How to take stock of your skills

As a career advisor I recommend many of the assessments, inventories, 360 evaluations and narrative / story telling options mentioned already. Combining Self awareness, Career awareness and Market awareness. The analytical side of the process is important. The process of skills assessment also benefits from the feeling side of the process. Use your skills or visualize yourself using skills and pay attention to how you feel. As a coach I help clients analyze their 'assessment" results, but I also pay attention when someone tells me their stories. Often those micro-communications tell me when the client hit on something their unconscious processing loved or did not. My advice for effective skills assessment Andrew Seaman is for people to combine their head and heart. Gather analytical data and perform a logical analysis of your skills and the market needs, and while doing so pay attention to how you feel about what your are finding.

I can so much resonate myself with this post. Andrew Seaman I was exactly in this situation last year.? I wanted to make a career change but my struggle?was how to know what my real skills are and how can?I make an impact. I liked being a recruiter but I wanted to know what else I can be great at. These 3 simple steps helped me transform myself from recruiter to coach. ? 1) Find Love This step is very simple! I took my CV and went for a trip down memory?lane and looked for which work or what I enjoyed?the?most. I spent most of my time asking questions?and making a list why and where I did and what were my favorite?bits. Once I completed this exercise?I realized what I loved the most? 2) Brainstorm with time This step is fun, trust me. I argued to myself why I can't be a rocket scientist?or Dwayne Johnson. Logical reasoning and reality checks helped me to understand who I am and what I want to do. What aspect of being a recruiter I enjoyed the most (Trust me, recruiter is much more than sourcing CVs). I was looking for a talent/skill which is transferable I can use in my next career Rest in next comment

I’m an attorney by trade but my skills in data analysis and pattern identification/trend prediction (developed when I would sift through years of legal precedent to craft legal arguments for law firm clients) work just as well, if not better, in my current role as a content designer and strategist. Same goes for my skills in persuasive and technical writing. Realistically, the challenge hasn’t been discovering ways to translate my skills, the primary hurdle was (and still is) getting other people to believe that my training applies to careers outside of the legal field. I’m confident that my skills don’t fit in a box, and I’m always eager to share that with recruiters, hiring managers, and clients, but I don’t always have the chance when decision makers more frequently choose candidates with more on point training and work history.

What a fab question! To me skills are all part of an amalgamation of the unique traits, attributes and stamp that makes a person the individual that they are. While others may share similar skills, it’s about understanding how personal skills link to an individuals success. I recently did a video about personal branding, and describe it as a combination of values, personality, passion and confidence. It’s these components that bring skills to LIFE. So if a person is skilled in Project Management for example, they are successful in this skill because perhaps they believe in achieving excellence and results (values) their natural personality traits are to think in a flexible, out of the box sought of way, they have worked in the field of project management and have studied the subject because they’re (passionate) about operationalising ideas and thrive in positions of authority, finally they view themselves as an expert in project management because they have clear evidence of tangible successes (confidence). So unpacking the WHY within each skill is key. Here’s my recent video; https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/judybullimore-dreamjobcoach_how-do-i-stand-out-from-the-competition-activity-6764285918925897728-Q5BL

Many people have a hard time evaluating their own skills, because they see it as something easy they do without thinking, Andrew. How can that really be a skill that is of value, they often think to themselves. So I always tell people to ask managers, peers or direct reports what they see as your skills. Their perspectives will be different, but definitely look at the overlap. Also think about what what you are asked to do by others. That also can be an indication of a unique skill.

Hi Andrew. 1) How to identify your skills I would recommend a 3-tiered process: a. Self-reflection: reverse-engineer your key achievements to understand the key skills that enabled you to succeed. b. 360 Feedback: ask your line manager, a colleague, a team member, and your coach/mentor what are your key skills according to them. c. Skills assessments: work with a career professionals to identify your skills in depth using tools such as Strengths Finder, Clifton Strengths etc. 2) Figure our where your skills can be useful I suggest a 3 step process: a. Start by what you like doing to identify jobs, employers, and industries of interest. b. Speak with insiders to understand what are the main skills required for each option. Also, check job descriptions, employer websites, and industry publications to gather info. c. Prioritise options that you are interested AND skilled in.

I love this Andrew Seaman! I am a perfect example. One of my primary skills is being very analytical. I have spent approximately 16 years as a hairdresser and am about to graduate and start a job in the banking industry. Both utilize my strength in very different ways. I am always so curious what drives people in specific directions and the influences that survive after a drastic career change.

Years ago I made up this game Andrew Seaman & it’s worked like a charm. It’s called Tomato Sauce ?? Food Label. You’re buying some at the store & turn the jar around and see garlic is the first ingredient so you put it back, going to the next. That’s because you expect garlic ?? to be in there, but that’s not why you’re buying it. Your buying for the taste of tomatoes ?? Your top skills=tomatoes ?? Your secondary skills = veggies or meat Your third level = the sprinkling of ingredients Often times those second & third level skills are collapsed in the ?? For example: Demand Generation With digital marketing & analytics as safe assumptions included in that skill. PS: this does mean you don’t use digital marketing or analytics as part of your key words. ????????????????????????????

Often people only value skills that they don’t have. I find it difficult to sit behind a screen all day so I admire people who have very refined administrative skills, however walking into a room full of strangers fills me with excitement as opposed to apprehension as I love finding out about people. I don’t rate that as a skill, it’s just ‘me’ but apparently other people rate that a skill set. What comes naturally to one person is necessarily an acquired skill to another.?