Identify each distinct activity you have participated in, such as your academic program,employment or volunteer positions and extra-curricular activities, and list the skills required to successfully fulfill their requirements.

Position: President of a University student group
Duties - Step #1			Skills - Step #2
	Chaired meetings of the Executiveand group members		communication (generic) leadership (generic)
	Planned fundraising event for charity with committee members		program planning (generic) team player (generic)
	Scheduled meetings and ensured distribution of minutes prior tonext meeting		organizational (generic) word processing (technical)

Skills fall into two categories - technical and generic. Technical skills are the skills required to do a specific task. For a laboratory assistant, technical skills might include knowledge of sterilization procedures, slide preparation, and scientific report writing. For an outreach worker, technical skills might include counselling skills, case management skills, or program design and evaluation skills. Generic skills are those which are valuable in many work settings. Below is a list of the ten most marketable skills.

		Analytical / Problem Solving
		Flexibility / Versatility
		Interpersonal
		Oral / Written Communication
		Organization / Planning
		Time Management
		Motivation
		Leadership
		Self-Starter / Initiative
		Team Player

Often when people think of skills, they tend to think of those they have developed in the workplace. However, skills are developed in a variety of settings. If you have ever researched and written a paper for a course, you probably have written communication skills. Team sports or group projects are a good way to develop the skills required of a team player and leader. Don't overlook any abilities you may have.

Skills assessment and identification is often the most time-consuming part of preparing your resume, and, it is the most important. It is imperative that you take the time to do a thorough job. Identifying your skills is essential not only for writing an effective resume, but also for making a strong positive impression on employers throughout your job search.