Core Competencies
Core Competencies of an individual show the skills and strengths that they embody. These are advantageous to show a potential employer why they would be beneficial to their work environment.
Creative Thinking
Creative thinking is coming up with innovative ideas in order to find solutions to problems. Coming from a family with values of “thriftiness”, I feel like I encompass the idea well. Many habits I have grown up with were learned in order to save money; however, while learning about sustainability at San Jose City College I found that there can be a big connection between the two. For example, reusing items for different purposes, and learning how to build things out of materials on hand instead of buying new ones, are two ways to be both sustainable and save money. In order to come up with new ideas, I like to consume content from different areas of interest such as woodworking, cooking, interior design, sewing, and art. From there, I can build connections that help with problem solving. My great-great-grandfather built a cabin in the El Dorado National Forest and my family tries to keep it in shape. I noticed that there was a lot of what could be firewood laying around and thought that it should be in an organized place. To solve this, I helped to build a firewood rack out of old pieces of a table that was falling apart. It was all made from materials on hand since there isn’t access to a hardware store nearby.
Oral Communication
Having oral communication skills means that one can be successful in sharing ideas with listeners. I was a person that suffered from social anxiety pretty badly throughout high school. It wasn’t until having a job with a leadership role that I established the skills that I needed to overcome my fears of speaking in front of others. I found that being more knowledgeable about what I was talking about helped me speak effectively and confidently. My first leadership role was as a shift lead at a family-owned coffee shop. I had worked at another cafe prior, so I was already familiar with the skills needed. I was responsible for training new employees about coffee and various tasks of the job. I then got promoted to assistant manager. Here, I really flourished with my communication skills. I helped to interview, hire, and train all new employees. I also kept the owner up to date on any issues that came up. As I heard input from the employees, I implemented new ideas to the shop in order to make everyone feel heard. Some examples of this were creating a chore chart, new inventory list, updating the register interface, and collaborating to create seasonal drink lists. From when I first started, to my last days at the job, the numbers of sales had tripled, which shows how improved communication facilitates a thriving environment. By further developing the ability of both being able to speak effectively and listen to others, my communication skills have improved in all areas of my life.