Skills with Intangibles (Worksheet 3.2)

An effective way to help you identify your skills is to think about skills from different perspectives. This technique often uncovers those skills you might not have initially thought about.

In this worksheet, you start by identifying intangibles. Intangibles are abstract and not corporeal, although the results often can be something that is tangible. For example, a drawing creates an image that you can touch (the tangible) but the picture or the concept is an abstract. A marketing plan may be printed, and hence a tangible, but the content of the plan is an abstract. Think about some intangibles that you have created or developed in areas such as information, ideas, data or thoughts. Here are some examples of intangibles you can use to start your thinking: (You can find a longer list in Chapter 3, Figure 3.1 of 12 Steps to a New Career.)

analytical reports company accounts drawings/designs facts financial records financial statements Internet manuals

meetings pictures plans policies & procedures questionnaires records research reports seminars

specifications statistics strategy surveys & reports systems training sessions user groups videotapes

For example, suppose you didn’t select the words creating, developing or preparing because they didn’t resonate with you or you weren’t able to connect anything with those words. When you are now thinking about intangibles, you stop on the word plans because you were involved in marketing plans and you think you’re pretty good at it. Marketing plans is, therefore, the object and you might now be able to state that you are skilled at creating, developing, preparing, and/or something else with the intangible marketing plans.

 Tips:  If you have difficulty coming up with examples of what you like to do with information or ideas, think about how you might use information or ideas. For example:

• You use it as a source to accomplish something or to help reach decisions.
• You use it in your job to complete a task or reach decisions.
• You use it as an output that results from your work.

Consider:

• What information do you create at work?
• What information do you use at work?
• What information or ideas do you give others?
• What do you use to manage others?
• What do you prepare to give to others?
• What do you do to monitor work or projects?

Download a worksheet you can use to list your skills with intangibles: Worksheet 3.2 – Skills with Intangibles Template