Skill Sets to Think About

When we are talking about skill sets in career development, what does that actually mean? Skill is described in the dictionary as a noun- “the ability to do something well; expertise” “a particular ability”.

Everyone uses their skill set every day, whether it is at work, with friends, or at home. The skills are what enables us to work, meet personal goals, and bring awareness and empowerment to our lives. Some of the skills we just acquire because a part of our personality traits and our values. Others we have acquired through schooling, past experiences, and interests. By understanding the different types of skills, we can evaluate where we might need help and where our strengths lay. Let’s take a look at what they are and how we can use them whether it’s for a résumé, looking for a job or  at home.

There are 3 different skill sets. The first is based on ability and aptitude. These are actions that perform a task that can be transferred to different areas, jobs, and businesses. They are “doing” skills like organize, gather, build, and calculate… The second set is knowledge-based where specific expertise is needed to perform necessary tasks. This knowledge is gained through education, hands on experience or detailed training. These skills usually have a title like CPA, teacher, and electrician. The last skill set is personal traits and attitudes. This is how one’s personality is described as it pertains to work ethics and performance. He’s patience, independent and performance driven. She’s diplomatic, socially aware and empathetic.

So, are all your skills adaptable and transferable? Yes and no. Let’s start with personality traits and attitudes. These traits are part inane and part learned skills. They are formed by our environment, family, mentors, classmates and experiences. As we grow and learn about ourselves and life in general, these traits can change. It is up to oneself to keep in check of where we are, how we act toward ourselves and others and to grow with each new experience. Some of these traits can be strengthen and can be shaped as we age and acquire knowledge and experience. They are adjectives because they describe who we are and how we behave.

Knowledge based skills are learned or acquired. Some careers take years of education before you can effectively preform a job. Other careers can take years of apprenticeship before you utilize a trade. These skills are learned knowledge in specific fields, procedures and techniques. They are articulated with nouns for precise description of work.

The third set is based on ability and aptitude. These are the transferable skills that are actions taken to execute a task that are malleable in various work performance and industries. Since these are action orientated they are expressed with verbs like organize write, build, and manage.

When applying for a job, rewriting your resume or looking to add new skills for your toolbox, compile a list of your skills using these three categories and see where you want to improve.