What skills do you have?

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
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West Coast Resistance
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Ack...city life
Your occupation does not count. What skills do you have that you find valuable?


What prompted my Q was I was just reading an article about mending fishing nets. I then began to think of how I could do that and then I started to think of the many knots I have tied. Of course there are other skills but I'd rathe not say yet.
 
Bowhunting skills, nunchuck skills, computer hacking skills...


Napoleon_Dynamite-150x150.jpg
 
Mechanical skills, musical skills, medical skills, and perhaps most of all, the ability to RTFM and figure stuff out.
 
TMetzinger said:
Mechanical skills, musical skills, medical skills, and perhaps most of all, the ability to RTFM and figure stuff out.
Click to expand...

Me too. I have been called a "problem solver". One of those people whose "skill" is just the determination to GET the answers and not stop until something is FIXED, no matter what it takes. Apparently, this skill is rare (or at least in the companies I've worked for). It involves other skills such as thinking outside the box, patience, and even a small dose of b-i-t-c-h when I have to get my way over the phone to resolve an issue.
 
I can feed myself, I find that very beneficial. I also tie my own shoes, drive a car/truck/motorhome.
 
I don't know everything.... but I know a lot about everything...:lol:
 
Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, Music (sort of), A smattering of other things.
 
Fun. Ok, at random, concentrating on things that are not exactly an everyday need:

I've relocated three complete strangers' shoulders at random times and places in the backcountry on personal trips around the world. Funny, in ten years as a medic I've never had to do it ON duty.

Underwater ROV operation.

I can sharpen a crosscut saw. Correctly.

Make the best dang scratch biscuits this side of Memphis.

And like the above I can tie all manner of specialized knots some work related some not :lol:

I'm also trained to operate a M102 Howitzer :yikes: The NYPD think they are badass because they have a couple of shoulder-fired MPAD units. Bet they don't have towed artillery like we do :D

Oh yeah - classically trained musician.
 
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lewy15 said:
I don't know everything.... but I know a lot about everything...:lol:
Click to expand...

I don't know everything about anything, but I know nothing about a lot of things :idea:

Seriously though, in my life, I've worked in:
Search and rescue, radio communications, law enforcement, paramedic, police/fire/ems dispatcher, medevac, physical access control system design, police aviation, hazmat, disaster medicine, mass decontamination, water rescue, WMD response, grants management, emergency management, wildfire, PKI-based identity validation systems, and computer systems security.

It's been an interesting life so far.

I also make a rocking beef bourguignon, and the best cuban sandwiches and picadillo outside of Florida.
And I can make a proper rappelling harness from a single piece of rope.
 
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Learned how to sew when I was about 7 ( no sisters, working mom and wanted pants fixed ) Underwater salvage (raised sunken sailboat complete with lift bags and pumps ) fixed soldering on copper pipes for large outdoor fish pond. Won Betty Crocker Homemaker of the Future for High School class of 1974. Was lead dancer in high school musical "Music Man" Crewed on a sailboat moving it from Shelter Island, New York to Annapolis , MD Ran a hotel in Vermont in the off season. Computer geek and pilot ( boring :)) That's all I can think off right off the top but like most the people who post here I'm betting more will come when I ( we ) think about it.
 
I almost forgot, I was Time Man of the Year in 2006.
 
Archery - was regional champ several years in a row. So, if you need an arrow (not the plane) placed somewhere, I'm your man.
Woodworking, welding, I was a mechanic for 3 years while living in France, pottery, craps, computers...
All of my artistic skills I use in my job - audio, video, music...
And, I'm a good lover :D
 
Oh I did not know we were talking about ALL skills. In that case, I'm more than just a problem solver.

I have other skills.
 
Just to pick out the less common skills: I can rebuild player pianos (not those new fangled electronic abominations) and the piano itself.
 
Basic carpentry, plumbing, electrician skills have gotten me along pretty well. When I was a kid I was pretty handy around cars until they became 1/2 computers. (I'm not complaining - they run MUCH better w/ computers)

I'm very adept at coming up with ideas for successfull businesses. I'm even more adept at sitting on my @$$ and watching someone else put them into motion.

I have parenting skills like no other. I suck with most spousal skills.

My skills at the blackjack table are without equal. If only I wouldn't go to the casino w/ velcro on the seat of my pants.

The skillset I could use some major improvement in is diplomacy. I'm working on it, but I just don't have the patience with others that I should. Especially when there are other drivers on the road.
 
Grew up on a farm, so basically a jack of all trades, master of none. ;) Welding, carpentry, general construction, pretty well mechanically inclined (I can fix darn near anything if given enough duck tape and/or bailing wire ;)), I can operate (or easily learn how to) most any piece of heavy machinery. If I could make a semi-comfortable - or at least consistent - living on the farm, I would never leave that life.

Since leaving the farm, I've gotten into computers and web development as well as operations management - lean manufacturing, process improvement, etc. Currently working on how to tie those two together better and have someone pay me lots for the effort.

Oh yeah - the imporant stuff - I can smoke ribs and chicken better than any restaurant could ever hope to do.
 
Kinibbling
I won the coveted kinibbling trophy at St. Paul's Episcopal Elementary back in the late 80's. Kinibbling is the little known sport of balancing a penny on the hook of a wire coat hanger and twirling it around your head. I managed to overcome the ugly accusations of illegal doping and super glue use, but have yet to see any monetary reward for this skill.
 
I can fly an airplane, I'm fairly proficient in judo, well I was a few years ago. I can make stuff out of wood, and finish it. The military gave me a bunch of skills that are of little or no use to me now. I can sail a sailboat, pretty much any sailboat.

There are a whole bunch more, but they are work related.

John
 
Killing time. Wait a minute, that's a job-related skill...

I think I'm more of the learning a little bit about everything type like someone else in this thread.
 
I have no skills that are of any use to anyone.
I'm a generalist. Got something that needs to be done? I can do it. Doesn't matter much what it is.

It's great for doing my own thing, helping friends, theatre work, or self employment and not much else.
It's horrific for getting a real job though: "what do you mean you can turn any screwdriver both directions any number of turns, we need someone that can only turn a P1 screwdriver clockwise 1/4 turn with steel screws into steel only. A ratchet too? And a saw? You can run a lathe?!?!?! And sail a boat?!?!?! Get this guy outta here, he's not a specialist therefore unemployable in this country."
 
I played mandolin in a bluegrass band for a number of years.
 
I think that I'm very organized when I plan things out before doing them. I'm also very creative and crafty. I like making things... scrapbook albums, jewelry, and I can sew and quilt. And with a single no-limit credit card and a Mall, I can shop anyone into unconsciousness. :D
 
Bob Noel said:
Just to pick out the less common skills: I can rebuild player pianos (not those new fangled electronic abominations) and the piano itself.
Click to expand...
Have you ever done a Duo-Art? I have one in a Steinway that I had completely restored about 20 years ago. The player mech is a work of art by itself. When I was searching for a shop to do the work many of the ones I found suggested I replace the mechanism with an electronic one (played cassette tapes in those days) but when I heard that I kept looking and finally found a guy in Wisconsin that had rebuilt several.
 
Probably my best skill is fixing things and troubleshooting problems in a logical manner. It's somewhat related to my job though, I've gotten lots of practice fixing the mistakes I made when designing things.

And is a recreational sport activity a "skill?

I can sail a boat, anything from a windsurfer to a 60 ketch. Probably wouldn't win a competitive race but I'd get where I wanted to go without sinking the boat.

I'm fairly proficient on snow skis and have competed nationally for many years in waterskiing, do either of those count?
 
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