Your dream job starts with transferable skills 

Does thinking about your dream job ever overwhelm you? As an undergraduate student, it can be easy to dismiss possibilities that seem completely out of reach when there is still so much work to be done before you even graduate. But what if we told you that you can take a very simple step now that will help you inch toward those future career goals? 

Start by considering transferable skills, which are skills you develop in one context and transfer to others. For example, you are developing strong academic writing skills in your Arts program that you can transfer to a job that requires strong professional writing skills. Before long, you will be able to write for any audience in any context!

Now, ask yourself which transferable skills would be absolutely necessary to succeed in your dream job or field. Let’s use graphic design as an example. A successful designer will require great attention to detail, collaboration and teamwork skills, time management skills, and the list goes on. 

Finally, look for opportunities to start developing those skills now. Using the previous example of graphic design, you could manage the social media account of a student group to hone your attention to detail. You might also be interested in submitting your work to a larger team like The Gateway to improve your collaboration and teamwork skills. Taking on extracurricular activities or fine-tuning your approach to meeting deadlines in classes are both great ways to improve your time management skills as well. 

We hope that this activity helps you identify and develop some of the transferable skills that will serve you well now and in your future dream job, but reach out to your Work Experience Coordinator if you aren’t sure how to get started or require support of any kind. We can’t wait to learn about your goals and support your career journey!