Oftentimes, while preparing resumes and during a job interview, job seekers highlight their past work experience rather than their skills. Previous professional experience is relevant to the hiring process; however, emphasizing your skills is a much better strategy. Hiring managers put value on skills more than work history.

To get a clear picture, let’s discuss how skills and experience are related.

The Relationship Between Skills and Experience

By gaining experience, you acquire skills and develop them. Skills stay with you for a long time and you get to improve them over time. Experiences are moments in your career. Each one of them is unique and you learn from them. And the learning you acquired gives you more skills to hone. You will bring these skills throughout your career. Consistently practicing your acquired skills will make you better at them.

Clarify Your Skills

The most effective way to stand out among other candidates is by clearly defining your skills. Some fail to do this. What they do instead is to tell the employer about their past projects and the tasks they undertook to make the projects successful. Employers prefer to know your skills set and how these could be beneficial for the company. Showcase your specific hard skills and your soft skills as well. They go together for you to become an efficient employee.

Differentiate Yourself with Strong Personal Branding

Creating your strong personal brand gives you an advantage. Brand yourself in a way that your skills and career goals can stand out. This will determine your value for your next employer.

By emphasizing your skills, companies can identify if you are the right fit for the role. Remember, experience is your history, skills are your future.