Identifying your Hidden Skills
Today we are talking about self-confidence and acknowledging your own skills.
What would you answer if I asked you what is listed on your CV? I imagine you’d list qualifications for school or uni, courses you’ve taken and employment history, right? That’s great and it all goes towards your professional background. Take me, I have an undergraduate degree, a Master’s degree and a PhD and I did all this because I always wanted to be an academic, my main goal was to make professor. So if you look at my CV it’s a list of academic publications, universities where I’ve lectured, conferences I’ve been invited to speak at and so on.
That’s all great – but, the skills we don’t generally think are CV worthy skills are often more important that what results you got in your GCSE’s.
So I want you guys to think about what could be on your ‘other’ CV. For example try and write a CV but you AREN'T allowed to include any exam results or past places of work etc. What would you be left with to list?
For me I would put something like I’m a confident public speaker – I’ve lectured at conferences with over 2000 people it doesn’t bother me at all. I’ve also taught public speaking so I can help other people with that. I am a good listener; I think that’s a massive skill that people take for granted. I am good with dogs; you know if I wanted to be a vet that would perhaps be relevant but we need to look at our skills from different angles. Being good with dogs also means I empathic, I have a lot of time to dedicate to animals and people too. Skills like this are often missed because we are always so busy and in the current climate we are having to be very anti-social.
Still struggling? Look beyond what you might class as a skill, where do your passions lie? I love to read, which is also a skill, not everyone likes to read. I’m good at gardening what could that show? That I can confidently work alone, that I am observant to the needs of the plants, that I enjoy times of peace and solitude etc.
If you want to change career or go into your own business as an entrepreneur these are some of the things you can explore. For me these hidden skills are the things which serve me now a lot better than any of my degrees do! I might have a PhD in Biochemistry but I don’t tend to use that on a daily basis, what I do use is listening, empathy and empowering others.
Try to step aside from what we’ve been programmed to value as the only worthy skills and focus on what you skills you have that might be hidden. Are you amazing a cooking? Fantastic at DIY? Adore children? There are always skills that you have that someone else doesn’t – I’m a disaster at cooking! Remember you can use your hidden skills to help others which is the basis of any business and job role.
Do share with us what hidden skills you have!
Nat x