Categorizing Your Skills Self Management Skills

Categorizing Your Skills Self Management Skills This post courtesy of information in a Georgia Department of Labor presentation:   “Why Some People Stay Unemployed.” Skills are one of the most important things you have to convey to a prospective employer.   If you had to name your five most important and valuable skills right now, what would you say they are?   Here is a way to organize your thinking about skills as you prepare for an interview.  Skills come in three basic categories: Transferable skills, Job Skills, and Personal Management Skills.   Self-Management Skills are personality traits which help an employer decide if your temperament suits a particular job. They are clues to how well you may adapt to situations, manage your time, and solve problems. Development of these skills is an individual initiative. For many workers who are new to their chosen occupation, in transition, or simply have the same qualifications that many other applicants have, personal qualities are the best way to differentiate themselves from the crowd. As preparation for an interview, you might consider a list of personal or self-management skills.   Pick three or so that you think categorize you best as a worker and try to relate them to the job you’re applying for.   For instance, you may be a very creative person, but most employers wouldn’t value that characteristic in an accountant. “Meticulous” or “detail-oriented” would be better choices if they describe you.   Deciding how to differentiate yourself can be an art form.   “Caring” and “nurturing” might be great qualities in a collector; you may be more effective in negotiating payment.   On the other hand, a potential employer may see those qualities as a recipe for early burnout in the job. Find a list of self-management skills here,    and take some time to decide how you’d present them in an interview. “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.” (source unknown.)