Make another list of all of the other skills you’ve developed throughout life– not just in paid employment. These might include:

  • Operating a cash register when working part-time at a supermarket
  • computer skills or word/data processing skills learned in school, on the job, or as part of a course
  • List specific hardware and software you can utilize
  • Office skills such as reception, filing, opening mail
  • Knowledge or skills gained while earning your degree at University

These are your technical or work content skills. Write these on the Skills Inventory below.

Your skills inventory might look something like this:

• Transferable/Functional

• Personal/Self-Management

• project management
• leadership-coordinating, coaching, training
• giving feedback
• giving presentations
• fundraising
• influencing others
• negotiating skills
• designing policy and procedures
• writing proposals
• organizing
• motivating
• enthusiastic
• supportive
• determined
• resourceful
• perceptive
• creative
• loyal
• trustworthy
• energetic
• committed
• positive

Results Achieved Through Skills Use

Now make a list of examples of how you’ve used your skill strengths. Where possible, indicate the effect or the contribution you made, which will be useful to you in writing your resume and in interview situations, where your ability to link your skills to results achieved enhances your credibility and sales effectiveness.


For example, you might write on your list: “Used fundraising, organizing and presentation skills to influence corporate donors to increase their donations to the ballet by 48 percent over the previous year.”

Key Point: The average adult has somewhere between 400 and 700 skills. Job-seekers struggle to identify five. Why is this so?

• adapted
• attained
• completed
• contributed
• decreased (lowered)
• doubled (tripled)
• eliminated
• established
• expanded
• implemented
• improved
• increased (raised)
• introduced
• maintained
• multiplied
• opened
• proposed
• provided (furnished)
• realized
• recommended
• reduced (cut)
• revamped
• revised
• revitalized
• risked
• saved
• simplified
• sold
• solved
• stimulated
• streamlined
• strengthened
• structured
• successful
• supported
• transferred
• trouble-shot
• uncovered
• unified
• upgraded
• utilized
• widened
• won

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