First, let’s have a look at types of skills.
There are hard skills which refer to technical abilities and knowledge gained through education such as: banking, graphic design, accounting etc. And then there are soft skills which are personal attributes that people can develop through interaction with others like communication, teamworking or time management. These are also known as transferable skills which means that they can be adapted to a specific part of your career.
The most common transferable skills companies are looking for are communication, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.
It’s my first job – what if I don’t have any work skills yet?
This is a very common thought for young adults who think that because they have not had a job yet they do not have any skills to show. The reality is that through school, college and extra-curriculars they will have gathered skills without noticing. Also, the employer will not expect too many hard skills from you if it’s an entry job.
So how can you flesh out your skills?
When building a skillset the first step is brainstorming. Put down as many experiences as possible and skills next to each one of them. There are various places where you can discover your skills.
- Personal qualities
- Experiences
- Using others to find skills
- Using self-assessment took
Personal qualities
Some examples are considerate, thoughtful, resilient, calm, optimistic, humorous, good with computers etc. Do you get along with people? Are you a good listener? When you have received praises what have you are good at? Brainstorm as many as possible.
Reflect on your experiences
Have you done any volunteering whilst at school? Some examples of skills people gain from volunteering experiences are: communication, teamworking, organisation, leadership, decision making, problem-solving, empathy and compassion.
What activities have you taken part in at school? Art projects, PE competitions, public speaking activities, school initiatives for example would show strengths like commitment, confidence, creativity and self-motivation. Or perhaps if you have delivered assignments to strict deadlines, this shows good organisation and time management skills.
What are your hobbies? If you don’t know what skills can be taken from your hobby a simple google search should help give some ideas.
How about at home? Did you have any specific responsibilities given by your parents like participating in cooking, meal prepping, household chores, shopping for the family etc.
Using feedback from others
Ask your family or teacher for feedback. You can ask them to describe some of your strengths to help you start off. Reaching out to friends as well may be an idea.
Self-assessment tools
Using self-assessment online tools. Cavity have the CEIAG workbook packed with activities aimed at helping you surface your strengths and understand yourself better.
What if I have a gap in my skillset?
You can always develop new skills. Various platforms like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning or Udemy have a variety of courses from teaching, leadership, dental to mental health courses.
If time is of essence and taking up new courses to gain skills is not an option, you can always express your interest in learning and developing that area.
10 ways to explore career options
Speaking to family and friends about career options
Resources:
https://onenurseatatime.org/skills-you-can-learn-by-volunteering/