Assessing your current skills and comparing them to what's needed for your next role is important when you're thinking about career progression. Your assessment should include both technical and interpersonal skills.

Follow these five steps to assess your current skills and address gaps:

1. Identify your skills. Categorize into technical and interpersonal skills.
   • List your recent accomplishments, both personal and professional.
   • Break down each accomplishment or task into the skills it required.
   • Rate your skill level on a scale of beginner to expert.
2. Identify gaps by comparing your skills with job descriptions for target roles.
3. Consider how you might build the skills needed. Use LinkedIn Learning and UI professional development and training resources to get started.

Using job descriptions and performance reviews

The job description for your role includes the skills needed to perform your job effectively. Reviewing your job description will help you understand if you're lacking any skills or abilities and if you are fully applying your strongest skills.

Past performance reviews are a great way to assess your skills and how they're evolving. Look for patterns and themes over time.

Find your job description and performance reviews under "My Career" in Employee Self-Service. To find your job description, click My ePersonnel File > Documents > Job Description. Clicking on "Title" in your ePersonnel File displays the key areas of responsibility and competencies for your job.

Identifying technical and interpersonal skills

Technical skills are specific and tangible skills needed for certain jobs or functions. Examples include data analysis, budgeting, foreign languages, software, project management, writing, graphic design, and driving.

Your resume is a good starting point for identifying your skills. Consider uploading your resume into Microsoft Copilot and requesting a summary of skills. Assess your level, such as "basic," "intermediate," or "advanced," for each skill.

Interpersonal skills are transferable and less tangible. Examples include collaboration, communication, leadership, active listening, creativity, influence, and adaptability.

Interpersonal skills can be assessed by reviewing progress over time. Asking colleagues, managers, friends, and family about your interpersonal skills can be helpful. Reflecting on real life situations and thinking about what went well and where you struggled is another approach to identifying interpersonal skills.

Recognizing skill gaps

Comparing your current skills with the requirements for your target role is a good way to identify skill gaps and learning needs. Start by reviewing job postings that interest you at Jobs@UIowa.