Skills Include
The other week I went to a networking event and met a woman who told me her aura is blue. This made me jealous, not because I want a blue aura but because I don’t know what color my aura is at all.
My new friend’s blue aura came up because we were talking about how she brings personality into her job search. The design of her business cards — which are blue — subtly speaks to her taste and cool nature. She also mentioned that she lists some of her interests and passions on her resume to “make her seem more human.”
I’m a firm believer in bringing your full self to work. Most people spend the majority of their time at their jobs. As an old coworker used to say, our relationship with work is “one of our most significant.” Why not make that relationship honest and enjoyable?
At my first job my coworkers gently teased me for decorating my desk with pictures of pugs and Beyonce. But those decorations gave me something more fun than Excel to look at while I was at work. And they also opened an opportunity for coworkers to relate to me over something non-work-related. They helped remind me that I was more than my job title.
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Being on the job market currently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the professional skills I bring to an office. I’m also thinking about what personal characteristics I bring. To that end, here’s a list of some skills that aren’t (but maybe should be) on my resume:
- Lactose intolerant, but eats cheese anyway
- Once did a karaoke rendition of “And I Am Telling You” that was so moving a random tween walked in from off the street just to tell me he was gay
- Knows the difference between “reading” and “shade”
- Brand loyal to Frank’s Red Hot
- Surprisingly knowledgeable about English grammar, but not obnoxious about it
- 2004 Bates Middle School Geography Bee Winner
- Naturally toned calves
- Compulsive tweeter
- Gay, but thought A Little Life was overrated
- Working on drinking more water throughout the day
For a look at what skills actually made it on my resume (or to hire me!), check out my profile on LinkedIn.
