SkillScan Advance Pack Preview Pack
[SKN-0051]

In this era of dependable strengths and competency-driven workplaces, how do you know which of your many skills are your own, unique next-best-thing? How do you know which skills will attract your much-desired next job, or enhance competencies needed to meet your career goals and objectives? How do you even know which are your special skills - those that motivate and get you going each morning?

A number of skill assessments are available online or at College Career Centers for free or a small fee, but how effective are they, really? With rapidly changing project-driven workplaces, what can you do to assure that you are developing skills that enhance your strengths? How can you ensure which of your many skills are the ones you truly want developed?

In the early 90s, Lesah Beckhusen created the original SkillScan Professional Pack to assist with basic skills identification and transferable skills questions. The content of these cards was well researched and based on a business model. Over the years the Professional Pack has proven useful for a number of different reasons, most importantly the way it accommodates tactile learners - actual cards to touch and feel as they complete the assessment.

Now we are arriving in a conceptual era where lifelong learning is not just a good idea, it is mandatory for staying competitive in today's job market. Transferable skills have taken on a more important role than ever. SkillScan's recently developed Advance Pack helps career practitioners assist professional workers with this issue. It is designed to help career practitioners and their clients identify transferable skills that can be used job-to-job, project-to-project. Users can become aware of skill transferability to new functions, positions, and careers.

The cards can help clients identify professional development activities needed for career moves, and the skills they want to target in a job search. For ease of use and professional support, the Advance Pack comes with a well-developed and easy to follow Facilitator's Guide containing reproducible materials. An additional Assessment Report is available for recording card sort findings.

The Advance Pack's vocabulary reflects today's strong demand for technical, managerial, communication, and analytical skills in the workplace. It integrates skills with values, temperament, and Holland themes, providing a theoretical basis for use by career professionals. The Advance Pack is designed to complement the Professional Pack, not replace it. The Advance Pack helps workers to plan, retool, and advance their careers.

SkillScan's Professional Pack compares to skills assessment instruments such as O*net and Eureka. SkillScan's Advance Pack focuses on higher-level professionals with higher-level skills. Promotional materials included in Advance Pack indicate the cards are developed to be used with college grads, adults with advanced degrees, proactive career changers, technical/skilled workers, entry and mid-level managers, employees evaluating next steps, and early retirees.

With the new skills-based workplace becoming more prevalent this card sort can be a useful tool for narrowing career choices. It is relatively easy to use and can be a helpful tool for professionally trained workers.

Reviewed by Karol Taylor - email - karoltaylor@comcast.net
Reprinted with permission from ACP Career Voice (July 2007)