By: Megan Jones

Whether you are just starting your career or looking for a career change it is important to consider your skillset. Additionally, it is equally as important to reflect on the skills you have and assess which ones you enjoy. Therefore, whether you are starting your career, looking to create new goals, or starting a new career path here are 5 ways to find out what you are good at.

Why is This Important?

Finding your skillset or key attributes help you market yourself to future employers. Additionally, it provides you the opportunity to learn about yourself and lend yourself to your team where you can be most useful. Moreover, if you can harness your skillset, you can see where within your skill you can grow. If you learn what your strength is you can gain practice in areas where you need improvement. Overall, it is a great way to reflect inward and think about what skills or attributes you bring to the table!  

5 Ways to Find What You Are Good At

Reflect on Your Past

If you are new to your career, reflect on your previous jobs. In my experience even entry level jobs can showcase a wide variety of skills! Did resolving customer or internal conflict come easy to you? Were you always put near the cash register because of your positivity and professionalism? Did you work in the back organizing schedules or merchandise? All of these are examples of seeing where you excelled in the workplace. Moreover, these skills are marketable and exceptionally important at any job!

If you have been in your career for a little longer, look back at your past projects or accomplishments. Whether you were taking minutes, helped a launch, or recommended an update in procedure, these are all essential skills to possess.

Take your time and thoroughly flesh out your job experience and see where the common overlap is. These most likely are areas that you excelled in.

Take an Assessment

If you are looking to take an assessment to actually assess your skills there are plenty of options through google but one of my favorites that divides your skills in to categories can be taken here.  

Additionally, if you are looking to do reflection assessment Indeed provides a wonderful assessment, that can be accessed here.

Try New Things

Sometimes finding what you’re good at can lead you to try new things. First consider something you enjoy doing, then take the next step of expanding on it. Are you someone that enjoys numbers? Does inserting and matriculating data come easy to you? Consider expanding on that skill by taking a data class or trying to learn more about the systems that your organization uses to analyze data.

If you are someone who enjoys working with customers, creating communications, or engaging in team bonding consider taking classes in communication! Or even consider doing research on different communication styles so you can appeal to a wider audience.

Identify What You Love to Do

Sometimes we are best at skills that we enjoy doing. Look at the different aspects of your job and look at what you enjoy. Take a moment to reflect what aspects of your job that you get excited to do or try to do more frequently. Then, take this opportunity to expand on this skillset, it may excite you even more!

Ask!

If you are still feeling stuck and trying to figure out what your skillset is, ask around! You can ask previous employers, your current manager or colleagues around. Your manager may notice skills that you weren’t aware of.

Consider scheduling a meeting and asking what they believe are your top 3 skills. You can also take this opportunity to discuss areas of improvement and see if you can better work towards attaining and loving a new skill.

We wish you the best in your search for your skillset! We know you are all exceptionally talented and capable individuals.