Are you a student? Start your skills list today

Career. Experience. Skills.

If you are a student, these three words may feel a little abstract.

You are immersed in your subject and student life – but perhaps thoughts about the future and job opportunities have already started to surface in the back of your mind.

Let’ start by making one thing clear: You do not need to panic about your career while you are studying.

That said, you can do your future self a favour by starting to create a list of your skills early in your studies.

What have you learned?

You can use your skills list when you apply for jobs after graduating, and also when you apply for a student job during your studies.

Many people only start reflecting on what they can do (skills), which personal qualities they have (personality) and what motivates them (interests) once they have graduated.

At that point, it can be difficult to remember all the things you learned along the way.

That is why many graduates spend a lot of time trying to reconstruct their skills when they are searching for their first job. So why not get started now?

Our advice is simple: Start your skills list today and add to it continuously throughout your studies.

Start with your courses

Begin by listing the courses you have completed.

Each time you finish a course, take a moment to reflect on what you gained from it.

Ask yourself:

• What knowledge do I have now?

• Which topics do I understand better?

• Which practical skills have I developed – for example in the laboratory or through coding?

• Which broader competences have I gained – such as project work, analytical thinking or bridging theory and practice?

Course descriptions can often help guide your reflections. And remember: you do not need top grades to include a course on your skills list.

Remember your student job or voluntary work

You can do the same if you have a student job or do voluntary work, whether it is directly related to your studies or not.

You learn a lot from working in customer service, childcare or similar roles. Voluntary work, like student politics or association activities, also develops valuable skills.

Write down what you learned, which tasks you handled and which personal qualities you used to solve them.

At the end, evaluate the task: what did you enjoy and what gave you energy? Also reflect on what was challenging and how you solved any problems.

A strong tool for your CV, application and interview

A skills list gives you greater self-awareness, which is often what employers ask about during job interviews.

It is much more enjoyable to answer naturally than to invent responses on the spot.

Your skills list makes it much easier to write both your CV and job applications, as you can select relevant skills from your list and tailor your materials to each role.