If you and I were sitting with a cup of coffee, and I asked you what skills you have, most likely you would tell me the following:
- I don't know what I can do.
- I have no (few) skills.
If you gave the first answer, it’s probably because you didn’t often ask yourself this question.
If the second, then it is because you are human. It is difficult for people to grasp their own skills. Usually you take them for granted and do not single them out as abilities.
Richard Branson. Photo: Reuters / Olivia Harris
So, let's continue to sit with an imaginary cup of coffee: first of all, I will try to help you understand what skills you already have. Our goal is to compile a list of your current skills to understand what you can, what you don’t, and what you would like to improve.
To do this, you need to follow two steps:
- Write down all ideas.
- Structure them.
Step 1: write down all ideas
Your notes don't have to be perfect. The main thing is to do them.
Here, quantity comes first. One of your skills should be written on one card, there can be as many cards as you remember your abilities. You don't need to edit anything. Now the main thing for us is quantity. To start recording, answer the following questions:
What are you good at?
Drop modesty, there is no time for it. What are you good at and, dare I say, great? Maybe you know how to make great marketing proposals? Maybe you, like no one else, know how to balance the budget? And I'm not talking about your current job now. Go back in time. If you've been a great newspaper distributor in the past, just write down "on time delivery."
What is given to you by itself?
It may seem to you that everyone can do some things, but in reality it is not. Hosting fabulous corporate dinners with ease means you're great at planning events and bringing people together. If something comes easily to you, it doesn't mean that it cannot be called an ability. Are you known for having a ten-day supply of clothes in your little carry-on with ease when you go on a business trip? Or maybe you managed to set up a real woodworking workshop in your garage, but you always thought it was a stupid hobby?
Elon Musk cameo in the series "The Big Bang Theory"
Step 2: structure your skills
After you write down a few skills, you start to notice a few things - some of the ideas are related.
Group them as you like. For example, "what I love to do the most," "skills that I get paid more for," "skills that I want to improve," "abilities that I haven't used in a long time."
Place the cards where you can see them repeatedly throughout the day. Always keep several cards in different places at home and some in your pocket.
Yes, it may sound strange, but only an idiot will judge you for writing down your ideas and trying to get smarter. (You can keep your notes on your phone, but remember that handwritten writing of an idea has some special power.)
Mark Zuckerberg in India
Structuring will help you better understand what skills you have. If you wrote down, for example, ten abilities and nine of them fall under the category “Skills I Don't Use in My Current Job,” then that needs to be corrected.
Try to use your abilities more often, learn the skills you need in your current business, or find a new job altogether.
If you end up with two cards with the general category "I have no skills, I hate the author of this article," then it's time to call one of your friends. Have a coffee with him and ask directly: "What skills do you think I have?"
Bill Gates. Photo: Youtube
The main purpose of the exercise is to evoke two different feelings: hope and awareness.
With the first, everything is simple. At the beginning of such a path, you can always easily lose heart and think that you have very few professional skills.
The second is awareness - you need it in order to understand what abilities you would like to acquire. It doesn't matter if you want to improve your performance in your current job or find a new one, you will need new skills for sure.
When you have flashcards of your current skills in front of you, it is easier for you to understand which abilities you are lacking. This way you can more quickly determine what new skills will be required to get a new job or get out of the usual rut.
There are three things that are extremely difficult to do: break steel, crush a diamond, and know yourself.
Benjamin Franklin, politician, scientist and inventor
Ask yourself these 20 questions
Unfortunately, there is no single path to self-awareness. Every person is unique. And the only one who can help you know yourself is yourself.
Some say that for this you just need to live, and wisdom will come by itself. What if it takes 60 years? You can wait, but then you will have it under your belt.
To speed up this process, first answer the following questions honestly. You can do this in any order. Don't hesitate too long on your answer. The one who first appears in thoughts will be faithful.
- What can I do well?
- What am I very good at?
- What am I doing badly?
- What am I getting tired of?
- What is the most important thing in my life for me?
- Who are the most important people in my life?
- How many hours of sleep do I need per night?
- What makes me nervous?
- What calms me down?
- What is success in my understanding of this word?
- What type of worker am I?
- How do I want to look in the eyes of others?
- What makes me sad?
- What makes me happy?
- What makes me angry?
- What kind of person do I want to be?
- What kind of friend do I want to be?
- What is my opinion of myself?
- What do I value in life?
- What am I afraid of?
Please note that everyone interprets these questions differently. This means that there are no right or wrong answers to them.
Analyze the responses
Answering these questions honestly can help you redefine and improve your life. The process itself is important here. By answering questions clearly, you develop your thinking.
Aristotle used the word "logos" - concepts that contain the speaker's unbiased logical arguments.
Learn to express your feelings and emotions in words. Your answers must be sincere so that you understand your strengths and weaknesses. Don't try to hide something from yourself or make yourself look good.
Pay attention to what qualities you would like to change, what hinders you in life. Do what you can and what makes you happy. Avoid what you do wrong and what makes you unhappy.
Just don't go overboard. Remember that there are wonderful moments and difficult situations in life. If you have, do not break off the relationship right away. Just be aware of the cause of these difficulties, such as selfishness, lies, or misunderstandings, and try to eliminate them.
- Study the works of philosophers.
- Be neutral in your conversations. Don't try to be right all the time. View the problem from different angles.
- Write down your thoughts. Always ask yourself why something happened.
- Speak. Communication is very important. Talk to family, friends, colleagues. By expressing your feelings, you will know yourself, especially if you are asked questions that make you think.
This method can be the beginning of your path to self-awareness.
Hello dear friend!
How to write a resume for a job? I will give an example at the end of the article, this will not be the case. Before that, let's talk about rules and mistakes.
A typical picture: we send a resume - no answer, no hello. “What's the matter, where are they looking? I'm a professional! " - we ask in a fit of righteous anger.
In his field - a professional. And in how to properly present yourself - an amateur. Such a picture the author of these lines observed almost daily for 6 years.
Being a professional and being able to promote yourself as a professional are two big differences.
Drawing up a Resume - the first stage of your project for yourself loved in the labor market.
A resume is a document drawn up in a business style. This is, first of all, a set of facts. If you like to express yourself in the epistolary genre, leave it for another occasion. A recruiter is not the kind of person who appreciates the sophistication of your style.
a) Brevity
The volume of the text is one and a half pages. Maximum two, with a lot of experience. Nobody will read "footcloths". A lot of text means you are out of tune with priorities.
b) Structuredness
On work sites, the structure is already embedded in the script, so you won't go too far.Fixed fields should not be skipped. If the recruiter uses automatic processing, a resume with missing fields may end up at the end of the queue.
However, you sometimes need a resume in a regular text editor or in 
printed form, that is, done. I hope you are not limited to publishing on popular sites.
In this case, there is some room for imagination. Just not very violent, pliz)
One way or another, the resume should contain the main blocks:
- What is your full name. How old are you, city, phone in full format (so that you can type with a click from your smartphone), E-mail.
Pay attention to the name of your mail. There should not be any babies, bunnies. For a job search project, create a separate account with a type name [email protected] or simply [email protected]
- Position, which you are applying for... You should not write several posts: both a Swiss and a reaper and a player on a pipe - such a multi-station will rarely be appreciated.
- which you are applying for. If you know exactly your value in the labor market, use the average as a basis for discussion.
If in doubt or ready to consider options below the market - do not write anything. But keep in mind: in some companies, candidates who have not indicated a salary are not considered. There are few such companies, but there are.
- Education
If there are several of them, be the first to indicate the one that is related to the vacancy.
Additional education:
Only what will help the job in this position.
- experience
In chronological order from last job to first. It is desirable that the description traces the dynamics of your professional or career growth. For example, from participation in projects to leadership, from simple tasks to complex ones. If there are no experiments, proceed in accordance with the recommendations from this one.
Pay attention to this point. The dynamics are very striking upon a cursory reading.
Experience should be presented in the language of results. Digitized whenever possible. Especially if you are a leader. See example and this one.
note: The first line in this block is very important. The recruiter sees it in the resume announcement that is shown on the site.It should be selling - in terms of the result.
- key skills
Key means:
What do you do best.
What do you know how to do better than others.
2.Typical mistakes
A recruiter looks at over 100 resumes per day. He has a filter by which he cuts off the resume right away.
I mean, a completely competent candidate can screw up through inattention or ignorance of generally accepted rules and be out of the invite list.
- Be specific. The bloated "about nothing" lyrics will impress no one.
- Do not use overly boring phrases like “focused on the result”, “ready to overcome difficulties”. It's just chatter. Eliminate passages like "I have a weakness for working with documents" and the like.
- You shouldn't lie. Lie a little - you can risk it. But control yourself. If you glue envelopes with a marketing agency and send them in the mail, you can safely say that you participated in market research. But I do not recommend saying that you headed a project to study the prospects of the energy market. Recruiters have a blacklist of liars. Once you lie and get on this list, you can seriously complicate your life.
- You should not write about hobbies that are not related to work.
- The reasons for dismissal from previous jobs do not need to be specified. This is for the interview.
- Spelling errors are highly undesirable. Check your resume text for errors before submitting.
- Don't use generic resume forms. This immediately catches the eye and guarantees your resume a trash can.
3. Sharpening
The purpose of a resume is precisely to answer the question: why should I be invited for an interview? 
- Perfect hit. Read the job description carefully. Highlight the main idea or purpose of the employer. This can usually be seen in the description. Find paragraphs on your resume that fit the employer's idea. Formulate them accordingly. You can highlight these lines in bold. You have done this successfully before, do it here- this message is excellently "sold".
- Highlight keywords in the job description. Include them on your resume for this job. Two or three, no more.
- Study the resumes of other candidates. Try to find a competitive advantage.
- Review your key skills. Which ones are suitable for the job? How?
- Write a cover letter. In the letter, state your “unique offer” based on the previous three points.
The author of these lines was also in the role of an applicant a couple of times and wrote a resume. Link to sample 2013: Sample resume
If the vacancy interests you or you need this job for other reasons, it will not be superfluous to call the recruiter after sending your resume. Work sites usually don't have a phone number, but it's easy to find. Call the general company number, you will be told. This information is not classified.
Having called, you can say the following:
- You fully meet the requirements of the vacancy.
- You wrote in your cover letter that you will call and keep your promise.
- During the interview, you will tell in detail and specifically how you can help the company.
With your call, you will stand out from the background of many other candidates. To make a decision, a person needs impulse. A recruiter is no exception. Your call may turn out to be just such an impulse.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated. Follow the recommendations, and your chances of being invited will increase many times over.
Thank you for your interest in this article.
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Have a good day and good mood!
An important point in the resume, which all employers pay attention to, is the column on the main professional skills. Neither education nor work experience will tell about your personal expertise in certain issues. Therefore, it is worth looking at examples of key skills in the resume in order to correctly fill out the corresponding section. This will help show the employer exactly what you know how to do.
What to choose from
It is difficult to find some "typical" skills. Indeed, each profession has its own requirements and the applicant must meet them. If you do not know what exactly can be written, then you can specify the following:
- interpersonal business communication skills;
- ability to organize work, plan, make decisions;
- attention to various nuances and details;
- the ability to analyze problems, effectively look for ways to resolve them;
- the ability to be flexible;
- project management skills;
- business leadership.
But it is still desirable to select skills depending on the requirements for candidates. Usually the employer himself indicates what he wants from the future employee. The job seeker can simply rephrase his requirements and specify them in key skills.
Leadership skills
First of all, it is important to understand what the key skills for a resume are for those who are applying for a managerial position. Increased demands are always made on potential managers and their candidacies are checked more scrupulously.
The following skills can be specified as skills:
- resolve conflict situations;
- plan and optimally organize the workflow;
- make decisions and be responsible for their results independently;
- think critically;
- effectively manage time and people under command;
- apply motivational programs;
- think strategically and creatively;
- negotiate;
- communication skills, the ability to gain the trust of colleagues, partners and senior management.
It is important to be able to distinguish your skills from your personal qualities. The former are acquired through work and learning, while the latter characterize you as a person.
You can also add multitasking to the list, the ability to adapt to different conditions, delegate some of the powers and monitor the proper completion of tasks.
Communication professions
Separately, it is worth noting what skills should be indicated if you are applying for the position of a salesperson, manager or consultant. For example, you might include the following salesperson skills on your resume:
- ability to manage time;
- experience of personal communication and successful sales;
- competent oral speech, well-trained voice, necessary diction;
- creative approach to sales;
- the ability to listen, give competent advice, find an approach to clients;
- the ability to learn quickly and easily perceive large amounts of information;
- skills in serving people, the ability to show tact and tolerance.
If you know that the company works with foreign clients, then knowledge of foreign languages will be an indisputable advantage. When applying for the vacancy of a sales manager, also indicate, if, of course, this is true:
- proficiency in English, Italian, French or another language;
- confident use of a PC, knowledge of MS Office programs;
- business correspondence skills, including in a foreign language;
- the ability to show attention, interest, friendliness.
But for teachers, teachers, leading seminars and trainings, slightly different requirements are imposed. They must have the following skills:
- motivation for learning outcomes;
- high energy and initiative;
- the ability to concentrate the attention of a group of people and keep it for a certain time;
- acquired skills of patience and flexibility, which must be shown when communicating with trainees;
- the ability to plan and competently organize the work process.
Common to all these professions is the main skill - to establish contact with people.
Other options
Choosing the right skills for technicians is just as easy. The main task, for example, for a system administrator is to control the operation of the entire computer network. Therefore, he must have the following key skills and abilities:
- carry out diagnostics of professional equipment;
- monitor possible risks and plan ways to restore the functioning of systems as soon as possible;
- speak technical English;
- work with large amounts of information.
According to the specified necessary skills for this position, it is clear how much the specifics of the work affects what needs to be indicated in the resume. Separately, it should be noted that in some industries, professional skills are so closely intertwined that it is difficult to separate them.
If you are applying for the position of an accounting specialist, then first it is better to familiarize yourself with the requirements. Examples of key skills in a resume for an accountant can be taken directly from the description of the requirements for candidates. They have to:
- be able to think analytically;
- organize work on a fixed site;
- analyze problems, be able to look for ways to resolve them;
- plan correctly;
- pay enough attention to small nuances and important details;
- prioritize correctly;
- be able to work with a large number of documents;
- be able to highlight the priority tasks;
- have the skills to work with regulatory authorities.
There are slightly different requirements for employees of the legal department. For a lawyer, you can specify:
- knowledge of legislation, principles of the judicial system;
- the ability to draw up documents, contracts;
- skills in analyzing legal documents;
- the ability to work with a variety of information and quickly assimilate it;
- knowledge of computer, MS Office programs;
- communication skills;
- the ability to use the legal framework presented in electronic form;
- multi-vector (the ability to work in different directions);
- skills of working with clients and employees of control bodies;
- ability to work with documents;
- ability to organize work and plan tasks.
Each specialty should have its own skills, but you can choose something suitable for your future work from all the lists presented.
Additional help in finding the right and appropriate characteristics can be this reflection: Imagine yourself as a leader who needs an employee for a position that interests you. What would you expect from a job candidate?
