What is a Skills Assessment?
There are very few office support positions that are protected from corporate restructuring and layoffs today, therefore, it is important that you know how to plan an effective job search based on your skills, personality, interests and values. A skills assessment will help you learn about yourself and what job opportunities match your unique qualifications. A skills assessment will also prepare you to make better career and school decisions and become a better employee. After you complete your assessment, you’ll match your results to a list of careers that best match your abilities
What are Skills?
- Being able to do a certain task. e.g.: Having good people skills (being a team player)
- Someone with good office skills can create documents, spreadsheets and databases
- Skills are learnable. Take classes in Office Skills
- Gain or expand skill with practice or training
You will use your skills on your resume, cover letter and during the interview.
Types of Skills
- Transferable Skills transfer from job to job. They are?
- Basic Skills
- People Skills (Soft Skills)
- Management Skills
- System Skills
- Technical Skills
Basic Skills Assessment
Take a skills assessment either online or using the forms below. Start with the Basic Skills Assessment and then take the interest and values assessments. The Basic Skills Assessment lets you rate yourself on skills from five different categories (Basic, People, Management, System and Technical Skills) and then see which occupations are a match for the skills that are important to you. Follow the instructions carefully on the forms below. You will be using the results to search for occupations and prepare your resume, cover letter and application.
Online Assessment: http://www.iseek.org/careers/skillsAssessment.
Forms: http://jobseekersguide.org/sites/default/files/match_skills-1_1.pdf
Match Skills to Occupations: http://www.onetonline.org. (From the Advanced Search option, select Skills from the drop down box)
Interest and Values Skills Assessment
Choose a Career that matches your Interests/Personality
According to John Holland’s’ Theory of Career Choice, most people are one of six personality types:
- R = Realistic people are DOERS.
- I = Investigative people are THINKERS.
- A = Artistic people are CREATORS.
- S = Social people are HELPERS.
- E = Enterprising people are PERSUADERS.
- C = Conventional people are ORGANIZERS.
People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be successful and satisfied.
Choose a Career that matches your values
What values are most important to you?
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
- Relationships
- Support
- Working Conditions
Interest Skills Assessment
Find an occupation that suits your personality by starting with your unique interests.
Form: http://jobseekersguide.org/sites/default/files/interests_occupations_1_2.pdf
Match Interests to Occupations: http://www.onetonline.org. (From the Advanced Search option, select Interests from the drop down box)
Values Assessment
Find an occupation that fits your unique values.
Forms: http://jobseekersguide.org/sites/default/files/work-values-1_3.pdf
Match Values to Occupations: http://www.onetonline.org. (From the Advanced Search option, select Work Values from the drop down box)
Find Occupations
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook – http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
California Employment Development Dept. – http://www.edd.ca.gov/
O*Net – http://www.onetonline.org/
Sample Office Occupations:
File Clerks
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4071.00
Human Resources Assistants
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4161.00
Office Clerks, General
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-9061.00
Office and Administration Support Workers, All Other
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-9199.00
Receptionists and Information Clerks
http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/43-4171.00
Resources:
Know Your Work Skills: www.jobseekersguide.org/US/node/21
ii. ISEEK’s Skills List: www.iseek.org/careers/skillsAssessment
