Even though I’m not a fan of making career decisions based only on skills, it is still important to be able to name your skills, especially when you are changing jobs or careers. Here’s a starter list of skills to rank from 1-5, with 5 being most important. Then add a + if you enjoy using the skill or a – if you don’t. If you haven’t had any experience but think you likely have the skill, put your ranking in parentheses.
Communication
____ speaking effectively
____ providing appropriate feedback
____ writing clearly and concisely
____ negotiating
____ listening attentively and objectively
____ perceiving nonverbal messages
____ expressing ideas
____ persuading
____ facilitating group discussion
____ reporting information
____ interviewing
____ describing feelings
____ editing
____ public speaking
____ responding appropriately to feedback (both good & bad)
____ using various styles of written communication
____ using various media to present ideas imaginatively
____ conveying a positive self-image to others
Research & Investigation
____ forecasting/predicting
____ analyzing
____ creating ideas
____ developing evaluation strategies
____ identifying problems
____ testing validity of data
____ imagining alternatives
____ designing an experiment or model
____ identifying resources
____ formulating questions
____ gathering information
____ making conclusions
____ solving problems
____ conceptualizing
____ setting goals
____ observing and discovering
____ extracting important information
____ defining needs
Financial Management
____ developing a budget accurately estimating expenses
____ ensuring timeliness of payments and income
____ keeping accurate and complete financial records
____ fundraising
____ accounting
____ calculating
____ assessing
____ projecting/forecasting
____ investing
Interpersonal
____ developing rapport
____ being patient
____ being sensitive
____ interacting effectively with peers, superiors, and subordinates
____ listening
____ persuading others
____ conveying feelings
____ being willing to take risks
____ providing support for others
____ teaching others
____ motivating
____ demonstrating effective social behavior
____ sharing credit
____ perceiving feelings and situations
____ helping others
____ delegating with respect
____ counseling
____ working with diversity or multi-cultural issues
____ cooperating
____ keeping a group on track
General Professional
____ implementing decisions
____ meeting goals
____ cooperation
____ enlisting help
____ enforcing policies
____ accepting responsibility
____ being punctual
____ setting and meeting deadlines
____ managing time and stress
____ organizing
____ attending to detail
____ making decisions
____ working effectively under pressure
____ seeking opportunities for professional development
____ taking initiative in job-related duties
____ evaluating personal and professional strengths and weakness
____ discerning appropriate behaviors for the workplace
Organizational & Leadership
____ initiating new ideas and tasks
____ managing groups
____ handling details
____ delegating responsibility
____ coordinating tasks
____ teaching/instructing
____ coaching/mentoring
____ promoting change
____ counseling
____ selling ideas or products
____ managing conflict
____ making decisions with others
____ motivating and leading people
____ analyzing tasks
____ organizing people/tasks to achieve a specific goal
____ identifying people who can contribute to solutions of problems or tasks
____ following up with others to evaluate progress
____ facilitating brainstorming activities
____ conducting meetings
____ developing goals for an organization
____ giving praise and credit to others for a job well done
____ prioritizing tasks
____ solving problems/mediating
____ encouraging and inspiring
____ taking risks
____ negotiating agreements
____ implementing sound decisions
____ taking responsibility for decisions
Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving
____ anticipating problems before they occur
____ involving group members to evaluate solutions
____ defining problems and identifying possible causes
____ developing plans to implement solutions
____ identifying possible solutions and selecting the most appropriate ones
____ multi-tasking
____ creating innovative solutions to complex problems
____ identifying a general principle that explains interrelated experience
