Transferable skills, which are also called “portable skills,” are skills that can be used in more than one job. When you change jobs or businesses, it’s especially important to show off your transferable skills. You probably already have a lot of skills that employers value, like organization, communication, making relationships, and paying attention to details. This article will explain transferable skills for employees and students, how to identify them, the checklist, and why they are important.
What Are Transferable Skills
Transferable skills, also called portable skills, are all the skills you can use at different jobs. Transferable skills are those that can be used in a number of different jobs and fields. It can help you get a new job, especially if it’s in a different field than the one you had before.
Transferable skills include being able to communicate your thoughts clearly to others, solve problems that come up out of nowhere, and work well with others in a team.
Transferable skills are the ones that help you do your job well. Technical skills let you do specific technical tasks, like writing with Python or making wireframes for UX design. Because of this, employers value transferable skills a lot. After all, a coder who can work in a team is probably more valuable than one who can’t code well with others.
How to Identify Transferable Skills
It can be stressful just to look for a job not to mention the stress of trying to show a company that you are the right person for the job, especially when jobs are hard to find or there are a lot of applicants. If you don’t have much work experience or most of it is in one area, you might feel unprepared for a different job or a career change. The good news is that’s not always the case. The key is to figure out what skills you already have and how to put them to use on your resume.
#1. Make a List of Your Skills
If someone has been working on the same assembly line for a long time, they may think that’s all they can do. But if you look more closely, you can see that working on that assembly line required skills like paying attention to details, being able to stay focused on a job for a long time, or quality control. In the same way, someone who has spent most of their life in school may not have any work experience, but they probably have skills like meeting goals, making presentations, and being organized. Try to remember all the small things you did well in your last job. Most likely, all of these little things will add up to the skills that companies want.
#2. Check the work description for “hooks”
Job titles have hooks that grab your attention like a catchy line in a song. Look for words or sentences and see if they fit with what you can do. For example, someone who wants to work in a “fast-paced environment” probably needs to be able to work well under pressure, manage their time well, and meet deadlines. Those skills are probably already in place for someone who has worked in a restaurant or other service industry jobs.
#3. Be Able to Use Specific Examples
It is very important to be able to back up the skills you list on your resume. Don’t be surprised if possible employers ask for examples. Being put on the spot can be scary, but don’t freak out! You’ve already done the hard work, so that’s good. Think about the list of skills you made. What’s the skill? Why did you write it down? When was it used? How did it help you? Spend some time answering these questions before an interview so you’re ready if they come up.
One last thing to keep in mind: it’s best, to be honest on paper and in interviews. Stick to the skills you know you can give good examples for when you list them.
Read Also: TOP SKILLS FOR RESUME: BEST 2023 SKILLS WITH EXAMPLES
Transferable Skills Checklist
We recommend this checklist to help you identify your transferable skills and paint a clearer picture of all the abilities you can offer.
Transferable Skills for Students
Transferable skills for students are:
#1. Team Work
Work effectively with other people to reach your goals.
In many jobs, you’ll have to work with other people. If you can show that you can work well with others, employees will know that you will “fit in” and make a useful contribution.
Think about times when you worked well with others to get things done in formal or private groups. Can you think of times when you worked with a group to make decisions and solve problems? Think about how you solved problems and talk about what went well. Use examples from jobs you’ve had in the past, school, or being part of a social or sports group.
Our page on Group Roles could assist you figure out what kind of part you’re most likely to play when working in a group.
#2. Leadership
Show effort and the ability to lead
You might not be looking for a job that requires you to be a leader, but you may still need to show that you can lead in certain situations.
To be a good leader, you need a lot of skills, so think about times when you helped inspire, take responsibility for, and lead others well to reach their goals and objectives. You should also think about how well you can share and if you are willing to ask for help when you need it. Do you have a charming personality? What can you do to make yourself more charismatic and connect with other people?
#3. Listening
Do you know how to listen?
Employers often say that their employees can’t listen well, and Richard Branson says that being able to listen well is one of the most important skills we can learn.
In many jobs, you will need to understand and process important or complicated information. This is because not listening well can lead to mistakes, misunderstandings, and missed chances that could be costly.
Most people think that they are better listeners than other people. For more information, see our page on Listening Misconceptions. But almost everyone can benefit from learning and practicing how to listen well. Spend some time thinking about how to listen well and learning how to do it. See our page on how to listen actively. Can you think of times when you used your listening skills well?
#4. Information Technology.
Use computers and other devices well.
Word processing, spreadsheet, and web-based tools are used every day at many jobs. But think about more than just these basic IT skills. Are you sure you know how to use a computer? Can you quickly figure out how to use new apps and tech? Can you fix simple computer problems, and do you know how important it is to keep data secure and private?
#5. Personal Development
Find ways to grow and get to know yourself.
Employers like to hire people who are working on themselves. If you show that you want to learn and grow, people will probably think you are enthusiastic and ready to take on new tasks.
Personal growth is about figuring out how well you do things and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It may seem strange to tell a possible employer about your weaknesses, but talking about what you are doing to improve and learn new skills shows that you are self-aware.
#6. Numeracy Skills
Work with numbers accurately and well.
Even if you’re not looking for a job or pursuing a career in math or statistics, it’s possible that you’ll need to know some basic math skills. Most jobs will need you to be able to do the math. Employers often say that new graduates lack math skills, especially when it comes to numbers. This is one of the most required transferable skills for students.
You should be able to show that you can work with numbers, do the math, understand graphs, charts, and easy statistics, and spot important numbers and trends. Check out our part on math skills for help.
#7. Research and Analytical Skills
Collect, analyze, and make sense of the material.
It might be a good idea to show that you can research, analyze, and evaluate material critically. You may have to work with and make sense of a lot of complicated information, such as sales figures, new product and supplier specs, technical reports, and financial information.
Even though you may need business language and math skills, you will also need some more general skills. You might have used these skills while you were in school.
#8. Communication
Strong communication means being able to share knowledge with other people in person, in writing, or in some other way. Communication skills help you figure out when and how to ask questions, how to read people’s body language, and how to talk to different kinds of people in different situations. Employers like people who are good at communicating because they can work with other people and move projects forward.
Communication skills that can be used elsewhere include:
- Paying attention
- Written communication
- Verbal communication
- Giving and getting comments with confidence
- How people talk without words
- Responsiveness
- Talking in public
Read Also: TYPES OF SKILLS YOU NEED FOR A JOB
Why Are Transferable Skills Important
Transferable skills are generally important. They help you do well, but they also help your team, customers, or business do well. They let you take charge of your work path and reduce stress during times of change, like when you get a promotion or switch jobs. In a way, these are skills that will never “go out of style.” As long as you put time and effort into improving them, they will follow and help your working success. Listed below are
•The ability to change. When looking for a new job, you need to be able to do a lot of different things. Employers want “all-rounders,” or people who can do a lot of different things and fill different jobs as needed.
•You already have transferable skills. You learn transferable skills as you go about your daily life. Your transferable skills will depend on what events you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them. Everyone has a different set of skills, but the most important thing to help you find a job is to know to whom to sell those skills.
•Transferable skills can help you get a job. Before they hire someone, employers want to see that they have knowledge and skills. Transferable skills are a way to show that you can do the job, even if you don’t have all the exact qualifications listed in the job description. So, the more appropriate skills you have, the better your chances of getting the job. Transferable skills can show how valuable you could be to a company.
Read Also: TOP 30+ PROFESSIONAL SKILLS: For Business, Resume, Development & Institute
What Are Core and Transferable Skills?
Core skills make it easier to learn. They help you get along with other people and make good job moves. Transferable skills are another name for core skills. This is because you’ll keep getting better at them and use them at every job you have during your work.
What Is Transferable vs Hard Skills?
Some skills, like being skilled in another language, are hard skills that can be taught and are easy to measure. Some are “soft skills” that are harder to measure, like being able to handle your time. These skills can be either hard or soft. Transferable skills are different because they can be used in more than one area of work.
What Is the Difference between Skills and Transferable Skills?
Transferable skills are skills you learn in addition to the technical skills you need for your job. Transferable skills may be a little harder to describe because they are “soft skills,” but your future employer will still value them just as much.
How Do I Identify My Transferable Skills?
One way to find useful transferable skills in the field you want to work in is to look at job postings and see what skills they emphasize. Once you have made a list of the skills you want, use the above practice to think about how you have used those skills in your personal and professional life.
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