Skills, talents, and abilities…everyone has them, but can you actually name your best qualities? Furthermore, how are you in a job where you consistently use the skills you enjoy?

If you have years of work experience, you’re likely to have developed a range of skills and abilities that you take for granted and which you’ve not evaluated since your last job search.

In assessing what you bring to the job market, think about those tasks you do well and for which you have received some type of recognition or positive feedback. But, don’t stop there—go further and hone in on those skills that give you satisfaction and pleasure.

This may be a new concept if you typically view a skills assessment simply as a way to determine what you do well, regardless of whether or not you enjoy using the skill set.

This mindset is short sighted in a marketplace where boredom and lack of job satisfaction extend to more than 45% of the U.S. population. Knowing what you enjoy doing well and having work that calls on those skills are key to being productive and satisfied.

Here are a few steps to help you recognize the value you bring to your work and the skills that might keep you motivated and feeling good about your job:

1. Create a timeline of your work history from your very first job. Identify positions you’ve held and the key tasks you performed. Beside each entry, list a skill, talent, or ability that you demonstrated. (If you have difficulty naming your skills, go to www.rileyguide.com for some help.)
2. Put a check next to each skill that you enjoyed using.
3. Review the timeline and note patterns of skills as well as those that you have checked. Create a separate list that includes only the checked skills.
4. Consider your current job. In any given week, how often do you use the skills you most enjoy? Does your response fit with how satisfied you feel about your job?
5. If there is a major discrepancy between the skills you use in your job and the ones you truly enjoy, it could be an indicator that it’s time to evaluate your position and possibly move on to another job.
6. If you decide to change jobs, or you are already in the job market, be sure to look beyond your ability to do key job tasks and take into account whether or not you’ll be happy doing them.

“Pleasure in the work puts perfection in the job.