24d • General discussion
You Have More Skills Than You Think — Here's How to Find Them
One of the biggest mistakes I see engineering students make is saying "I don't have any experience" when applying for internships.
The truth is you probably have more skills than you realize. You just don't know how to identify them yet.
Here's a simple 5 step process to figure out exactly what you bring to the table:
Step 1 — Look Backwards, Not Forwards
Most students think they have no skills because they're looking forward at what they haven't done yet. Instead, look backwards at what you already have.
Ask yourself:
- What classes have I taken and what did I actually do in them?
- What labs, projects, or group work have I completed?
- What jobs have I had, even non-engineering ones?
- What do people regularly ask me for help with?
That last one is important. If your classmates come to you for help understanding a concept, that's both a technical skill and a communication skill.
Step 2 — Separate Hard Skills from Soft Skills
Students almost always only list hard skills on their resume and completely ignore soft skills. Employers care about both.
Hard skills are technical and teachable:
- CAD software
- Lab techniques
- Data analysis
- Materials testing
- Coding
Soft skills are behavioral:
- Working independently
- Communication
- Problem solving
- Time management
- Adaptability
Write out both lists separately. You'll be surprised how long each one gets.
Step 3 — Mine Your Class Projects
Engineering students do significant work in classes that never makes it onto a resume. Go back through your coursework and ask yourself:
- Did you design anything?
- Did you test or analyze anything?
- Did you present findings to a class or professor?
- Did you work within real constraints like budget, materials, or time?
Every single one of those is a real, resume worthy experience. Don't leave them off just because it happened in a classroom.
Step 4 — Ask Someone Who Knows You
Sometimes other people see your strengths more clearly than you do. Ask a professor, classmate, lab partner, or former supervisor what they think you're particularly good at.
The answers might surprise you — and they might give you language to describe yourself that you wouldn't have thought of on your own.
Step 5 — Match Your Skills to Job Descriptions
Take 3 internship job descriptions you're genuinely interested in. Highlight every skill or quality they mention. Then honestly ask yourself:
"Do I have evidence of doing this, even in a small way?"
The overlap between what they're asking for and what you've already done — that's your starting point for your resume and your interviews.
The bigger picture:
Once you know your skills clearly, everything else gets easier. Your resume becomes more specific. Your cover letter becomes more confident. Your interview answers become more natural.
You don't need years of experience to be valuable. You just need to know how to communicate what you already have.
Action step for you right now:
Grab a piece of paper and spend 15 minutes going through steps 1 and 2. Write down every skill you can think of — hard and soft. Don't filter yourself.
Drop your list in the comments below. I'll personally give you feedback on what stands out and what might be missing.
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You Have More Skills Than You Think — Here's How to Find Them
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