Resume Writing Skill Assessment

Mr. Ravi Mirchandani from Career Placements India is a Certified Professional Resume Writer from USA. The only Placement agency in Pune with offices pan India and overseas in UAE and USA which has Resume Writing Services and providing employment to the desired candidates. We specialize in Middle and Senior level for Resume Writing Services and have been our forte for the past 2 decades.

Your Assets = Your Skills

Your value to an employer is directly proportional to the skills you have to offer. In the eyes of the employer, you are your skills.

Everyone has a unique combination of skills. And, in a nutshell, that is exactly what you are advertising in your resume. That’s why it’s important to take inventory of your skills and have a clear idea of what you have to offer before you begin your resume.

Skills are not only technical, or acquired through formal education. Inborn personality traits or self-management skills are also meaningful to an employer. Yet most people tend to overlook these marketable traits when they prepare their resume.

Skills can also be acquired through experience—and not only employment experience. Many times volunteer duties can be a source of numerous skills that should also be added to your inventory.

Transferable Skills

In recent years, a lot of attention has been given to “transferable skills.” A transferable skill is simply a general skill used in one job situation that can be transferred to another job task without additional training.

For example, teachers utilize the skill of public speaking when addressing a class. This same public speaking skill can easily be transferred outside a classroom setting and be utilized in another situation. Teachers could transfer their classroom skills to a business setting and apply for a job to train employees or conduct seminars.

If someone is proficient in a skill he or she enjoys, yet wants a change of jobs, then focusing on “transferable skills” is the answer. Finding a job that fits your particular combination of skills would offer an excellent alternative.

Deciding On A Career Goal

The first question you must ask yourself is: What job do I want? Without a specific goal or job objective it is impossible to write an effective resume or conduct an effective job search.

What sort of job should you be looking for? It is important to choose a realistic job objective-a job you are qualified to do at this present time. In other words, you should be seeking a job that matches the skills you presently have. You have three choices in choosing a realistic objective, as follows.

The Same Job: You Just Left

Most unemployed persons prefer to seek the same job they held previously. They are familiar with the work and already have the skills and experience to handle the tasks at hand.

A New Job—But One That Utilizes The Same General Skills

Many persons who find themselves unemployed opt for a change. The most logical job change would be one that utilizes the same skills but in a different setting, such as the teachers mentioned in the previous section on transferable skills.

In this situation you would have to prepare a resume that highlights your transferable skills and demonstrates to a future employer that you are indeed capable of transferring your acquired skills to new tasks and responsibilities.

A Career Change

If you want to change careers, but do not have the skills or experience needed for the change, you can still implement a plan of action:

• You may decide to go back to school or take an apprenticeship to acquire the skills you need for your new career. To do this you may have to take part-time work to make ends meet. However, if your goal is a new career, it may be worth sacrificing the present to build a more satisfying future.
• You can opt for an entry-level position in the area you desire. For example, you may decide that management is what you would love to do, but you have no experience. If you cannot go back to school to learn management skills, you could apply for an entry-level position in sales and learn the ropes while you acquire the skills you will need to move up to management.

If you decide to take an entry-level position, be sure your resume demonstrates that you are equipped with at least those skills required to begin a career in your desired field. Taking an entry-level position and learning on the job offers an opportunity for you to make a career change a reality.

If you are uncertain of what skills are required for a career change—do research. Call people in the position you are seeking or call the personnel department and find out what skills are required for the job. If you can demonstrate in your resume that you have those skills, then you have an excellent chance at landing the job.

If you do not have the skills required, you will not get the job and will have to implement a career plan that makes use of your present skill level.

The ultimate choice is yours. However, regardless of which plan of action you decide to follow, you must take inventory of your skills.

Taking Inventory of your Skills

The following practice worksheet is designed to help you take inventory of your skills. It’s crucial to take inventory now, before you begin writing. Not only will it keep you organized and focused as you write, but it will also aid you in setting a realistic career goal.

To inventory your skills, use the lists that follow the practice worksheet. The following instructions will explain how to use these lists in filling out the practice worksheet that follows.

You may want to create your own skill areas such as: Transportation Skills and list such tasks as truck driving, chauffeur, and so on.

The idea is to list all of your marketable skills—general and specific.

If you cannot find three major skill areas that you are proficient at, look at the tasks listed under each skill area. If you performed any such tasks in any of your past employment, you should list them.

Technical Skills

Most of these are job titles. Look at the list and check off any of these positions you may have held. Be sure to include jobs done on a volunteer basis as well. If you were involved in fundraising for an organization, you may want to include skills such as bookkeeping or public relations, or sales and persuasion. The main point is to be thorough and list everything.

Next prioritize these skills. Which are your strongest skills? Which are the most important for your job objective? On the practice worksheet, under the heading Technical Skills rank your top four skills from this list.

Major Skill Areas

These are general skills used in a wide variety of jobs. These are also the type of skills that are transferable. Check off the ones you are proficient at. Again prioritize them, and choose three main skill areas that are the most important for the job you are presently seeking. Write them on the practice worksheet in the spaces entitled Major Skill Areas.

Specific Tasks

Under each major skill area, you will find a list of specific tasks. Check the tasks you have performed. Prioritize them. Then add them to your practice worksheet. Be sure the tasks you record correspond to one of the major skill areas you have listed.

Marketable Personality Traits

What are your most marketable personality traits and self-management skills? By most marketable, we mean which of your personality traits and self-management skills are most in demand for your job goal and are the most impressive to your future employer?

If the job you are seeking is people oriented, be sure to emphasize people—oriented traits. Of course such traits as “loyal,” “dependable,” and “works well under pressure,” are qualities that employers always seek.

Again, be selective and prioritize. It you are seeking a job as a manager you may want to emphasize skills such as an ability to motivate and get along with others, and being a team player. Accountants on the other hand would emphasize task-oriented goals since their main job is with data, not people. They may want to stress such traits as being analytical, having an eye for detail and working well under pressure.

A WORD OF CAUTION: PERSONALITY TRAITS ARE SUBJECTIVE—NOT CLEARLY BLACK OR WHITE. BE SURE YOU CAN BACK UP EACH TRAIT WITH EXPERIENCE (PROFESSIONAL OR NONPROFESSIONAL) OR WITH RECOMMENDATIONS OF OTHERS.

Once again, select your three most marketable traits and list them on your practice worksheet.