Latest / Career Skills with Fexingo: Hard Skills, Soft Skills, and Future-Proofing Your Career / How Skill Audits Reveal Your Hidden Competencies
Transcript
- Lucas: When did you last actually sit down and write out every single thing you are good at doing at work — not just what your job description says, but what you actually do, and what you could do? Luna: Honestly? Probably never. I mean, I update my resume when I have to, but that's a highlight reel, not a full inventory. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the problem. Most of us only think about our skills when we're job hunting or doing a performance review. But there's a much more powerful practice called a skill audit — and it doesn't get talked about nearly enough. Luna: A skill audit sounds like something you do after a layoff or a big career scare. Is it really something you should do proactively? Lucas: Absolutely. And actually — and this is a good moment to mention — this show doesn't run ads. We keep it ad-free because we think career advice shouldn't be interrupted by pitches for resume-writing services or LinkedIn courses. If you find these episodes useful and want to support that choice, you can at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Anyway — back to skill audits. Luna: And I appreciate that. So what does a skill audit actually look like? Is it just a list? Lucas: It's more structured than a list. Think of it as a three-part inventory. Part one: skills you use regularly and are confident in. Part two: skills you have but rarely or never use in your current role. Part three: skills you don't have but need or want. Most people skip part two entirely. Luna: That second category is interesting. Because you might have a skill that's 'dormant' — it's still there, but your current job doesn't call on it. I've heard that called 'skill atrophy.' Lucas: Right, and skill atrophy is real, but the dormant skills are often more valuable than you think. Let me give you a concrete example. A marketing manager at a mid-size fintech — let's call her Priya — did a skill audit last year. She listed all her skills. Under 'rarely used,' she wrote: SQL querying, basic Python, and A/B test design. Luna: Wait — she knew SQL and Python but wasn't using them in a marketing role? That seems like a waste. Lucas: Exactly. She had picked up those skills in a previous job where she did some growth hacking and data analysis. But at the fintech, the marketing team had dedicated data analysts. So she never touched SQL. Her resume only listed 'marketing strategy' and 'campaign management.' Those are accurate, but they completely buried her analytical capabilities. Luna: So the skill audit revealed she had a whole second career path she hadn't considered? Lucas: Precisely. She realized she could pivot into a product analytics role — which she ended up doing six months later. She took one online refresher course on Python, updated her resume and LinkedIn to feature her data skills, and applied internally. She got the job partly because she could show concrete examples of A/B tests she had designed in the past. Luna: That's a great case for doing the audit even when you're not looking to leave. But I imagine a lot of people would say 'I don't have time for that.' Lucas: Fair point. But a thorough skill audit doesn't take more than an hour or two. And you don't do it every week — once a year is plenty. The framework is simple. Step one: pull up your calendar, your project folders, your email — anything that shows what you actually did in the last six months. Step two: categorize every distinct task into a skill. Step three: rate your proficiency on a scale, and note whether you enjoy it. Luna: So it's not just about what you can do, but what you want to do more of. That's a smart twist. Lucas: Exactly. Because you might be good at something you hate — and that's important to know too. If you're great at spreadsheet modeling but it drains you, maybe you should delegate it or automate it. The audit gives you permission to stop doing things that don't serve your growth. Luna: I've also heard of people using skill audits in team settings. Like, a manager asks everyone to list their skills, and suddenly they realize someone on the team knows how to use Tableau but no one ever asked. Lucas: Yes, that's a fantastic use case. I've seen that in software teams especially. One engineer might have deep expertise in a legacy system that the team is about to modernize — and that knowledge saves months of reverse-engineering. The audit surfaces those hidden resources. Luna: So for someone listening right now, what's the single action they can take this week? Lucas: Block ninety minutes on your calendar. Open a blank document or a spreadsheet. Create three columns: 'Active Skills,' 'Dormant Skills,' 'Desired Skills.' Start with the Dormant column — that's where the surprises live. Write down everything you know how to do that you're not currently using. Even if it feels rusty. Then next to each one, write the last time you used it. If it's been more than two years, consider a refresher. Luna: And if someone finds they have genuinely no dormant skills? Like, they've only ever done one thing? Lucas: Then the Desired Skills column becomes the priority. They need to build something new. And that's a different conversation — but at least they know where the gap is. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to your career trajectory. Luna: I think the biggest takeaway for me is that a skill audit is a low-effort, high-insight activity. It's like a financial audit, but for your capabilities. Lucas: Exactly. And just like a financial audit, the goal isn't to make you feel bad about what you don't have — it's to give you an accurate picture so you can make smart decisions. Maybe you realize you're underutilized and it's time to ask for new projects. Or you realize you're over-indexed on a skill that's becoming obsolete. Either way, you're acting on data, not on vague anxiety. Luna: Alright, I'm convinced. I'm doing my audit this weekend. Any final pro tip? Lucas: One thing: don't forget the soft skills. Communication, negotiation, mentoring, conflict resolution — those count. Write them down. Rate them. They're often the most transferable skills of all. Luna: Good point. Priya's story shows that hard skills like SQL opened the door, but her ability to collaborate with product and engineering — that's what sealed the deal. Lucas: Exactly. So whether you're staying put or planning a move, a skill audit gives you the raw material for your next career chapter. And the best time to do it is before you urgently need it.