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Beyond Resumes
Master the New Interview Conversation Piece
By Justin Flam

“So tell me about yourself?” I bet you have heard this question over a thousand times. Most often, it is posed by someone who is evaluating you and, more importantly, the benefit in pursuing a relationship with you. Of all of the situations where this question may arise, a job interview often allows you to describe your life through a combination of written and oral communication.

With resume in hand, most interviewers will typically begin by requesting a walk through of your written recollection of past work experiences and accolades. For those of us who are preparing to enter the corporate world, this step is often short lived. We work hard to condense several years of experience and achievements onto a single piece of paper, which may only scratch the surface of our past. So how can we present more information about our potential contribution to the workplace?

The Skills Matrix

The answer comes in the form of a document introduced to UCSB by Dr. Muriel Zimmerman, director of the Technical Writing Minor. The Skills Matrix is a visual representation of data that may present an endless variety of information applicable to any employer considering someone for a job. For professional writers, this may include aptitude ratings for various software and hardware competencies, editing skill level, leadership experience, and writing ability for a wide range of communication tools.

The impact of the Skills Matrix on a job interview can rival that of a resume. There is a growing trend for employers to expect some level of technical proficiency in their writers. By displaying a diverse set of competencies, a Skills Matrix can help set you apart from other prospective employees.

The Nonexistent Guidelines

Given the potential edge you may receive from possessing a Skills Matrix, where should you begin? There must be a set of rules and guidelines that you must follow to create such an informative document? Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. The beauty behind the skills matrix is that there is absolutely no criteria that must be followed. The key is to be creative, and try to include fields pertinent to the position you are pursuing. Consult the list below, titled “10 Tips for Designing Your Skills Matrix,” for some ideas on where to start. For an example of a skills matrix, you may view mine by clicking here.

10 Tips for Designing Your Skills Matrix

Try to keep it to one page The reason why we keep resumes to one page is that we assume the reader will not have the patience/time to explore multiple pages.  This assumption is also true with a Skills Matrix.  Explore innovative uses of table columns if you want to pack more material into a tight space. Include your personal letterhead and logo This gives your Skills Matrix a more professional look and feel.  For added depth in design, you may consider integrating your letterhead with the look of the rest of the document (either by mimicking shapes or color schemes). Open with a brief statement of educational background You should include your school, major(s), and minors(s).  Try to limit the amount of information you list so that you may have plenty of space reserved for competencies. Separate computer related skills from written skills Try to organize your information into multiple fields. Add descriptions to more obscure skills It may be necessary to describe your level of software expertise.  You can briefly list proficiencies for each program included, especially those which are not widely known

Focus on your strengths Try to balance out your weaknesses with strengths.  For instance, if you have a weak software background but have a diverse writing portfolio, list more of your writing skills.  Don't forget about skills such as teamwork, leadership, editing, and time management. Create a scale for evaluation There are endless possibilities at your disposal for creating an evaluation scale.  You can use numbers, line graphs, icons, letters, etc.  I recommend a scale between three and ten levels.  Don't forget to explain your scale! Try to avoid the use of obnoxious colors The harder to read something is, the less likely it will be read. Think timeless, not trendy Try to create a document that you can update over the course of several years.  Don't add elements that you believe may become dated someday.  For this reason, you may want to stick with a subtle color scheme. Edit thoroughly Your document will be sent to potential employers.  For those looking to enter a writing related field, it is imperative to submit an error freedocument.

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