{"id":44947,"date":"2025-05-06T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/?p=44947"},"modified":"2025-08-22T16:04:59","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T20:04:59","slug":"why-a-skills-assessment-is-your-most-powerful-career-pivot-tool-fedsupport-webinar-explainer-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/blog\/why-a-skills-assessment-is-your-most-powerful-career-pivot-tool-fedsupport-webinar-explainer-series\/","title":{"rendered":"Why a skills assessment is your most powerful career pivot tool"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent Partnership for Public Service FedSupport webinar<\/a> explored how skills assessments can help drive career transitions, especially for current and former federal employees considering new sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Led by members of the Partnership\u2019s Call to Serve<\/a> team, the session shared practical advice on how job seekers can reflect on their professional experiences, identify transferable skills and thoughtfully use artificial intelligence tools to support a job search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some highlights from the conversation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Start by understanding your skills and why they matter <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A skills assessment helps you get clear on what you do well, where you want to grow and how to talk about your experiences with new employers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not just about technical skills like data analysis or project management\u2014it\u2019s also about interpersonal strengths, like communication and leadership, that are critical across every sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Know the difference between skills and characteristics <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Skills are learned abilities. Characteristics, like empathy or adaptability, are part of who you are. Both are important, but when you are presenting yourself to employers, being able to clearly articulate your skills is key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learn how to translate your federal experience <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You may feel like your skills are too government-specific but often, it\u2019s just a matter of reframing<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, using a specialized federal database shows you\u2019re comfortable learning complex systems, which is a huge asset in many industries. Give yourself grace as you complete your skills assessment. You likely have more transferable skills than you realize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Use online tools and AI as a starting point <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A range of free and paid online tools can support your skills assessment process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LinkedIn\u2019s \u201cSkills & Endorsements\u201d section, for example, can provide helpful external validation, and LinkedIn\u2019s job matching algorithms use your listed skills to suggest opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI tools like ChatGPT can also support your job search<\/a> by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n