Latest / Career Skills with Fexingo: Hard Skills, Soft Skills, and Future-Proofing Your Career / How to Use a Skills Journal Not a Resume
Transcript
- Lucas: So we talk a lot on this show about auditing your skills, stacking them, negotiating training — but there's this one practice I keep circling back to that almost never comes up in formal career advice. It's the idea of keeping a skills journal. Luna: A skills journal? Like a diary for your work life? Lucas: Exactly. But it's not a gratitude journal or a venting space. It's a structured log of what you actually did, what you learned, and where you struggled. I'm talking about five to ten minutes a day, maybe a little more on Fridays. Luna: Okay, I'm intrigued. Because most people I know — myself included — only reflect on their skills when they're updating their resume, which is maybe once a year. And by then, you've forgotten half the details. Lucas: That's the core problem. Your resume is a backward-looking document you write under pressure. A skills journal is a forward-looking tool you build in real time. There's a great case study I came across — a marketing manager at a mid-size B2B software company. She spent three years in that role, but her resume basically said 'led campaigns, managed budgets, improved metrics.' Generic stuff. Luna: Right — anyone could write that. Lucas: She started keeping a daily one-sentence log. Just one sentence every workday describing something she did that required a skill she wanted to develop. Things like 'Wrote SQL query to segment customer data for email campaign' or 'Facilitated cross-functional meeting between product and sales to align on messaging.' Then on Fridays, she'd write a slightly longer reflection on what went well and what didn't. Luna: So she's building this repository of concrete evidence. I can see how that would be way more useful than a resume when you're trying to pivot. Lucas: That's exactly what happened. After eighteen months, she looked back and noticed a pattern: more than half her entries involved data analysis or stakeholder alignment. She realized she was actually doing product management work, not marketing. So she used her journal as evidence in internal conversations to transition into a product role. And it worked — she got the job because she could point to specific examples instead of just saying 'I'm interested in product.' Luna: That's a powerful move. And it's not just for big career pivots. I bet it helps in performance reviews too. Instead of scrambling to remember what you did last quarter, you've got a running log. Lucas: Exactly. And there's research backing this up — a study from Harvard Business School found that people who wrote weekly reflections performed 23 percent better than those who didn't. The act of writing forces you to consolidate learning and identify gaps. It's like a personal retrospective every week. Luna: I'm sold on the concept. But I think a lot of people will say 'I don't have time for that.' How do you make it stick? Is it really just one sentence a day? Lucas: One sentence is the minimum viable habit. You can always write more if something interesting happened. But the key is consistency. I'd recommend setting a daily reminder on your phone for the same time — end of the workday works well. And keep it simple: a Google Doc, a private Slack channel to yourself, even a physical notebook. Whatever removes friction. Luna: And the Friday reflection — what does that look like in practice? Lucas: I suggest three quick sections. One: what was the most important thing I learned this week? Two: what's one skill I want to focus on next week? Three: did I get any feedback — positive or negative — that I should note? That might take ten minutes, but it pays off enormously when you look back after six months. Luna: I can also see this being useful for identifying blind spots. Maybe you think you're great at communication, but your journal shows you've only logged two instances of presenting to stakeholders in the past quarter. That's a gap you can address. Lucas: Absolutely. And the journal doesn't lie because it's written in the moment. It's not your memory polishing things up. So you get a more honest picture of where you're spending your time and what you're actually good at. Luna: This feels like something that could be especially useful for early-career professionals. They're trying to figure out what they like and what they're good at. A journal could really help clarify that. Lucas: And for mid-career people too. I've seen senior leaders start skills journals to prepare for board interviews or C-suite transitions. It's not just for entry level. Luna: You know, Lucas, one thing I appreciate about this show is how practical the advice is. It's not just theory — it's stuff you can actually start doing today. And that's partly because it's listener-supported, with no ads or sponsors. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through Buy Me a Coffee at buymeacoffee.com/fexingo, and that's what keeps us ad-free and focused on real, actionable content. Lucas: Yeah, exactly. We don't have to cater to advertisers, so we can go deep on whatever we think will actually help you. And if you've found any of these episodes useful, that support is what makes it possible. Appreciate everyone who's part of that. Luna: Alright, back to skills journals. One more question: how do you actually use the journal in an interview without sounding like you're reading from notes? Is it just for personal preparation? Lucas: Great question. I'd recommend reviewing your journal before an interview and picking two or three standout entries that demonstrate the skills the role requires. Then in the interview, you can say something like 'Let me give you a specific example. In February, I noticed that our customer onboarding was causing churn, so I mapped out the steps and proposed a simplification.' That's far more compelling than a generic statement. Luna: So the journal is a source of stories, not a script. I like that. Lucas: Exactly. And the more you use it, the easier it becomes to tell those stories naturally because you've already reflected on them. You're not trying to invent an example on the spot. Luna: I think I'm going to start one this week. I'll commit to the one-sentence rule and see how it goes. Lucas: Do it. And maybe check in with me in a month. I'd love to hear what patterns you discover. Luna: Deal. For our listeners, if you try it, let us know what you find. It might be the most valuable career habit you pick up this year. Lucas: Alright, that's it for this episode. We'll be back next week with another practical skill you can start using tomorrow. Until then, keep building your journal.