Traits Versus Skills

26 Mar Traits Versus Skills

It’s easy to mistake traits for skills and skills for traits when marketing your value in a job search. We all have our own blend of characteristics, but it’s important to recogonize the difference betweeen the two.

Traits are our natural abilities. They are a part of who we are, what we do and why we do it. Skills are things we do, what we learn, our performance. For  example, “dependable”, “punctual”, “systematic”, “goal-oriented” describe our traits. Listening, presenting, organizing, and promoting are all examples of skills.

Employers want to hear abour your set of skills and how you can help them to accomplish their goals.  Jotting down your skills can be powerful exercise. This can help strengthen your message to potential employers.