Identifying your skills. Thinking skills. What are skills?

How do I identify my skills?

You already have lots of skills but may not be aware you possess them. There’s a lot to gain from reflecting on your skills and qualities and seeing how these can enhance your career and personal development. To analyse your skills and how they relate to skills employers look for, think about:

1. 
   Your personal qualities;
   
2. 
   Skills developed through study;
   
3. 
   Skills developed at work;
   
4. 
   Skills developed outside work.
   

1. Personal qualities
Attributes such as patience, humour, initiative, and flexibility are relevant to the type of work you are suited to. The better you know yourself, the more likely you are to find a role that suits you. Your personality affects your style of operating in the workplace and the way you respond to situations.
Have you considered your own behaviour, emotions and reactions? Why not ask people close to you – they may be able to identify strengths and qualities that you haven’t considered.
2. Skills developed through study
You develop a wide range of skills as a student, such as commitment, self-motivation, and confidence, all valued by employers. For example, if you had assignments where you worked to strict deadlines, you can show that you have good time management and motivational skills.
3. Skills developed at work
If you have work experience, you’re likely to have skills which are essential in that environment, such as communication, interacting with people, being aware of the ways in which you learn and managing your time. Enhancing your capabilities in these areas can help you make the most of opportunities at work and will look good on your CV.
You may not recognise the wide range and high level of skills and abilities you have. Identify your skills by

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  noting down all the jobs you have done (full-time, part-time, voluntary, etc.) and think about what
  
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  you learnt from each one and w
  
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  hat skills you developed.
  

4. Skills developed outside work
You gain valuable knowledge, understanding and skills from everyday experiences, and through training, hobbies, interests and involvement with voluntary organisations. Think about:

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  Your experience and the roles you’ve had outside academia/work;
  
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  The projects you have undertaken;
  
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  Organisations, clubs or societies that you’ve been involved with.
  

Each of those roles demand different skills.

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  If you enjoy DIY, then you’ve no doubt planned a project, set yourself timescales, organised your work and seen it through to completion;
  
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  If you’ve chaired meetings, then you’ve taken a leadership role and been diplomatic yet assertive. You’re likely to have kept to deadlines and ensured that individuals have been included. This demonstrates interpersonal skills;
  
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  If you’ve been in a debating club, you’ll have developed your communication and persuasion skills;
  
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  If you play sport, you’re likely to have teamwork and leadership skills.
  

Look back over your work, studies or leisure activities and think about the tasks you completed in each. This helps you identify the skills you’ve learned.

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