Identifying your motivated skills can be a powerful approach for guiding your career direction. It was first pioneered by Bernard Haldane and later adopted by Richard Bolles in the national bestseller series, What Color is Your Parachute?
It works best if you take a methodical, analytical approach, or work with a person trained in this process. (more ...)
Make a list of all those achievement, accomplishments, or similar "good experiences" that you have had in the past 2-5 years, whether work-related or not. Those,
- You feel you did well,
- Enjoyed going, and
- Feel proud of.
Rank order them and choose the best. Now, for each one, write down or tell someone,
- What you did,
- How you did it, and
- What happened.
- Add these skills to your list.
Review your list and make a mark next to any of the other skills you consider your "motivated skills," the skills you most enjoy using.
Tip: Notice in the "My Work Skills" example for Jen, there are "+" signs next to the motivated skills on her transferable skills list.
For more ideas and examples, including a new "Motivated Skills Inventory," see our soon to be published eBook, "How to Be Job and Work Skills Smart!"
