| Identifying
your skills and getting that job
When
applying for a job, it is ideal that you identify your
strengths and weaknesses and get prepared to address them. By
knowing your advantage, the chances of getting the job that
you want will surely get easier. But you should not get too
confident since this is one of the common mistakes that plague
job applicants. Appearing too confident or as somewhat of a
know it all person will only get you labeled by your
interviewer as unfit for the job.
Identifying
your skills
First
thing's first. You should identify your skills. This is your
ticket to get that job and you should be able to articulate
your abilities and expertise as best as you can. Many people
have a hard time telling their skills and abilities as this
may seem to be bragging. But you should not be shy or afraid
to discuss your skills. In fact, it is important that you
convey to your potential employer what your talents are. You
should be able to sell your abilities to your employer. That
is how you will get the job that you want. It is important
that you don't appear arrogant or condescending but you should
also avoid selling yourself short. If the interviewer asks you
about your strengths or what separates you from the other
applicants, you should be able to readily give a good answer.
But before you even go to the interview part, your resume
should highlight your skills and talents for your prospective
employer to see.
Type
of skills
There
are two main types of skills, hard skills and soft skills.
Hard skills are tangible in the sense that these are things
that you do like: knowing how to operate different kinds of
machinery, knowledge of a specialized computer program,
ability to type fast, skills on using many types of tools,
credentials regarding special crafts, etc. Soft skills are
skills that are rather abstract in nature like personal
qualities. This may include the following: being a good team
player, having the ability to work on your own, being
enthusiastic or organized and decisive.
The
steps to follow
Making
a list of your previous jobs and experience acquired
First
thing to do is to make a list of all the companies that you
had worked for and the things that you learned from these
jobs. There will be a lot of things to list and you should be
careful enough not to forget even the smallest things or
activities that you were part of or organized. It is also a
good idea to list the volunteer activities that you
participated in.
Include
a list of your hobbies
Although
it might sound trivial at first, it is also very helpful to
list all your hobbies. There are a lot of abilities that your
prospective employer may get from your hobby list. This will
also give an idea of your personality. For example, if you
were part of the school's debating team, then your employer
may deduce that you have good analytical skills. If you were a
champion chess player, then your employer will have the
impression that you are good at making critical decisions.
Think of your daily routine and the things that you do and
often take for granted. Are you an organized person who always
keeps your things in proper order? Are you an extrovert that
can easily make friends in a matter of minutes? These may seem
ordinary to normal things to you, but your future boss might
think otherwise.
Deciding
what career you want
After
listing all your skills and all the things that you do well,
you may now decide what field or career you want to take a
crack at. Select the skills contained from your list and
partner it with the employment you are seeking. Always take
time to consider if your skills are relevant to the job that
you are aspiring for. Don't be bothered if you have to cut out
some of the skills from your list. It is also important to
include in the list your skills that the prospective employer
will probably value.
Stand
by what you write
You
should be realistic about your skills and the level of
expertise that you have with it. For example, if you indicate
that you are a very organized person, then you should be able
to show this to the interviewer by being able to organize your
thoughts and effectively use the time that was given for your
interview.
It
is important to know your skills every time you are job
hunting. Always put your best foot forward and good luck!
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