Identifying Strengths New Breaks, New Horizons Identifying Strengths

Introduction What skills do I have? How will an employer value them? How can I prove I have them?

The plan Stage One – identify a list of all your strengths Stage Two – describe why they would be attractive to employers Stage Three – find evidence of using those skills

Managing Direct Payments Coach sports team Experience Neighbourhood watch Outside work Unpaid Paid Jobs PTA Religious activities Part-time Work experience Guides/scouts Experience Sport Music Charity work Hobbies Voluntary work DIY Travel Caring Gap Drama Crafts Managing Direct Payments Samaritans Managing PAs Crisis

Knowledge Courses/qualifications from school, college, university Courses since you left school – first aid certificate, short course, further degree Cultural knowledge or foreign language skills from countries you have lived in or visited Knowledge from hobbies and interests

Skills Can you: Mend things? Organise people? Work out solutions to problems? Make things? Listen to people? Draw? Follow instructions? Organise events? Write?

Skills (2) Can you: Play a musical instrument? Find out information? Drive? Motivate people? Speak other languages? Act? Use a computer? Design things? Grow things?

Skills (3) Can you: Cook? Train animals? Enter data accurately? Perform in choirs/bands/orchestras? Use spreadsheets? Use desktop publishing? Breed animals? Proof read? Navigate through unfamiliar places? Absorb information?

Skills gained through disability Creativity – finding novel ways round obstacles Determination – succeeding despite barriers Patience – explaining things over and over again Managing Personal Assistants Managing personal budgets Keeping positive Sense of humour Project managing

Personality/attitude Do you manage your time well? Are you cheerful? Are you willing to learn new things? Are you flexible? Do you get on with people? Do you work well in teams? Do you work well on your own? Are you reliable?

So what? You should have created a very long list of qualities. For each one, why it might be attractive to an employer? Keep asking “so what?” I’m good at communicating So what? People tell me their problems So what? Customers have confidence in me That’s good!

Examples Will save money on design costs Can use desktop publishing So what? Fewer mistakes – saves money Accurate with figures So what? Works well in teams Less conflict and more productivity So what?

Finding Evidence Strength So what? Evidence I’m good with people Customers have confidence in me I had an angry customer who was threatening to sue us. I let him talk and listened to him, and offered a solution. He was happy with outcome I’m good with detail I can spot errors I noticed we were spending too much on paper by using different suppliers. I negotiated a discount for bulk purchase from one supplier and cut our costs by 30%

Using the list Ask friends and family to add to the list – they will think of things you take for granted Extract relevant parts for your CV/job application Use examples when preparing for interview Look for themes – are there other jobs you might want to explore? Are some of your skills transferable from one role to another? Motivating – to see a long list of good qualities, useful to employers – boosts confidence.

Are there any other skills you need? There are many ways of acquiring new skills: Read books/research on internet Local colleges Friends with different skills – swap learning! Voluntary work Work experience Shadowing Distance learning

Next Steps Use the exercise to identify your skills Think about why they would be valuable to an employer Find evidence Identify any gaps and decide how to fill them Use your list to impress employers!