Last updated: January 20, 2026

By Mark Fiebert

Key Takeaways

• Skill Awareness: Clearly identifying your skills helps you make better decisions when pursuing promotions, changing roles, or exploring new career paths with confidence.
• Hard vs Soft Skills: Both technical expertise and personal strengths matter, and understanding how they work together makes you more competitive in today’s job market.
• Experience Inventory: Your current and past roles offer valuable insight into transferable skills, even those you may not have used recently.
• Growth Potential: Employers value potential as much as proficiency, so identifying skill gaps and showing willingness to improve strengthens your candidacy.
• Honest Self-Assessment: Being realistic about your strengths and weaknesses allows you to target roles that fit your abilities and position yourself more effectively.

It can be tricky to identify your skills, especially if you’ve been doing the same job for a long time. But why do you need to do this? Knowing your skills will help improve your career prospects when considering a promotion, seeking a new job, or switching career paths after a long time away.

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02/22/2026 06:04 pm GMT

Begin with Hard and Soft Skills

Skills are generally divided into two categories. These are hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the more technical skills that you work to develop. For example, understanding medical terminology and what to do in each situation is developed over time. Soft skills are more personal and related to your personality, such as communication and friendliness. Some roles, such as travel nursing jobs, require hard skills but also rely heavily on excellent soft skills. 

Identify Your Skills by What You Do Now

Maybe, like most other people, you want a new job at a different company. You aren’t alone, as only 7% of people surveyed are doing their dream job! Looking for a new job can be daunting when you see the list of skills required. But your current role is a window into your skillset. This helps with identification because these skills are fresh in your mind. Think about what you do on a day-to-day basis and how you use those hard and soft skills to do your job as well as you can.

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Don’t Neglect Past Experience

Of course, there are skills that you may not have used for quite some time. When we change jobs, some skills become dormant. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t still good at something. You’re just a little rusty! A new position might require you to revisit some of the older skills you haven’t used for a while. Don’t be put off applying because most skills are just like riding a bike, as they say. It’s shocking how much comes back to you when you practice those skills again! 

Also, Include Daily Life and Habits

You have many skills you aren’t even aware of. Just being a normal human being and an upstanding member of society comes with natural skills. Of course, some of these don’t come easily, and they can depend on your personality. But even as a parent, you will probably have excellent organizational skills. Think about the things you do outside of work, and add these to your list. This can be a major benefit when identifying elusive soft skills!

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02/21/2026 09:04 pm GMT

Identify Your Skills for Improvement

Wouldn’t it be great if we could all be excellent at everything? But alas, we aren’t! Even the most talented people in the world can’t do it all. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve. Most employers look for potential just as much as immediate skills, so work to improve some skills:

• There is a concerning lack of digital skills today, so these can be an advantage.
• Develop your people skills by working closely with others through volunteering.
• Look for gaps with skills that have gone out of date but are still in demand.
• Take classes to improve your literacy and numeracy skills, which are always a bonus.
• Learning to communicate effectively is a major step toward career success.
• Consider attending courses that offer advanced skills in your chosen career.
• Of course, you can always practice and develop your interview skills.

Just learning the basics of some skills can be enough to land you at least an interview. Employers may not be looking for someone who checks all the boxes. Most skills can be worked on over time and developed as you work for the company that may give you a chance.

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Ask Others for Their Perspective on You

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to believing in ourselves. All too often, we don’t see the full value we can offer. Youmight also downplay some of your best skills because of self-doubt. This can be disastrous in an interview as it doesn’t highlight your best qualities and displays a lack of confidence. However, the people in your life can tell you what you do best, and this includes the technical and personal skills you are good at.

List Your Strengths and Weaknesses

This is an oldie, but it is still around because it is effective! Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. There are always skills we can improve and some that we have mastered. When you master a skill, it becomes extremely valuable, whether soft or hard. An employer values a good communicator as much as a good programmer! Listing these identifies where you can improve and how you can sell yourself in an interview.

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02/22/2026 06:05 pm GMT

Analyze Job Descriptions

Okay, so does anyone really like reading job descriptions? Maybe not! One survey found that 90% of people don’t read the description. This is a big mistake! However, a job description outlines what you are required to do, not who they are looking for. That said, create a list of skills that often come up in the role you want. You can then work on these as you prepare for the role, or spot where you are lacking the required skills for the position.

Be Honest with Yourself

You’ve probably thought of a job you’d like to do. But can you really? Overconfidence can be a burden, and you will go through many interviews if you don’t aren’t honest with yourself about what you can and can’t do. You also need to be honest with yourself in order to identify your valuable skills. By doing so, you can list the things you know you can do against the things that need work. This will help you find more suitable roles within your sector.

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02/22/2026 01:03 pm GMT

Further Guidance & Tools

• Skills Matcher: Use CareerOneStop Skills Matcher to rate your strengths and see careers that align with your skill profile.
• Role Skills Map: Use O*NET OnLine to compare skills by job title and identify what employers expect in your target roles.
• Hard vs Soft: Use hard vs. soft skills to categorize your abilities and describe them clearly on resumes and in interviews.
• Career Competencies: Use NACE career readiness competencies to benchmark your skills and spot gaps employers consistently prioritize.
• Interview Practice: Use Big Interview to practice skill-based answers and build confidence explaining your strengths with real examples.

Next Steps

• Skill Inventory: Write a two-column list of hard and soft skills drawn from your daily tasks, tools, and responsibilities.
• Evidence Bank: For each top skill, add one short example showing impact, such as improved results, solved problems, or smoother collaboration.
• Outside Skills: List skills from volunteering, parenting, hobbies, or community roles, then translate them into workplace language employers recognize.
• Gap Analysis: Review several target job descriptions, highlight repeated skills, and choose one or two high-value gaps to improve.
• Reality Check: Ask two trusted people what you do best, then compare their feedback to your list and adjust honestly.

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02/21/2026 10:02 pm GMT

Final Words

Identifying your skills is less about guessing and more about paying attention to what you already do well, then proving it with real examples. When you balance hard skills with soft skills, include life experience, and stay honest about gaps, you position yourself for better roles and stronger interviews. Clear self-awareness turns career moves from stressful to strategic.

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