Struggling to Communicate Your Skills? Try These 3 Simple Steps
Read time: 3 minutes
Today, we're diving into how to identify and communicate your skills.
Do you know what your skills are?
Can you communicate those skills to others?
If you can do both, you have what I call "Career Currency.” This concept is the foundation for developing those vital skills and experiences that make you valuable.
Understanding and effectively communicating your skills can set you apart in your career. This process, what I refer to as building "Career Currency," is crucial because it enhances your ability to navigate job interviews, ace performance reviews, and shine in everyday professional interactions.
When you know your skills and can articulate them, you become more confident and credible, making it easier for others to see and value your potential.
Unfortunately, many people struggle with this because they either undersell their potential or believe they excel at everything.
Why We Struggle to Identify Our Skills
We tend to guard our ego.
We overestimate our proficiency in various areas.
We lack critical self-reflection.
We don't seek feedback from others.
We struggle to see the practical application and transfer of our skills.
Here's how you can overcome these challenges and turn your skills into career currency, step by step:
Step 1: Reflect Deeply
Ask yourself concrete questions:
If you could design a character for a book, movie, or game, what skills would you give that character?
What gives you energy? What drains you?
What is your most significant achievement? What about a disappointment or failure?
These questions help you understand the underlying emotions and motivations behind your answers. If you’re struggling, ask people who know you well and look for patterns in their responses.
Step 2: Name Your Top Three Skills
Many people fail at this step because they stick to generic statements like, "I'm good at selling." Instead, you need to pinpoint your unique strengths and skills.
For example:
"Selling ideas comes naturally to me; the idea of sharing the benefits of something really fires me up."
"Presenting topics comes naturally to me because I love interacting with people."
Step 3: Craft and Practice Your “Feature” Pitch
Think of yourself as a product. By naming your feature, explaining its benefits, and giving examples, you create a powerful narrative of your value.
For example:
"Selling ideas comes naturally to me. I can quickly identify another person's pain points and offer possibilities or scenarios that alleviate those pains. I do this by asking three very powerful questions..."
It’s natural to want to guard the ego. The pleasure principle tells us that we tend to protect our self-esteem. Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Ben Franklin added, “There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self."
Understanding yourself is tough, but it is the first warmup to build career currency.
By following these steps, you'll have a unique, powerful, and concise delivery of what makes you valuable.
See you next Wednesday.
