How to Find Your Job Skills When You've Never "Had a Job"
Many young people think they don't have job skills because they've never had a job with a paycheck. What people often don't realize is that they do have job skills just through their education, spare time and normal life experiences.
Taken from the workbook, Resume Writing for Teens, here are some examples of how job skills are acquired:
Education
- taking a journalism class
- learning how to design web pages in computer technology class
- drama class for four years of high school
- taking a foreign language for four years of high school
- achieving USSA Lifeguard and Red Cross CPR certifications
Spare Time Activities
- playing team sports
- watching lots of movies
- skate boarding every spare moment the day since 4th grade
- reading several non-assigned books/month throughout school
- playing in a band with a groups of friends of
- participating in school activities, such as the debate team, yearbook, peer mentoring program, French club or science club
- sewing Halloween costumes for siblings and friends
- engaging in hobbies such as writing, painting, wood-working, cooking
- taking the school trip to Washington, D.C. (or any kind of travel)
- leadership in a church youth group
Life Experiences
- growing up in a busy family
- working in odd jobs for family and neighbors, such as raking leaves, cleaning rain gutters, pet sitting, cleaning swimming pools, or yard care
- volunteer work, such as at a retirement center, teaching swim lessons or your local elementary school
- summer yard care business or summer house sitting
- babysitting
- tutoring peers or younger students
- helping a parent with a home business sending out billing statements, filing, etc.
- active in Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts
- spending hours on the computer and mastering a number of software programs
Everything you do gains you skills that can be translated to work skills. For example, if you have grown up in a busy family, you may have learned how to manage people, organize activities and developed time-management skills. These are all qualities businesses are looking for in their employees.
As you make a list of your educational, spare time and life experiences, think of ways they have taught you skills and provided you with valuable knowledge that employers will appreciate.