Talking about your skills
Expressing Your Skills Clearly Helps You Stand Out
Talking about your skills helps you stand out when applying for jobs. The way you describe your strengths, skills, and previous experience shows the employer what kind of employee you are and how well you fit the role. Recruiters often scan through dozens – or even hundreds – of applications quickly. If your skills are described in a very general way, your application won’t stand out.
To talk about your skills in a convincing way, you first need to recognise what you actually know and can do. Once you’ve identified your skills, you can start practising how to describe them so that the employer understands what you’re capable of in practice. If you need help with recognising your own skills, start by visiting the page Recognising your skills
How Can You Describe Your Skills in a Way That Interests Employers?
Talking about your skills means explaining clearly what you’ve done, what you’ve achieved, and how you’ve developed along the way. It’s about describing your work tasks, accomplishments, and feedback you’ve received, and backing these up with real examples. In job applications, simple statements aren’t enough to convince an employer. Anyone can claim to be proactive, good with people, or an expert in their field. What makes you stand out is showing how you’ve applied your skills in practice and providing concrete evidence to support your claims.
Job titles on their own rarely tell the full story, as the same title can involve very different responsibilities in different organisations. Likewise, skills gained outside of work — through hobbies, volunteering, or studies — often remain invisible unless you describe them clearly. It’s not enough to know what you’ve done; you need to explain it in a way that is relevant to the employer and the role you are applying for.
Key things to keep in mind:
- Use specific examples to show your skills in action.
- Tailor your descriptions so they match the requirements of the role.
By making your skills visible and relevant, you help the employer understand not only what you can do, but also the value you could bring to their organisation.
Make Your Skills Visible With the Help of Examples
Simply saying that you’re good at something isn’t enough in a job application. Employers are convinced only when you give concrete examples of how your skills show in practice. Describe situations where you’ve used your skills: what kind of tasks you did, how you acted, and what the outcome was. You can use examples from projects, achievements, or feedback you’ve received.
When you explain what you really know and how your skills have developed, you make your experience more believable and help it stand out. You also help the employer see how you could bring value to their team.
Below, you’ll find four examples showing the difference between a general statement and a more concrete way of describing the same skill. Can you spot the difference?
Generic version:
"I have experience in customer service."
Concrete version:
"I worked in a sports shop where I advised customers on product choices and handled complaints. I learned to listen carefully to customers' needs and to quickly find suitable solutions."
Generic version: "I know how to work in a team."
Concrete version: "During my internship on a rehabilitation ward, I was part of a multidisciplinary team that planned and assessed the client's rehabilitation together. I noticed that I stay calm in discussions and that I’m good at listening and summarising things clearly."
Generic version: "I learn quickly."
Concrete version: "During my summer internship in programming, I learned to use a new software development platform in one week, even though I had never worked with it before. I actively asked for advice and documented what I learned for the team to use."
Generic version: "I have visual skills."
Concrete version: "During my studies, I designed the visual identity for a student event campaign. I created a moodboard, selected the typography, and made social media graphics that received positive feedback and were widely shared on student accounts (link to portfolio where the recruiter can view the results)."
Describing Your Skills in Three Levels
You can also approach skill description through three levels. Think of it as a staircase: each step adds depth and makes your description more convincing.You can think of skill description as a set of steps: each step adds depth and makes your description more convincing. Practice explaining the same skill in three different ways.
Level 1: Recognising and naming your skill
Example: “I have project management skills.”
Level 2: Where and how have you used this skill?
Give examples of where and how you have gained or used the skill.
Example: “I worked as a project manager in a student project where we planned and organised an event. I was responsible for scheduling and managing collaboration with partners.”
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill?
At this level, your skill is linked to concrete outcomes and results. Describe the impact your actions had. Highlight the added value and achievements.
Example: “The smooth progress of the project helped us stay on budget and exceed the expected number of participants. We received positive feedback especially for our effective teamwork.”
Aim to Demonstrate How Your Skills Make a Difference
When writing a job application or preparing for a job interview, try to describe your skills at least at Level 2. However, employers are especially interested in what you can achieve and contribute to their organisation, so aim for Level 3 whenever possible.
When you explain how your skills benefited your team, client, workplace or project, your skills become more convincing and more relevant from the employer’s perspective. You can describe, for example:
- How did your actions influence the final outcome?
- How did they improve efficiency, collaboration, customer satisfaction or workflow?
- What results were achieved and how can you show them?
You can also use numerical proof, such as grades, feedback or financial indicators (sales growth, staying on budget, reducing costs etc.), to make your examples more convincing.
Below, you’ll find more examples of how a skill can be described at different levels.
Level 1: What is the skill?
I have good language skills and can communicate in several languages.
Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
I’ve studied English and Swedish at school and university, and used both regularly in customer service roles. I also speak Russian at home with my family and have used it to help international customers.
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill to the company or its customers? What kind of impact did it have?
My ability to serve customers in multiple languages helped improve the customer experience, especially for those who didn’t speak Finnish. In my previous job, I was often asked to assist in situations where clear communication was needed in English or Russian, which helped solve issues more quickly and made customers feel welcome.
Level 1: What is the skill?
I am creative and can come up with new ideas for different situations.
Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
I’ve used my creativity in project work during my studies and in customer service situations at work where I needed to find new kinds of solutions to meet customers’ needs. My hobbies, such as writing and photography, have also strengthened my ability to generate ideas.
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill to the company or its customers? What kind of impact did it have?
My creative ideas supported the planning of an event that attracted more visitors than expected. Some of my ideas were also used to create a new product display in the shop, which received positive feedback from customers and helped increase sales.na.
Level 1: What is the skill?
I can plan and structure tasks so that things are completed smoothly and in the right order.
Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
I developed my organisational skills during my studies by scheduling project work, and in working life through warehouse work, where I was responsible for receiving and shelving goods. I also needed good planning skills when organising events as a volunteer.
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill to the company or its customers? What kind of impact did it have?
Well-organised work ensured that customers received their orders on time and without errors. Smooth daily operations reduced stress and improved the team atmosphere. I received positive feedback from my supervisor for my structured way of working.
Level 1: What is the skill?
I can recognise problems and find effective solutions.
Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
I have solved problems in customer service situations, for example when products were unavailable or customers had specific requests. In my studies, I’ve practised problem-solving in group projects and simulations where the situation could change quickly.
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill to the company or its customers? What kind of impact did it have?
I was able to solve problems quickly and independently without needing help from a supervisor, which saved time and improved the customer experience. For example, suggesting an alternative product often led to a successful sale.
Level 1: What is the skill?
I know how to use various digital tools and programmes in my work.
Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
I’ve used digital platforms in my studies and at work, for example to update customer records, send emails and handle online forms. I’ve also created simple presentations and spreadsheets using PowerPoint and Excel.
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill to the company or its customers? What kind of impact did it have?
I was able to use the necessary systems without extra guidance, which made onboarding faster and improved efficiency. Customers received more up-to-date information and online services became easier, as I could answer their questions effectively.
Level 1: What is the skill?
I can manage my own schedule and work towards goals.
Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
Remote studies and part-time work taught me to plan my weeks so I could complete tasks on time. At work, I was responsible for tasks during my own shifts and had to prioritise depending on the situation.
Level 3: What was the benefit of your skill to the company or its customers? What kind of impact did it have?
I could complete tasks efficiently without needing constant supervision, which improved workflow and reduced delays. Staying on schedule ensured that customers received their services within the expected time.
More Tips for Talking About Your Skills
"Teamwork comes naturally to me. I often take a role where I can support others’ success and take care of coordination tasks such as reporting and communication."
"I have been studying and working at the same time for the past year and have managed my time so that I’ve completed both work and study tasks as agreed."
"I have worked as a coach at club X for the past three years, which has given me skills in goal-oriented planning and in interacting with different kinds of people."
"My strengths are listening and interacting with others. I’m good at resolving conflicts, and at school I worked as a peer mediator."
"While working at a café, I was suddenly given responsibility for placing orders. I quickly developed a system for ordering that reduced waste and improved profitability."
"I’m an enthusiastic and creative person. In my previous team, I was often invited to meetings where new ideas were needed."
"In my previous job, I learned how to create clear presentations and use visualisation tools. According to the feedback I received, my presentations were informative and easy to follow."
"In my previous jobs and through volunteer work with older people, I’ve had the chance to meet many different people and face various situations. I’ve become quite confident in interacting with others."
"My leadership skills have developed through work experience and further training."
"I’ve been praised in previous roles for being reliable and completing tasks on time and to the required standard."
"I find it easy to see the positive side of things, even when they’re difficult. In my previous job, I was thanked for lifting the team’s mood by coming up with encouraging quotes for the noticeboard in the break room."
"In my last job, I regularly received positive feedback for my friendly and approachable way of interacting with customers."
"I was voted 'Team Player of the Year' at my previous workplace. The recognition was based on a vote by other employees in the company."
"I’m skilled at keeping project budgets on track. In my previous role, I worked as a project manager on three different projects and stayed within budget on all of them."
"In my last job, customers rated my customer service skills 4.8 out of 5."
"As a supervisor, I succeeded in reducing the number of sick leave days."
"With marketing campaign X, I succeeded in increasing the sales of product Y by Z percent."
Background: You studied at university for 6 years. You changed your major several times but never graduated:
"I have gained broad knowledge in the humanities. I have completed extensive studies in media, substance abuse and mental health work, and social sciences. In my future work, I would like to make use of this wide-ranging expertise."
Background: You are passionate about role-playing games. You have studied ICT but have not graduated. You have taken part in several work trials and employment subsidy positions, including in amateur theatre:
"I’m skilled at storytelling and stepping into different roles. Thanks to my studies, I have strong ICT skills. While working in supporting roles at a theatre, I received positive feedback..."
Practise Talking About Your Skills
The ability to describe your skills clearly and effectively doesn’t come automatically. Below, you’ll find two exercises to help you practise how to describe your skills in a concrete way.
In this exercise, you will learn to describe your skills using three different levels.
You can think of skill description as a staircase: each step adds depth and makes your description more convincing. Practice explaining the same skill in three different ways.
Choose one skill that you recognize you have (e.g., communication, teamwork, customer service, digital skills, guidance, project work, etc.). Write three different versions of how you would describe it:
- Level 1: What is the skill?
- Level 2: Where and how have you learned and used this skill?
- Level 3: What benefit did your skill bring to the organization or its customers? What impact did it have?
A Tip: You can find more examples of skill description in three levels earlier on this page. If identifying your skills still feels difficult, start with the page on Recognising your skills and return to this exercise afterwards.
An elevator pitch is a short, concise, and engaging introduction of yourself. It tells who you are, what you can do, and what your goals are. The same structure can also be used as:
- A profile text in your CV or LinkedIn
- At recruitment events, when introducing yourself to potential employers
- In an email introduction
- At the beginning of a job interview, when answering the question: “Tell me about yourself.”
Why should you summarize your skills?
Employers rarely have time to read or listen to long stories. A concise, well-structured introduction stands out, is memorable, and helps you communicate your skills quickly and clearly.
Try to avoid generalizations and filler words. Express yourself concretely, clearly, and truthfully. Your personal style is not only allowed but recommended — especially in today’s world, where AI-generated texts can often sound generic.
Compare these two elevator pitches
Example 1
“I am a social services student with experience in customer service. I am good at teamwork and I enjoy learning new things. I would like to work with people.”
Example 2
“I am a second-year Bachelor of Social Services student with 3 years of experience working with young people as an instructor and in volunteer work. I have been praised for my calm approach and clear communication. In the future, I want to work with young adults. I am particularly motivated to support those struggling with mental health challenges and to help prevent social exclusion.”
Which one do you think gives a better impression of the job applicant?
Now it’s your turn!
Write your own elevator pitch or profile text (about 3–5 sentences). Then try saying it out loud.
- Does it sound natural?
- Does it sound like you?
If not, keep editing it until you can say it comfortably and confidently.
Guiding questions for building your elevator pitch
- Experience: What is your educational background or work experience? In which field, and for how long?
- Skills: What can you do? What are your areas of strength?
- Strengths: What feedback have you received? How do you work? What have you achieved?
- Motivation: What do you want to do next — and why?