Business Articles: Professional Portfolio

Professional Portfolio Essay

There are many desirable skills in the world and some people are better at certain skills than others. Also certain jobs require certain kinds of skills so it is always best to find a job that best matches your set of skills and to always push yourself to be better and to learn new skills over time. Learning is important and it is something that everyone must strive to continue to do in life no matter what, you are never too old to learn.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2016) a skill is “the ability to do something that comes from training, experience, or practice.” Skills are something that anyone can learn, all you have to do is try. Sometimes certain people catch on to certain skills quicker than others but everyone can learn any skill they want. One of the top ten skills wanted for jobs according to Adams, S. (2014) is the “ability to create and/or edit written reports.” Everyone spends time writing no matter who you are. I personally spend time writing for school, my internship, and just for pleasure. In school I write papers and reports frequently. In my internship I am writing reports and emails frequently. I also write to friends for pleasure because I enjoy writing. Writing is an essential part of life and I enjoy keeping myself mindful of how to write properly due to all of the new age slang. Writing will always be important no matter what.

A skill that is important to everyday life is reading comprehension. I have heard a lot of people so that they do not like reading, which I do not understand since it is such an essential part of everyday life. Everyone has their own style of reading that they enjoy but everyone should at least enjoy reading something. In the business world reading is essential due to the fact that there are always reports, emails, and directions that have to be read in order for work to be done. I have to read safety handouts frequently at my job and I read all the time for school and for the internship but I also read for pleasure because I just love getting engrossed in a good book. Reading is a part of everyday life from reading stop signs to reading directions on how to put a dresser together. Reading is and will always be important.

Another important skill to have is negotiation and persuasion. These skills can be difficult to obtain because they mean that a person must instill their thoughts into others but there is more to it than that. According to Targetjobs.co (N.A.) negotiation and persuasion is “about being able to put forward your way, but also being able to understand where the other person is coming from so that you can both get what you want or need and feel positive about it.” These are skills that come in handy when trying to find a peaceful way to deal with an issue. I have had to use them in my current job when trying to come to a resolution about what job I should do. I was able to persuade my supervisor to allow me to do two part time jobs to allow me to stay busy at work while taking add stress off of his back. Finding a peaceful solution is always the best way.

Time management is also a very crucial skill to have in any part of life. I personally have not entirely mastered this skill but I do the best I can with it. Managing your time correctly can be essential when you are working in a busy environment. Most businesses do run on a very busy schedule. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph I agreed to handle two part time jobs at my work and this takes some time to do so I have to manage my time well to ensure that both of the lines I make parts for get the parts that they need on time. I also have to manage my time with doing school work and doing work for my internship. Life can get very busy for everyone and finding a way to get everyday work done can be difficult and sometimes it is best to prioritize tasks so that important things get done first.

One last skill that is important that tends to get overlooked is social perceptiveness. In life it is important to be able to pay attention to other people’s social behaviors. If you are in a business environment watching coworker’s social behaviors can help you learn how to approach them. It can also help you to know when you are no longer needed or wanted in an area if you can watch for social ques from others. It can also help you to determine if people are discussing a personal issue and how you should approach them. Being socially perceptive can help you handle a lot of situations with people and help you control tough situations.

There are many skills that are needed to be successful in life but it takes time to learn skills. We must all remember that you are never too old to learn and to always push yourself to be better. Skills are things that everyone must strive to have and there is always time to learn new ones.