In this Module, we move to discussing practical approaches, models, and tools that you can use for measuring and managing your skills in a competitive job market environment. First, we discuss how to operationalize skills (in other words, how to make them measurable). Then, we examine how to cluster skills into job-specific skillsets and use performance management techniques to objectively evaluate the level of mastery. Finally, using a simulated competitive job selection process, we will show how to realistically estimate your total skillset score. In the Module, we also introduce “J.A.F.A.R., The Skills Manager Pro (TM)”, a free and intuitive individual skills management software developed for this course. In addition to organizing skill-building routines, "J.A.F.A.R." will help you achieve tangible outcomes that can be immediately useful for your next job application.

Now, it is time to put individual skills management to work and explore how you can implement the methods and techniques introduced in the course in typical skill-building scenarios. In this and the following Modules, we examine two case studies dealing with three career enhancement scenarios, namely Job Excellence, Job Enhancement, and Job Diversification. We also demonstrate how to use "Jafar", the skills management application, for producing tangible outcomes for your ongoing professional development and your next job application. In Module 3, we begin by demonstrating how to identify, quantify, and objectively evaluate a job-specific skillset. Then, we will focus on generating a powerful and informative Selection Criteria Statement. We will also discuss how you can significantly improve your next job application by making it job-specific, evidence-based, data-driven, and externally-verified.

In Module 4, we examine another case study focusing on the Job Diversification scenario. According to the latest job market research, in the modern economy it is becoming an absolute necessity to have a second vocational area of expertise (www.burningglass.com). That’s why we will explore a case in which a career builder strives to extend his job search area by adding a new skill in a different occupational field. You will learn how to use skills management methods and techniques to guide you through the entry process by identifying the training needs and designing concrete targets for effective professional development.

Are you ready to give it a try? In this Honors Lesson Module, we’ll ask you to download a blank Jafar template and populate it with real-life data for your current job or (even better!) your next career move. By now, you should be able to implement the skills management methods and techniques that we discussed in the course and produce an accurate skillset review and obtain meaningful tangible outcomes that are useful for both your job selection (or promotion) process, as well as ongoing professional development. This final project is a bonus and is not a small undertaking, please allow sufficient time. In the end, we will ask you to submit your results for peer review. You will also evaluate the work of your peers. Please promptly provide constructive and fair developmental feedback, as it adds extra value to the course.

It’s time to wrap it up! When developing the course, we wanted to fill a certain void. While there are thousands of online courses offering career builders numerous opportunities for learning new skills, there are very few courses teaching people how to effectively measure and manage their skills. Most people even do not know that their skills are already being sorted out and quantified by computerized recruiting systems powered by artificial intelligence. We think that upon completion of the course, you should be able to objectively measure your skills and more effectively organize, develop, and present them in a skill-based, job selection process. In the last Module, we want you to test your knowledge, evaluate your progress against the Individual Skills Management Framework, and boost confidence in your ability to get skilled.