This exercise enables you to analyze your skill-building experiences. It is valuable for:

• identifying relevant and marketable skills, qualities and knowledge
• providing "ammunition" for resumes, cover letters, and interviews
• promoting confidence in yourself and in your ability to express your assets to an employer
• identifying career/job options

Experience includes all:

• paid experiences, part or full-time
• non-paid experiences, part or full-time
• volunteer experiences
• college internships and practica
• committee and organization work
• travel, personal projects, interests
• thesis and other research

Step #1:Brainstorming

Step #2: Listing tasks completed using action verbs & concrete examples of accomplishment

Step #3:Recording functional and personal qualities

In Step #1 list your job title or title of activity, then list all the duties you performed in that function - even those that don't seem important.

In Step #2 edit the information using action verbs (see "Action Verb List" in this packet). The main purpose of this step is to concisely describe your accomplishments and to provide concrete examples whenever possible. The focus is on TASKS.

In Step #3 refer back to the last step to identify the generic skills you used to complete each task. The focus is on FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND PERSONAL QUALITIES.

This exercise should involve some real head-scratching thought. If it doesn't seem frustrating, you're probably not working as hard as you should be! The results will more than justify your efforts.