Why You Should Develop Your Skills

Contrary to what you may think, the employable skills you acquire in college might be more important than your major (Hart Research Associates, 2015). These skills will help you succeed in any career you pursue, regardless of whether or not the job seems directly relevant to your major. So, you should be thinking about the skills you are developing along with what classes you are taking. Having strong skills can be as important as having a good GPA.

What employable skills do you believe you possess? This can be difficult to answer as we are poor at recognizing the skills we have (Martini, Judges, & Belicki, 2015) or how they compare to others’ skills. Unfortunately, this may keep you from marketing or promoting your skills as you apply for jobs or admission to professional or graduate school programs. The Employable Skills Self-Efficacy Survey (ESSES) allows you to assess your perceived mastery of a variety of skills that employers value. We provide you with comparison information to help you determine which skills you should include on your resume. We also provide you with advice on how you can further strengthen your skills to make you more competitive in the job market.

If you would like to take this survey, click here.