Employers value skills – tremendously!

There are a lot of different types of skills, and, of course, the more relevant and current skills we have, the more versatile and employable we will be.

Getting objective about what skills you have and how those compare with the skills jobs of interest require is a great first step in creating a strategic plan to gain the skills that will make you more employable.

What Knowledge & Skills Are Needed in Your Field(s) of Interest?

• Occupation Research – Review occupation descriptions and skills used on the job.
• Job Posting Research – Review the qualifications employers included in job postings.

Get Objective about Your Skills – Career Assessments

• MassCIS SKILLS Assessment – What jobs match up with the skills you already have?
• CareerOneStop Skills Matcher Assessment
• MA Work-Based Learning Plan (WBLP) – Although the WBLP is used to assess the growth and performance of interns and employees, it can also be used as a self-assessment and goal setting tool. What employability skills could be stronger (page 1)? What professional development goals could you add to page 2? Now add some time frames, strategies, and resources to increase your chances of success.
• Please visit the Career-Assessment page to find more types of assessments.

Skill Sets

• Skills Set Definition and Examples
• Robot-Proof/Humanics Skills
• Resilience Skills
• Hybrid Skills Needed Most
• Business Intelligence Skills
• Social Media Skills
• Microsoft Office Skills
• Top Computer Coding Skills
• Hard Skills
• Soft/Employability Skills
• Transferable Skills

Soft / Employability Skills

Soft skills are a skill set, which employers value tremendously and that employees need to develop, in order to get hired, meet basic workplace expectations, and succeed in the world of work.  Some people refer to them as soft skills, but they can also be referred to as foundational skills, employability skills, and essential skills.

Hard / Technical Skills

• The Top Hard Skills Employers Seek

Additional Career Exploration Processes & Resources

• Reality Checking – Do current qualifications and financial/life-style goals match career aspirations?
• Occupational Research – What do occupations involve and which is the best fit for you?
• Labor Market Information Research (LMI) – How can work-related data and analysis inform career choices?
• Experiential Research – What hands-on and real-world experiences will reveal which jobs are the best “fit”?
• Education Research – What education options will inform and help you achieve your career/life goals?