Talents and skills are how you put into action your engagement with the world of work; they are the abilities that afford you to engage with the world of work in ways you’d prefer and work towards the impacts you’d like to have.
Talents and skills are not only developed from paid/work experience; skills are developed and demonstrated through a variety of various life experiences, especially post-secondary education (see Giancaspro & Manuti, 2021; Buckley & Lee, 2021).
These experiences can include, but are not limited to, the following:
Academics
Assignments
Teaching assistantships
Research assistantships
Projects (e.g., group work, thesis, or a major research paper)
Committees
Extra-curriculars
Self-study
Athletics
Leisure activities
Hobbies Family, family/community activities
Work and volunteer experiences
Being clear about your specific set of skills will help increase your confidence when making appropriate job and occupational choices. It will also make it easier to write résumés and cover letters , and/or to network with individuals in your field of interest.
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Future Ready Talent Framework |
To support you with identifying the talents and skill skills you have and what you’d like to develop, you can refer to theFuture Ready Talent Framework (FRTF). The FRTF was developed by the University of Waterloo developed the FRTF to support you in your lifelong learning journey as you navigate your career and is a useful tool for reflecting on your skills, talents, and knowledge (otherwise known as competencies).
The FRTF consists of four major categories of competencies to reflect on:
Expand and transfer expertise: these competencies are related relate to how you are expanding expand field-specific knowledge and skills and how you are applying apply these competencies in your career.
Develop Selfself: these These competencies are related relate to how you are building self-awareness of your needs, career goals, and areas you’d like to improve and engage engaging in lifelong learning, like upskilling and reskilling.
Build relationships: these These competencies are related relate to how you communicate, collaborate, and create connections with others, especially in a diverse and globalized context.
Design and deliver solutions: these These competencies are related relate to how you engage with complex problems using innovation and effective problem-solving.
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Use the FRTF Competency Matrix to explore the full list of competencies within each of the four categoriescategory. |
Gathering evidence and goal setting with the FRTF
After reviewing the competency matrix, take the opportunity to note down what competencies you have and the evidence that demonstrates you have that competency using the FRTF Competency Chart.
Reflect on the competencies you are building build in the variety of above experiences listed above, from work experiences and school projects to volunteer and extracurriculars. The practice of reflecting on what competencies you have and where you can demonstrate evidence of these competencies is very useful for:
writing applications
answering interview questions
networking
building your LinkedIn profile
connecting with employers at job/career fairs
The FRTF can also be used for goal setting , and planning what competencies you’d like to develop over the course of during your time at UWaterloo and later on in your career.
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Use the FRTF Competency Goal-Setting Worksheet to identify what competencies you would like to develop and how you plan on developing them (there can be more than one possibility for developing them!). |
Planning your goals can support you in strategically and intentionally pursuing specific projects or selecting certain courses, articulating to employers your career goals and why you’re interested in working for them, and can overall give giving you confidence in your career decision-making.
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Need support with goal setting and/or identifying strategies for goal setting? Check out our page on “career decision-making” to learn about goal setting strategies like SMART goals and PACT. And considerbooking an appointment with a career advisor through WaterlooWorks to support you in identifying goals and planning how to achieve them. |
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Reflecting on “what is purposeful” is an ongoing and cyclical process |
As you progress throughout your career, certain values and needs may shift, or you may want to take on a new set of projects to engage with your field of work, or there may be new talents and skills for you to develop to stay up to date with your field.
What is purposeful in your career is ever-changing, so it is good practice to continue to check in with yourself and engage with these reflections as you move through your career journey.
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Additional self-assessment tools |
There are many self-assessment tools that you can use. However, it is recommended that you meet with a career advisor to discuss which of these tools might be right for you. Additionally, the career advisor can guide you through the assessments and help you debrief the results and reflections that emerge.
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To have a conversation with a career advisor about self-assessment tools and resources, book a career planning appointment on WaterlooWorks. |