Define your professional skills: Step-by-step method

Want a simple and practical method to define your skills? Here's a step-by-step guide that ends with an overview of your skills with concrete examples – ready to use in your CV and application.

The method is based on your experiences. That's where the best examples are hidden. When you use concrete examples from jobs, internships, or volunteer work, you can show what value you create for a company.

The three-column method

The method is simple. You work with three columns:

1. Column 1: Work tasks and areas of responsibility
2. Column 2: Professional skills you used
3. Column 3: The value you created

Let's go through each column in detail.

Step 1: Choose your starting point

Start by choosing an experience to base it on. It could be:

• Your most recent job
• A previous job you enjoyed
• A student job
• Internship
• Volunteer work
• Projects from your education

The most important thing is that the experience is relevant to the types of jobs you're applying for now – and that it contains skills you want to highlight.

Step 2: List work tasks (Column 1)

Think back to the work tasks and areas of responsibility you've handled. A good trick is to think about a whole month or year – not just a typical work day.

Ask yourself:

• What regular tasks did I have?
• What projects was I involved in?
• What was I responsible for?
• What did I solve when there were problems?

Write each task in the first column. Be specific – "customer contact" is better than "work."

Step 3: Identify skills (Column 2)

For each task in the first column, ask yourself:

What primary skills did I use to solve this task?

Think about the professional abilities you activated. It could be:

• Technical skills (programming, bookkeeping, machine operation)
• Communication (written, oral, presentations)
• Analysis (data, processes, problem-solving)
• Organization (planning, coordination, project management)

Write the skills in the second column next to each task.

Step 4: Describe the value (Column 3)

Here's the most important step – and the one most people skip. But this is where you stand out.

Ask yourself:

• What results have I created with my skills?
• What has the company gained from my contribution?

Results can be:

• Increased revenue or savings
• Satisfied customers or fewer complaints
• Process optimization
• Successful projects
• Improved quality

These are the results you should focus on when describing your value to a future employer.

Example: Marketing employee

Let's see a concrete example. Lisa has worked as a marketing employee:

Column 1 – Task:
Creating weekly newsletters to customers

Column 2 – Skills:
Communication, audience analysis, digital marketing

Column 3 – Value:
Through creating newsletters, I increased the company's revenue by 11% directly through sales via this channel

Now Lisa has concrete text she can use in her application:

"In my 3 years as a marketing employee, I was responsible for sending weekly newsletters to our customers. This resulted in more customers, increased sales, and more activity on our website and social media."

It's concrete. It shows skills. And it shows value.

How to use the result

When you've filled in all three columns for multiple tasks, you have:

• An overview of your most important skills
• Concrete examples from your experience
• Documentation of the value you create

You can use it directly in:

Your CV

Use the skills in your profile text and under previous positions. Focus on value, not just tasks.

Your application

Use the examples to show why you're right for the job. Match your skills with what the company is looking for.

The job interview

Practice talking about your skills with examples. When the interviewer asks "what are you good at?", you have concrete answers ready.

When it feels difficult

Many find it difficult at first. That's completely normal. Here are some tips:

• Start with one experience – you don't need to do everything at once
• Ask others – colleagues and managers can often see skills you take for granted
• Think about praise – what have you been recognized for?
• Use AI for brainstorming – our AI tool can help put words to it

The more times you do the exercise, the easier it becomes. And the better you become at communicating your strengths.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Stopping at column 2 – the value (column 3) is most important
• Being too general – "communication" needs elaboration
• Focusing only on job title – focus on tasks, not roles
• Forgetting older experiences – previous jobs also count
• Downplaying results – if you contributed, say it

Practical tips

• Set aside 30-45 minutes for the exercise the first time
• Do it on paper or in a spreadsheet – it makes it concrete
• Repeat the exercise for each relevant job in your career
• Save your notes – you'll need them again and again
• Adapt for each new application – highlight what's most relevant

Try it yourself

Choose one experience from your work life. Create a table with three columns and fill in:

1. At least 3 work tasks you've handled
2. The skills you used for each task
3. The value you created (results, improvements, impact)

Then try to formulate one sentence that combines all three: the task, the skill, and the value. That's the start of your application text.

Frequently asked questions

Next step

Now you have a method to find your skills. But how do you formulate them so they really resonate with the employer? In the next guide, you'll learn concrete techniques for communicating your skills effectively.