11 Section 1.1 Your Career Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Aptitude Aptitude is the natural ability to do or learn something. Aptitudes are also called talents. Your aptitudes will influence your career choices. A fashion designer can look at a piece of material and visualize the finished shirt, dress, or sport jacket. He or she may have a natural aptitude for creating clothing without using patterns. A cabinetmaker may have realized he or she had a natural aptitude for it when taking a woodworking class in school. This may lead to a kitchen remodeling business. Skills A skill is an ability that a person has learned over time and can do well. What skills do you have? Can you repair a car, analyze a spreadsheet, or create a website? These are all specific skills. You will use learned skills in a career and continue acquiring new skills as you advance in your career. Attitude You may have heard the saying, “Do you look at the glass as half full or half empty?” Attitude is the feelings a person has about people or things. Attitude will make a huge difference in a future career and in your life. A positive attitude can help you get a job, make new friends, and get involved in activities and organizations. A negative attitude may result in a dismissal from a job, losing friends, or being asked to leave an organization. A positive attitude is important for an entrepreneur. arek_malang/Shutterstock.com FYI Employees’ attitudes can directly affect both the quality of the work they do and the overall productiveness of a business.