Determining And Developing Your Skill Set Can Influence Advancement In The Workplace
Skill sets can be determined and developed as early as your high school and college years, preparing you for your ultimate professional career. A skill is an ability to perform an activity in a competent manner. Skill sets are defined as those single units (abilities) or combination of units, that link to a license, requirement, or industry need.
There are three main skill sets:
Transferable skills describe what it takes to perform a particular task. Typically communicated in verbs, such as organize, analyze, and promote, these skills are transferable to different work functions and industries.
Knowledge-based skills describe work-specific information or technical knowledge required, to carry out a procedure or perform a specific task. These skills are typically communicated in nouns, such as statistics, accounting, or human resources.
Personal traits and/or Attitudes can affect your work performance. Adjectives are used to describe these skills, which are results-oriented, patient, and collaborative.
Transferable skills can be broken down into five broad areas:
Communication is the skillful expression, transmission, and interpretation of knowledge and ideas. Some specific communication skills are speaking effectively, writing concisely, persuading, describing feelings, and listening attentively.
Research and planning describes the search for specific knowledge and the ability to conceptualize needs, as well as their solutions. Specific research and planning skills are creating ideas, forecasting, gathering information, setting goals, analyzing, and developing strategies.
Human relations describe the use of interpersonal skills for resolving conflict and helping people. Some detailed skills are listening, motivation, counseling, conveying feelings, and representing others.
Organization, leadership, and management skills describe the ability to supervise, direct, and guide groups of individuals in the completion of tasks and in the fulfillment of goals. Specific managerial-type skills are initiating new ideas, delegating responsibility, promoting change, handling details, and managing conflict.
These skills are learned from your personal experiences. Some ways employees acquire additional knowledge-based skills are by attending seminars, getting additional training, or other similar practices, which you may have studied to enhance your expertise in a certain area.
A knowledge-based skill set may include computer skills, marketing knowledge, and product development, to name but a few. Your skills will vary, depending on the industry within which you work.
This is the skill set that can make or break you in an interview. Employers are known for asking job candidates to describe who they are as a person. It may seem like an easy question, but it is definitely one that will cause you to ponder a bit. Be confident in your personal interests and attitude skills. Before any interview process, make sure you have something in mind to respond to this type of question. Just remember to sell yourself with a modicum of modesty.
Whether you are a high-school student or a recent college student, it is important to determine what your interests and abilities currently are. You might ask why. The answer is simply because you can save yourself a lot of time when it comes to picking a college major. When you understand your skill sets, you can develop them early, in order to prepare for your future in the working world.
To determine your skill set, take a free personality test, such as a self-assessment test. In most cases, you will take this kind of test during your high-school years. If not, speak with your guidance counselors, telling them that you want to pinpoint your personality, personal interests, and skill set.
Understanding your skill set is a significant way to advance and excel in whatever education or professional career path you choose.
US Department of Labor Career Occupational Outlook Handbook