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How to do an Effective Skills Assessment | Yikes! Presentation Part 1

By November 29, 2023February 6th, 2024Job Search

Step 1: How to do a Skills-Assessment

In this session with careerusa.org and careerdfw.org, I made a presentation of my book, “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job”. You can find the full session on my channel as well here. This section highlights the introduction of the book and how to do a skills assessment:

 

Introspection:

Let’s get into the book, the six-step process. The first part of the book is an introduction, and it really is introspection. It’s much like “What Color Is Your Parachute?” there. It just asks you to kind of deep dive and think a little bit about what your core values are, 10 things you’re grateful for. I do this in the introduction to help people start to deeply dive into their career, recall some of the events and things that they had and successes. Then start to frame them in literally pencil to paper—there are little blank forms in the book. You start to feed this stuff, write this stuff down, think about it, and then start to do an inventory of your skills, your competencies. I think what’s really important is your interests, things that you do that could possibly become a career. But it’s really the time to be introspective, and the book kind of lends itself to that.

Nuggets and Assignments:

This book’s full of assignments and nuggets. They’re called Yikes! Nuggets and Yikes! Assignments. But one of the big nuggets is to do more research than just blindly applying online. I found that can be a big false sense of achievement—blindingly applying online. I remember thinking, “Well, I can kind of do that job.” I wasn’t qualified, but I could still see myself fitting into something like that. You’ve got to be really critical of yourself. Do you have the background, the education the job descriptions are requiring? If you don’t have that, just move on. You’re just not going to get through the filters, and we’ll talk about that. So, question for the team down there, if there’s a way that maybe the folks could answer this, I’m curious: What’s the number one thing people should be doing in a job search? Take a guess!

Networking and Research:

Networking. Amen. Absolutely. Decide what you want. What else? Researching. Well, I agree with those answers. I think the number one thing to do is networking, and that’s calling and speaking with people that know you and know what you can do. The second part of that—I touched on it earlier—it’s the research. You’re better off doing more research about opportunities and companies and actually preparing for interviews, which I contend you’re interviewing the company, the culture, the people, the products, as much as they’re interviewing you. But yeah, networking is super important. The stigma of, “Oh my gosh, I got laid off or I got fired,” it doesn’t carry the negativity that it used to. I think 30, 40 years ago, a lot of really good people got swept out of these big companies that the fastest way they can adjust the bottom line is to reduce headcount and inventory, and people just get jettisoned. It’s a shame that’s just how things can be.

Reflection and Lessons Learned:

The first part of the actual six steps—now it’s time to do some thinking. If you’re religious, pray. If you’re not, maybe this is a time to do some thinking about maybe you should get a little closer to the big guy and just give some thought to a prayerful consideration of where you’re going in your life. But I think we’re all one in a million. We have this body of experiences, and if you think about it, it’s statistically a heck of a challenge to find the right opportunity, culture, challenges that are going to draw on your background. You just have to do a lot of research and a lot of networking and a lot of talking to people. I think it’s just a good time to do some reflection about your life, lessons you learned from your family and your job, things you picked up at school, and think about your tools as tools in the toolbox. What are your interests? Where do you want to go with this stuff? And you know what do you do that maybe today you’re not getting paid for but you could get paid for?

Career Evolution:

In some respects, one of the things that I ended up doing in my career is I always did consultative technical sales. I sold aircraft brake material, machines to inspect metal parts. I’ve come back into electronic locks in the higher education industry- did a lot of interesting things. But I came back down to the industry; I’m a mechanical guy at heart. I went back to bearings and PT mechanical stuff, and I was blessed to get back in with Timken six years ago. I’m going to ride off into the sunset. By the way, I’m on vacation, so this isn’t double dipping or anything.

We’re moving onto Step 2: The Resume. See you there!

About “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job”…

Matt helped more than 200 people over more than 20 years. This has become his avocation. He wrote “Yikes!” because he learned about several areas that trip people up in job search. These lead to negative outcomes due to steep learning curves.

Matt researched and found there is limitless free and fragmented information, but no “linear process” as to how to manage and execute a job search. That motivated him to write “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job”.  Gainfully employed today, Matt continues to help people better prepare and manage their job search.

Matt Ostrofsky | Linear Career Solutions
Author: “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job”

At its core, “Yikes!” is a linear, 6 step process roadmap to unlock your career potential. Each person’s career path is unique, and that’s why this book isn’t about one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, it’s a versatile guide that adapts to your circumstances and empowers you to make the most of your career journey.

Through its six steps, this book covers everything from assessing your skills and crafting the perfect resume to mastering LinkedIn, acing interviews, and skillfully negotiating offers. Think of it as your holistic guide to career development, one that recognizes the challenges you may face and provides you with the knowledge and skills to overcome them. We invite you to check out and get yourself a copy of “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job” today!

About “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job”…

Inspired by the insights and the journey of helping more than 200 people finding their job for over 20 years, I wrote this book in my earnest attempt to guide you through the sometimes rocky terrain of career development and job searching. Whether you’re a recent graduate just stepping into the professional world or a seasonal professional seeking new opportunities, my goal is to be your trusted companion on this journey.

At its core, “Yikes!” is a linear, 6 step process roadmap to unlock your career potential. Each person’s career path is unique, and that’s why this book isn’t about one-size-fits-all solutions. Instead, it’s a versatile guide that adapts to your circumstances and empowers you to make the most of your career journey.

Through its six steps, this book covers everything from assessing your skills and crafting the perfect resume to mastering LinkedIn, acing interviews, and skillfully negotiating offers. Think of it as your holistic guide to career development, one that recognizes the challenges you may face and provides you with the knowledge and skills to overcome them. We invite you to check out and get yourself a copy of “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job” today!

Matt Ostrofsky | Linear Career Solutions
Author: “Yikes! I’ve Got to Get a Job”

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