Recently I was thinking about my skills. What sets me apart from my peers? What experiences have given me unique knowledge that I can utilize in the future? As a result I am writing this post to give a picture of some of my most refined skills. Here are my top three:
1) Communication.
Communication is one thing that I have worked very hard to improve. I realized pretty early on that success, in most areas, is based in communication. It is, perhaps, the one thing that you really need in order to be successful. Whether it is written, verbal, or physical, communication is key to daily life. I was very blessed to be constantly thrown into situations that required me to grow my communication skills in many areas. Growing up, I moved around a lot. I have lived in six different states, two countries, and 10 cities over my lifetime.
I really began to put my communication skills to use a few years ago when I began competing in a national debate league. I competed in speech, policy debate, value debate, and parliamentary debate. Preparing speeches was the essential piece of all of these competitions. For the most part the only real difference was the topic, time, or preparation. Through competing I learned how to speak persuasively, present and refute arguments, and compare and contrast perspectives. I did this not only for myself, but for judges and audiences around the United States. I faced challenges related to diversity and culture when presenting arguments to judges with differing backgrounds. It was an extremely challenging environment to work on my skills of both written and spoken communication.
I put these skills into practical action when I began a working lifestyle. Some of my first jobs were freelance art jobs that required me to put together a team in order to complete a project. I had to reach out to people and bring artists from diverse backgrounds together, and facilitate communication in a working, team-oriented environment. I eventually moved on to jobs in customer service fields. Specifically, I worked as a lifeguard for a few years. This job environment required me to be constantly engaging with patrons. I had to resolve conflict between patrons and co-workers, I had to communicate the policies of our business clearly and effectively, as well as handling feedback from the customers.
Today I am incorporating my communication skills into a business of my own, a media brand called: Clam Chowder. I work with a team of creators to produce regular content through this brand. I am constantly facilitating communication related to problem solving, organization, and production. In addition to this, Clam Chowder releases regular interviews with artists. We ask guests about their passions, background, and experiences in their field. This requires me to speak naturally and in-depth on topics which I have a limited understanding of. Finally, Clam Chowder hosts workshops where we demonstrate how to create content in different artistic fields. These workshops require me to effectively communicate the process which I go through in order to produce tangible projects.
2) Creativity.
I have always been a creative individual. I love the process of coming up with ideas, solving problems, and doing things that haven’t been done before. Creativity is the skill I am always being brought back to. When I am facing an obstacle, whether in work or personal life, it is my creativity that I rely on to get past it. I have learned that creativity, to me, is the process of taking something that seems complicated, and making it simple. A non-creative method involves relying on old, outdone, or basic processes in order to accomplish your goal. This tends to create efficiency problems when accomplishing tasks. Creativity also involves the process of letting go of fear. In a professional setting this relates to a fear of failure. Creative process involves pushing aside fear of failure in order to pursue new and innovative methods of achieving your goals. This is a vital skill in a professional workplace, as a lack of creativity can lead to mundane or repetitive work experiences.
I have put my creativity to use in every work environment I have encountered so far. Specifically, I worked as an administrative assistant at my church. I organized events, and handled feedback. I was tasked with ensuring the satisfaction of individuals who attended the events, as well as the volunteers who staffed the events. It was a process that constantly required me to lean into my creative skills in order to come up with new and exciting ways to gain more interest in events, as well as bring back regular attendees. I was also challenged to rely on my creativity skills in order to improve events, and find things that were appealing to all of the individuals attending.
3) Teamwork.
Teamwork has always been a core value for my family. My parents raised me with a focus on teamwork, and bridging gaps between individuals. Cohesive teamwork is a vital piece of the professional process. Being able to work with others is an important, and priceless skill when it comes to social environments. I have always been a team-oriented individual. I love working with diverging perspectives and finding compromise, and common ground.
I have had many opportunities to put my teamwork-related skills to use in a professional setting. In every job I have ever worked, I was expected to be a contributing member of a team. While those experiences were vital to my professional growth, I found my experiences in team leadership to be even more important. Leading a team in my current job involves assessing the skills of my coworkers, and assigning responsibilities accordingly. It involves facilitating communication, and opportunities for individuals to voice their experience, feelings, and perspectives on different topics. It involves presenting our brand’s goals, as individual goals to each teammate. Leading a team really comes down to the care of the individuals working to accomplish something, and I truly enjoy the process of working with others in this role.
It doesn’t end here…
These may be my top three skills but they are just the beginning. I have had so many refining experiences in my life. I have learned to be resourceful, independent, and strategic. I have a wide base of skills to build on, and I find that to be extremely exciting. I hope to write something like this again in the future, and see what skills I have cultivated at a later point in my life!
What about you?
It is always a beneficial experience to look at yourself introspectively, and constructively. What are you good at? What are your most refined skills? How have you reached that point? I would love to hear from you in the comments!