One of the most important things you must do before seeking work or looking at the work alternatives is to consider what skills and abilities you can bring to the workforce. These are your most valuable assets, and should not be overlooked.

There are three kinds of skills you need in the world of work:

Technical skills are the specialised skills and knowledge required to perform specific duties. For example, driving a forklift, arranging flowers, word processing, window cleaning, gardening, bookkeeping, and nursing. Each one of these broader skills is made up of many specific skills a person must be able to do in order to complete those technical tasks.

Transferable skills are the basic skills required to perform a variety of tasks. They can be "transferred" from one area of work to another. For example, skills in money handling, customer service, problem solving, communication, and organisation.

Personal skills are the individual attributes you have such as attitudes, personality, work habits, and style of operation. For example, the ability to work under pressure, to work unsupervised, and being trustworthy, honest and reliable.

Too often, we think only about our technical skills as they are easiest to identify. Though these are important, employers want a person for more than just their ability to do a specific task. How you approach the task and interact with others is also particularly significant.

In the changing world of work, your transferable and personal skills are increasingly important.

If you have a clear understanding of your skills, it helps you be more confident when you approach employers. It also helps you to consider other patterns and forms of employment, and should enable you to explore realistic work options.

Identifying your skills…we take them for granted!

Have you ever heard a woman describing herself as being "Just a Mother"?

Think about the skills that are required to perform those diverse duties!

The technical skills include: food preparation, washing, cleaning, driving a car, child care skills, and more.

The transferable skills include: budgeting, organising, planning, money handling, meeting deadlines, co-ordination skills, ability to prioritise tasks, and more.

The personal skills include: reliability, ability to work unsupervised, trustworthy, and more.

When you break the skills down that way, it is an awesome list! Nobody can say they are merely "Just a Mother"!!

Try it for yourself. On a piece of paper, make 3 lists, one for each of the different skill types.

Then think about all the skills and abilities that you have acquired through your lifetime, from a range of sources including your hobbies, your sporting activities, your school and other training, your work, and your interests. You may find it useful to get a friend to add to your list.

We have done a few examples to help you get started…

Now look at the lists of skills for what they are - your greatest assets.

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