Learn more about transferable skills and how to put them to work for you.
What Are Transferable Skills?
Jobs require a combination of skills. Some are hard skills, which are teachable and easy to quantify, like being fluent in another language. Some are soft skills, which are harder-to-quantify skills like time management. Transferable skills can be hard or soft skills. What sets transferable skills apart is that they can be used in multiple career fields. For example, time management and language fluency are both useful in multiple fields.
How Transferable Skills Work
Consider your work history, school activities, and volunteer experiences. What skills have you consistently used? Most jobs require communication skills, for example. You might have developed skills in using Microsoft Office or a knack for managing teams. Looking at job postings you’re interested in can also help you think of transferable skills. What are potential employers looking for? Let’s say an employer is looking for someone who can juggle multiple tasks. You might have done that in school, balancing academics with extracurricular activities, or in a previous job. It’s especially important to highlight your transferable skills if you’re changing career fields. On your resume, work them into the descriptions of your previous experience, taking care to match the language the prospective employer uses in its job postings. You may want to use a functional resume format, which puts your transferable skills front and center.
Examples of Transferable Skills
Having examples of transferable skills can help you round out your resume and brainstorm specific examples for interviews. Here are several categories of transferable skills.
General Skills
General skills are basic job skills that are essential to most positions. These include:
Listening skillsUnderstanding and carrying out written instructionsObserving and assessing your own and others’ performancesWritten communication skillsBasic math skillsPublic speakingPunctuality
Interpersonal Skills
Most positions involve working with others. You might be working with colleagues, managing other employees, or interacting with the public. Transferable people skills include:
Providing and accepting constructive criticismMotivating othersHandling customer complaintsTraining new employeesDelegatingCounseling employeesBuilding strong customer relationshipsCollaborating with othersMentoring less experienced colleaguesResolving conflicts between colleagues and/or customersDeveloping positive relationships with suppliersGaining the confidence of clients or customers
Management Skills
Management is also its own skillset. It takes a range of skills to manage a store, department, or branch, including:
Developing and overseeing a budgetRecruiting personnelReviewing resumesInterviewing job candidatesSelecting new hiresSupervising employeesScheduling personnelLeading productive meetingsNegotiating contractsEvaluating employeesIdentifying and presenting problems to upper management
Clerical Skills
Clerical and administrative skills are needed in most fields. Transferable skills in this area include:
Designing and maintaining correspondence and reports Managing records Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs Performing data entry Keeping track of accounts receivable, accounts payable, billing, and other bookkeeping tasks Screening and transferring telephone calls Greeting visitors Using office equipment such as printers, copiers, and fax machines
Research and Planning Skills
Employers want employees who can take initiative. Showing your research and planning skills can demonstrate that you’re motivated. These skills include:
Anticipating and preventing problems from occurring or reoccurringUsing critical thinking skills to make decisions or evaluate possible solutions to problems Solving problemsDefining the organization’s or department’s needsSetting goalsPrioritizing tasksLocating and reaching out to suppliers or sub-contractorsAnalyzing information and forecast resultsManaging your time and meeting deadlinesPlanning and implementing events and activitiesCreating and implementing new policies and proceduresCoordinating and developing programsDocumenting procedures and resultsConducting research using the internet and library resources
Computer and Technical Skills
It’s difficult to understate the importance of computer and technical skills in today’s job market. Being able to master one program shows you can master other programs. Transferable computer and technical skills include:
Using job-related softwareUsing job-related equipment and machineryInstalling software on computersTroubleshooting problems with hardware and softwareInstalling equipmentMaintaining equipmentInspecting equipment to identify problemsDesigning and maintaining websites
