Identify Your Skills - Know the Different Types of Skills

Skills are the key to any job success. Learn about the following four skills categories, which you may need in your job search. 

The Foundation Skills are the ones every worker needs. They are organized into four groups: Basic, People, Thinking, and Personal Qualities. They are marketable and transferable skills.

Marketable Skills
Marketable skills are those that an employer will pay you to perform:
  • All of the Foundation Skills, 
  • The skills listed in "Want to Hire" advertisements.
  • Examples of unmarketable skills are, Riding a bike . . . who will pay you to use that skill? Not many. Learning a skill like creative writing will certainly motivate an employer to pay you.

Transferable Skills
Transferable skills are ones that you can transfer from one occupation to another. For example, Architect can transfer their skills to occupations like "Civil Engineer" and "Electrical Drafter." Your transferable skills are valuable because they enable you to work in a variety of occupations.

Motivated Skills
Motivated skills are those skills that you enjoy using. If at all possible, you want to work at something you enjoy doing. Think of an achievement, accomplishment, or "good experience" you have had - whether related to work or not. Then, write down or tell someone,
  • What you did,
  • How you did it, and
  • What happened.
You will be describing your motivated skills. These are especially important if you are thinking about your career direction . . . doing what you enjoy doing.