Skills are the foundation of an effective job search. Employers don't just want to know where you've been and what job titles you've had. They want to know what you can do. If you purchase a product that would cost thousands of dollars annually, you'd want to know what it could do.

The average person has between 500 and 800 skills! You need to identify at least five to 10 skills that are the most attractive to potential employers. Many people have a hard time identifying their skills. Don't think of a skill as something that requires years of formal education and experience to develop. A skill is anything you can do right now!

Skills are things you can do that are related to employment or that you do in the course of your daily life. Skills that a person uses for a specific job such as sewing, record keeping, cooking, cleaning, computer programming and welding are called job-specific skills. Skills also include things you can do that aren't tied to a specific job or occupation, such as being on time, dependable, independent, flexible and ambitious. We call these self-management skills.

A combination of skills are used to accomplish a task. We accomplish many tasks each day. Tasks are part of our recreation, hobbies and volunteer work. Some tasks are related to employment. An administrative assistant who writes a letter uses the following skills-- typing, writing, editing and the ability to meet deadlines. A computer programmer who troubleshoots a network failure uses proofreading skills to find errors in computer codes. A cook uses slicing and cleaning skills to prepare vegetables. We also use skills to complete tasks in the course of our daily lives. Balancing a checking account, shopping, driving and mowing the lawn are all examples of tasks that require skills.

A combination of tasks make up an activity. Think of an activity as a major area of responsibility that requires a set of tasks. Many times skills and tasks seem interchangeable. That's because both are elements of an activity. It's up to you to apply these principles to your own job search.

Job Skills

Job skills are those skills specific to a job or occupation. An administrative assistant is skilled in typing, word processing, filing, answering telephones and company correspondence. An accountant's skills would include calculating accounts receivable and accounts payable, preparing taxes and using computer accounting programs. A salesperson's skills would include customer service, record keeping, order processing, inventory management, billing and product displays.

Behind most skills lies a body of knowledge. The person performing computer programming has learned a computer language such as Visual Basic. A cook knows about cooking techniques such as basting or baking. These bodies of knowledge are also skills.

A Lesson From Sales

Looking for work is selling a product. A successful job search is a sales and marketing campaign. To successfully sell a product, a salesperson must know as much as possible about that product. The same is true for your job search.

Consider a major purchase you made or are planning to make-- a car, appliances, a computer or stereo equipment. If you're a smart consumer, you will shop around. You ask questions. You want to know what sets a product apart from the competition. It's the salesperson's job to convince the buyer that their product is the best. This is why salespeople spend many hours learning their products. This is also why you need to invest time in identifying your skills.

Skills are the performance specifications of your product-- you.

Job skills are important to employers for obvious reasons. They're the specific skills employers look for in a candidate. Job skills don't always come from employment. They may be developed through education, hobbies, community activities and life experiences. Common activities such as shopping, managing finances, balancing a bank account, hosting a party and teaching a child all contain potential job skills.

Self-Management Skills

These are skills you use day-to-day to get along with others to survive. They're the skills that make you unique. Sincerity, reliability, tactfulness, patience, flexibility, timeliness and tolerance are all examples of self-management skills. Motivational attributes and attitudes are also self-management skills. Persistence, drive and cooperation are examples.

Don't underestimate self-management skills, especially those that show motivation and a good work attitude. Employers look for these skills to determine how a candidate will fit into the organization. How a person will fit in is an important consideration for employers. These skills are especially important for people who are seeking their first job or returning to employment after an absence.

Transferable Skills

Many skills can be applied to a variety of activities. They can transfer from one activity to another. Self-management skills are highly transferable. They apply to most situations. However, a number of job-specific skills are also transferable. If you can operate a drill press, you have skills to operate other types of machinery. If you can balance a personal bank account, you have math aptitude skills to balance a business account. If you coordinate events, lead meetings, participate on teams for community activities or personal interests-- you have skills that transfer to employment.

Transferable skills are important for many reasons. Many job seekers are unlikely to find a job identical to their previous employment. Therefore, it's critical for them to carefully evaluate how their skills transfer into other opportunities. People seeking their first job, making a major career change or returning to employment after a long absence will mostly use transferable skills in their job search.

The main reason some people have trouble finding a job is--
failure to describe skills or abilities clearly.

Skills Identification Methods

There are many methods for identifying skills. Whatever method you use, consider the following--

• Don't get hung up over definitions or the process of how you identify your skills. The goal is to generate a list of skills. Definitions and process are simply tools to help you achieve that goal.
• Don't limit yourself. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. List everything that remotely looks like a skill.
• You don't have to be an expert to claim a skill. Include skills you may be just learning.

Method One

Step 1
Write the title of an employment-related activity. Focus on those activities that potentially demonstrate skill and experience relative to employment. You may get these titles from skills you may have gained while working for community organizations, volunteer activities and employment.

Step 2
List the tasks involved in performing this activity. Tasks are the basic functions of an activity.

Step 3
List the skills involved in accomplishing each task. Be sure to include job, self-management and transferable skills.

Method Two

Look for skill words that you recognize in books, magazines, publications and on the Internet. Skill words can be found in-- The Occupational Outlook Handbook (may be found at your local library or Minnesota WorkForce Center), how-to books, hobby books, technical manuals, newspapers, magazines and classified advertisements.

Method Three

Network with friends, associates and family. Ask them what skills they see that you have. (See exercises later in this chapter.)

Have fun! Make a game out of it.
Work through your skills identification with a friend.

. . . most of what we know and what we've become
we've learned from others . . . we are all students . . .

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Ordering the Creative Job Search Guide

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