IDENTIFYING YOUR SKILLS

No one is all-round excellent at everything they are asked to do. The secret of finding

the right job is to identify your strengths. Go through the following lists of skills,

ticking the appropriate box.

Key: 3 = a real strength for me; 2 = I’m moderately good at this; 1 = I’m hopeless at

this

Organizing people and events – getting things done 3 2 1

Following through and completing a task: persistence; reliability; delivering

on what you promise

Having an eye for the detail that will make a difference

Energy and a can-do attitude

Being clear about the ultimate outcome that’s needed

Being able to keep many balls in the air at once without panicking

Being realistic about what can be achieved with the time and resources

available

Prioritizing – seeing what the most important action is

Being able to work in a team, being flexible with others

Planning a step by step process to achieve a goal

Staying calm in a crisis

Managing customer/client service

Unlocking obstacles to progress: problem-solving

Being able to supervise others

Other

Physical accomplishments 3 2 1

Manual dexterity and precision

High degree of hand-eye coordination

Skills with materials (wood, fabric, clay etc)

Setting up or assembling equipment

Constructing or deconstructing buildings/rooms

Green fingers – able to grow things

Dance

Team games

Individual sporting activities (golf, gym, tennis etc)

Food preparation

Keyboarding

Physical strength

Driving

Other

Analytical and data skills 3 2 1

Collecting data

Designing a piece of research

Interpreting data

Checking the accuracy of data and facts

Organizing and systematizing complex data

Retrieving data

Keeping accurate records

Seeing patterns and trends in a mass of data: crystallizing the key points

Computer skills

Financial skills

Solving intellectual or scientific puzzles

Numerical skills

Intellectually flexible – not fixed on one view; constantly seeking fresh ideas

Other

Influencing and persuading 3 2 1

Making a first impression of confidence and authority

Oral skills: able to use words expressively

Being able to listen carefully and without judging the other person

Able to create rapport easily with a wide range of people

Enjoying performance and the limelight; able to hold people’s attention

Able to mediate and resolve conflicts

Able to ask for what you want

Readily conveying warmth, openness and acceptance of others

Written skills: using language accurately and expressively

Working collaboratively

Seeking and managing strong partnerships with others

Able to use logical persuasion to convince others

Willing and able to ask for feedback from others and to listen to views that

might be uncomfortable

Other

Leadership skills 3 2 1

Inspiring by setting out a vision of how things might be

Taking the lead when others hold back

Challenging complacency: constantly driving for improvement

Setting high standards and ambitious targets for yourself and others

Practicing what you preach in terms of your personal values and beliefs

Standing up for what you believe in

Holding people to account for what they have promised

Giving people skilful and direct feedback on their strengths and weaknesses

without blaming them

Creating loyalty from others

Seeing the long term: thinking for the future rather than the present

Coaching and supporting others

Being self-motivated; able to work without supervision

Leading and coordinating a team

Managing yourself 3 2 1

Understanding what your impact is on others

Knowing your own hot buttons; being able to control your own emotions even

in testing circumstances

Managing personal stress effectively

Being personally well-organized: punctual, orderly; using time effectively

Managing work-home balance effectively

Treating others with respect, whatever their backgrounds or beliefs

Constantly seeking new ways to learn and grow

Setting yourself challenging goals

Setting high store by your personal integrity

Ready to own up to personal mistakes without defensiveness or over-

apologizing

Learning from mistakes

Demonstrating passion and enthusiasm

Saying no assertively and without giving offence

Other

Creativity 3 2 1

High degree of visual awareness

Musical ability/appreciation

Writing

Interior /garden design/fashion

Composing

Other artistic/craft activity – e.g. painting, sculpture, film-making

Acting/singing/performing

Driven to find new ways of expression in your chosen field

Reading novels, biographies, history, poetry

Attending performances in the arts world (film, galleries, theatre etc)

Other artistic activity

Teaching others

Investing time in your own development and training; continuing to learn

Other

Conclusions

Which area has most ticks in the threes column?

What patterns emerge for you?

Go through the skills you have ticked as three. Now star any at which you

know you excel

Award two stars to any which you really enjoy – skills you would use regardless

of whether anyone paid you or not

Which of these skills/competencies now need to be the focus of your resume?

LIFE AND WORK SKILLS

Do prefer Do not prefer

Your strengths: those you prefer to

use and use well

Your supplementary skills: those

you tend not to use often, but

when you do, do well

Do well

Your development areas: skills you

like to use and would like to

improve

The discarded skills and abilities;

those you don’t like using and you

don’t use well

Don’t

do well