Identifying Your General Skills

By the time you are ready to enter the working world, you should have amassed a variety of general skills. Your potential employers will want to know which skills you possess, and how you acquired them.

General skills are those skills that are transferable across a wide range of environments and jobs. They can be hard to identify because most of us tend to play down what we are good at...but DON'T! A fair assessment of your skills does not, in any way, constitute boasting!

One way to begin identifying skills is to write an experiential diary. Break down all your various activities and tasks into the skills that were necessary to complete them. (Remember university, employment, voluntary work and extracurricular activities.) By writing this diary, you can distinguish between the tasks you have performed, and the underlying skills necessary to complete them - and having specific examples is invaluable when you are writing a resume or answering questions at an interview!

Below is an example of the type of entry you might include in an experiential diary:

Task: Writing a 10 000 word thesis
Skills: Ability to carry out original research, problem-solving skills, written communication skills, organisation

Task: Answering the telephone
Skills: Effective use of language, clear diction, ability to deal with inquiries, ability to solve problems

Task: Waiting on tables
Skills: Demonstrated poise under pressure, speed, accuracy, good memory, mulit-tasking, sales skills

Activity

Develop a worksheet, based on the example provided, for each job or experience that you have participated in. In a résumé you may want to describe these skills rather than simply list tasks. Skills are easier for the employer to appreciate, especially when your experience is very different from the employment you are seeking. In addition to helping you identify general skills, this experiential diary will prepare you to speak more effectively in an interview about your qualifications.