Getting the Desirable Skills That You Are Lacking

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice


The first step in a job search is to research the skills you need to get the job you want, but what if you don't yet have those desirable skills? Don't panic — you can develop the skills you need to boost your job search. Follow these steps to make your job search a success.

First, make a list of the skills that your dream job requires. Next, assess your ability in each skill on a scale of 1 to 10. Focus your attention on the skills with the lowest scores, but remember that you can still improve skills that scored 7 or 8 to make yourself more attractive to employers.

Next, brainstorm a list of ideas for improving each skill. If you need inspiration, then typing "how do I develop ___ skill" into Google can help generate some ideas. Some other good ways to develop desirable skills include volunteering, studying, internships and job shadowing. The method you need to use depends on the skill you are trying to develop.

Volunteering is a good way to develop interpersonal skills, such as working in a team or serving customers. Consider volunteering in a soup kitchen or local library to develop your communication skills, which could help you get a job in a retail environment. Other volunteering opportunities, such as conservation projects, develop practical skills and show employers that you are prepared to work hard.

Some skills that you need in your job search can only be developed in a professional environment. In this case, job shadowing or interning could help you to develop the skills you need. You might even be able to land a job in the organization where you do your internship.

Studying is a good way to develop specialized skills, such as computer programming or using particular software. If you don't want to enroll in a full-time course at college, then why not try self-study? Many online education platforms provide free self-study materials, which you can use to learn at your own pace. Another option is to audit a class at a local college.

Once you have spent some time developing the skills you need, it's time to update your resume to show employers what you have to offer. On your resume, explain what you have been doing to develop your skills, whether that is volunteering, self-study or an internship.

Having the right skills is the key to success in your job search. Fortunately, there are a number of methods you can use to develop your skills, including volunteering, studying and job shadowing. Once you have identified the skills you need to develop, work on them using these methods, and then update your resume so that it can help you in your job search.


Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

 

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