CareerPlan - Step 1.4: Assess Yourself - Skills

STEP 1.4  SKILLS
                                                     Step 1 - Home

What skills do you currently possess?
What skills do you still need to gain? 
You will find this section of
self-assessment changes continually
as you gain more experience, training,
and practice.

Skills can be grouped into two main
categories:

   1. Job content skills: These are
      related to special career paths. 

   2. Portable skills: These are useful
      in any career path.  They would
      include, interpersonal,
      communication, computer,
      problem-solving, change-management,
      and self-management skills.

ISEEK 
This self-rated skills sorter is provided by the Minnesota Department of Economic Security.  You can choose to rate your skills in up to 10 categories.  Then you can ask for a list of careers that best match the skills you have selected.

Skills Profiler 
You can start this process by first selecting an occupation you may be considering. Then you use the Skills Indentifier to build a list of your current skills.  Next, use the Skills Explorer to identify other occupations that value those skills.  Lastly, you could use the Skills Gap Analyzer to see how your skills match up with occupations.

Campbell Interest and Skills Survey (CISS)
This well-researched instrument analyzes your self-reported interests and skills and indicates how they compare to the general population and to people in a variety of occupations.  For a fee of  $17.95 you can take the assessment online. For a lesser fee of $9.25, which includes the assessment and a workbook, you can take this assessment by paper and pencil. Call 651-779-3285 to make an appointment with a counselor when you are finished with the CISS.  Allow about 40 minutes to take this survey.  The CISS is recommended only for students with significant work experience. 

Occupational Information Network (O*Net)
Perhaps you have been in the workforce for some time and are re-careering.  This O*Net site offers you the opportunity to check off your current skills in these areas: Basic, Complex Problem Solving, Resource Management, Social, Systems, and Technical.  Their Skills Search function then allows you to use this set of skills to identify occupations for which these skills transfer, giving you new occupations for exploration.  Understanding your transferable skills may be the key to re-careering.  

Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS)
Consider using the MCIS Skills inventory.  You can rate your skills into three categories:  Very Satisfying, Moderately Satisfying and Somewhat Satisfying.  You can then get printouts of your summary, occupational clusters, and top 30 occupations related to your answers.
When entering this site, you must log in.  For the username and passwords, call the Century Career Center at (651)779-3285.  Once you identify yourself with your Century ID#, the staff will give you these codes.  Once in MCIS, click on SKILLS on the left sidebar and you will be ready for the inventory.  MCIS also has many other great links for occupational exploration.

Back to other Step 1: Assess Yourself sections:

Values         Interests         Personality         Self-Reflections