I've noticed two characteristics shared by many folks in the quality profession:
- shyness, accompanied by a strong reluctance to tout one's own talent or ability
- a poor understanding of what one's true talents and abilities are
Let me introduce you to a tool called a "Skills Assessment Matrix" (SAM)
At its most basic, a SAM is simply a list of all the skills and talents one possesses or that a job requires placed into a grid where check marks are placed according to the skill level one possesses for each item (zero for "no clue" up to five for "top expert in the field."
Armed with such a SAM, a job candidate can more easily promote the skills he has which rank higher than 3 and avoid looking at jobs which require skill levels higher than possessed. (IT'S ALSO A GUIDELINE FOR WHICH SKILLS NEED TO BE GAINED OR UPGRADED.)
Take some time to google "Skills Assessment Matrix" or substitute the word "grid" or "template" for the word "matrix" to get a feel for the different kinds of SAMs and work on making your own, not only for a current job search, but as an aid to touting your value to the organization where you now work to help gain promotions and to learn what skills you may need to upgrade just to stay employed!
If you have questions about SAMs, start a new thread in this Forum (
Career and Occupation Discussions) and we'll work on the tool for everyone's benefit.