skillWhether you are an Advocate, Prevention Educator, Volunteer Manager or Director; in today’s work place and economy it is a good idea to focus on updating your skill set.  Updating your skill set at minimal can allow you to become a greater asset to your rape crisis center and the community in which you work.  It will also afford you the opportunity to provide more comprehensive services to survivors of sexual assault. 
A skill set is defined as having the skills needed to accomplish a specific task or perform a given function.  When contemplating updating your skill set identify what skills are needed for your current job or for the the position that you desire to have; a good starting point is to review the job descriptions.
A 2009 survey conducted by Kelly Services, a workforce management company, surveyed 14,000 people.  82% of men and and 79% of women who responded believe that their current skills will need to be updated in the next few years to keep them abreast of advancement in the work place.
Another way to identify skill sets for your position is to read journals, blogs  or  current research in your job related field; this will keep you aware of current trends, changes in technology or policy and procedures.
Updating your skill set will allow you to provide a greater quality of service to survivors and also be a very valuable asset that is transferable to future job positions that you may acquire.
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Additional Resources for updating your Skill Sets
California Coalition Against Sexual Assault  (CALCASA)
CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
Local Public Library
Local Community College or University
Center For Nonprofit Management
California Nonprofit Resource Centers List