What Are My Transferable Skills?

1/19/2022

Over the course of your life, you are going to acquire a set of skills in a variety of settings. Starting from your childhood, education, employment, relationships, etc. These skills are typically referred to as transferable skills, also known as portable skills – skills that are relevant and helpful across multiple settings and stages of life. Such skills can often give you a leg up and add to your employability. Skills that you can take with you from one job to another.

Everyone has transferable skills, but what is the value of transferable skills? Transferable skills play an important role in the job selection process. They can help you stand out from the other applicants – they are the strengths and qualities you bring to the table developed from your previous work experience and/or education. These are the skills employers seek as it relates to the job description. For example, if you are applying for an educator role, this position often requires communication skills. You communicate with other faculty members, parents, and students in this role. Having developed this skill in the past would help you stand out as your employer would not have to worry about training you. Therefore, highlighting your transferable skills in interviews, resumes, and cover letters as it relates to the job description, can show that you would be an asset to the company. Think of transferable skills with a growth mindset, no matter what experiences you have gone through, no matter the school you attended, or if you have had ten jobs versus one. You left each experience with new skills or strengthened the skills you already had.

What are transferable skills? You could likely sit down, start your search on transferable skills, and four hours later, you are in a rabbit hole. What did you even learn from that rabbit hole adventure? All transferable skills are important. Are there top transferable skills that employers look for most? Absolutely. To get you started, here are six common skills employers seek:

Teamwork Skills:

All those introverts out there probably do not like hearing this, but yes, eventually you have to work with a team. Do you have the skills to be able to do so? Effective teamwork does not just require you to do your work and leave it at that. It requires you to listen to others, not just take control, it requires communication and having the ability to work with different personalities.

Leadership Skills:

Being a leader does not always have to be your ability to lead a team. Yes, it can mean your ability to take the lead on a project/assignment, but it is about your ability to communicate, listen to feedback, be motivating and inspiring, the ability to delegate tasks, and be creative (critical thinking, open-mindedness, innovative, etc.).

Tool Using Skills:

Applying your knowledge in how to build or maintain products requires the use of different hand and power tools. It takes experience to develop using tools efficiently and effectively in construction, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. Understanding how engineering and construction theory is applied is a valuable asset and is marketable in different work environments, such as residential or commercial construction needs.

Decision-Making Skills:

Good decision-making skills is about having the ability to make an informed decision that ensures you are considering all relevant information to make the best outcome. Do you have the skill to define the problem/challenge, think through all the solutions, evaluate the pros and cons of each decision, assess the impact of the decision, then select the best decision? Job’s do not expect you to walk into a new career and suddenly know how to make all the right decisions, but they do want to see that you have the ability to think through multiple solutions and make a confident judgment. Transferable decision-making skills might include problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and time management.

Technical Skills:

You do not have to be a technological wizard to have technical skills, but it is a good idea to know your way around some basic computer software programs, a printer, scanner, telephone, etc. For example, with the pandemic, many companies are virtual. They are usually software that can be easily used by a variety of employees (google docs, spreadsheets, electronic presentation software, email management skills, zoom. Having some experience with technology can help you apply your previous technical knowledge to new software.

Communication Skills:

Good communication is an important skill to have in literally any environment. Everyone communicates differently. However, when it comes to communication in the workplace, it is an important element to success. Whether you are dealing with clients, customers, or employees, it is important to have the skill to relay information through written communication, verbal/non-verbal communication, active listening, or any other medium. Strong communication skills can help you build your confidence and ability to build relationships. They can also help you mitigate conflict and misunderstanding.

As you are building your resume and cover letter, we encourage you to do a deep dive into those skills because it might reveal that you have more transferable skills than you thought. Every job requires different skill sets. You do not just want to list any and all that you found during your rabbit hole search. You want to use the ones that pertain to the job you are applying for and ones that you feel strongly about. Every day, your transferable skills will continue to develop, be proud of the skills you have and practice developing new skills to close in those gaps to help benefit you in the job/career you are considering.

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