How to Win the Job by Communicating with Confidence

Building Your Skills Arsenal

tional skills were very important is a position I had

with Ford Human Services in Richmond, Virginia. I

was responsible for a caseload of over 75 clients,

which meant that I had to keep careful notes and

records, and, of course, I had to review these notes

before each meeting with a client. I was commended

for the attention to detail in my reports, which I was

able to provide because I had kept such well-orga-

nized files on my clients. I am proud that because of

my organizational skills, I was able to handle such a

large client base. I’m confident I will give your

clients the same level of respect and detailed, in-

depth attention.

You can see a pattern emerging:

1. You mention threeskills that you used in a prior job that
   would also be of value in your next occupation. (We’ll
   discover, in Chapter 8, how to assess which skills are
   important to your interviewer.)


2. You pick oneskill that you believe would be most important
   for the particular job you’re applying for.


3. You tell a very short story about that particular skill. You
   can elaborate on this story by providing specific num-
   bers, percentages, feedback, rankings, and dollar
   amounts. (We’re going to explore this technique more
   fully in Chapter 3 on Q statements.)


4. You mention that you are proud of your achievement.


5. You link your past accomplishments or results with your
   future performance at the company you’re applying for,
   by saying, “And that’s exactly what I’d like to do for your
   company.” (We’ll talk about why this is so important in
   Chapter 5.)

General Skills Inventory

Now it’s time for you to take a look at the general skills you
possess: