Graduates - do you have hidden skills?
Your qualifications and experience are only a part of what you can bring to a job or placement. Your skills are a key aspect of you and they should be highlighted in your CV. They include the abilities and competencies which you have developed to date and which, importantly, can be transferred into a business environment.
Grads often find it hard to portray the skills they have learned or utilised. These lists can help the translation of an activity undertaken by a Grad to a marketable skill attractive to potential employers.
Skills play a major part in explaining what makes somebody stand out in a competitive job market. By using these lists, you can identify which skills you have used and portray them effectively in your resume and interviews.
| College Work | Skills Gained |
| Presenting a Term Paper | Presenting Skills Communication Skills |
| Writing up Case Studies and Reports | Report Writing Skills Problem-solving Skills IT skills Presentation Skills |
| Working to a Essay Deadline | Time Management Planning Ahead Ability to Prioritise Organisation ability |
| Hobbies | Skills Gained |
| Member of Sports Team | Planning how to Succeed Setting Objectives Being Committed Team Work ( a major element in most work environments) |
| Travelling overseas with friends | Planning & Negotiating Budgeting Getting on with others travelling with you Broadened Horizons and greater overall perspective |
| Organising an Event, such as a Fundraiser, Charity Event or Ball | Being Innovative Attracting Support Preparing Publicity Making a Profit |
| Work Experience (e.g. Restaurant Work, Clerical Work or Promotional Work) | Work Skills Gained |
| Taking Orders or Messages. Answering Phones. | Developing Customer Relations Persuasive Skills |
| Delivering Orders to Kitchen. Relaying messages. Meeting targets. | Communication Skills Writing Clearly Email Communication Working with others |
| Serving Food, Filing, Running Errands for Bosses. | Being Organised Listening to People Taking Orders |
In selling yourself to employers it is important to provide evidence of your skills. A selection of relevant skills set in context will have a greater impact than a long, unsupported list. In creating an effective, evidenced skills list you will also demonstrate your capacity for self reflection and your ability to identify and support pertinent information.
To practise, think about yourself in relation to skills employers generally look for such as: teamwork, communication, and organisational. Where have you developed skills in these areas and how do you use them in your past experience?
Remember that any activity, experience or hobbies you have may have enabled you to develop skills that employers are looking for. Practice by compiling a list of all you have been involved in and then identify the skills that you may have develop using the above examples as guidelines. You can unlock those hidden skills and build a strong CV for employer consideration.