There are times in our lives when we need a career shift. For some of us—we get to choose our careers, put strategies in place, and map out the trajectory. But now and then we’re not in control of the shift, there are other things at play… sometimes a career shift is thrust upon us, unexpectedly. Either way, it’s always helpful to have an understanding of our skills (soft and hard).
Why?
When we understand what skills we have, we can confidently advocate for ourselves when meeting people, in interviews and on our resume.
When we’re clear on transferable skills, we can easily sell what makes us unique and right for new roles or promotions.
“Being able to articulate our transferable skills is a superpower, supercharging our chances while on the job hunt. And when we know what skills we don't have, we can be clear with ourselves on what we need to work on.”
Understanding your skills can take some self-discovery, and when you’re met with a career shift, some initial self-discovery can go a long way.
Enter: The Skills Gap Analysis.
The perfect exercise to do as you embark on something new. A Skills Gap Analysis does more than identify the skills you don’t have, it provides a clear picture of the skills you have, that are related to roles you want—and extra, great-to-have skills, those transferable ones, that make you stand out from the crowd.
How do you do a Skills Gap Analysis? There are a few steps.
- Write a list of all the skills you have.
Think about soft skills—communication, collaboration, leadership, attention to detail… all the human skills you've learnt so far in your career. As well as the hard skills—the technical, practical skills… like the software you can use, coding languages, programs you're proficient in, and things like that. This list won't be exhaustive but try to spend some time on it, maybe over a few days.
- Find some job ads for jobs you want.
Read through the ads, and highlight the skills mentioned. Look across the whole job ad, look for mention of soft skills, and lists of hard skills. Take what you've highlighted, and write a second list. - Now we compare the lists and make… some other lists.
On a blank page, create three columns, and label them: Skills I Have, Skills I Need & Booster Skills. Booster skills are great to have, additional skills, that might not be called out explicitly in a job ad however are an asset.
- Go through the list of skills from your chosen job ads and add the skills you do have into the Skill I Have column.
- Cross those skills off the list you initially made of all your skills (Point 1).
- Go through the list of skills from the job ad again, this time, adding the skills you don't have to the Skills I Need column.
- Finally, you might have some skills left on your initial skill list (Point 1)… these are your Booster Skills.
There you have it—those three columns give you guidance on what you need to learn, what you can talk about and where you should focus when applying for jobs and interviewing.
You can use the Gap Analysis to prepare for an interview.
Sit down with the column of Skills I Have, and think of examples when you’ve used these skills at work. Write out those examples—they become talking points and answers to behavioural questions.
Look at your Booster Skills column. Think of times when you’ve used these skills to get favourable outcomes at work. They’re a great way to demonstrate results and impact—use these examples when telling an interviewer about yourself and what you can bring to a company.
Now, don’t ignore the Skills I Need column. This column is critical. Chances are, you’ll get asked questions about how you’ve used these skills. Prepare a response, not a lie, a response, that shows you’re aware you need the skill and how you would use it.
For example, you may not have had the chance to use your feedback skills. And in an interview, you might be asked about a time you’ve given feedback. You can say: “If given the opportunity to give feedback, I would first, share an observation, then the impact of what I’d observed and I would always make sure I gave the other person the chance to speak and share their view.’
To get a response like the above, you might need to do some research about how best to give feedback, what can happen, or what to do if things don’t go as expected. The only way you’d know you need to research feedback skills is if you know you don’t have the skill.
Doing a Skills Gap Analysis shines a light on your skills, as a whole picture. And when we have the whole picture, we’re better prepared. Doing a Skills Gap Analysis allows you to take the power back, especially when a shift happens.
About the author
I help people write and talk about themselves. I have 15 years of experience in communications, from branding and PR to digital, web and social media, most recently, internal communications and coaching. My clients are from a variety of backgrounds and industries, including mid-senior leaders, Executives, and CEOs. Helping people achieve their goals by providing communication guidance is what I love to do the most. My current focus is helping more people be visible in the job market. The best way to get in contact with me is via LinkedIn.
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