How to Start Spotting Your Skills
We all have them—skills we’ve been using for years without ever realizing they “count.”
Not because they’re hidden… but because the world trained us not to see them.
So we write ourselves out of our own résumés. We downplay what we do with phrases like “Oh, that’s just something I do” or “It’s not a real job.” And little by little, we start believing we’re less qualified than we are.
Let’s change that.
🧠 Step One: Name the Context
Start by picking one part of your life that you don’t usually associate with “professional skills.”
It could be:
A hobby you’re passionate about (gaming, crafting, performing)
A family or caretaking role (parenting, managing a household)
A community role (volunteering, moderating a Discord, running a game)
A lived experience (chronic illness, neurodivergence, survival)
Don’t judge it. Just name it.
📝 Step Two: List What You Do
Write down 3–5 things you do regularly in that context. Be specific. Think about tasks, decisions, problem-solving, emotional labor—anything that takes effort or awareness.
For example:
“I manage the household schedule and coordinate everyone’s appointments.”
“I run a D&D campaign and prep weekly game sessions.”
“I craft digital art commissions for online clients.”
“I help my sibling with their medical paperwork.”
🔍 Step Three: Translate the Action into a Skill
Now look at each task and ask:
What ability does this take? What am I actually doing here?
That’s where your skills are hiding.
So, “I run a D&D campaign” might become:
Project planning
Conflict mediation
Narrative design
Time management
Audience engagement
“I coordinate my family’s appointments” could become:
Logistics
Calendar systems
Prioritization
Managing complex variables
Communication under pressure
You’re not making anything up. You’re just naming what’s already there.
🎯 A Tip for Spotting Invisible Labor
If it’s something you’re constantly relied on for…
If you’re the person others go to for it…
If it drains your energy or requires strategy to do well… It’s a skill.
Period.
💬 But What If It Feels Too Small?
Then we’re getting close to the good stuff.
A lot of our most powerful skills feel invisible because they’ve been normalized or undervalued—especially if you’re a woman, disabled, neurodivergent, queer, or from a marginalized community.
You’ve been told to downplay. To make it look easy. To take care of things quietly. This exercise is your permission to stop doing that.
🗝️ Final Thought
The goal of skill spotting isn’t to inflate your ego. It’s to restore what was quietly taken from you.
You’ve been taught to shrink your brilliance into something polite and palatable. This is your chance to reclaim the edges, the depth, the weirdness—and the worth.
Because you already have the skills. You’ve just been looking at them sideways. Let’s bring them into focus.
