What are you good at?
All job seekers should ask themselves this question for two reasons:
- self-knowledge and direction
- employers want to know the answer
First consider each aspect separately.
From a personal perspective, “the things you’re good at” tend to be the things you enjoy doing or voluntarily spend much time practicing.
From an employer’s perspective, “the things you’re good at” are the things you do that help the company make money, since the goal of any business is to be profitable. It may sound crass but an employee’s value is ultimately measured by their profit-making ability.
Now combine these points to arrive at your primary job search target: “I’m looking for work that I enjoy enough to do voluntarily AND will generate profit for an employer.” If you want to add further conditions such as salary, time scheduling, or geographical location, make sure that job satisfaction and employer profitability aren’t sacrificed in the process.
The things you’re good at are listed in your resume’s “Skills & Accomplishments” or “Personal Profile” section, along with examples that illustrate their financial benefit to an employer. Reducing errors, costs, duplication, waste, breakdowns, or accidents are just as important to the bottom line as increasing production, sales, customer numbers/satisfaction, or efficiency.
Also remember that the more skills you have, the more valuable you are to an employer in terms of flexibility and diversity, so don’t forget to include all your relevant attributes when applying for any position. Competition for most jobs is usually stiff; if you can demonstrate how your extra skills give you an advantage over other qualified candidates, it just might influence their decision to call you for an interview – or hire you for the job.