Know your competencies and skills

If you want to introduce yourself to a potential employer in a job application or an interview, it is important to be aware how you want to describe your skills. You acquire skills from education and work, as well as from leisure activities, organizational work, voluntary work, military service and care of others.

Be aware of your competencies

In order to get a job, it is important that you know how to to describe your own competence. Think through the following:

Academic competence:

• What proffesional skills have I learned through my studies?

• What skills have I achieved that are transferable to many different types of jobs?

• In what areas have I grown as a person (professionally)?

• My professional strengths - what I master well

• What do I want to learn more about?

Job experience, volunteer work and leisure activities:

• What have been my previous work tasks?

• What responsibilities have I taken or been given to me ? 

• What have I learned?

You might have work experiences that do not seem relevant at first sight. However, you will achieve skills from every type of work than can be transferable to other jobs. For example teamwork, communication, time management, problem solving, leadership etc.

Personal characteristics

• How do I work with others and what role do I take in a team?

• What increases my motivation and my commitment? 

• How do I handle stress?

• What are my personal strengths?

Try to describe your skills in a way that makes sense to the potential employer. Emphasise the skills relevant to the job for which you are applying. Try our tool for mapping your competencies below.

Know your competencies

Mapping your skills might help you be aware of your actually know and how you want to describe it to an employer. 

My competencies and skills

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