Career Advancement: Identifying Skillsets

Welcome to round three of our career growth plan series!

After weeks one and two, we should now be armed with a career plan and a professional network to grow our skills and further others'.

With these pieces of the profession puzzle in hand, we might think that something's missing or a lack of specific skills makes us stand out. These can be skills you employ every day without thinking about them, so-called soft skills, or they might be the things you actively do daily but considered typical and not uncommon. "Anyone can do what I do," or "Oh, that? Everyone in my line of work knows this!" can be sentences heard by career coaches and mentors alike frequently. We need to recognize that these skills are present and being used so we can leverage them correctly.

It can help to start on your own to explore your hidden skills. Did you gain awards or notable achievements that could be related to your work? Certifications, accreditation with products, or special recognition from a business partner may seem insignificant when first received, but they call out your personal growth and applied knowledge.

While you can ponder your daily work and spot the hard and soft skills you bring to the table, it is advisable to talk to your team lead, a mentor, or just a work colleague to help with this step. Identifying your hard and soft skills together in reviewing daily tasks and anything you might be doing related to your job is much easier with backup! Talk about what you have been doing that made their everyday work life better and what they feel has improved their work output or confidence when working with you.

As you consult others about your skillset, make sure to listen closely. Try to accept that skills others call out are indeed essential and noteworthy! What you might enjoy doing, do habitually, or proactively to avoid future issues might be a very valuable asset to your whole team.

Let's look at some core hard and soft skills that are in high demand, especially working from home like we at HSL mostly do these days.

Hard skills are things that might make up your portfolio already. They are aptitudes that are specific, easily defined, and quantifiable.

Anything you can effortlessly learn by picking up a book or attending a class could be classified as a hard skill. Knowledge of specific design tools and coding languages and scrips, proficiency in several spoken languages, successful product release, certifications, art portfolios – all of these are hard skills you can present easily and with undeniable proof of their existence. It is easier to create a list of hard skills and can often be done independently by simply reviewing the work done in the last few months.

Hard skills also include project management, data analysis, design, mathematics, effective writing or negation skills, and computer software and application knowledge. While these might be slightly harder to show off in a resume or portfolio, they are still demonstrable and essential for your profession. Don't underestimate having gained these skills throughout your career until this point!

Soft skills can be tricky to identify in oneself, as these can be impacted by your personality directly. They are often difficult to define, universally needed, and often hard to measure.

Thinking of soft skills like interpersonal and personal skills is a good approach. Problem-solving and critical thinking skills, successful teamwork and emotional intelligence, attention to detail and personal responsibility, as well as flexibility and creativity are soft skills that can be almost universally applied and are difficult to grow without role models.

These interpersonal skills impact all of our daily work but are incredibly hard to quantify. There is no scale from one to ten on how collaborative we are, nor can we clearly define our level of organizational skills. As such, you might feel it is hard to confirm on your own if you possess these skills. This is where talking to those who work with you directly comes into play! Review soft skills needed for your career advancement and check if you show them. For example, you wish to advance into a team leadership role. Are you organized? Do you possess clear communication skills? Do you show the ability to identify and manage your own emotions, as well as the emotions of others?

In your conversations with others, you may discover that there are skills you're lacking. Take such feedback as a chance to further yourself. If they are hard skills, find out how you can acquire them. Often there are ways to educate yourself with online courses, either with a live instructor or via the many skill-sharing coursework websites. If they are soft skills, find a mentor who can help you find your way into acquiring them. It helps to have a partner to remind you how to exercise flexibility when to take responsibility or step in to give leadership to a group.

Make sure that you are honest with yourself as you create an overview of your skills. If there is a competence you are still growing into, don't feel like you must always include it. Having it ready to mention during your subsequent career discussion will show that you have given it thought and are still actively growing.

Reviewing your skills may need a lot of previously untapped strength and energy. Allow yourself time to review your skills, check if your knowledge might need to be updated, and consider the help of your network to further yourself.

Even when not looking for work, it is a worthwhile exercise that will help you feel more capable and give you direction when you feel in a rut.

Which skills do you value most in others or yourself? Feel free to share your insights with other readers in the comments!