Matching Your Skills with Jobs

Sometimes when clients are stuck, I like to recommend looking at their skills instead of interests or dreams. People often have already realized that their interests alone won't lead them to careers that can put food on the table, but they don't know where to go from there.

The state of Minnesota has a fantastic, free, 5-10 minute assessment that lets you check off your skills and match them with jobs. It can be great for brainstorming. So many people have skills they don't give themselves credit for, like complex problem-solving, and they don't see how it would lead to another career. Or they know vaguely that they're a people-person, but they're not sure how to describe that talent. This type of quiz gives you the vocabulary to define your skill set.

Have you looked at skills assessments and still feel stuck? Enlist friends and family for help. Ask them what you're good at. Better yet, find someone who's not close to you but works with you. See what they have to say. Dig up old work evaluations if you keep them, or ask your boss for some. Do some research on yourself, and you'd be surprised what comes up.