You Have Skills You Didn’t Even Know You Had!

Every day I speak with students and private clients who have no real sense of what their skills are. Simply put, a skill is an ability, based on training or experience, to do something well. We all have skills and the trick is to discover what they are and market them with humble confidence to make ourselves attractive to employers who want to utilize these skills in the workplace.

As trained opera singer turned Career & Professional Development Coach, I like to think of myself as the Queen of Transferable Skills. When I was making my unique career transition most employers were very dubious about what I had to offer. It took some time for me to realize that my skills were very transferable and included: written and verbal communication, professional poise, foreign language aptitude, marketing and promotion, tenacity, leadership and project management, to name just a few.

I guarantee you all have hidden skills that you have not yet owned and embraced.  Once you discover your skills you can start to connect the dots with your other VIPS (values, interests & personality) and find opportunities that are a true match for you career wise.

Since it can be hard for us to consider our skills alone, I urge you to ask people in your circle of trust (family, friends, and colleagues) to share what they think you do well. Having others help identify your skills can be very powerful but ultimately you are in control over which skills you chose to market on your new career path.

To get you started, skills fall into three main categories:

Transferable Skills – these can be taken from job to job and are important in many career sectors. Examples include: communication (verbal and written), critical thinking, analytical, leadership, project management.

Specialized Knowledge – these are skills relevant to a particular job or career field. Examples include: operating laboratory equipment, computer program proficiency, French Cuisine cooking, and foreign language ability.

Adaptive Skills – these are personal attributes you bring to the professional environment and often the most sought after by employers.  Examples include: motivation, initiative, integrity, flexibility and self management.

It can be exciting to re-discover your skills – enjoy the journey!