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It can be tricky to identify your skills, especially if you have done 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, looking for a new job, or switching career paths after a long time.
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 for each situation and are 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 on excellent soft skills development.
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
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 done 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 being a parent, for example, 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 looking to identify elusive soft skills!
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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Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to believing in yourselves. All too often, we don’t see the entirety of the 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 everyone has weaknesses. There are always skills we can improve and some that we have mastered. When you master a skill, it becomes extremely valuable, and this includes soft and hard skills alike. An employer values a good communicator as much as a good programmer! Listing these identify where you can improve and how you can sell yourself in an interview.
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 is an outline of what you are required to do, not who they are looking for. That being said, you create a list of skills that come up often in the role you want. You can then work on these as you prepare for the role or spot patterns where you are lacking in the required skills for the position.
Be Honest with Yourself
You’ve probably thought of a job you want that you could 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.
Summary
Understanding technical and personal qualities will help identify your skills in a more meaningful way. Knowing the skills you need to improve and working on them will help you land the job you really want. However, you must self-analyze and be honest about what you can and can’t do.
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