Skills & Strengths

What are your skills? What are your strengths?

Here at ECHO we find ourselves asking these questions a lot. What do we mean when we ask this?
We would love to hear about your certifications or machine oprating abilities, however we often hear crickets as if they've come back from the summer months! We know it can be difficult to think of your skills under the pressure of an interview, but we often hear "I don't have any skills, I was fired" or "I lost my home" or "I only make $700 a month on S. S.I."

We believe that challenges in life make all of us stronger. In response, we try to ask, "So you've been living off $700 a month from S.S.I? How do you do it? Tell us, because that is a skill."

Some might see getting fired as a failure, however we believe that everyone learns from their mistakes, and those lessons are SKILLS. Time management, communication, resourcefullness, budgeting small amounts of money-- all of these things are strengths learned from difficult situations. We do not want to focus on the difficulties in life, we want to show you how your difficulties have transformed you into a strong, powerful (and marketable) person and employee.

To start, lets think about your life. What is working for you right now? If you cannot think of something, identify what is not working. For example, perhaps you do not have reliable transportation and depend on others for rides. Maybe you use the bus system, friends & family, and make a deal with your neigboors for a ride or two, you'll plow their driveway. Depending on the bus system requires time managment and organization (it's hard to follow the bus schedules!) Asking friends and family for rides is great communication skills and bartering with a neigbhoor is resourcefull as well as teamwork!

See? Are you getting what we mean now? Another way to identify your skills is to ask yourself, "What do people ask me for help with?" Maybe everyone comes to you for personal advice, moving help, or computer maintence. These are all great skills YOU possess! If you are having trouble answering this question, ask your family & friends, we're sure they'll have plenty of ideas for you!

Life experience can be seen as weakness or disaster--but it all depends on perspective! You can choose to look at your circumstances and see weakness, or you can see skills!

You have PLENTY of skills...you just might not know them yet!