Our life provides us the experiences, knowledge, skills, and abilities that make us an asset to others. The key is to recognize who and what we have become and then use these assets as a basis for any job search -- resume, interview, and actual job performance.

You’ve just revised your resume and you are ready to send it off to a prospective employer. Stop! Have you really sold yourself or just gone through the usual resume writing motions?

Each of us has a set of skills, experience, and abilities that make us an asset to others. The most obvious may be career skills. But any type of experience may fit the requirements for a particular job. Carefully review your resume before you send it for a particular job opening.

Suppose you were active in high school and college theatre. You might want to dismiss this as just an extracurricular activity. Yet, many professions involve acting skills. Teachers have to entertain students, lawyers have to convince juries about certain situations, and some theme park workers have to don costumes to set the scene for guests. Southwest Airlines flight attendants often act out for their passengers. Politicians may be the consummate actors, playing whatever role the situation requires.

Perhaps you were active in your high school or college club, sports teams, or marching bands. These and similar activities define your ability to work on a team or provide leadership to others. Working on a school newspaper or church newsletter can showcase your writing or organizational skills.

Work experiences often qualify you for jobs you never considered. You might be "just another government bureaucrat," yet you want to transition to the private sector. Fortunately, your work experience attests to your knowledge of government bidding services, something that a private sector company might be looking for.

Two college students recently helped me out during a summertime science camp program. They were officially labeled as chaperones. But they did so much more (including helping students out in science and related activities) that I gave them the title of science assistants. Regardless of which title they opt to use on a resume, the description of what they did should include their higher-level jobs.

In this case, I gave them the title; but if your boss didn’t do that and you can justify a different description or title, then you should incorporate that into your resume.

However, written words alone won’t get you the job. You have to build your resume and then carry it through the interview process, and then to the job itself. Remember, you know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses best.

That is what ace car salesman Joe Girard noted, in his book "How To Sell Yourself." Girard earned his Guinness title of World's Number-One New Car Salesman because he sold himself, not because he sold the World's Number-One Product (supposedly an automobile).

Finally, ponder this message from a Hewlett Packard product package -- "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Although that message is focused on making photographic prints on an HP printer, it is easily transferable to every aspect of establishing your transferable job skills. From your resume, through the interview process, and finally to the new job, you are in the driver’s seat when it comes to selling yourself. With a truthful message, even with creative spin, you can capture that job and be on your way to gaining effective skills.