If you’re wondering what transferable skills are, you’re not the only job hunter eager to understand the hot labor market terrain. These niche-non-specific abilities are of high value, especially if you’re see-sawing between careers in youthful exuberance. That’s because these skills employers look for can help you bring home the bacon, no matter which profession, industry, or department you’re targeting.
Companies scouting around for young and prime-age workers find the possession of these skills to offer an insight into a candidate’s work performance. In fact, they expect aspiring applicants to highlight their transferable (or portable) capabilities in their CVs and during the interview process. While dotting out the same talents whenever you’re applying for a new job position is dotty (pun intended), the following 10 are most likely to help you get a foot in the door.
What Are Transferrable Skills?
Transferable skills are skills that you can “carry” from one occupation to another and still use for different tasks. They don’t depend on a specific job — instead, they’re more like tools you can apply whenever necessary. You gain skills like these as you progress through life and in your career.
Some of these skills can be “hard.” These include abilities like problem-solving skills, technical skills, coding, knowing how to use some computer programs, data analysis, etc. Communication skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking, analytical skills, discipline, and relationship building belong to the category of “soft” skills. And the good thing is you probably have some of these skills under your sleeve.
1. Thinking Critically
As a general rule of thumb, companies thrive the most when their mission and vision are deeply embedded in their organizational culture. Because of that, employers pick staff members carefully, actively soliciting those supportive of corporative principles, plans, and actions. Most importantly, they aim to recruit individuals who have excellent problem-solving skills. That way, when the need arises, they can contribute to the systematic solution of certain cooperative issues.
Firms with employees who approach challenges logically, define them clearly, and propose the best problem-specific solutions can generate higher revenue. Also, gaining a competitive advantage is almost impossible for them without a team that’s capable of creating a course of action for dealing with a particular problem and predicting the time and resources it’ll take to solve it. Therefore, you should invest in your critical thinking skills.
2. Communicating Your Thoughts Clearly
Apart from being able to strategize a company’s moves, if your goal is to sway business owners into prioritizing your application, you need to also be an excellent communicator. As an employee, you’ll contribute to how information circulates within the workplace and how strong the team spirit is. Therefore, you must invest in becoming an empathetic listener and persuasive speaker.
Whether you interact with your coworkers in person or by email, you should approach them professionally, calibrating your methods of expression according to situational factors. There are ways to ask questions and manners to uphold when giving others answers. Regardless of which form the dialogue between staff takes, it should promote smoother project execution, and you can facilitate that.
3. Being Familiar With Emerging Technologies
Large or small, companies depend on how tech-savvy their employees are. Naturally, coordinating complex tasks is almost impossible if those aboard aren’t digitally literate. That said, you’ll be a great asset to businesses if you know how to use the different technological devices of the modern world.
Succeeding at your workplace entails more than being a team player. You must be comfortable continuously learning about the newest tech inventions on the market, especially the ones you’ll be using at work (also known as office gadgets). That can boost your productivity levels and help you meet your in-team duties more efficiently. On the other hand, it can also aid the success of the company you choose to work for.
4. Being Dependable
Trust is a virtue of high importance in the business world. Undependable employees cannot enjoy the benefits of a stable job, nor do they have a lengthy letter of recommendation to unfold on the desk of potential employers. Therefore, investing in your dependability is vital to becoming an irreplaceable addition to various firms across industries.
High achievers who have great time management and project management skills and can meet deadlines while practicing the work ethic of their company are the role models firms set the worker’s standards after. Furthermore, honestly discussing your planned work-related feats with your bosses could louden your career crescendo with a promotion. All in all, dependability is one of the in-demand skills in today’s work environment. Most employers would snorkel through their hiring pools and trawl for candidates who have it.
5. Solving Problems
The company that, to you, is analogous to a gold mine probably is and will be having different issues to face being a cell in the business sector. However, if it doesn’t swipe its pressing challenges under the thick corporate rug, it can mend its ways when necessary. And your prowess in problem-solving could help it reset its priority scheme as it evades the storms that often hit businesses.
By keeping your radar tuned to problems at work, you’ll see this place achieves its goals on time. If you use the correct PS methods and techniques, you can also lay a path around some obstacles in the corporate space. This is a wise way to help the overall health of the firm you earn a living at, meaning the skill gives your CV more substance.
6. Organizing Your Work and Private Life Effectively
Revealing your intellectual abilities won’t cut the mustard when applying for a job. Picking the fruits from your commitment to the daily grind is strongly related to one of the most important transferable skills – being organized. If you’re well-organized, focusing on some tasks and projects isn’t taxing on your time for completing other assignment sets you’ve been asked to take care of.
Needless to say, companies are interested in employees who can dedicate themselves to helping their smooth operation. That said, they’re likely to welcome individuals who will follow instructions, meet deadlines, and aid the finalization of team tasks through prompt communication. All of that is possible if time management is one of your transferable skills and if you can prioritize between things and pay attention to detail.
7. Having an Excellent Sense of Teamwork
Usually, working for a company entails taking on tasks as a team member. In fact, most corporate objectives are easier to achieve by joining forces with your colleagues. Other ones, however, are practically impossible to reach without at least some assistance. That’s why employers like expanding their teams with hires who are great at working closely with others and have excellent “soft” skills.
So, what does it mean to be a partner that deserves the Teammate of the Month award? It means you’re proud of and responsible for your accomplishments but also aware of other people’s contributions to them. It also means you value your coworkers’ suggestions and, more importantly, your bond with them. Teamwork translates into fewer headwinds and higher workplace productivity, so companies take it seriously. You should, too.
8. Adapting to Changes
Adaptive skills are excellent for supporting a company’s mission when changes that can affect its well-being occur. With such abilities, you can help the firm you’re employed to see the light at the end of the tunnel after substantial product modifications, project replanning, or personnel change. That said, adapting to changes is critical to remaining productive and helping the company see through them.
You must be creative and flexible if you want to keep your job during turbulent times. More importantly, if being patient is not one of your strengths, you need to build your patience muscle. Many will agree that observing your surroundings through a pink filter is disadvantageous. However, having a positive outlook on things is necessary to stay motivated and follow through with your assignments. Therefore, learn to go with the flow.
9. Paying Attention to Details
The ability to execute your tasks carefully with little to no mistakes is one of the most marketable skills out there. That’s because businesses rely on the thorough performance of their employees to streamline critical operations and outrun competitors. Workers who are willing to check over their work and remove any errors in it are the greatest asset a company can have.
Some projects are less straightforward than others. Their complexity largely depends on a corporation’s characteristics and the industry it belongs to. Paying attention to detail is critical when a project requires multiple people working on it or when the data needed for its completion must be gathered from an outside source. Therefore, be ready to always double-check for little things that can compromise your work’s quality, like spelling mistakes, for example.
10. Empathizing With Others
Finally, being compassionate and understanding of the emotional experiences of others can show your bosses that you care for more than just earning big. It’s one of those interpersonal skills that will help them realize that you see and care for the company’s heart – its employees. That said, if you find putting yourself in other people’s shoes challenging, doing some skill development in this direction will do no harm.
Having “soft” skills like being able to connect with your colleagues can help make your work environment healthier. It can also strengthen your relationship with them as well as with clients. In fact, it’s a win-win, no matter how you look at it. Most jobs require a certain level of interaction with other people, so being a good (and curious) listener and mediator pays off.
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FAQ
Why are transferable skills important in the workplace?
Transferable skills help employees execute different tasks regardless, broadening their career horizons. Having a transferrable skillset also means you have greater chances of managing new work scenarios and tasks, making the process of adaptation smoother and easier for both the company and yourself.
How can I identify my transferable skills?
There are three simple ways to identify your transferable skills:
1. Write down a list of the typical responsibilities throughout your workday. Note down all tasks, even the ones you think of as small and insignificant — they might be super relevant for your next job position.
2. Determine your strengths by analyzing the list you’ve created. Take a look at what you do best. Has anyone on your team pointed out that you’re really good at something? Are there any skills you failed to list simply because they seem like a piece of cake to you, as if they don’t mean working? What have you been doing the longest? Ask yourself these questions, and figure out the answers!
3. Focus on the skills that you consider fun. These are likely the things you like doing and the ones you’d like to list in your resume. Understanding what you want will lead you to job opportunities aligned with your wishes!
How do I showcase transferable skills on my resume?
Showcasing your transferable skills isn’t that challenging. Here’s how to do that:
1. Pay attention to the transferrable skills in the description of the job you want to apply for. Look for words like ‘interpersonal skills,’ ‘communication skills,’ ‘critical thinking,’ ‘analytical skills,’ ‘project management skills,’ ‘time management skills,’ ‘negotiation skills,’ etc.
2. Once you find these words in the description, try brainstorming some examples for each skill. Have you ever used any of those transferrable skills at work? If you can’t remember such situations, ask a coworker to refresh your memory.
3. Add the examples to your resume. Be as specific as you can. Your potential employer will want to see that you really have the transferable skills you’ve mentioned, so try not to use too much general language.
Can transferable skills help in career changes?
Absolutely! Highlighting transferable skills can help your potential employer see that you’re not starting from zero but have the tools needed for an easier transition into a different career. The more transferable skills you have, the more attractive you are as a candidate because your learning curve will be smoother.
