Dear Colleagues,

The Skills Matrix is the heart of your Career Portfolio. In the matrix you can add different skills and experiences you've acquired through classes, jobs, and other activities. As you complete your education and after graduation, your matrix will grow with your accomplishments. Don't expect to fill up every section right away; your portfolio is meant to be developed over time as you master new skills.

What are the available skills and experiences?
Skills include Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Life Management, Research/Project Development, Social Responsibility, Teamwork, and Technical/Scientific. You can also add your own skill (see How do I add my own skill? below).

Experiences describe where and how you've obtained those skills, including Courses, Jobs, Service/Volunteer Work, Memberships/Activities, and Interests/Life Experiences.

Where do I get these skills and experiences from?
Skills and experiences are acquired through a variety of ways: internships, part-time jobs, extracurricular activities, volunteer positions, etc. You even gain new experiences and skills from your courses each semester. You can include any academic or extracurricular experiences that have helped you increase your self-awareness and your career development.

Remember to explore new courses, activities and interests that will build upon different skills and experiences. The more diverse you become, the more skills you will have gained.

How do I add an item?
The Skills Matrix is comprised of many "cells." These represent different categories that are a combination of a particular skill and particular type of experience. The number in the cell indicates how many items you have in that particular category. You can add as many items as you want to a particular cell; there is no limit.

To add an item to a category, click on the Add/Edit link in the appropriate cell. The screen displays a list of the items, if any, you have added for that Skill and Experience combination. Click the Add Entry button to open a form where you can enter specific information about that Skill/Experience. The form's contents vary depending on the particular Skill/Experience you are adding. However, there is always a "Description" box where you explain what you gained from that particular experience. Be sure to explain how you feel your experience helped you to develop the particular skill.

How do I change or delete an item?
To change an existing item, click the Add/Edit link in the appropriate cell to display the list of existing items for that category. Click the Update button in front of the item you wish to change to open the form. Make the desired changes and click the Update button to save your changes and return to the list. To return to the list without keeping any changes, click the Cancel button.

To delete an existing item, click the Add/Edit link in the appropriate cell to display the list of existing items for that category. Click the Delete button in front of the item you wish to delete to open the form. Click the Delete button to remove the item and return to the list. To return to the list without deleting the item, click the Cancel button.

How do I determine what my skills are?
Skills identify what you can do and what actions you can perform. A skill can be something that comes naturally to you, such as communicating easily with others, or it could be a technique you acquired in an experience, such as learning HTML in a computer course.

How do I add my own skill?
At the bottom of the Skills Matrix page, click the Add your own Skill link. If this link is missing, you have already added your own skill. You must delete the skill before you can add a different skill.

On the Add a Career/Life Skill page, type the name of a skill, such as Problem Solving, Organization, Writing, Drawing, Engineering, etc. Click Save to add the skill and return to the Skills Matrix. The new skill is displayed at the bottom of the list. To return to the Skills Matrix without making any changes, click the Cancel button.

How do I change or delete a skill name?
You can only change or delete the name of a skill that you have added. To change or delete the name of the skill, click on the [edit] link next to the Skill name to open the Edit a Life/Career Skill page.

To change the skill name, type a new name in the box, and click the Save button.

To delete the skill, click the Delete button. Click the Yes button on the confirmation screen to delete this skill and all items for this skill.

To return to the Skills Matrix without making any changes, click the Cancel button.

Regards,

Harish M