Search
Recommended Products
Related Links


 

 

Informative Articles

Adult Continuing Education is Healthy for You
Adult continuing education is very practical. Seniors have several advantages over children. Better memory (truly!) Experience Fewer distractions Better memory Doctors thought that you couldn't grow new brain cells, so as old...

Application Forms - Selling Yourself
* On Top Form Whereas the resume or curriculum vitae is quite rightly your own personal advertisement. The application for tries to take away your ability to tell the employer what you would like them to know and replace it with what they want know...

Proper Technique for Quitting a Job
After months of looking you've finally found the job of your dreams. The new company loves you and wants you to start work as soon as possible. The only problem is how to quit the job you have? Though you may have fantasized about telling your...

Resume Falsification: Would You Lie On Your Resume?
How many times have you heard someone say, "Just put it on your resume. There's no way they're going to find out"? It is tempting to put little white lies on your resume. These might include overstating your knowledge of required software ("If...

The Modern Freelance Worker
Life Before Freelancing When I first quit my job as a full-time Product Specialist at one of the World's leading XML software companies, all my friends and family thought I was insane. I was making a lot more money than most people and I...

 
Google
Understanding Your Skills - Step 1 In The Job Search

Identifying your skills and getting that job

When applying for a job, it is ideal that you identify your strengths and weaknesses and get prepared to address them. By knowing your advantage, the chances of getting the job that you want will surely get easier. But you should not get too confident since this is one of the common mistakes that plague job applicants. Appearing too confident or as somewhat of a know it all person will only get you labeled by your interviewer as unfit for the job.

Identifying your skills

First thing's first. You should identify your skills. This is your ticket to get that job and you should be able to articulate your abilities and expertise as best as you can. Many people have a hard time telling their skills and abilities as this may seem to be bragging. But you should not be shy or afraid to discuss your skills. In fact, it is important that you convey to your potential employer what your talents are. You should be able to sell your abilities to your employer. That is how you will get the job that you want. It is important that you don't appear arrogant or condescending but you should also avoid selling yourself short. If the interviewer asks you about your strengths or what separates you from the other applicants, you should be able to readily give a good answer. But before you even go to the interview part, your resume should highlight your skills and talents for your prospective employer to see.

Type of skills

There are two main types of skills, hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are tangible in the sense that these are things that you do like: knowing how to operate different kinds of machinery, knowledge of a specialized computer program, ability to type fast, skills on using many types of tools, credentials regarding special crafts, etc. Soft skills are skills that are rather abstract in nature like personal qualities. This may include the folowing: being a good team player, having the ability to work on your own, being enthusiastic or organized and decisive.

The steps to follow

Making a list of your previous jobs and experience acquired

First thing to do is to make a list of all the companies that you had worked for and the things that you learned from these jobs. There will be a lot of things to list and you should be careful enough not to forget


even the smallest things or activities that you were part of or organized. It is also a good idea to list the volunteer activities that you participated in.

Include a list of your hobbies

Although it might sound trivial at first, it is also very helpful to list all your hobbies. There are a lot of abilities that your prospective employer may get from your hobby list. This will also give an idea of your personality. For example, if you were part of the school's debating team, then your employer may deduce that you have good analytical skills. If you were a champion chess player, then your employer will have the impression that you are good at making critical decisions. Think of your daily routine and the things that you do and often take for granted. Are you an organized person who always keeps your things in proper order? Are you an extrovert that can easily make friends in a matter of minutes? These may seem ordinary to normal things to you, but your future boss might think otherwise.

Deciding what career you want

After listing all your skills and all the things that you do well, you may now decide what field or career you want to take a crack at. Select the skills contained from your list and partner it with the employment you are seeking. Always take time to consider if your skills are relevant to the job that you are aspiring for. Don't be bothered if you have to cut out some of the skills from your list. It is also important to include in the list your skills that the prospective employer will probably value.

Stand by what you write

You should be realistic about your skills and the level of expertise that you have with it. For example, if you indicate that you are a very organized person, then you should be able to show this to the interviewer by being able to organize your thoughts and effectively use the time that was given for your interview.

It is important to know your skills every time you are job hunting. Always put your best foot forward and good luck!

About the author:



Jay is the web owner of http://www.jobs-in.com Online Jobs, a website that provides information and resources on searching for jobs nationwide. You can visit his website at: http://www.jobs-in.net Jobs | Job Search