Why Job Skills Are Your Way To Beat Unemployment

Thanks for being a subscriber to Coaching for SUCCESS the newsletter of Your Career Change.com We bring you answers to issues you raise and information you can use immediately. This issue focuses on "Job Skills" and how you can use them to beat unemployment and job loss.

This time:

1. How Identifying Your Skills Will Get You the Job
2. Top Skills Employers Want

How Identifying Your Skills Will Get You the Job

When you apply for a job, it is essential that you understand your own personal strengths and weaknesses and get ready to address them. By knowing your strengths and special skills, the chances of you getting the job you want will be much higher, so this is how identifying your skills will get you the job.

However, don't get too confident since appearing to be too confident or as a know-it-all will make your interviewer think you are not the type of employee they want and unfit for the job.

Identifying your skills

Start by identifying your skills. This is the way you get that job and being able to talk about your abilities and expertise gives you the best shot.

Lots of people have a hard time talking about their skills and abilities as it can sound like bragging, but you should not be shy or afraid to discuss your genuine skills.

It is important that you convey to your prospective new employer what your talents are. You should be able to sell your abilities to your employer, because that is how you will get the job that you want.

Whilst it is important that you don't appear arrogant or condescending, you must also avoid selling yourself short. When the interviewer asks you about your strengths or what separates you from the other applicants, you need to ready with a good answer. Of course, make sure that your resume highlights your skills and talents for your prospective employer to recognize.

Hard Skills and Soft Skills

There are two main types of skills, hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the things that you do such as knowing how to operate different kinds of machinery; having detailed knowledge of a specialized computer program, the ability to type fast or ability to use different types of tools.

Soft skills are abstract in nature and include personal qualities; being a good team player, having the ability to work on your own, being enthusiastic or organized and decisive. Work out how you can describe yours and you will get the job.

How To Start Identifying Your Skills That Will Get You The Job

Make a list of your previous jobs and experience you gained.

First thing to do is to make a list of all the organizations that you previously worked for and the things that you learned from these jobs. In other words, what can you now do (better) than you could before. There will be a lot of things to list and you should be careful enough not to forget even the smallest things or activities that you were involved with or organized yourself. It is also a good idea to list the volunteer activities that you participated in.

Look at your hobbies:

Although it might sound trivial at first, it is also very helpful to write down a list of your hobbies. There are a lot of abilities that your prospective employer may get from your hobby list. This will also give an idea of your personality. For example, if you were part of the college debating team, then your employer will understand not only that you have speaking and communicating skills, but that you have good analytical skills too. If you were a good cricket player, then your employer will see that you are good at team activities.

Think also of your daily life and the things that you do. Are you a well organized person who always keeps your things in proper order? Are you an extrovert that makes friends in a matter of minutes? These may seem ordinary and normal things to you, but your future employer will learn something about your personality from this.

Deciding what career you want:

After listing all your skills and all the things that you do well, you can think about what field or career you want to take up. Select the skills contained from your list and match it with the employment you are interested in. Looking at ads in the newspapers is a good way to find out what skills are wanted. Always take time to consider if your skills are relevant to the job that you are after.

It is important to know your skills every time you are job hunting as this is how identifying your skills will get you the job.

Top Skills Employers Want - How to Get the Job

In today's competitive job market, made more difficult, employers are only interested finding new people who can not only contribute rapidly to the growth of the company, but also help to boost its efficiency and productivity.

What this means to you dear job seeker is that most employers will be looking for people who already have the most desirable job skills that meet the requirements of the organization.

So if you are one of those people who wish to make it to the job that you have been dreaming of, it is important for you to know the top skills that employers want.

This is a list of the important job skills a job seeker must have to be sure of landing a good job and just as importantly, keeping it.

1. The ability to find relevant information: Research Skill

Job seekers should possess the ability to systematically find relevant information through research not because they want a research job, but in order to do effective searches for the data needed by a particular activity.

2. Logical thinking: Information Handling

Most businesses regard the ability to handle and organize information to produce effective solutions as one of the top skills employers want. The ability to make sensible solutions regarding a spending proposal or an internal activity is valued.

3. IT Skill: Technological Ability

Most job openings will require people who are IT or computer literate or know how to operate different machines and office equipment, whether a PC or multi-function copier and scanner.

This doesn't mean that employers need people who are technology graduates. The simple fact that job seekers know the basic principles of using the technology is sufficient.

4. Getting your words understood: Communication Skills

Employers tend to value and hire people who are able to express their thoughts efficiently through verbal and written communication. People who land a good job easily are usually those who are adept in speaking and writing.

5. Efficiency: Organizational Skills

Organization is extremely important to maintain a harmonious working relationship in the company and the opposite, disorganization costs money. Hence, most employers want people who know how to arrange their work through methods that maintain orderliness in the workplace.

6. Getting on with others: Interpersonal Skill

Because the working environment consists of various kinds of personalities and people with different backgrounds, it is essential to possess the skill of communicating and working with people form different walks of life.

7. Career Advancement: Professional Growth

Employers prefer to hire people who are able to create a plan that will generate maximum personal and career growth. This means that you are willing to improve yourself professionally by learning new skills to keep up with developments in the workplace.

These are just some of the top skills employers want. Take note of these skills which demonstrate how to get the job and be successful in your every job seeking endeavor.

There's another page online about beating unemployment at Unemployment and Job Skills

Personal Mentoring For Job Search Success

I am constantly updating our website at Your Career Change, I need to be sure it continues to meet your needs and you find it helpful.

So my challenge is keeping this newsletter and the website focused on YOU.

The best way I can do this is by from time to time asking you the question:

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE?

Perhaps it's getting your Resume sorted out or writing cover letters; maybe you're unsure as to your career direction or even need to get a new job quickly and want to know how to accelerate the process. Every job or career related challenge has an answer, and I'll help you find it.

I would be delighted if you would reply to me using the contact form at Contact Form or by emailing me at peter@your-career-change.com and let me know how I can continue to provide the information you need. You could also just fill in the Quick Poll on the home page.

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, thank you again for being a subscriber, 'Coaching for Success' is Success Coaching and Coaching for Winners!

Thanks for your support, I hope you will continue to enjoy the new ezine - the success depends on you! Let me know if there's anything you'd like me to cover or any question you'd like me to answer.

Best Wishes

Peter Fisher

www.your-career-change.com