When is a Skill not a "Skill"?

When writing a resume, skills are critical. And it's not only when writing a resume. You need to be in contact with your skills when you are considering job options, when you go to a job interview, or even when you are in casual conversation with someone about your career. You never know who will be able to help you now or in the future. However, when conceptualizing or talking about skills, the worst thing is not to know what you are thinking or talking about.

So we need to clarify and understand the difference between skills and something else. It's surprising how many resumes I have reviewed, including published samples and articles about skills in which there appears to be confusion about the meaning of skills. Skills refer to proficiency or knowledge about how to do something. Skills are not tasks you perform, like "typing reports." The underlying skill for that would be something like "proficiency in using word processing programs." Skills are also not inborn talents, or aptitudes, such as creativity, inventiveness, or an "ear" for music. Talents and aptitudes may contribute to the development of skills such as becoming a skilled piano player, but they are not skills in themselves. Skills are also not traits, such as honesty or loyalty.

Skills require time to learn and require more judgment as complexity increases. Generally even the simplest of skills such as some of those needed to be a short order cook require at least a month or more to learn. If skills require less than a month to fully learn and little or no judgment, they're  probably not skills.

Considering the above, which of the following would you say is actually a skill? Note that all of these were taken from resume samples or published articles showing these as skills.

a. Assertiveness
b. Critical thinker
c. Vacuuming floors
d. Data analytics
e. Visual problem solving

Answer: d. Letters a and b are traits; c is a task requiring no skills; e is an aptitude.

When you inventory your own skills keep the above in mind. Chapter 8 in my book RELAUNCH! Stagnation, Change, and Renewal in Mid-Career and Beyond goes into detail in helping you effectively list and write your skills, including those that are "hidden." 


Comments