Just the other day I read a great article from the Wall Street Journal describing how applicants are largely equipped with all of the right skills, they are simply not articulating them in a way that makes sense to the employer. Across various forms of literature, experts assert that there is a “skills gap” plaguing students who are leaving their institutions of higher education. Well, well, well.. we have some news! This is not a skills gap, but rather, an awareness gap. You are simply not recognizing your skills as they relate to jobs you are applying for. I recognize that some of our readers are a little less than fresh from the college market. So whether you are new to the world of work or wanting to change industries, this information will certainly help you!
I like to use my own stories to provide examples, so join me on a journey into the mind of a theatre student for just a moment. After college, I moved to Chicago to pursue acting and then came back to Texas and worked for an opera company. After some time in the world of fine arts, I decided that I needed to shift gears. I had a whole break down trying to figure out who would hire little ole me with my theatre degree. My fabulous coworker who has a background in marketing sat me down and started listing off my skills that were relevant to the job I was applying for. After some consoling, I soon realized I was heavily equipped with a great arsenal of skills that I had simply not recognized as valuable to other industries.
So for those of you that are involved on campus, you have likely been developing the critical skills of communication, leadership, and collaboration among others. If you are applying for a sales position, you could confidently say “In my experience with ABC Student Organization, I was responsible for soliciting door prizes from local employers for a large campus event we held each year. My people skills and excellent communication allowed me to persuade upwards of 100 employers to donate to our event. These same skills will be essential to this role as they will help me to develop and maintain impactful client relationships which has been a highlight of my successes in the past.” As employers, we need you to tell us why you are great. Don’t leave it to us to infer.
I want to leave you with this: start writing down (or typing up) a list of the things you have done, compliments you have received, and accomplishments you are proud of. Ask yourself “what are the skills I exhibited/developed/honed in this experience?” Finally, start practicing how you can articulate this information to employers. You are likely much more qualified for positions than you even know.
“People are not going to notice your transferable skills unless you articulate them up front.”
Jane Oates, President of WorkingNation.
There are so many ways you can navigate this sometimes confusing road. For information on upcoming.
Events and Webinars, click here. Head over to our YouTube channel to find previous workshops and employer information sessions.